Evaluating Systems Thinking
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Evaluating Systems Thinking
Think of the last time you visited a zoo. You visit the zoo to enjoy the wealth of variety of animals in their natural habitat. Next time you visit a zoo, notice that similar types of animals are presented together whereas ones that may be natural enemies are separated. In order for the entire zoo experience to work systematically and to be sustainable, the zoo leaders need to ensure all animals are available for the visitors to view, enjoy, and learn. The zoo leaders need to come together to share expertise of their individual areas to develop a holistic view of their system that takes into account all the relationships among the animals at the zoo. All parts of the zoo working together collaboratively, with effective communication and change management, allows for a total zoo experience that meets the organizational mission and vision. The zoo has successfully implemented systems thinking. Systems thinking can potentially create an organization in which all internal and external stakeholders, regardless of job or position, work together collaboratively. These stakeholders collectively use decision making and strategic planning to meet the needs of the customers while maintaining the objectives of the organizational mission and vision.
To prepare, consider the organization that you chose for your SSP as a system.
By Day 5 of Week 4, read two of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of them individually in one of the following ways:
•Critique your colleagues’ evaluations and provide additional insight on how systems thinking might enhance their organizations.
•Critique your colleagues’ evaluations and provide additional insight on the potential drawbacks of applying systems thinking to their organizations.
•Answer one of the questions posed by your colleagues in their posts.
and also once again please remember to answer each colleague individually with two references for each !
Colleaque ( Quintin Cain )#1
Evaluating Systems Thinking
Eden and Ackermann (2013) described strategic thinking as an approach to improve decision making in a company and to provide the company with constructive great values. System thinking is an approach for developing models to promote understanding of events, patterns of behavior resulting in the events, and the underlying structure responsible for the pattern of the behavior. System thinking is one of the key elements of strategic thinking. System thinking involves the action, view, creativity, and action learning. System thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way the system’s constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.
Koskinen,(2013) explained that system thinking focused on how the thing being studied interacts with the other constituents of the system. Instead of isolating smaller and smaller parts of the system being studied, system thinks works by expanding its view to take into account larger and larger numbers of interactions as an issue being studied (Nguyen & Bosch, 2013). The main element of system thinking is to change the viewpoint. Caldwell (2012) described systemic thinking as the conceptual cornerstone of systems theory. Senge argued that one of the key problems with system thinking is that a simplistic framework was applied to complex systems. Organizations tend to focus on parts rather the whole and fail to see the organization as a dynamic process. Organizations faced with problems usually tend to look for short-term improvements, which can result in long-term cost for the organization. Attention to feedback is an essential component of system thinking. System thinking uses computer simulation and diagrams to illustrate and predict behavior.
According to Kerzner (2013) system, thinking enables continued improvement for the organization. System thinking improves businesses, schools, hospitals, families, and workers. Organizations can utilize system thinking effectively to examine complexities, test employee’s mental models, and recognize advantage points. System thinking allows the organization the opportunity to see how everything interacts and helps identify the best way of delivering the product to the consumer. System thinking offers the organization advantages to address complex problems; however, since it represents a paradigm shift in how problems are broken down, putting the process into effect is not without challenges.
The Vice President of international design and construction for Nike stated the first step in system thinking is to “bring systems thinking to the table.” Nike looks at the opportunity holistically: Instead of focusing on one thing, Nike looks at maintenance, equipment replacement and cost. Nike system thinking approach applies to other technologies and applications as well. Nike continues to enhance the main goal of the organization, which is low cost for the customers (Fishman, 2011).
Why are organizations not adopting the use of system thinking in their organizations?
What works against the adoption of systems thinking?
References
Caldwell, R. (2012). Systems thinking, organizational change and agency: Practice theory
critique of Senge’s learning organization. Journal of Change Management, 12(2), 145-
164. Retrieved from doi: 10.1080/14697017.2011.647923
Eden, C., & Ackermann, F. (2013). Making strategy: The journey of strategic
management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fishman, C. (2011). Has Wal-Mart found its soul? A new introduction to the national bestseller
the wal-mart effect. A Penguin eSpecial. Westminster, LDN: Penguin.
Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Koskinen, K. (2013). Systemic view and systems thinking. In knowledge production in
organizations (pp. 13-30). New York City, NY: Springer International Publishing.
Nguyen, N. & Bosch, O. (2013). A systems thinking approach to identify leverage points for
sustainability: a case study in the cat ba biosphere reserve, Vietnam. Systems Research
and Behavioral Science, 30(2), 104-115. Retrieved from doi: 10.1002/sres.2145
Colleague (Tracey Foster) #2
Evaluating Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking Described
Systems thinking views an organization as a system of systems, with each subsystem affecting and affected by one another. Stacey (2011) describes system thinking as considering a firm as one of potentially many within the industry, where the actions of one firm affect the others. Stacey (2011) explains that larger firms are composed of business units (subsystems), and each business unit consists of operational and functional units, with each one affecting others. Senge (as cited in Stacey, 2011) describes the impact of actions of players within the system by using the example of supply and demand for retailers and distributors. In the illustration, the amplified effect of fluctuations in supply due to imperfect information caused large shortages and overages within the system.
Systems Thinking Applied – Impact, Benefits, and Drawbacks of Systems Thinking
The relevance of Senge’s illustration and systems thinking in general is for organizational leaders to understand the relationships of systems within their organization. Managers must also recognize how their organization influences and is influenced by other external factors of the overall system in which firms operate (Stacey, 2011). Senge (in Stacey, 2011) argues that a firm is best managed when leaders view and understand their organization as part of the whole system and not just an individual part. System thinking, then, closely relates to Value Chain and SWOT analyses, both of which consider factors and elements of the entire system in which a firm operates. In addition to identifying internal strengths and weakness and external threats and opportunities, leaders can understand pressure points within the system (Stacey, 2011). Managers can then leverage these pressure points by addressing them in their firm’s strategy. A potential drawback to systems thinking is that relationships and pressure points can be difficult to identify or fully understand (Stacey, 2011). Even when managers can understand system’s pressure points or relationships, they may not be able to influence them effectively (Senge in Stacey, 2011).
Systems Thinking Applied to Waste Management, Inc.
In the case of Waste Management, systems thinking can help identify and understand the firm’s stakeholders and the relationships to each other. For example, Waste Management is composed of distinct but related business units that include solid waste management and waste-to-energy operations (Waste Management, 2014). Waste management is further divided into waste collection, transport, disposal, landfill, and recycling operations (Waste Management, 2014). These subsystems are interrelated in that customers supply the waste materials that are then collected and either deposited in landfills or recycled. Waste Management then sells recycled materials commercial customers, who then use these recycled materials in their manufacturing operations (which will eventually be disposed of and collected again). In the case of landfills, solid waste is converted to energy through clean-burning incinerators (which generate steam power) (Pavlas, Tous, Klimek, & Bébar, 2011; Winters, 2007) or by capturing and selling gases that are created by decomposition (Crawford, 2013). Each part of this system relies on other elements of the system. For instance, if the volume of solid waste decreases, less waste must be collected, resulting in less waste available for recycling or waste-to-energy purposes. To succeed, leaders at Waste Management leaders must understand these relationships as they develop their strategy.
Conclusion and Implications for Further Study
Systems thinking can serve as a powerful tool to help organizations develop and implement strategy. Leaders can more effectively manage their organization when they understand the relationships of subsystems within their organization, and then how their organization relates to others within the larger system. System thinking can expand to consider how the industry is part on the overall economy. Industries do not operate in a vacuum, but rather are part of larger economic, ecological, and political systems (Senge, Smith, Kruschwitz, Laur, & Schley, 2008). Would Waste Management’s leaders benefit from expanding their systems thinking to this level? If so, how could they implement this understanding into their business? What are the benefits and drawbacks to this expanded view?
