Systems thinking has emerged as a means of conceptualizing and addressing complex public health problems, thereby challenging more commonplace understanding of problems and corresponding solutions as straightforward explanations of cause and effect. Systems thinking tries to address the complexity of problems through qualitative and quantitative modeling based on a variety of systems theories, each with their own assumptions and, more importantly, implicit and unexamined values. To date, however, there has been little engagement between systems (...) scientists and those working in bioethics and public health ethics. The goal of this paper is to begin to consider what it might mean to combine systems thinking with public health ethics to solve public health challenges. We argue that there is a role for ethics in systems thinking in public health as a means of elucidating implicit assumptions and facilitating ethics debate and dialogue with key stakeholders. (shrink)

Systems thinking is an increasingly recognized paradigm in education in both natural and social sciences, a particular focus being, naturally, in biology. This article argues that plant biology, and in particular, plant hormonal signaling, provides highly illustrative models for learning and teaching in a systems paradigm, because it offers examples of highly complex networks, ranging from the molecular‐ to ecosystem‐scale, and in addition lends itself to the use of real‐life biological objects.

Systems Thinking, Critical Realism and Philosophy: A Confluence of Ideas seeks to re-address the whole question of philosophy and systems thinking for the twenty first century and provide a new work that would be of value to both systems and philosophy. This is a highly opportune time when different fields – critical realism, philosophy of science and systems thinking – are all developing around the same set of concepts and yet not realizing it. (...) This book will be of interest to the aca. (shrink)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore a particular philosophical underpinning for Information Systems (IS) research – critical systemic thinking (CST). Drawing upon previous work, the authors highlight the principal features of CST within the tradition of critical research and attempt to relate it to trends in the Italian school of IS research in recent years, as exemplified by the work of Claudio Ciborra but also evident in work by, e.g. Resca, Jacucci and D'Atri.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual (...) paper which explores CST, characterised by a focus on individual uniqueness, and socially‐constructed, individual worldviews as generators of human knowing.FindingsThe paper draws on work by Heinz Klein in which he elaborated three constitutive stages in critical research: interpretive, genealogical and constructive. The authors introduce a fourth, reflective stage and discuss five categories of critical research, reflecting different perspectives on emancipation, culminating in emergent expressionism, associated with Ciborra and the Italian school more generally.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper discusses approaches to CST and how they might have practical implications in IS development. The distinction between approaches founded in logical empiricism and those founded in hermeneutic dialectics are considered and the development of critical and systems strands are discussed.Practical implicationsThe paper addresses CST as an approach to development of information systems. Such approaches enable users to explore their individually unique understandings and create a constructive dialogue with one another, which emancipates and empowers users to own and control their own development processes and hence build more productive and usable systems.Social implicationsA focus on research which is oriented towards emancipation in the tradition of critical social theory.Originality/valueThe paper draws on extensive theoretical research carried out by the authors over a period of more than ten years in CST and synthesises the practical implications. (shrink)

Systems thinking is a general worldview concerning the nature of reality. It sees the world as composed of systems, and all particular entities populating reality as linked with other entities – the emergence of new properties denies the flatland of plain materiality, and generates entities of a higher order. Spirituality in historical and modern traditions has minimally amounted to relating oneself to a larger or higher systemic whole, which confers meaning to particular cases of existence. In some (...) religious traditions this larger systemic whole has been understood as a transcendental sphere of existence, whereas in other religious and spiritual traditions it has been seen as an immanent thatness. The search for spirituality and wisdom has never been confined to religious traditions, but has inspired other systems thinkers as well, for example in philosophy, the New Age movement, in developmental psychology, biology, or futures research. The American philosopher and theoretical psychologist Ken Wilber has discussed, re-interpreted and synthesized various views on spiritual development as well as systems thinking and has provided input for the New Age movement, comparative religion, developmental psychology, and world philosophy. In this article we will discuss the relationship between systems thinking and spirituality and will assess Ken Wilber’s contribution to their conceptualization. (shrink)

_Systems Thinking, Critical Realism and Philosophy: A Confluence of Ideas_ seeks to re-address the whole question of philosophy and systems thinking for the twenty first century and provide a new work that would be of value to both systems and philosophy. This is a highly opportune time when different fields – critical realism, philosophy of science and systems thinking – are all developing around the same set of concepts and yet not realizing it. This (...) book will be of interest to the academic systems community worldwide and due to it's interdisciplinary coverage, it will also be of relevance to a wide range of scholars in other disciplines, particularly philosophy but also operational research, information systems, and sociology. (shrink)

