Systems thinking: taming complexity in project management

Abstract

Purpose – This paper seeks to address complexity in project management via an innovative course that focuses on systems thinking.Design/methodology/approach – Intuitions about systems thinking evident in everyday language are developed and applied to phases of the system development life cycle.Findings – Complexity in project management may be tamed by systems thinking. Surprisingly, project managers do not seem to use simple systems thinking tools even though these provide unique benefits in framing and solving problems that arise from multiple perspectives and relationships.Research limitations/implications – The findings are broadly conceptual. They introduce only some elements of a tertiary curriculum developed by the authors and certified by a major project management practitioner group.Practical implications – The findings are of value to educators, practitioners and researchers who seek a practical approach to integrating complexity theory into modern project management practices.Social implication...