Michael C. Jackson
Encyclopedia
Michael Christopher Jackson OBE
(born 1951) is a British
systems scientist, consultant
and Professor of Management Systems and Dean of Hull University Business School.
Jackson studied Politics
, Philosophy
and Economics
at Oxford University in the 1970s. Afterwards he spent 4 years in the civil service before returning to academic life. He has since studied and taught at Lancaster
, Warwick
, Lincoln
and Hull Universities, being appointed a full professor in 1989.
He is a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (New Delhi) and an Honorary Professor at the Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima, Peru. In 1997 he was an Erskine Scholar at the University of Canterbury
, New Zealand.
Jackson is Editor-in-chief of the journal Systems Research and Behavioral Science
, published by John Wiley, and he is on the editorial board of 5 other journals. He has delivered plenary addresses at numerous international conferences, and has undertaken many consultancy engagements with outside organisations, both profit and non-profit making.
Jackson is a past President of the UK Systems Society, of the International Federation for Systems Research
from 1996 to 2000, and of the International Society for the Systems Sciences
in 2001. He has also served on the Council of the Operational Research Society. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society
, the Chartered Management Institute
, the Cybernetics Society
and the Operational Research Society.
Jackson's teaching and research interests are Systems thinking
, Organizational cybernetics, Creative problem solving
, Critical systems thinking
, Management science and Systems science
.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to higher education and business.
In 2009, his work was honored from the Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
with their most prestigious Medal.
Books:
Articles, a selection:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1951) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
systems scientist, consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
and Professor of Management Systems and Dean of Hull University Business School.
Jackson studied Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Oxford University in the 1970s. Afterwards he spent 4 years in the civil service before returning to academic life. He has since studied and taught at Lancaster
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
, Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, Lincoln
University of Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
and Hull Universities, being appointed a full professor in 1989.
He is a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (New Delhi) and an Honorary Professor at the Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima, Peru. In 1997 he was an Erskine Scholar at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
, New Zealand.
Jackson is Editor-in-chief of the journal Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Systems Research and Behavioral Science is an international scientific journal for theory and research in the fields of systems sciences....
, published by John Wiley, and he is on the editorial board of 5 other journals. He has delivered plenary addresses at numerous international conferences, and has undertaken many consultancy engagements with outside organisations, both profit and non-profit making.
Jackson is a past President of the UK Systems Society, of the International Federation for Systems Research
International Federation for Systems Research
The International Federation for Systems Research is an international federation for global and local societies in the field of systems science...
from 1996 to 2000, and of the International Society for the Systems Sciences
International Society for the Systems Sciences
The International Society for the Systems Sciences is a world-wide organization for systems sciences.- Overview :The initial purpose of the society was "to encourage the development of theoretical systems which are applicable to more than one of the traditional departments of knowledge."The idea...
in 2001. He has also served on the Council of the Operational Research Society. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society
British Computer Society
The British Computer Society, is a professional body and a learned society that represents those working in Information Technology in the United Kingdom and internationally...
, the Chartered Management Institute
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
, the Cybernetics Society
Cybernetics Society
The Cybernetics Society is the UK based learned society that exists to promote the understanding of cybernetics. The core activity of the Cybernetics Society is the organization and facilitation of scientific meetings, conferences, and social events...
and the Operational Research Society.
Jackson's teaching and research interests are Systems thinking
Systems thinking
Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish...
, Organizational cybernetics, Creative problem solving
Creative problem solving
Creative problem solving is the mental process of creating a solution to a problem. It is a special form of problem solving in which the solution is independently created rather than learned with assistance.Creative problem solving always involves creativity....
, Critical systems thinking
Critical systems thinking
Critical systems thinking is a recent systems thinking framework, that wants to bring unity to the diversity of different systems approaches and advises managers how best to use them....
, Management science and Systems science
Systems science
Systems science is an interdisciplinary field of science that studies the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science. It aims to develop interdisciplinary foundations, which are applicable in a variety of areas, such as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences.Systems...
.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to higher education and business.
In 2009, his work was honored from the Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies The Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies ( is a scientific non-profit society that was established in 2003. It is a member of the International Society for the Systems Sciences and International Federation of...
with their most prestigious Medal.
Publications
Professor Jackson has written 4 books, edited 6 others and has published over 70 articles in refereed journals,Books:
- 1991, Systems Methodology for the Management Sciences.
- 1991, Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention, with Robert L. FloodRobert L. FloodRobert Louis Flood , British organizational scientist, and Professor of Management Sciences at the University of Hull, UK. He is a recognized authority on applied systemic thinking in the areas of strategic management, organizational behavior and organizational improvement.- Biography :Flood...
, Wiley. 268 p. - 2000, Systems Approaches to Management, London: Springer 465 p.
- 2003, Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers, Wiley.
Articles, a selection:
- 1993, with Robert L. FloodRobert L. FloodRobert Louis Flood , British organizational scientist, and Professor of Management Sciences at the University of Hull, UK. He is a recognized authority on applied systemic thinking in the areas of strategic management, organizational behavior and organizational improvement.- Biography :Flood...
, "Critical Systems Thinking", in: Organization Studies Vol 14, p. 613.
External links
- Homepage at the Hull University Business School.
- Michael C. Jackson, IFSRInternational Federation for Systems ResearchThe International Federation for Systems Research is an international federation for global and local societies in the field of systems science...
Newsletter 34/35 - December 1994.