The global education crisis is a complex problem that requires change from teachers, school managers, civil society, implementers, planners, governments and donors. Addressing the issues that lie beneath this crisis requires new ways of working. Systems thinking is a suite of approaches to grappling with complex problems that is beginning to gain traction in international education. This innovative book brings together new research in the nascent field of systems thinking in international education to exemplify how (...) class='Hi'>systems thinking offers the tools, frameworks and concepts to improve outcomes in education systems. (shrink)

This chapter delves into the interplay between a Systems Thinking Mindset (STM), Artificial Intelligence (AI)Artificial Intelligence (AI), and consciousness, offering insights into navigating the complexities of an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving world. STM emphasizes the recognition of interconnections within systems, fostering holistic perspectives and promoting ethical decision-making. By integrating STM with AI, organizations can address both the opportunities and risks of AI adoption, leveraging its transformative potential while mitigating unintended consequences. Drawing on examples from industries like (...) healthcare, the chapter demonstrates how STM can enhance collaboration, trust, and inclusion, creating pathways for innovative and sustainable solutions. The discussion also explores the alignment between STM and spiritual traditions, highlighting how higher consciousness can guide the ethical application of AI for societal and environmental benefit. The authors outline guiding principles for balancing human participation with AI systems, stressing the importance of diverse perspectives, ethical considerations, and the preservation of critical thinking and creativity. This chapter advocates adopting STM as a foundational orientation for reimagining leadership, innovation, and collaboration in an AI-driven era, urging individuals and organizations to embrace holistic approaches to address complex global challenges. (shrink)

This article presents an overview of systems thinking from the mid-20th Century to the present. Systems thinking is presented as an interdisciplinary approach to managing complexity in organisations. It is characterised as holistic, dialogical and pluralistic. The philosophical interpretation of the practice of systemicintervention is increasingly important to understanding the reflexive and ethical nature of this approach to management. The article assesses the prospects of systems thinking becoming a mature philosophy of management by focusing (...) on the quality of relationships that it facilitates. A number of outstanding philosophical questions requiring further research are identified in conclusion. (shrink)

This chapter begins by explaining why management of social responsibility requires a systematic approach to understand complexity and provide organizational-wide solutions. It then analyzes why such an approach is useful and necessary, but not sufficient unless it is accompanied by a genuine implementation of the coherency conditions. It then assesses the role of systems thinking in driving change in complex adaptive systems, overcoming resistance, and dealing with different types of Cognitive bias.

In growing recognition that the business community must play a key role in the global issues encapsulated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Babson College, which has a business-focused curriculum, has striven first to reinvent its teaching of ethics and then, particularly over the past decade, to enhance its focus on sustainability, social responsibility, and social entrepreneurship. As previous initiatives did not build sufficient linkages between the liberal arts, natural sciences, and business curriculum, the College is now engaged in (...) a far more comprehensive effort to educate our undergraduate business students in “integrated sustainability,” which it defines as “systems thinking that integrates ecological integrity, social responsibility, and value creation simultaneously.” By examining the meaning, skills, and pedagogical opportunities in systems thinking within the context of larger discussions on humanistic management, this article shows how systems thinking is a particularly fruitful way to ground business students in the natural sciences and the liberal arts, develop their complex problem-solving skills, and thereby reinvigorate management education in ways that prepares students to “render service to humanity.” Our hope is that sharing Babson College’s experience in this regard – both our successes and challenges - may provide useful insights to other faculty and academic leaders seeking to enhance humanistic management within their own higher education institutions. (shrink)

