Making sense of the emerging conversation in evaluation about systems thinking and complexity science

Complexity science, systems thinking and pragmatic sensibility

Systems Research and Behavioral Science ◽

10.1002/sres.846 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 445-464 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Zhu Zhichang

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Complexity Science

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Narrativity in Complex Systems

Science | Environment | Health - Contributions from Science Education Research ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-75297-2_3 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 31-50

Author(s):

Hans U. Fuchs ◽

Federico Corni ◽

Elisabeth Dumont

Keyword(s):

Dynamical Systems ◽

Complex Systems ◽

Systems Thinking ◽

Dynamical Model ◽

Complex Dynamical Systems ◽

Natural Complex ◽

Making Sense ◽

Heuristic Strategy ◽

Narrative Understanding

AbstractHumans use narrative for making sense of their environment. In this chapter we ask if, and if so how and to what extent, our narrative mind can help us deal scientifically with complexity. In order to answer this question, and to show what this means for education, we discuss fundamental aspects of narrative understanding of dynamical systems by working on a concrete story. These aspects involve perception of complex systems, experientiality of narrative, decomposition of systems into mechanisms, perception of forces of nature in mechanisms, and the relation of story-worlds to modelling-worlds, particularly in so-called ephemeral mechanisms. In parallel to describing fundamental issues, we develop a practical heuristic strategy for dealing with complex systems in five steps. (1) Systems thinking: Identify phenomena and foreground a system associated with these phenomena. (2) Mechanisms: Find and describe mechanisms responsible for these phenomena. (3) Forces of nature: Learn to perceive forces of nature as agents acting in these mechanisms. (4) Story-worlds and models: Learn how to use stories of forces (of nature) to construct story-worlds; translate the story-worlds into dynamical-model-worlds. (5) Ephemeral mechanisms for one-time, short-lived, unpredictable, and historical (natural) events: Learn how to create and accept ephemeral story-worlds and models. Ephemeral mechanisms and ephemeral story-worlds are a means for dealing with unpredictability inherent in complex dynamical systems. We argue that unpredictability does not fundamentally deny storytelling, modelling, explanation, and understanding of natural complex systems.

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Cikkismertetés: “A tegnap megoldásai mára problémák lesznek”. A rendszerszintű gondolkodással és komplexitás-tudománnyal kapcsolatos diskurzus értelmezése az értékelés elmélete és gyakorlata szempontjából

Egészségfejlesztés ◽

10.24365/ef.v59i6.386 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 59 (6) ◽

pp. 63-66

Author(s):

József Máté Csáki

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Complexity Science

E dolgozat egy olyan interdiszciplináris területen kialakult eszmecserét elemez saját hattényezős keretrendszerében, amely a társadalmi beavatkozások értékelésének elméletét és gyakorlatát alakíthatja át. A szerző a rendszerszintű gondolkodás és komplexitás-tudomány (Systems Thinking and Complexity Science; továbbiakban: STCS) diskurzusának értelmezésével, a diskurzus által a társadalmi beavatkozások szervezésének, végrehajtásának és értékelésének területére gyakorolt hatásra kívánja felhívni a figyelmet. A címben szereplő idézet arra a jelenségre utal, amikor a végrehajtott eljárás a várt hatásokhoz képest ellentétes, nem kívánt következményekkel jár (policy resistance). Annak megszabása például, hogy csak alacsony kátrány- és nikotintartalmú cigaretták kerülhetnek forgalomba, a rákkeltő anyagok magasabb bevitelét fogja eredményezni, mert a használó az alacsony nikotintartalmat több cigaretta elszívásával, a füst hosszabb belégzésével kompenzálja.

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Managing ambiguity in business. A holistic and innovative approach

Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence ◽

10.1515/picbe-2017-0090 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 843-851

Author(s):

Oana Pop

Keyword(s):

Systems Thinking ◽

Wicked Problems ◽

Soft Systems Methodology ◽

Complexity Science ◽

Theory Of Change ◽

Systems Methodology ◽

Soft Systems ◽

Entrepreneurial Organization ◽

Systemic Interventions ◽

One Year

Abstract This article will look at the hurdles of dealing with ambiguity and the wicked problems that organizations are struggling with, by providing key insights from a one year team coaching program that the author had the opportunity to deliver in a Romanian entrepreneurial organization. Based on the actual methods used and highlighting the findings and impact of the program, we will reflect on how ambiguity manifests in organizational settings and how wicked problems can be defined. The methods employed are within the range of complexity science and are holistic approaches to systemic interventions within organizations that combine soft systems methodology, paradoxical theory of change, complex responsive processes approach with important concepts from systems thinking such as archetypes, feedback loops and modeling. One of the key objectives of the article is to reunite different academic approaches and link them to a case study as a way of adding value to these approaches and to reiterate that research needs, to find its rightful place in the practitioners’ toolkit and have a more meaningful and direct impact on the real struggles that business is faced with. The author’s expertize in systemic interventions is based on extensive practitioner experience, having been trained and certified as a systemic coach and facilitator, and therefore draws upon the work of other skilled practitioners that support companies in finding successful ways to address complexity. Although the article can be easily put in the complexity science and systems thinking area of academic interest, the research questions and insights are intended to serve the learning and the evolution of organizations.

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