In the provided sources, setting a system boundary is not a physical given but a subjective, cognitive act performed by an observer based on their purpose or perspective[1]. You can cluster the criteria for setting these boundaries and the questions to ask into five primary domains:
1. Functional Control and Influence
The most common criterion for setting a boundary is the degree of control a decision-maker has over specific elements[6].
• The System: Consists of those components that can be strongly influenced, controlled, or designed by the decision-makers[9].
• The Environment: Consists of factors that influence the system but are not controlled by it[6].
• Questions to Ask:
◦ Can the decision-maker change this factor, or must they adapt to it as a “given”?[6][14] ◦ Does this element affect the system’s performance?[12][15] ◦ Is this a resource (controllable) or a constraint (uncontrollable)?[13]
2. Strategic Framing and Purpose
Boundaries are often defined by the “intelligence” or goal of the inquirer. This cluster views the system as a “system of interest” rather than a physical object[2].
• The System: A conceptual device chosen to make sense of a particular “mess” or problem[3].
• The Environment: The “white space” or “context” that makes the system’s actions meaningful[15].
• Questions to Ask:
◦ What is the purpose of this inquiry or model?[9] ◦ What “variety” (complexity) must be included to achieve our goals, and what can be safely ignored as “noise”?[27][28] ◦ Are we viewing this as a “narrow system of interest” or a “wider system” we merely wish to influence?[29][30]
3. Ethical and Critical Responsibility
This cluster treats boundary-making as a political and moral act that determines who is valued and who is marginalized[31].
• The System: The beneficiaries and those involved in the decision-making process[32].
• The Environment: Those who are affected by the system but have no control over it (the “victims”)[14].
• Questions to Ask:
◦ Who is the beneficiary of this system, and who is the “victim” or “enemy”?[14][32] ◦ What resources and conditions ought to be part of the system rather than the environment?[32][33] ◦ Whose interests are being served by drawing the boundary in this specific place?[32][34]
4. Rate of Change and Frequency
In hierarchical and biological systems, boundaries are set based on the relative speed of interactions[35][36].
• The System: Operates at a high frequency (fast behavior)[37].
• The Environment: Changes much more slowly, appearing constant to the system’s internal cycles[37].
• Questions to Ask:
◦ Where is the “frequency cut”? What is changing so slowly that it acts as a stable constraint?[37][38] ◦ Where do interactions become “weak” or infrequent compared to the core behavior?[39][40]
5. Complexity and Informational Capacity
Cybernetic thinkers set boundaries based on the Law of Requisite Variety, distinguishing between internal order and external chaos[41][42].
• The System: A “variety reducer” or filter that maintains a lower state of entropy than its surroundings[43].
• The Environment: A generator of infinite variety that throws disturbances at the system[46].
• Questions to Ask:
◦ Does the system have enough internal variety to match the variety of the environment?[41] ◦ How does the system transduce (filter) environmental variety into meaningful signals?[22][50] ◦ Is the system reaching its “energy budget” in trying to respond to environmental stimuli?[51]
References
[1] Bob Williams.md [2] John Flach.md [3] John Warfield.md [6] C. West Churchman.md [9] OU Course.md [12] Ian Mitroff.md [13] Peter Checkland.md [14] C. West Churchman.md [15] Harold Nelson.md [22] Roger James.md [27] Colin Eden.md [28] Roger James.md [29] OU Course.md [30] Robert Flood.md [31] Bob Williams.md [32] MC Jackson.md [33] Robert Flood.md [34] Bob Williams.md [35] Tim Allen.md [36] Warren Weaver.md [37] Tim Allen.md [38] Tim Allen.md [39] Tim Allen.md [40] Warren Weaver.md [41] Barry Richmond.md [42] Stafford Beer.md [43] Herb Simon.md [46] Bob Williams.md [50] Roger James.md [51] Max Boisot.md