If there is a single thread running through this issue of the journal, it may be the complex interplay between the individual and the system of which they are apart, highlighting a need for systems thinking in medical ethics and public health.1 2 Such thinking raises at least three sorts of questions in this context: normative questions about the locus of moral responsibility for change when a system is unjust; practical questions about how to change systems (...) in a way that is morally appropriate without triggering unintended, potentially harmful side-effects; and epistemic questions about how to predict the multidimensional consequences of a proposed change or set of changes to an intricate social system such as healthcare.3 These questions crop up throughout the issue, as I will discuss, but my focus is the target article and linked commentaries on gender bias in the surgical profession. Hutchison conducted in-depth interviews with 46 Australian women surgeons and surgical trainees, taking care to avoid leading questions regarding gender bias or gendered mistreatment. Nevertheless, despite minimal prompting, at least four types of gender-related concerns were described by the surgeons,whether directly or indirectly: 1. structural bias in workplace factors, including insufficient parental leave for women, exclusion from men’s spaces where informal training may occur, and a dearth of senior female role models; 2. epistemic injustices including unfair doubting of women’s surgical competence or knowledge relative to men; 3. stereotyped expectations that women surgeons would or should shoulder the burden of medical carework, for example, by attending to patients’ emotional needs; and 4. objectification, both by colleagues and patients, including sexual innuendo, remarks about clothing, and even outright sexual assault. Each of these concerns is disturbing on its own, and yet they do not operate in isolation. Rather, they interact …. (shrink)

This article describes how empirical discoveries in the 1930s–1950s regarding population variation for chromosomal inversions affected Theodosius Dobzhansky and Richard Goldschmidt. A significant fraction of the empirical work I discuss was done by Dobzhansky and his coworkers; Goldschmidt was an astute interpreter, with strong and unusual commitments. I argue that both belong to a mechanistic tradition in genetics, concerned with the effects of chromosomal organization and systems on the inheritance patterns of species. Their different trajectories illustrate how scientists’ commitments (...) affect how they interpret new evidence and adjust to it. Dobzhansky was moved to revised views about selection, while Goldschmidt moved his attention to different genetic phenomena. However different, there are significant connections between the two that enrich our understanding of their views. I focus on two: the role of developmental considerations in Dobzhansky’s thought and the role of neutrality and drift in Goldschmidt’s evolutionary account. Dobzhansky’s struggle with chromosomal variation is not solely about competing schools of thought within the selectionist camp, as insightfully articulated by John Beatty, but also a story of competition between selectionist thinking and developmental perspectives. In contraposition, Goldschmidt emphasized the role of low penetrance mutations that spread neutrally and pointed out that drift could result from developmental canalization. This account adds to the dominant story about Goldschmidt’s resistance to the splitting of development from genetics, as told by Garland Allen and Michael Dietrich. The story I tell illustrates how developmental thinking and genetic thinking conflicted and influenced researchers with different convictions about the significance of chromosomal organization. (shrink)

The article discusses the parallels in systems thinking and Gandhian thinking. Aristotle's principle that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts is interpreted from multiple perspectives. The whole and the part and their relationships are discussed to understand various wholes in the organization. The Gandhian orientation of whole and his leadership style in the light of various systems thinkers are evaluated. The article concentrates on the application of systems thinking to the (...) Indian Freedom Movement to excavate the Gandhian foresight while leading the people in India. The article endeavours to project Mahatma Gandhi as a modern systems thinker in India. (shrink)

This paper discusses the suitability of using systemic thinking for teaching environmental rehabilitation to undergraduate students at Federal Universityof Viçosa. This is a predominantly agricultural sciences-based institution located in southeast Brazil. Student receptivity is discussed given concurrent campus paradigms of positivism, Marxism, and individualistic utilitarianism. Student projects using causal-loop diagrams to model degradation and land reclamation are presented. Eight archetypes common to systemic thinking are explained in reclamation contexts. Limitations of systemic thinking are discussed, including theoretical modeling (...) problems and practical teaching considerations. (shrink)

This is the editorial for the special issue 'Systems Thinking, Spirituality and Wisdom: Perspectives on Ken Wilber'.

It is usually assumed in debates about systems thinking, complexity and the philosophy of science that science is primarily about observation. However, the starting point for this paper is intervention, defined as purposeful action by an agent to create change. While some authors suggest that intervention and observation are opposites, it is argued here that observation should be viewed as just one type of intervention. We should therefore welcome scientific techniques of observation into a pluralistic set of intervention (...) methods, alongside methods for exploring values, reflecting on subjective understandings, planning future activities, etc. However, there is a need to explicitly counter a possible pernicious interpretation of this argument: intervention could be viewed as flawlessly pre-planned change based on accurate predictions of the consequences of action. This is the mechanistic world-view that systems thinking and complexity science seek to challenge. Therefore, having redefined scientific observation as intervention, the paper revisits insights from systems thinking and complexity to propose a methodology of systemic intervention. Some brief reflections are then provided on the wider social implications of this methodology. (shrink)

