In general, systems intelligence is an intelligence of systems, it is synonym of an intelligence because does not exist intelligence without its carrier system. On the other hand, systems intelligence can be interpreted as an intelligence of many systems together.

The specific concept Systems Intelligence is an orginal approach to the systemic vision of the real world. This conceptualization has been proposed in Finland by Raimo P. Hämäläinen and Esa Saarinen, 2002. It was developed in the fields of engineering sciences and applied philosophy. It refers to the way of thinking that spurs a person's problem solving capabilities, connecting the concepts from the engineering world to the human mind. Systems Intelligence (SI) is considered an intelligent behavior inside complex systems, often human in nature. Key concepts a person uses when acting systems intelligently are feedback and interaction.

A Systems Intelligent person, group or an organization

• sees the whole world around themselves be made of a complex web of interacting systems
• engages themselves into the holistic feedback mechanism of the environment and evokes productivity and success in their task
• sees the environment as feedback intensive, and manages to act intelligently in it
• interacts with the environment in a way that makes minor corrections in the systems, generating huge effects due to the nonlinearity of the system

Influential works

Systems Intelligence follows from the revolutionary research conducted by Peter Senge in the field of Systems Thinking. Other works strongly referred to in the SI research are authors ranging from Howard Gardner to Herbert Simon to Marcial Losada. The following research areas have influenced and been referred to in the SI research:

• systems theory and systems thinking
• neuroanatomy of human mind
• positive psychology and cognitive psychology
• operations research and applied mathematics
• creative problem solving and heuristics
• bounded rationality
• action research

Application areas

A lot of the tacit knowledge gathered up to SI research comes from real world applications, such as management consulting and pedagogics. Since systems intelligence is application intensive in nature, one of it's main missions is to connect the best practices of various, seemingly nonrelated fields, into one scientifically solid theory. The following fields can benefit from SI research:

• planning organizational reward and incentive systems
• leadership of organizations and business teams
• cultural aspects of organizational behaviour and super-productivity
• rationality in economics
• philosophy of life

Bibliography

• Raimo Hämäläinen, Esa Saarinen (2004) Systems Intelligence - Discovering a hidden competence in human action and organizational life: Systems Analysis Laboratory Research Reports

External links

• Systems Intelligence Research Group at the Helsinki University of Technology

Systems | Systems theory | Cognitive intelligence