Question
The function or purpose of a system is the most crucial determinant of a system's behavior. It is what the system is designed to achieve or accomplish. In the context of a football game, for example, the purpose is to win the game. If you change the purpose from winning to losing, it would drastically alter the game strategy and the behavior of the players and coaches. Therefore, understanding the function or purpose of a system is key to understanding its behavior and how to influence it.
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A "system" is a set of independent things that are interconnected in a way that causes them to produce their own patterns over time. Outside factors may unleash that behavior, but the system patterns are largely internal. For example, the market economy has natural ups and downs that can be impacted by politics, but is not driven exclusively by them. A system must consist of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose. Each part must be vital to the system's function. Football players, coaches, and the field are elements connected by rules. Take away or change any one of those and you alter or break down the system's function. Many systems contain both human and non-human elements. "Function" is generally used for non-human systems, while "purpose" refers to human ones. This function or purpose is often the least obvious, but the most crucial determinant of a system's behavior. Change a team's purpose from win to lose, and the entire game strategy chan...
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