In the US a dismal truth exists about the citizenry’s lack of understanding of economic fundamentals whether it is amongst our political leaders or our university graduates. This then leads one to ask, “What can be done to help people become literate in economics?” Perhaps the answer lies in the area of systems thinking, which is a way of thinking about the interconnections between the parts of a system and their synthesis into a unified view of the (...) whole system. More specifically, this means incorporating systems thinking and design in primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula. In this paper, the author gives a cursory review of General Systems Theory as developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy and extended by others in the systems thinking field to illustrate the confluences of thought among Ludwig von Mises and systems scientists. From this the author argues the need for systems thinking and design in curricula and makes reference to non-prescriptive teaching and learning applications for the fostering of economic literacy. (shrink)

Despite the frequent use of the term systems by academicians and management practitioners, there is little agreement as to what the term really means. Experts in different fields talk about accounting systems, production systems, electronic data processing systems, market systems, financial systems, reward and motivation systems, and so on, but the student of management is confused by the nebulous and, at times, seemingly contradictory terms. This article uses the term Systems Approach as (...) a convenient handle to pull together a few basic ideas about the systems concept. Systems Approach organizes one's thinking to understand more clearly the complexity of a real world phenomenon. It consists of two main parts: (1) Systems Thinking (ST), and (2) Information Technology (IT). ST provides the knowledge for developing a Theory of Systems, such as General Systems Theory and Cybernetics, while IT supplies the tools for testing and improving this theory. The relationship between the two parts is a complementary one. Advances in theory lead to the development of better technology, while improvement in technology makes theory development easier and more reliable. (shrink)

This volume brings together a selection of papers written by Patricia Werhane during the most recent quarter century. The book critically explicates the direction and development of Werhane’s thinking based on her erudite and eclectic sampling of orthodox philosophical theories. It starts out with an introductory chapter setting Werhane’s work in the context of the development of Business Ethics theory and practice, along with an illustrative time line. Next, it discusses possible interpretations of the papers that have been divided (...) across a range of themes, and examines Werhane’s contribution to these thematic areas. Patricia H. Werhane is a renowned author and innovator at the intersection of philosophy and Applied Business Ethics. She is professor emerita and a senior fellow at the Olsson Centre for Applied Ethics at Darden and was formerly the Ruffin Professor of Business Ethics. She is also professor emerita at DePaul University, where she was Wicklander Chair in Business Ethics and director of the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics. A prolific author whose works include Moral Imagination and Management Decision-Making and Organization Ethics for Health Care, Werhane is an acclaimed authority on employee rights in the workplace, one of the leading scholars on Adam Smith and founder and former editor-in-chief of Business Ethics Quarterly, the leading journal of Business Ethics. She was a founding member and past president of the Society for Business Ethics and, in 2001, was elected to the executive committee of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. Before joining the Darden faculty in 1993, Werhane served on the faculty of Loyola University Chicago and was a Rockefeller Fellow at Dartmouth College and Senior Fellow at Cambridge University. (shrink)

Taking the lead from Susan Wolf's and Linda Emanuel's work on systems thinking, and developing ideas from Moberg's, Seabright's and my work on mental models and moral imagination, in this paper I shall argue that what is often missing in management decision-making is a systems approach. Systems thinking requires conceiving of management dilemmas as arising from within a system with interdependent elements, subsystems, and networks of relationships and patterns of interaction. Taking a systems approach (...) and coupling it with moral imagination, now engaged on the organizational and systemic as well as individual levels of decision-making, I shall conclude, is a methodology that encourages managers and companies to think more imaginatively and to engage in integrating moral decision-making into ordinary business decisions. More importantly this sort of thinking is a means to circumvent what often appear to be intractable problems created by systemic constraints for which no individual appears to be responsible. (shrink)

Fairness of access to assistive technology is important for its allocation on an equitable basis and for broader social justice and rights issues. Although the use of Daniels’s notion of “justice as fair opportunity” is helpful to the context of assistive technology, other aspects of Daniels’s broader conceptualisation of “just health” are not appropriate in this context. It is argued that fairness of access to assistive technology is crucial for the equitable attainment of the sustainable development goals; however, such access (...) will be achieved only by the sector developing a much stronger systems thinking and market shaping perspective. (shrink)

