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What is Black Box ?

A black box is a system where only the inputs (what goes in) and outputs (what comes out) are observed, focusing on its behaviour without examining how it works inside. It simplifies complex systems by emphasizing what they do, not how they do it.

Additional Glossary Terms

Reductionism

Reductionism is an approach that seeks to understand complex systems by breaking them down into simpler components or elements and analyzing them in isolation.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the self-regulating process that enables living organisms to maintain a state of dynamic balance. It ensures stability in the organism’s internal conditions, despite changes in external environments.

Holism

Holism is an approach that emphasizes viewing systems as whole entities rather than merely a collection of separate parts. This perspective sees the parts in relation to the entire system,

Holons

A holon is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part.

CATWOE

CATWOE is a mnemonic device used in Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to ensure that a Root Definition (a concise description of a human activity system) is rigorously formulated, well-structured, and

Socio-Technical Systems (STS)

Socio-Technical Systems (STS) is a term that originated from the work of Eric Trist, Ken Bamforth, and Fred Emery during the World War II era, based on their experiences with