[ontolog-forum] 2nd Call: Enterprises *as* Systems Conference

["mkhettinger" <mkhettinger@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Please find below a general announcement and *second* call for papers for the International Conference on Enterprises *as* Systems: Theory and Theory in Action. I believe this conference will be of interest to you.

We are currently accepting paper proposals. There is a discount for speakers, and members of various types of organizations.

One general topic, Knowledge, (Formal)Ontology, Meaning/Semiotics(and Semantics) and their Relationships, in the context of enterprises *as* systems may be of particular interest to members of this forum. Examples of particular topics of interest to the conference include: ontology systems (as subsystems) in the enterprise, ontologies for the systems family of disciplines especially as applied to enterprises *as* systems, and ontologies for economics and law especially as applied to enterprises *as* systems. There are many others. If there are questions, they may be submitted to questions [at] enterprisesystemtheory [dot] net.

Matthew K. Hettinger

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General Announcement and Call for Papers

 

International Conference on Enterprises *as* Systems: Theory and Theory in Action - 2008

Oct. 27th-28th 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wojcik Conference Center
Harper College
1200 West Algonquin Road
Palatine, Illinois
URL: www.enterprisesystemtheory.net

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are invited to participate in the upcoming "International Conference on Enterprises *as* Systems: Theory and Theory in Action" - 2008, October 27th --28th at Harper College, Palatine Illinois (outside of Chicago).

 

The "International Conference on Enterprises *as* Systems: Theory and Theory in Action - 2008" is a  unique multi-disciplinary event, focused on the formal / empirical representation of enterprises, and networks of enterprises, as systems in the (general) systems-theoretic sense. 

An enterprise system, some combination of goal-driven workers and technology, utilizes knowledge of itself, structure and behavior, and of its economic, legal, and technical environments, to take action, adapt, and evolve (structurally and behaviorally) in response to changes in these environments.  An enterprise system as a whole, while transforming knowledge into action and action into knowledge, exhibits features of complexity, adaptability, learning, autonomy, identity, wholeness and partness, emergence, downward causation, self-organization, self-awareness, allopoiesis, etc. These features cannot be wholly described, explained, or predicted from the features of interacting virtual and concrete (sub) systems that make up the enterprise. Yet, it is these features that provide the background, internal environment, constraints, cognitive context, knowledge domains, etc. for goal and requirements specification, analysis and design, implementation, integration, interaction and interoperability of conceptual, logical and technical (sub) systems of all kinds. These (sub) systems / solutions, which address particular concerns as partial solutions with respect to the whole, in turn contribute to actions that take place at various organizational levels, distributed within and between enterprises. These actions ultimately contribute to enterprises as a whole, networked enterprises, and the economic, legal and technical environments enterprises are embedded in.   

There have been many conceptual, logical and technical advances made by enterprises of various types (e.g. business, government, education, standards bodies, and communities of practice) that may be considered as partial solutions, which other enterprises may include as a part.  However, those aspects of the enterprise as a whole system, from which these partial solutions are derived, have received relatively little attention. This is surprising in that it is these aspects that may be considered the roots of adaptation and evolution.

 

To address this gap in enterprise system knowledge, it is the intent of the International Conference on Enterprises *as* Systems" Theory and Theory in Action to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge concerning enterprises *as* systems in constantly changing economic, legal, and technological environments. There are three principle themes for the conference:

 

(1) enterprises *as* systems in the (general) systems-theoretic sense (systemics and the systems family of disciplines)

 

(2) the formal and/or empirical representation of such systems for description, explanation, simulation, and prediction (formal / empirical theory)

 

(3) the application of theory in analysis / design, architecture / engineering, and operation of (intra-, inter-) enterprise systems and enterprises *as* systems

 

This exchange of knowledge among participants will contribute to the formation of an open enterprise systems theory providing the foundation for the formation of an open architecture and engineering discipline utilizing, merging, and applying concepts and theories from the systems family of disciplines that includes, but is not limited to:

• Systems-of-Systems
• Complex Adaptive Systems
• Evolutionary Systems
• System Dynamics
• Cybernetics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Control Theory
• Decision Theory
• Learning Theory
• Organization Theory
• Autopoiesis
• Allopoiesis
• Autonomy
• Context Theory

as well as concepts and theories from:

