Unit 4 : Systems Thinking & Organizational Innovation

Question 1

What is system thinking ?

Answer 1

1. An approach to integration that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system will act differently when isolated from the system’s environment or other parts of the system

• Approach that focuses on understanding the whole system, including the linkages and interactions between its components, rather than viewing them in isolation

Question 2

What does system thinking concerns about?

Answer 2

1. Understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactiions between the elements that comprise the whole of the system

Question 3

How is the difference between system thinking and traditional analysis thinking

Answer 3

1. It was because analysis thinking is to break things down into managable pieces, while system thinking thinks that the relationship between pieces is also important

• Analytical thinking thinks that the relationships between the pieces aren’t important

Question 4

Why analysis thinking therefore gives us a limited understanding of reality?

Answer 4

1. It was because analysis thinking viewing infomation as a smaller piece, not as a whole

Question 5

What can we get when we implement system thinking ? ( 2 )

Answer 5

1. See the world around us in terms of wholes, rather than as single events, or “snapshots of life”
2. See and sense how the parts of systems work together, rather than just see the parts as a collection of unrelated pieces

Question 6

How does systems thinking help us understand patterns of behavior and events? ( Benefit )

Answer 6

1. Systems thinking helps us see how relationships between elements in a system influence the patterns of behavior and events to which we react

Question 7

What does systems thinking help us understand about life and situations? ( Benefit )

Answer 7

1. Systems thinking helps us understand that life is always moving and changing, rather than being static

Question 8

How does systems thinking explain the influence of events over time and space? ( Benefit )

Answer 8

1. Systems thinking helps us understand that one event can influence another, even if the second event occurs a long time after the first and “far away” from it

Question 9

What does systems thinking reveal about our perspective within a system? ( Benefit )

Answer 9

1. It shows that what we see happening around us depends on where we are in the system.

Question 10

How does systems thinking challenge our understanding of the world? ( Benefit )

Answer 10

1. Systems thinking challenges our assumptions about how the world works (our mental models) and makes us aware of how these assumptions limit us

Question 11

What dual focus ( short-term and long-term ) does systems thinking encourage when evaluating actions? ( Benefit )

Answer 11

1. Systems thinking encourages us to consider both the long-term and short-term impacts of our actions and others’ actions.

Question 12

What should we do when things don’t turn out as planned, according to systems thinking? ( Benefit )

Answer 12

1. Systems thinking suggests asking probing questions to understand why things didn’t turn out the way we planned.

Question 13

What is the overall benefit of systems thinking?

Answer 13

1. Systems thinking is a powerful approach to understanding why situations are the way they are and how to improve results.

Question 14

Question: What do we try to do when observing the phenomena around us? ( Problem Solving Treadmil )

Answer 14

1. We try to make sense of the phenomena we perceive in our environment and use our explanations to predict what may happen in the future

( Make sense of the phenomena and use our explanations to predict the future )

Question 15

What common issue arises from our explanations of how the world works?

Answer 15

1. Our explanations often contain misconceptions about causes and outcomes and have incomplete or overly simple assumptions about how the world works

( Contain misconceptions and have incomplete assumption )

Question 16

What happens when our explanations and assumptions are flawed?

Answer 16

1. We struggle repeatedly with what seem like the same problems, taking actions we think will solve fundamental issues, but these actions often fail or worsen the original problem

( fail or worse the original problem )

Question 17

What is the “problem-solving treadmill”?

Answer 17

1. The “problem-solving treadmill” refers to the cycle of repeatedly facing the same problems and using ineffective solutions that don’t address the root cause, leading to ongoing struggles

• Cycle of repeatedly facing the same problems and using ineffective solution

Question 18

How can we break free from the problem-solving treadmill?

Answer 18

1. Systems thinking can help us break free by providing a deeper understanding of the underlying structures and relationships that contribute to problems.

• System Thinking

Question 19

What are the 5 questions can get us to understand the basic characteristic of a system

Answer 19

1. Is it a heap or a system?
2. Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?
3. What is the purpose?
4. Are the causes and effects shaped like a circle?
5. Are we experiencing déjà vu?