References
Crawford, M. (2013). Turning trash into treasure. Mechanical Engineering, 135(5), 42-47. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1367934260?accountid=14872
Pavlas, M., Tous, M., Klimek, P., & Bébar, L. (2011). Waste incineration with production of clean and reliable energy. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 13(4), 595-605. doi:10.1007/s10098-011-0353-5
Senge, P., Smith, B., Kruschwitz, N., Laur, J., & Schley, S. (2008). The necessary revolution: Working together to create a sustainable world. New York, NY: Broadway Books.
Stacey, R. D. (2011). Strategic management and organisational dynamics: The challenge of complexity (6th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Waste Management, Inc. (2014). United States Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K. Retrieved from http://investors.wm.com/
Winters, J. (2007). Refining Trash. Mechanical Engineering, 129(3), 12. Retrieved from http://www.memagazine.org/
File DDBA_8161_WK4_DP_FosterT.doc (39 KB)
SAMPLE ANSWER
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking ideally entails the use of decision making and strategic planning by the stakeholders in an organization to heed to the customer demands while at the same time maintaining the organizational objectives as outlined in its mission and vision. All parts of the organization, which in this case is the zoo, have to work cooperatively, with the involvement of effective communication so as to allow total organizational experience to enable it meet the demands of its customers. Systems thinking has the potentiality of creating an organization in which both the internal and the external stakeholders, not considering their position or their job, work collaboratively thereby resulting into a successful organization.
In Quintin Cain’s posting, he states that “System thinking is an approach for developing models to promote understanding of events, patterns of behavior resulting in the events, and the underlying structure responsible for the pattern of the behavior.” This, according to me, is an understatement of what systems thinking actually is. Systems thinking is more than just developing models for the above stated purpose. It has to entail strategic planning that involves stakeholders from the various parts of the organization. All the stakeholders should be involved irrespective of their position within the organization as was observed in the case of the zoo.
Tracey Foster’s posting is in fact less comprehensive in describing the meaning of systems thinking as it fails to highlight the role of other stakeholders apart from the mangers. He only tells us that “…systems thinking in general is for organizational leaders to understand the relationships of systems within their organization.” All the people involved in the running of the organization, regardless of their position or the kind of job they do, have to get involved in systems thinking as his is what will help the organization to achieve its set objectives.
Quintin Cain’s Question
- Why are organizations not adopting the use of systems thinking in their organizations?
As has always been with any other self-improvement activity, adopting the systems thinking is not an easy task for most organizations (Denise & Will, 2010). It is a great challenge for human beings to embrace new behaviors and do away with the ones that have been engrained in them over time and instilled into them by their respective organizations (Gazzaniga, 2010). Such organizations that are resistant to change, and have found it difficult to adopt systems thinking, should borrow from other organizations that have successfully made use of systems thinking to achieve their maximum potential.
Tracey Foster’s Question
- Would Waste Management’s leaders benefit from expanding their systems thinking to this level? If so, how could they implement this understanding into their business?
Waste Management, Inc. is a typical organization that would greatly benefit from systems thinking as it is subdivided into various systems and thus it is a systems of systems. Systems thinking will help the leaders to effectively manage this organization as they will seek the opinions of various stakeholders within the subdivisions (Giovanni, Daniela & Francesco, 2012). This implies that they will actually benefit from the expansion of their systems thinking. The managers could implement this understanding into the business by collecting the various opinions of the stakeholders from each of the sectors of the organization and reviewing them so as to come up with the best ways to implement to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization (Mark, Alan, John & Stan, 2011).
References
Denise, M. C. & Will, A. (2010). Who do you think you are? An examination of how systems thinking can help social marketing support new identities and more sustainable living patterns. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 18(3), 195-197.
Gazzaniga, M. (2010). Psychological Science. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Giovanni, S., Daniela, C. & Francesco, S. (2012). Applying a systems thinking framework to assess knowledge assets dynamics for business performance improvement. Expert Systems with Applications, 39(9), 8044-8050.
Mark, D., Alan, H., John, F. & Stan, M. (2011). Systems thinking, market failure, and the development of innovation policy: The case of Australia. Research Policy, 40(9), 1145-1156.
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