• Natural Systems (neurals, genetics, ecology, evolution)                   
• Computer and information science and technology 
• Economics (macro-, micro-, meso-, finance, accounting, etc.)
• Business
• Law (business law, statute, international law, regulations, contract law, etc.)
• Ontology
• Language (natural, formal)
• Semiotics (semantics, syntax, pragmatics)
• Measures/metrics 
• Action and Behavior (process, service, activity, task, events)
• Goals, objectives, requirements
• Cognition, reasoning, intelligence, learning
• Knowledge, information, data
• Security and privacy
• Risk, trust, obligations, responsibilities, consequences
• Communication(s)
• Enterprise architecture, service oriented architecture, formal modeling and architecture
• other relevant topics

The formal and empirical treatment of enterprises as holistic systems, merging theories from key disciplines into an enterprise systems theory, has tremendous implications for the analysis, design and operation of enterprises of all kinds at strategic, tactical and operational levels: as well as for enterprise ecosystems, economic and legal ecosystems, industries, communities of practice and markets. It will enable knowledge and technology to be put into an enterprise context grounded in a systems theory for enterprises that could potentially enable enterprises to dynamically respond, adapt and evolve in real-time in the most optimized way with the least risk to changes in economic, legal, technical, and competitive environments. In addition, an enterprise systems theory provides the theoretical grounding that is required  to create an enterprise architecture and engineering discipline. Such a theory would provide the foundation for inter- and intra- enterprise (people and technology, structure and behavior) integration, interoperability and collaboration, locally and globally. Such a theory would also provide a foundation for the pervasive and ubiquitous application of economics and law within and between enterprises impacting intra- and inter-enterprise interactions in the context of imperfect information.

 

The scope of this conference includes those enterprise (sub)systems, virtual and concrete, business and technology, from which the enterprise emerges, and those (super)systems, that emerge from inter-enterprise interactions.

In general an enterprise may be considered a business, an educational organization, a government organization, a federation, a set of enterprises bound by law in some fashion, any set of cooperating / collaborating enterprises such as those in GRID systems, emergency management/response systems, standards bodies, etc.

 

Audience

This conference is multi-disciplinary in nature. The intended audience for this conference includes theorists and practitioners of any discipline with an interest in enterprises *as* systems, enterprise systems theories, the application of theory, and enterprise architecture / engineering. 

 

Call for Papers

In the context of enterprises *as* systems, the formal and empirical representation of enterprises in the development of theory, and the application of theory, topics for this conference include, but are not limited to:

 

1) Model-based Enterprise Analysis, Design, Architecture, Engineering, Simulation, Prediction
2) Characterization and Critique of Industry Standards
3) Knowledge, (Formal)Ontology, Meaning/Semiotics(and Semantics) and their Relationships
4) Downward Causation / Emergence and Evolution, Learning, Adaptation, Complexity, Reactivity, Agility, Scales, Change
5) Measures / Metrics
6) Autopoiesis, Allopoiesis, Autonomy
7) Cognition, Intelligence, Reasoning, Learning, Agents, Social Interactions
8) Service, Service Orientation and SOA

9) Inter-, Intra- Enterprise Integration, Interoperability and Collaboration

10) Convergence of Model-driven, Service-Oriented, and Enterprise Architecture
11) Economics, Law and Agreements / Contracts
12) Networked Enterprises and Emergent Systems: e.g. Emergency Systems, Supply / Demand Networks, Shared Security Systems / Services 
13) Enterprises *as* Systems and the Natural Environment

14) Open (papers not falling in any of the above categories)

 

Papers will be evaluated with a double-blind evaluation protocol. Papers must be submitted in .doc format and are to be tagged with theme and topic that best fits the paper. Papers must comform to the conference template (to be added to the conference Web site). Presentations of accepted papers must be submitted in Powerpoint format. The length of the presentation should be such that it fits into a 50 min. time slot. Authors of accepted papers will be asked to submit a photo and a brief biography.    

 

Critical Dates

August 1st, 2008: Draft Paper and abstracts due
September 1st, 2008: Paper/ Presentation acceptance notification
October 1st, 2008: Final Paper / Presentation due with presenter picture (.jpg, .gif) and bio due

 

Questions: questions at enterprisesystemtheory.net

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