Modern natural science followed Galileo’s proposals regarding ontology, epistemology and methodology, limiting investigation to a few measurable properties of bodies by the adoption of the experimental method. Force appeared as a specialization of the traditional concept of efficient cause within the new science of Mechanics, which was soon able to incorporate practically all branches of physics. The concept of system had been introduced into scientific vocabulary in the seventeenth century and the limitations of the mechanistic approach in physics emerging by (...) the end of the nineteenth century prompted Bertalannfy to deeply re-elaborate it as System Theory. This permitted him to complement the analytic outlook with a rigorous characterization of the notion of organized totalities. This could be applied to life sciences and several other scientific domains, allowing rigorous treatment of traditional concepts such as finality, and new concepts like complexity and interdisciplinarity. (shrink)

This paper concerns design thinking (Lawson, 1980), system thinking (systems theory) (von Bertalanffy, 1968), and system dynamics modeling as methodological platforms for analyzing large amounts of qualitative data and transforming it into quantitative mode. The aims of this article are to present an integral (mixed) research process including the design thinking process—a solution oriented approach applicable in the social sciences and humanities which enables to reveal causality in research on societal and behavioral issues. This integral approach (...) is illustrated by an empirical pilot study from art/design-educational environment. (shrink)

This paper summarizes Ervin Laszlo’s worldview in The Systems View of the World: A Holistic Vision for Our Time.1 Laszlo claims that current discoveries in the sciences have led to a different model of the physical world, human nature, and human culture. Instead of the models formulated during the Enlightenment, according Systems thinkers “systems interact with systems and collaboratively form suprasystems”. This view has led to a reexamination of: 1) each academic discipline; 2) the relationship between (...) disciplines; 3) the nature of theory and its relation to practice; 4) the relationship between religion and the sciences; 5) of the nature of the social sciences and our ability to develop a universal, normative ethic; 6) the relation between reasoning, emotion and imagination. The evolution of the reflective self-consciousness unique to homo sapiens has led to the formation of cultures. Cultures must be understood assuprasystems that emerged from natural systems and are dependent upon them. Given this universal natural foundation, systems thinkers are recognizing the common patterns between nature and culture and between different cultures. The examination of systems has also shown us that the suprasystems of culture create a level of complexity and reality over and above the natural world and can even destroy themselves and their own natural foundationFrom the perspective of the ISUD, this view means it is possible, natural, and necessary for academics to engage in meaningful dialogue with each other, showing how the ways they have been trained to examine “reality,” or “truth,” can be integrated. Further, professional academics should be able to talk to non-academics, to people in leadership roles, and to all human actors. Since it is a fact that individuals are parts of many larger wholes, the ISUD can nurture the process of the development of reflective self-consciousness in the formation of an international culture, an emerging suprasystem.Laszlo calls this sphere of spiritual interaction, with its physical foundation, a noosphere, his word for a “meeting of the minds.” Given our collective destruction of natural systems, it is imperative that human beings develop some version of a Systems view of reality. ISUD should work to foster this development, even though the professional training of individuals will call the process by other names, based on the labels of the past. (shrink)

This paper discusses the correlation balance of transport as a dynamic system and the economic growth of specific regions and countries expressed in gross domestic product. The contemporary transformation processes of the input resources to the desired outcomes need new intelligent approaches based on new information system techniques. These research determinations are specifically focused on achieving the objective of providing with the analyses concerned with giving a more estimated answer to some of the complex questions related to the economic dynamics, (...) new information technologies, sustainable development, and transport. The assumption is that transport can be considered as one of the most influential and vibrant systems of the economy. Taking into consideration that transport system is a dynamic system which is continually changing in time and space, to maintain functioning and competing level, it should be enabled and followed by the high communication and operation technology. From this assumption, a research an interesting question has arisen: do transport contribution to the GDP increases, of the same is decreasing over time? To answer this answer, a research encompassed the mix research methodology combined with qualitative and quantitative research features. The qualitative research conclusions represent the identified and defined factors which determine the relationship between transport and the economy. The quantitative research is oriented in generating information and knowledge based on statistical data which provide with the evidence about the more realistic relationship between transport and the economy. The main goal of this research paper is to provide decision makers, planners, and academic spectrum with a demanding clarification of the applied relationship between the transport system and the economic development of a country or a region in terms of economic growth expressed in GDP, and to make them aware with regard to the implementation of new technology, new information systems, and smart or intelligence approaches within the field. (shrink)

