Globalization and the technology revolution have become the catalysts and the means to research the offerings on the leadership and management education and practices in the world. Global trends in higher education for the convenience of student advocate and promote simplicity of the principles behind complex systems at work. This can lead to the dangerous possibility of the students losing focus applying the seemingly simple theoretical concepts in real life and work situations which reflect the universal systems which are much larger and complex than they confronted in the classroom.
With the advent of the web, it is clear that the path to educating the masses is by allowing easy access to knowledge resources and adopting learning tools and technologies for more reach and effectiveness in learning.
Yet, questions arise as to why certain individuals and institutions consistently perform beyond expectations and make decisions that reflect disciplined vigilance and timely action? What could be the methods that work to fill the gap between ordinary and extra ordinary performers in growing, complex organizations? What could be the practices, tool set that these performers adopt in unforeseen, uncertain situations making decisions, solving problems where no amount of prior experience is of use. How can higher education help with the practices and thinking that individuals can be trained and educated in the context under discussion?
Learning to adapt and survive is necessary for everyone. There is no denial of the basic survival learning principles. The fast changing world is doing away with old practices of the industrial world that no longer work as we enter the new digital economies preparing for the future. The ever changing dynamic systems of the world require entrepreneurial education where the individual learns, unlearns and relearns at a rapid pace. The individual should be capable of learning for achieving excellence and utilizing one’s fullest potential. This requires a different toolset from the tools for survival and adaptable learning to do the situational jobs in the new digital economies.
It is recognized that collaboration, team work, openness that promotes discussions and debates to assimilate various perspectives need to take center stage in the educational systems everywhere in the world. As for the thinking processes, students are trained to think and apply critical and analytical thinking processes to solve existing, well defined and structured problems.
Systems thinking is a unique tool that stands out among the rest of the approaches and processes adopted to promote higher learning that leads to exemplary leadership practices. Systemic thinking gifts the individual with the capacity to unlearn and relearn at a rapid pace to handle unforeseen complex situation irrespective of the magnitude of the challenge. The guiding principle behind systems thinking is the universal thinking required to be able to see the whole as well as the parts simultaneously for achieving the needed balance in the decisions made.
We can overcome the limitations inherent in the thinking and practices adopted by those in decision making authority by applying systemic thinking tools and techniques.
Learning and knowledge need not be confined to the world’s top schools and scholars. If the systemic thinking practices are understood and unleashed to ordinary schools and colleges, putting knowledge to effective use will become a common practice amongst everyone who attends college education.
Insights on the leadership practices for decision making to sustain business competitive advantage with varying emphasis depending on the organization culture are crucial in the context of global, complex, uncertain and dynamic social and organizational systems.
In order to educate the majority of students who are not exposed directly or indirectly to management experience and practices in public and private sector industries, new experiments and approaches for education are necessary on a continuous basis.
We must be clear on the competence of the application of systemic thinking principles in the leadership paradigm. This is a crucial factor for educators as well as organizational leaders in order to direct efforts towards developing new applications and approaches.
We will interpret the definition, scope and context of systemic thinking based on the viewpoints of scholars of past and present. We will understand and evaluate contemporary knowledge environments and organizational thought leadership practices for decision making with systemic thinking.
Dawidowicz, P. (2012) elaborates on the concept of “hard” and “soft” systems thinking described by Checkland (1981). The essential difference between the two types of systems thinking is how each type of thinking is used depending on the problems to be solved. The problems and the related factors that are solved applying hard systems thinking are simpler, predictable and well defined. Researchers indicate that the soft systems thinking is applied when the “nature of systems, relationships of its parts are less defined” and the “problem involves conflicting or multiple perspectives that must be reconciled or understood”. Soft systems thinking often requires “analysis, synthesis and evaluation of factors and actions at multiple levels of interaction among potentially multiple related systems all of which can be in flux” requiring high order thinking and is a “high level taxonomic skill”.
Dawidowicz, P. (2012) claims that the “functioning of social and organizational systems remains a matter of some debate” and they work based on “balance and feedback loops” with limited control over the achievement of balance as well as an understanding of the feedback loops. They state that “debate over the nature of systems thinking itself has also proven heated”.
Skaržauskienė, A. (2008) recognizes the need to view organizations as systems in the current times of uncertainty and changes as “organizational problem is actions that do not correspond to the whole” attributing the root cause to management problems. Sensing and responding to situations orienting the management and leadership practices to the dynamic nature and structure of the systems are the key guiding principles to address these problems. Transformational measures and decisions can be taken only when leadership practices are not only inspirational seeking vision but also demonstrate the ability to plan “the whole politics, strategy and structure of the organization”.