Question 20

What do both a heap and a system consist of?

Answer 20

1. 2 or more parts

• Heap - A collection of parts
  System - Interconnecting parts functioning as a whole

Question 21

What happens when we remove or add parts to a heap?

Answer 21

1. Nothing changes if we add or remove parts to a heap

• Example : Changing a bowl of cashews then add hazelnuts still leaves us with just a bowl of nuts

Question 22

What happends when we remove or add parts to system?

Answer 22

1. Will change the system

• Example : A car is considered a system because its parts are interconnected and removing a crucial part ( battery ) changes its functionality ( car won’t start )

Question 23

What does it mean in systems thinking that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”?

Answer 23

1. In systems thinking, it means that the interactions among parts in a system give rise to qualities or properties that cannot be measured by merely adding up those parts

• Example : In team sports, the T.E.A.M acronym - Together, Everyone Achieves More - illustrtes this concept

Question 24

What question do systems thinkers often ask to understand a system better? ( 2 )

Answer 24

1. Ask “What is the purpose of this system?”
2. Understanding the various and sometimes conflicting purposes within a system can provide insight into why the system functions as it does and how it might be improved.

Question 25

How can conflicting purposes within a system impact its functionality?

Answer 25

1. Conflicting purposes can cause subsystems to be at cross-purposes, potentially leading to inefficiencies or conflict

• Example : Teacher might have conflucting goals with the guidance department or administration, which can be resolved through regular meetings to clear up conflicts

Question 26

What shape do systems thinkers use to describe causality, and why?

Answer 26

1. Describe causality in a circular shape, known as feedback loops

• Means that one event causes another, and that second event influences the first, creating a cycle of cause and effect

Question 27

What does the concept of “déjà vu” signify in systems thinking?

Answer 27

1. Signifies that systems often behave in similar ways across different settings

• Example : A bullying situation escalating into a brawl mirrors how businesses may competitively slash prices, triggering a cycle of competitive responses

Question 28

How do feedback loops function in a system?

Answer 28

1. Feedback loops function in a system by creating a cycle where the output or result of an event loops back to influence the initial event. This can either reinforce (positive feedback) or balance (negative feedback) the system.

Question 29

Why might it be beneficial for systems, such as schools, to have regular meetings between different subsystems?

Answer 29

1. Regular meetings between different subsystems, like teachers and school administrators, can help clear up conflicts arising from different or conflicting purposes, improving the overall functionality of the system.

Question 30

What does systems thinkers named to whole set of common “stories”, like Deja Vu called?

Answer 30

1. Systems Archetypes

Question 31

What does systems thinking encourage practitioners to do in today’s organizations?

Answer 31

1. Encourages practitioners to understand and analyze the contexts within which they operate, allowing them to design programs as conditions on the ground change

Question 32

How does systems thinking help when working with different stakeholders?

Answer 32

1. Helps practitioners bring together different stakeholders, especially those with radically different backgrounds and perspectives, making it easier to identify problems and increase transformational change.

• Bring stakeholders with different backgrounds and perspective for easier to identify problems and increase transformational change

Question 33

What are some benefits of systems thinking for organizations? ( 4 )

Answer 33

1. Explore new business opportunities
2. Create compelling vision of the future
3. Understand the complex human factors associated with change
4. Re-design broken systems.

Question 34

List out all the levels in sustainable development goals

Answer 34

1. Joined-up efforts on individual goals
2. A ‘network set’ of goals
3. The ‘how’ of sustainable development

Question 35

What does Level 1 : Joined-up efforts on individual goals emphasizes?

Answer 35

1. If you want to fast, go alone ; if you want to go further, go together

Question 36

What does Level 2 : A ‘ network set ‘of goals emphasizes?

Answer 36

1. Looking at the inter-relationships between all the goals

Question 37

What does Level 3 : The ‘how’ of sustainable development emphasizes?

Answer 37

1. Delivering the goals in a way that models the characteristics we need for a sustainable society