What do a short car trip, a pandemic, the wood-wide fungal web, a challenging learning experience, a storm, transport logistics, and the language(s) we speak have in common? All of them are systems, or multiple sets of systems within systems. What happens in any set of circumstances will depend on a mix of initial conditions, complexity dynamics, and the odd wild card (e.g., a chance event). While it is possible to model and predict what might or perhaps (...) should happen, it is impossible to be certain. "It depends" thinking needs to be applied. Future-focused literature identifies complex systems thinking as an essential capability for citizenship, and this book sets out to show teachers how they might foster it-for themselves as well as for their students. There are implications for pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment. Multiple examples show what changes might look like, for students of different ages, and in different subject contexts. This is a book of several layers: It is both practical and philosophical. There is explicit discussion of parallels between complexity science and indigenous knowledge systems (specifically mātauranga Māori in the New Zealand context). The many examples are designed to appeal to general readers with an interest in the complex challenges facing contemporary societies, as well as to teachers at all levels of the education system. (shrink)

Recent years have been characterized by an ever-growing interest in consumers' behavior while purchasing green food products. Although existing research has produced a great number of papers on this topic, the knowledge generated in the field appears fragmented and, in certain cases, ambiguous. The main reasons can be traced back to the lack of reference frameworks that clarify the most used concepts, thus providing a shared language in this research domain. Despite other literature reviews that have been carried out on (...) the domain of green food purchasing behavior, these works mainly rely on narrative summaries and qualitative analyses, which can overlook the complexity and interdependencies inherent in this research domain. The complexity of interconnected factors within this research domain poses challenges in effectively understanding and representing the underlying dynamics. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes the use of a System Thinking based approach as a valuable method to provide a complete view of dynamics occurring in the green consumption behavior domain. In particular, we propose the integration of causal loop diagrams as a powerful visual tool to augment the conventional Systematic Literature Review process to provide a view at a glance of dynamics and capture the complex interdependencies occurring in a specific research domain. We carried out a systematic literature review by analyzing a set of 67 papers. We find nine relevant themes in the investigated research domain. Besides a descriptive picture of the scientific activity, a map of the main dynamics occurring in green food purchasing behavior has been provided. (shrink)

This study presents a systems-thinking framework for mapping resilience within Indigenous urban landscapes, focusing on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Using participatory mapping, and mental mapping, the framework integrates Indigenous knowledge to examine resilience in complex socio-spatial environments. As both a research methodology and pedagogical tool, this approach bridges academic research with practical application, enabling students to engage in resilience planning that reflects Navajo community structures, land use, and environmental stewardship. Centered on the unique socio-environmental dynamics of (...) the Navajo Nation, this study illustrates how traditional ecological knowledge, and cultural practices inform resilient urban planning. Mapping captures Indigenous spatial narratives, enriching systems thinking with insights into sustainable resource management and cultural resilience. Through participatory mapping workshops, students gain direct experience, aligning resilience strategies with Navajo values of community care and environmental respect. The core argument is that urban resilience must evolve through participatory engagement to address interdependent needs in Indigenous contexts. Research questions include: How can mapping foreground Navajo knowledge in resilience planning? What role does participatory mapping play in fostering systems thinking among planners? How does critical cartography contribute to sustainable policy in the built environment? The findings advocate for mapping as a tool in resilience education, equipping students with skills to design urban spaces that prioritize socio-spatial justice. This approach fosters an educational foundation for inclusive, sustainable urban resilience strategies, allowing future planners to center equity and sustainability in the built environment. (shrink)

