In Praise of the “Ologies”: A Discussion of and Framework for Using Soft Skills to Sense and Influence Emergent Behaviors in Sociotechnical Systems

Abstract

Systems engineering has at its core the elucidation and instantiation of certain life‐cycle properties that help to define the system of interest. System engineers refer to these life‐cycle properties as the “ilities.” The ilities—repeatability, predictability, auditability, quality, reliability, flexibility, scalability, etc.—are nonfunctional requirements and properties that are usually used to evaluate the performance of the system, often after the system is in use. In sociotechnical systems the ilities are important, but there is another set of properties, concepts, and constructs which is derived from the social sciences and are at least as important, if not more so, than the ilities—the “ologies.” Sociotechnical enterprises represent a microsociological construct. The ologies emerge from the interaction of people in the systems and have profound implications for systems engineers and managers analyzing, designing, maintaining, and transforming such systems. Therefore, systems engineers must have an understanding of the disciplines from the social sciences, such as sociology and philosophy. This article serves as an introduction to the prevalence and importance of the social sciences to the discipline of systems engineering, offers one proposed framework for understanding the connected nature of the ologies, and provides systems‐relevant background and context provided by these sciences.

Information asymmetries in web‐based information for engineering transfer students

“…The system at the center of this study is sociotechnical because the information design requires interpretation by a human. Attempting to optimize either the technical or social without the other is a failure to recognize the system's totality (Donaldson, 2017). Therefore, we made a compromise in mapping out the information structures by beginning with a landing page and navigating through the site, limiting the ability to search.…”

Underestimation of Jingle Fallacy Influences on Systems Acquisitions

“…With the depth and consistency of shared experiences observed in this purposive sample, it would be useful to explore the occurrence of jingle fallacy among other miscommunications through quantitative analyses. Emergent and ongoing research in practices that embrace qualitative study of the soft skills in systems engineering (Donaldson, 2017), including but not limited to systems thinking and collaborative mindfulness, should also be explored for opportunities to enhance the integrative nature of the systems-related practices.…”

Lessons Learned from a First Attempt to Teach Systems Engineering as a Studio Art Class

“…Although some engineering courses may adopt pedagogy that works from a constructivist perspective, it is rare that students have a chance to truly engage with each other's mental models. Such engagement is essential in the cross-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder environments that systems engineers work in everyday [39], [40]. Developing the ability to view a situation from an alternative frame of reference can improve the ability of systems engineers to truly understand stakeholder needs and requirements.…”