scholarly journals Systems Thinking in the Forest Service: a Framework to Guide Practical Application for Social-Ecological Management in the Enterprise Program

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Kmon
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Forest Service ◽  
Ecological Management ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Social Ecological

Toward Valuing With Critical Systems Heuristics

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily F. Gates
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Value Judgments ◽  
Critical Systems Heuristics ◽  
Evaluation Practice ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Central Task ◽  
The Social

Evaluation is defined by its central task of valuing—the process and product of judging the merit, worth, or significance of a policy or program. However, there are no clear-cut ways to consider values and render value judgments in evaluation practice. There remains contention in the evaluation field about whether and how to make value judgments. No approach to valuing eliminates the uncertainty, plurality, and potential for conflict that comes with considering values. This article explores what critical systems heuristics (CSH), an area of applied systems thinking, might contribute to four long-standing issues regarding valuing: envisioning the social value of evaluation, framing the evaluand and evaluation, selecting and justifying criteria, and determining the roles of the evaluator(s) and stakeholders in valuing. CSH contributes concepts and tools that, in theory, support more reflective, responsible valuing although further practical application is needed.

scholarly journals Tackling wicked problems in strategic management with systems thinking

2021 ◽  
pp. 147612702110386
Author(s):  
Sylvia Grewatsch ◽  
Steve Kennedy ◽  
Pratima (Tima) Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Wicked Problems ◽  
Tipping Points ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
Strategy Research ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Reductionist Approach

Strategy scholars are increasingly attempting to tackle complex global social and environmental issues (i.e. wicked problems); yet, many strategy scholars approach these wicked problems in the same way they approach business problems—by building causal models that seek to optimize some form of organizational success. Strategy scholars seek to reduce complexity, focusing on the significant variables that explain the salient outcomes. This approach to wicked problems, ironically, divorces firms from the very social-ecological context that makes the problem “wicked.” In this essay, we argue that strategy research into wicked problems can benefit from systems thinking, which deviates radically from the reductionist approach to analysis taken by many strategy scholars. We review some of the basic tenets of systems thinking and describe their differences from reductionist thinking. Furthermore, we ask strategy scholars to widen their theoretical lens by (1) investigating co-evolutionary dynamics rather than focusing primarily on static models, (2) advancing processual insights rather than favoring causal identification, and (3) recognizing tipping points and transformative change rather than assuming linear monotonic changes.

scholarly journals Multisystemic Resilience

2021 ◽  
pp. 771-784
Author(s):  
Katrina Brown
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
Complex Adaptive

This chapter examines the extent to which cross-disciplinary understandings of resilience support the development and application of multisystemic resilience approaches based on evidence in current literature. It focuses on how systems thinking—especially complex adaptive systems—has informed the evolution of social-ecological systems resilience analysis and the extent to which this provides an example of multisystemic resilience. It reviews some of the underlying concepts and principles in the field and the boundary-pushing areas of recent research. Finally, it identifies how systemic resilience analysis can make a difference in understanding key global challenges and suggests ways forward for development of a multisystemic resilience field.

scholarly journals Assessing (Social-Ecological) Systems Thinking by Evaluating Cognitive Maps

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Gray ◽  
Eleanor J. Sterling ◽  
Payam Aminpour ◽  
Lissy Goralnik ◽  
Alison Singer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Cognitive Maps ◽  
Study Data ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Sustainability Problems ◽  
Complex Environmental Problems

Systems thinking (ST) skills are often the foundation of sustainability science curricula. Though ST skill sets are used as a basic approach to reasoning about complex environmental problems, there are gaps in our understanding regarding the best ways to promote and assess ST learning in classrooms. Since ST learning provides Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students’ important skills and awareness to participate in environmental problem-solving, addressing these gaps is an important STEM learning contribution. We have created guidelines for teaching and measuring ST skills derived from a hybrid of a literature review and through case study data collection. Our approach is based on semi-quantitative cognitive mapping techniques meant to support deep reasoning about the complexities of social–ecological issues. We begin by arguing that ST should be evaluated on a continuum of understanding rather than a binary of correct/incorrect or present/absent. We then suggest four fundamental dimensions of teaching and evaluating ST which include: (1) system structure, (2) system function, (3) identification of leverage points for change, and (4) trade-off analysis. Finally, we use a case study to show how these ideas can be assessed through cognitive maps to help students develop deep system understanding and the capacity to propose innovative solutions to sustainability problems.

scholarly journals The theoretical basis of contemporary health pedagogyas a pedagogical subdiscipline

2019 ◽  
pp. 9-23
Author(s):  
Ewa Syrek
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Social Ecological Model ◽  
Classical Concept ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Social Pedagogy ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Social ◽  
Environmental Health Education

The article presents the Social-Ecological model of health and elements of the classical concept of social pedagogy, indicating the theoretical basis of pedagogy in health promotion with its cognitive and scientific interest and emphasizes environmental health education in the context of its practical application. The article also indicates the social pedagogy as a meta-theory of contemporary pedagogy in health promotion.

scholarly journals Social‐ecological management results in sustained recovery of an imperiled salmon population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cote ◽  
T. E. Van Leeuwen ◽  
A. J. Bath ◽  
E. K. Gonzales ◽  
A.L. Cote
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Management ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Salmon Population ◽  
Sustained Recovery

Implementation of social-ecological management approaches in biosphere reserves in the Mediterranean Basin

2019 ◽  
pp. 281-296
Author(s):  
Mario Torralba ◽  
María García-Martín ◽  
Cristina Quintas-Soriano ◽  
Franziska Wolpert ◽  
Tobias Plieninger
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Ecological Management ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin
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