Application Of Soft Systems Methodology Research Articles

Strategy Management Analysis in Carrying out VLR by BAPPEDA Lampung Province in Efforts to Report SDGs Achievements

The strategy of a business organization or company involves directing the organization's efforts in utilizing the environment and managing the company's internal capabilities to achieve the desired goals and objectives. This research aims to evaluate and develop management strategies implemented by the Regional Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA) of Lampung Province in conducting Voluntary Local Review (VLR) to report the achievement of SDGs in Lampung province. The type of research used is qualitative with informants in this study, namely the head of government planning and human development (1 person), young expert planning staff (2 people), and Lampung Province SDGs secretariat staff (2 people). This research seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the success of the VLR, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced in achieving SDGs targets at the regional level. The originality of the research lies in the application of Soft System Methodology (SSM) as a systemic approach in the context of SDGs reporting at the provincial level and contributes to the understanding of strategic management in supporting sustainable development. Research using Soft System Methodology (SSM) on Lampung Province Bappeda's strategy in implementing Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of SDGs achievements resulted in recommendations, including increased coordination, management capacity, data quality, actor empowerment, and transparency and accountability.

Application of soft systems methodology to frame the challenges of integrating autonomous trains within a legacy rail operating environment

AbstractIncreased demand on rail, due to climate initiatives and passenger numbers, places significant pressure on existing railway operations; specifically on capacity, operational flexibility, and network robustness. These pressures are exacerbated by constraints, which prevent the construction of new track and infrastructure. This results in the need to use existing infrastructure and operating processes. One proposed solution is digitalization, which results in autonomous rail, where automated and connected intelligent transport systems facilitate smart traffic management. However, this generates the challenge of integrating autonomous trains and their associated technologies with existing infrastructure and operations. To understand this issue from an enterprise level, this paper has applied Brian Wilson's Soft Systems Methodology (a variation of Checkland's methodology) to the problem situation. This methodology explores and investigates the existing rail system in Great Britain (UK less Northern Ireland) and its stakeholders. The paper aims to propose a solution into how to transform the legacy system into one which incorporates autonomous operations and ultimately becomes fully autonomous. It culminates in a series of models that are relevant to those with a legitimate interest in the system. The models identify the activities required to analyze whether autonomy is worthwhile and if it is, how to successfully integrate it with legacy operations. Additionally, the models provide the basis for which a formal stakeholder analysis can take place.

Exploring the Evolution and Prospects of Gastronomy Tourism Development in Tista Tourism Village, Tabanan: A Comprehensive Analysis

Purpose: This research aims to uncover the ontological phenomenon driving gastronomy tourism development in Tista Tourism Village, Tabanan, utilizing qualitative analysis and Rich Picture depiction.
 Research methods: This reseach using qualitative approach, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), Rich Picture analysis. The findings of this study illuminate a notable shift within the local community of Tista Tourism Village, Tabanan, towards lifestyles oriented around tourism.
 Findings: Through the application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and Rich Picture analysis, it becomes evident that the development of gastronomy tourism has led to significant changes in social dynamics and cultural norms. The analysis reveals a delicate balance that the community strives to maintain between embracing modern tourism practices and preserving traditional values. The study's findings shed light on the need for cultural preservation programs that engage the local population, ensuring that the benefits of tourism are shared equitably and that the community's identity remains intact.
 Implication: This research serves as a valuable resource for shaping the trajectory of gastronomy tourism in a manner that harmonizes economic growth with the preservation of local traditions.

Application of Soft System Methodology for Modelling Institutional Strengthening of Salt Farmers

Salt farmers (smallholders) are the main actors in the production cycle of the national salt supply chain. However, they still face various problems regarding production technology, productivity, quality, market prices, product absorption by industry, access to capital, and incentives. Strengthening their institutional capacity requires collaboration and support from the government and other actors along the supply chain. This study aims to develop a model of institutional strengthening of salt farmers by applying a soft systems methodology. The institutional strengthening model was developed in three forms, i.e., the establishment of a salt farming corporation, the formation of cooperatives, and the revitalization of the salt farmer association. Various individual actors are involved, assessed, and then integrated into this model. The suggested strengthening model involves cooperatives and/or BUMDes (village-owned enterprises), farmer groups, and processing factories supported by government and financial institutions with partnership programs.

Institutional Divergence of Digital Item Bank Management in Bureaucratic Hybridization: An Application of SSM Based Multi-Method.

This study aims to analyze institutional divergence of Beckert (2010) by measuring the reframing of three constitutive principles of Digital Weberian Bureaucracy (DWB). In contrast to the studies by Gaus et al. (2017), Sofyani et al. (2018), Muellerleile and Robertson (2018), Turner et al. (2019), and Meilani and Hardjosoekarto (2020), this study explores normative and mimetic mechanisms resulting in the mixed pattern of public administration (Traditional Public Administration (TPA), New Public Management (NPM), and Post NPM), focusing on the transformation of Digital Era Governance (DEG). Employing Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) by Reynolds and Holwell (2010), combined with Text Network Analysis (TNA) by Segev (2020) and Social Network Analysis (SNA) by Borgatti et al. (2014), this study shows the micro dynamics of relationships between actors, the meso dynamics of organizations, and the absence of regulations at the macro level, all of which lead to institutional divergence in the form of fully hybrid governance (as proposed by De Waele et al. (2015)) that is also caused by normative and mimetic mechanisms. Complementing the study of DWB, this study suggests that computer literacy and programming languages are essential to be improved by future bureaucrats as social actors to achieve the success of digital transformation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11213-021-09579-4.