Regenerative agriculture is an approach that places soil conservation at the center of its practices. As part of this approach, regenerative agriculture seeks to address concerns related to environmental and socio-economic dimensions of food production through the promotion of a range of best management practices. While regenerative agriculture has received support at various levels in many countries, including Canada, adoption remains low. Systems thinking strength has been recognized as facilitating farmer adoption of several regenerative agricultural practices including rotational (...) grazing (RG). However, few approaches have examined multiple types of systems thinking nor the breadth of a system which may underlay the diverse ways that systems thinking influences agricultural practice adoption and persistence. Furthermore, few studies have taken a quantitative approach into understanding how different systems are emphasized by adopters of RG within the context of systems thinking. Using survey data from program participants in a national producer training program, we explored the use of two measures of systems thinking, systems thinking strength and diversity of a system in RG adopters. Our research highlights how the inclusion of the breadth of systems farmers consider can help us better understand RG adopters and support efforts to recruit new adopters. Furthermore, our results suggest that adopters are not homogenous in the types of systems they emphasize in their farming nor in the strength of their systems thinking. Future training programs can utilize these insights to leverage existing system emphases of RG producers and integrate them in the development of training programs to attract potential adopters. (shrink)

In recent decades, autistic and other disabled people have fought for–and won–gains in research inclusion, both as participants and as researchers, and fueled shifts toward more ethical research with disability populations. Despite this, by their nature, large, complex systems like the social, cultural, and political systems driving bioethics shift very slowly. This chapter (1) presents four ethical tensions in the past and present landscape of autism research (models of disability, definitions of normality, politics of inclusion, priorities in research), (...) (2) applies a critical systems thinking lens to understand the knowledge-power dynamics that generate these tensions, and (3) uses those dynamics in relationship to Meadow’s leverage framework to consider points of impact for future change. Systems thinking teaches that, given the vast complexity of the world, we can neither control nor predict the future, but we can intentionally work toward the kinds of inclusive, empowered futures we would like to realize. (shrink)

Social enterprises are seen as innovative towards solving societal problems, but little research exists on possible negative aspects, the so‐called dark sides. In this study, the emphasis is on dark sides of social entrepreneurship, how they are managed, and how systems thinking can contribute towards managing these effects. Dark sides of social entrepreneurship can take many forms, like unethical or insincere motives and unintended outcomes like the negative impact on the well‐being of founders and employees, but they are (...) also a call for a critical reflection on the role of the government in society and the economic system social enterprises have to operate in. This paper aims to contribute to the dark side theory of social entrepreneurship by linking system archetypes to themes of dark side thereby stressing how management strategies act as balancing feedback loops to mitigate or prevent dark sides. A qualitative research was conducted by interviewing 21 respondents who play an important role in the world of social entrepreneurship in Belgium. The results show that dark sides of social enterprises manifest itself mostly in the form of trade‐offs and financial, business, and management related issues. Taking over the habits of profit‐oriented companies emerged as a new dark side element. Management strategies include anchoring goals, transparency, obtaining external views, changing the system, and above all reflection. The latter is an important first step to become aware of these issues to be able to change the negative dynamism of these dark sides. (shrink)

Managing the climate transition will be one of the biggest challenges ever faced by business and government. While the technical and financial elements of climate transition are vast, the social challenges are even greater. If local populations and workers feel the transitions are not “just” they will resist, and that social opposition now represents one of the greatest barriers to reaching Net Zero by 2050. While the phrase ‘Just Transition’ was in the preamble to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, it (...) is only now that business, finance and governments are starting to discuss what this might mean in practice. Thousands of companies are now starting to develop transition plans alongside those of governments. This book shows how all managers can best integrate social elements into these plans, consult with the people most affected by the transition out of the high carbon economy, and ensure that what looks good on paper works in practice. It takes a systems-thinking approach, focusing on the interconnections and interdependence of environmental, social and governance issues. The challenge is immense, and the changes will need to be profound. Each chapter in the book will look at the main domains in which management and policy challenges will be faced. From massively increasing the extraction of rare earth metals, most of which sit below, or adjacent to, indigenous land, to building the infrastructure needed to generate and distribute green energy, possibly over “Not in My Back Yard’ objections, the task of business and government in ensuring that these changes are fair, and perceived as fair, is immense. This book provides the roadmap for how to get there. Managing the social impacts of the climate transition will be one of the biggest challenges ever faced by business and government. (shrink)

(1996). Business process change: A systems thinking perspective. World Futures: Vol. 47, Unity and Diversity in Contemporary Systems Tinking: Systematic Pictures at an Exhibition, pp. 69-77.