There are enormous studies and resources on systems thinking concepts and methodologies from ancient to current times. From these studies, it is possible that systems thinking can be viewed as a “magic pill or mantra” to relieve organizations and leaders from the burden of the complexities of decision making in today’s world. However, it appears to be similar to any other system life cycle methodology. Although this thinking has the potential to address some of the conceptual problems of today’s complex systems, there is no certainty in achieving desired outcomes. The perception and awareness for confronting the complex problems and situations with this powerful thought process paves the path to redefining, reviewing and reflecting towards achieving the desired outcomes.
Skaržauskienė, A. (2008) discuss the essence of systems thinking suggesting to view it as interrelations and processes of changes. The authors compare systems thinking with traditional thinking in detail. They explain that systems thinking skills comprise “dynamic, system-as-cause, forest, operational, closed-loop, quantitative and scientific thinking” based on Richmond, B (1997).
It is crucial to assimilate and distill the learning and lessons from ancient and contemporary scholars about systemic thinking. New experiments with education cannot afford to forget the tradition and the roots of learning.
Evolution of the Systems Perspective
Systems thinking has similarities to the ideas behind the high-order, evolved consciousness, big picture, divine plan thinking. This thinking has its roots in ancient philosophies and civilizations of the world. Contemporary systems authors recognize this aspect in their studies. Using systems thinking compared to linear thinking, we can understand and recognize broader, large and small scale perspectives on the problems at hand. Systems thinking offers the potential to achieve the harmony and balance necessary for decision making affecting long-term, aligning with nature, and complexities of the systems.
Studies conducted on the evolution of human consciousness suggests that the systems thinking is closely aligned with the highly refined conscious, evolved behaviors of human beings.
Jere Lazanski, T. (2010) “presents Mayan calendar systems to contemporary systems
thinking principles and explains the answer to the Ackoff’s judgment on four hundred years of analytical thinking as the dominant mode of society”.
Nair, D., & Gopal, R. (2011) remind the readers about Dr. Deming of Columbia school of business and Peter Senge’s elaborate discussions about Systems Thinking in his Book “The Fifth Discipline”. The authors advocate Dr. Deming’s teachings about management education that promotes system thinking that utilizes people’s original thinking, motivation, curiosity and joy to learn rather than “survival and adaptive” learning which is temporary and transient.
Elements of Systemic Thinking
There are abundant resources for defining and describing the elements of systems thinking, viewpoints on leadership and organizations applying the principles. From these similar yet varied interpretations, it is clear that awareness of the unlimited possibilities for the paradoxical practices is based on the underlying nature of conscious perception and philosophy of systems.
Jere Lazanski, T. (2010) presents five principles of systems thinking viz., big picture, long and short term perspectives, measurable and no measurable data, dynamic, complex, interdependent and being part of the whole.
Skaržauskienė, A. (2008) describes the systems thinking principles comprising of “openness, holism, interdependency, feedback, purposefulness, multidimensionality, equifinality and counter-intuitiveness” and that the methodology is based on the R L Ackoff’s tradition “enriched” with contributions for several years. The author highlights the viewpoints of S G Haines (1998) that “system thinking is a platform for designing business architecture”. In addition the author explains that “principles and methods lose their value if they are used separately from a paradigm”. Applying the systems thinking principles to leadership practices to achieve operational competence and viewing organizations as systems is the premise for this.
References:
Dawidowicz, P. (2012). The Person on the Street's Understanding of Systems Thinking. Systems Research & Behavioral Science, 29(1), 2-13. doi:10.1002/sres.1094
Jere Lazanski, T. (2010). Systems Thinking: Ancient Maya's Evolution of Consciousness and Contemporary Systems Thinking. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1303(1), 289-296. doi:10.1063/1.3527166
Skaržauskienė, A. (2009). SYSTEMS THINKING AS A COMPETENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP PARADIGM. Management Theory & Studies For Rural Business & Infrastructure Development, 16(1), 97-105.
Skaržauskienė, A. (2008). Theoretical Insights to Leadership Based on Systems Thinking Principles. Management Of Organizations: Systematic Research, (48), 105-120.
Chun, M. S., Sohn, K., Arling, P., & Granados, N. (2009). APPLYING SYSTEMS THINKING TO KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: THE CASE OF PRATT-WHITNEY ROCKETDYNE. Journal Of Information Technology Case & Application Research, 11(3), 43-67.
Nair, D., & Gopal, R. (2011). Application of Systems Thinking to Management Education in India. Indian Journal Of Higher Education, 2(2), 21-25.
M. Kljajić, Significance of simulation and systems approach methodology in development of complex systems. V: Symposium on Engineering and Management of IT-based organizational systems, Baden-Baden, Germany, 2008.
Engineering and management of IT-based organizational systems: a system approach. Tecumseh, Ontario: The International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics, 2008, pp. 34-38 (to be deleted, not valid, secondary reference from the
R. Ackoff, Ackoff's Best: His Classic Writings on Management. New York: Wiley& Sons. 1999.
Checkland P. 1981. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice.
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