A Soft Systems Methodology for Business Creation: The Lost World at Tyseley, Birmingham

Much has been written about the benefits of green infrastructure, but securing the resources necessary for its development and long-term maintenance is often difficult. This article’s premise is that, in general, people and organisations will take action to provide those resources when they can see value accruing to them; therefore narratives of value generation and capture (our definition of business models) are required to motivate and support that action. This article explores the application of soft systems methodology to the wicked problem of business model development in the context of a social enterprise, using a case study based on a piece of green infrastructure in the city of Birmingham, UK, called The Lost World. The research involved a workshop with several of The Lost World’s key stakeholders and aimed at identifying: The Lost World’s scope as a business; its potential value streams; and how they might be realised in a social enterprise. Analysis of the findings shows that while stakeholders can identify opportunities for their organisations, bringing those opportunities to fruition is difficult. The research demonstrates a compelling need for social entrepreneurs to act as catalysts and long-term enablers of the formulation and maintenance of businesses and business models—vital missing actors in the ambition to transform cityscapes.

Change and improvement 50\u2009years in the making: a scoping review of the use of soft systems methodology in healthcare

IntroductionImproving the quality of healthcare has proven to be a challenging task despite longstanding efforts. Approaches to improvements that consider the strong influence of local context as well as stakeholders’ differing views on the situation are warranted. Soft systems methodology (SSM) includes contextual and multi-perspectival features. However, the way SSM has been applied and the outcomes of using SSM to stimulate productive change in healthcare have not been sufficiently investigated.AimThis scoping review aimed to examine and map the use and outcomes of SSM in healthcare settings.MethodThe review was based on Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. We searched six academic databases to January 2019 for peer-reviewed journal articles in English. We also reviewed reference lists of included citations. Articles were included if they were empirical studies focused on the application of SSM in a healthcare setting. Two reviewers conducted the abstract review and one reviewer conducted the full-text review and extracted data on study characteristics, ways of applying SSM and the outcomes of SSM initiatives. Study quality was assessed using Hawker’s Quality Assessment Tool.ResultA total of 49 studies were included in the final review. SSM had been used in a range of healthcare settings and for a variety of problem situations. The results revealed an inconsistent use of SSM including departing from Checkland’s original vision, applying different tools and involving stakeholders idiosyncratically. The quality of included studies varied and reporting of how SSM had been applied was sometimes inadequate. SSM had most often been used to understand a problem situation and to suggest potential improvements to the situation but to a lesser extent to implement and evaluate these improvements.ConclusionSSM is flexible and applicable to a range of problem situations in healthcare settings. However, better reporting of how SSM has been applied as well as evaluation of different types of outcomes, including implementation and intervention outcomes, is needed in order to appreciate more fully the utility and contribution of SSM in healthcare.

Systems Thinking in Upstream Social Marketing: Using Soft Systems Methodology to Improve Midwifery Policy in Jordan

Background: Despite being acknowledged worldwide as essential maternal care providers, midwives remain marginalized in the Jordanian healthcare system. Further, considering Jordan’s goal to achieve a total fertility rate of 2.1 by 2030 and Jordanian women’s preference for female providers, enhancing midwives’ role could significantly promote the use of reproductive health and family planning services. Focus of the Article: We report on opportunities created by opening the boundary of our social marketing understanding to systems thinking in practice (STiP), using soft systems methodology (SSM) to engage with the complex situation of midwifery policy in Jordan. Research Question: In what ways could STiP benefit upstream social marketing interventions? We attempt to answer this question from the perspective of an SSM action research in Jordan. Program Design/Approach: The intervention combines stakeholder analysis and evidence-based policy with an SSM seven-stage cycle. We analyze the compatibility of SSM with social marketing through the NSMC’s eight benchmark criteria. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: The case offers to learn experientially about the relevance of a systems’ approach to complement social marketing frameworks. Drawing from the practical application of SSM, this study suggests that using systems’ tools in social marketing interventions might significantly contribute to achieving intended behavioral outcomes. Methods: Gordon’s alternative framework for upstream social marketing, “advocacy, relationship building and stakeholders’ engagement,” was enacted through the SSM’s seven stages. Research findings provided advocacy arguments. Rich pictures, conceptual modeling, and the CATWOE exercise fostered relationship building and stakeholders’ engagement toward the accommodation stage. Results: At the systematic level, that is, the linear chain of programmatic activities, the policy objective was achieved with an amended Law submitted to the Parliament for debate. At the systemic level, that is, the dynamic relationships among stakeholders, the social learning that emerged during the SSM process reduced policymakers’ resistance and fostered their collective action. Recommendations for Research or Practice: Social marketers can benefit from further experimentation with systems’ approaches to develop their STiP capabilities. Thus, social marketing practice, at this historical moment, could be better equipped conceptually and practically to manage for the emergence of positive behavior change in messy upstream situations where policy and politics are always enmeshed. Limitations: SSM calls for several iterations until stakeholders feel that no more change is needed. However, these iterations are challenging to implement during the limited time frame of development projects. In this case, another iteration was suggested to diffuse the conflict between midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists who saw themselves as victims of this policy reform. However, with Jordan Communication Advocacy and Policy ending in December 2019, this case legacy might be passed on to other projects.

