Theory-building with system dynamics: principles and practices

  • Authors:
  • Markus Schwaninger;Thomas K. Hamann

  • Affiliations:
  • University of St. Gallen, Switzerland;McKinsey & Company, Inc., Munich, Germany

  • Venue:
  • EUROCAST'05 Proceedings of the 10th international conference on Computer Aided Systems Theory
  • Year:
  • 2005

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Abstract

System Dynamics is a discipline for the modeling, simulation and control of complex dynamic systems. In this contribution, the methodology of System Dynamics-based modeling is argued to be a powerful and rigorous approach to theory-building. The strength of the pertinent process of theory development lies in its high standards for model validation, and in a combination of abductive reasoning with induction and deduction. The argument of the paper is underpinned by an application of System Dynamics to the elaboration of a theory in the new field of Cultural Dynamics.