After experiments with various economic systems, we appear to have conceded, to misquote Winston Churchill that "free enterprise is the worst economic system, except all the others that have been tried." Affirming that conclusion, I shall argue that in today's expanding global economy, we need to revisit our mind-sets about corporate governance and leadership to fit what will be new kinds of free enterprise. The aim is to develop a values-based model for corporate governance in this age of globalization (...) that will be appropriate in a variety of challenging cultural and economic settings. I shall present an analysis of mental models from a social constructivist perspective. I shall then develop the notion of moral imagination as one way to revisit traditional mind-sets about values-based corporate governance and outline what I mean by systems thinking. I shall conclude with examples for modeling corporate governance in multi-cultural settings and draw tentative conclusions about globalization. (shrink)

Favela residents in Brazil have been marginalized throughout their history. Nonetheless, the favela environment seems to create conditions conducive to a cognitive orientation that could be advantageous for engaging in complex systems thinking. This study is a preliminary examination of people from different social backgrounds in Rio de Janeiro, both favela (working-class) and asfalto (middle-class) dwellers, and evaluates whether their cognitive orientations might present any markers for the potential of complex systems thinking, including: (1) the ability (...) to see multiple perspectives, and (2) a tendency to focus on relationships. I conducted a mixed methods research study based on in-depth interviews with 89 residents in Rio de Janeiro. The data indicate that favela residents in Rio de Janeiro show markers for systems thinking, appealing to relational information and taking multiple perspectives spontaneously. (shrink)

October 6–20, 2023. Georgetown University, Washington, DC, hosted RSD12—Emerging from Entanglement. In addition to an online programme of keynote speakers, panels, workshops, and a culminating in-person gathering in DC, RSD12 featured 12 in-person Hubs events, each lasting 1–3 days, and livestreamed sessions to the online platform. The 12 regional hubs and topical areas were: Bogota, Colombia: Design Research; Pittsburgh, United States: Transgenerational Collaboration; Kingston, United Kingdom: Cyber and Digital; Ahmedabad, India: Hopeful Futures; Monterrey, Mexico: Participatory Ecosystems; kihcihkaw askî: Indigenous Knowledge (...) and Wisdom; Amsterdam, Netherlands: Co-Design; Nordmarka Forest, Norway: Reflexivity, Ecocentrism, Regenerative; Loughborough, Great Britain: Synergy Between Sciences; Toronto, Canada: Futuring; Vancouver, Canada: Climate Justice; Turin, Italy: Localising Systemic Change. (shrink)

Regenerative agriculture is an approach that places soil conservation at the center of its practices. As part of this approach, regenerative agriculture seeks to address concerns related to environmental and socio-economic dimensions of food production through the promotion of a range of best management practices. While regenerative agriculture has received support at various levels in many countries, including Canada, adoption remains low. Systems thinking strength has been recognized as facilitating farmer adoption of several regenerative agricultural practices including rotational (...) grazing (RG). However, few approaches have examined multiple types of systems thinking nor the breadth of a system which may underlay the diverse ways that systems thinking influences agricultural practice adoption and persistence. Furthermore, few studies have taken a quantitative approach into understanding how different systems are emphasized by adopters of RG within the context of systems thinking. Using survey data from program participants in a national producer training program, we explored the use of two measures of systems thinking, systems thinking strength and diversity of a system in RG adopters. Our research highlights how the inclusion of the breadth of systems farmers consider can help us better understand RG adopters and support efforts to recruit new adopters. Furthermore, our results suggest that adopters are not homogenous in the types of systems they emphasize in their farming nor in the strength of their systems thinking. Future training programs can utilize these insights to leverage existing system emphases of RG producers and integrate them in the development of training programs to attract potential adopters. (shrink)

Definition of the problemQuality of care also includes a professional approach to ethical challenges. This involves the moral interpretation of an issue and the management of intra- and interpersonal reflection processes. Combining both is the central task of clinical ethics consultation (CEC). Despite its importance only a few studies have dealt with the appropriate methods for steering reflection processes.ArgumentsCEC requires a theory-based and methodological approach. The argumentation shows the effects that systems theory and systemic methods have on the effectiveness (...) of CEC. The main methods such as clarification of mandates and handling complexity are presented, and their impact on dealing with ethical challenges is shown through the discussion of two cases.ConclusionThe paper provides insight into systems thinking. It discusses the influence that systemic tools have on dealing with typical challenges within clinical ethics counselling. It also shows how specific counselling methods impact a normative level. (shrink)