Principal Investigator John Sterman
Co-investigators Travis Read Franck , John Carrier , Charles Fine , Retsef Levi , Nelson Repenning , Robert Lee Milstein , J Morrison , Robert Thomas Nachtrieb , Anjali Sastry , Peter Senge , Steven Spear , Hazhir Rahmandad , David Miller , Chintan Vaishnav , Henry Weil , Jack B Homer
Project Website http://mitsloan.mit.edu/group/system-dynamics/
Thoughtful leaders increasingly recognize that we are not only failing to solve the persistent problems we face, but are in fact causing them. From road building programs that actually increase traffic congestion to pathogens that evolve resistance to antibiotics to failed process improvement initiatives, our best efforts to solve problems often make them worse. System dynamics is designed to avoid such policy resistance and identify high leverage policies for sustained improvement. We develop formal mathematical models, grounded in empirical evidence, to build theoretical understanding of complex systems and seek to use those models to design and implement policies that yield lasting benefits for businesses and society.
The System Dynamics Group proudly carries on the legacy of its founder, Jay Forrester. Today’s faculty is engaged in research on process improvement and organizational transformation, sustainability, climate change policy, and health care/global public health. The group develops formal simulation models and management flight simulators to help address important challenges in business and public policy. They also engage in empirical, field, and action research.