System Engineering for Project Organization

The theory of systems allows to organize to more efficient management of the development and changes of the project. Classification of M. Jackson for classification of various practices of the systems approach was used for research and analysis. The paper deals with the use of systematic approach in organization management to enhance efficiency in project progress and change management. Based on the classification of M. Jackson different applications of systematic approach are examined and analyzed. A case study of soft system thinking is described. The goal of ongoing research is development of a method to evaluate the effectiveness of project teams at HES MEPhI. The efforts involved application of soft systems methodology and yielded a unified methodology comprising tools and approaches of more efficient management of project teams. The merger of the soft systems methodology and evolution of developed tools into a combined methodology, its deployment in the practice of managing project teams in the field of education provides the launching site for its further extrapolation to other fields where project teams operate.
 Keywords: system approach, project teams, education, soft systems thinking, organizational cybernetics, changes, management, efficiency, project, team

The Application of Soft System Methodology to design the Conceptual Model for Intelligent Supply Chain Model of Natural Fibre Agroindustry

Soft system methodology in designing an intelligent supply chain is defined as a system-based method that is holistically constructed without reduction, according to representation from the real world, coming from stakeholders interacting one to another to gain value added and improve profits through data training and data saving on cloud presented from human to system of real-world database. This study aimed to apply a soft system methodology approach in designing an intelligent supply chain model of natural fibre agroindustry. A conceptual model was successfully developed and produced eight activities which were compared though assessment criteria of efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness. The eight activities mentioned are productivity improvement, data mining to predict demand and stock, development of a collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment model, development of an intelligent decision support system, digital platform construction, value added improvement, enhancement of efficiency and response to buyers, as well as improvement in supply chain performance. This study has not yet carried out the stages of taking action to improve the problem situation, and will be carried out in further study.

Design of Blockchain-based Precision Health-Care Using Soft Systems Methodology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the application of soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the problematic situation of low opt-in rates for Precision Health-Care (PHC).Design/methodology/approachThe design logic is that when trust is enhanced and compliance is better assured, participants such as patients and their doctors would be more likely to share their medical data and diagnosis for the purpose of precision modeling.FindingsThe authors present the findings of an empirical study that confronts the design challenge of increasing participant opt-in to a PHC repository of Electronic Medical Records and genetic sequencing. Guided by SSM, the authors formulate design rules for the establishment of a trust-less platform for PHC which incorporates key principles of transparency, traceability and immutability.Research limitations/implicationsThe SSM approach has been criticized for its lack of “rigour” and “replicability”. This is a fallacy in understanding its purpose – theory exploration rather than theory confirmation. Moreover, it is unlikely that quantitative modeling yields any clearer an understanding of complex, socio-technical systems.Practical implicationsThe application of Blockchain, a platform for distributed ledgers, and associated technologies present a feasible approach for resolving the problematic situation of low opt-in rates.Social implicationsA consequence of low participation is the weak recall and precision of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytic models. Factors such as cyber-crime, data violation and the potential for misuse of genetic and medical records have led to a lack of trust from key stakeholders – accessors, participants, miners and regulators – to varying degrees.Originality/valueThe application of Blockchain as a trust-enabling platform in the domain of an emerging eco-system such as precision health is novel and pioneering.

Community Paramedicine through Multiple Stakeholder Lenses Using a Modified Soft Systems Methodology

Introduction Community paramedicine (CP) is an emerging model of care which expands paramedic scopes of practice to collaboratively support primary healthcare delivery in underserviced and disadvantaged communities. CP is a patient-centred holistic approach focussed on improving health outcomes, with success heavily reliant on integrative partnerships. This research aimed to identify key stakeholder perspectives about the value of CP in rural Australia. Methods A workshop was conducted using a modified soft system methodology (SSM) that asked participants to consider the value of CP from the perspective of five key stakeholder groups. The 50 participants consisted of paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers, paramedic service executives, paramedic educators, Medicare Local representatives and a general practitioner. Participants were randomly allocated to five stakeholder groups: paramedic profession; Minister for Health and Ageing; consumers, chief executive and executive management team of an ambulance service; and healthcare professionals. The application of SSM placed the five groups into three broad categories of stakeholders: customers, actors, and owners. ‘Customers’ in this context are patients, families and carers. ‘Actors’ are paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers, and ambulance service executives. The ‘owners’ are the Office of the Minister and those with the power to facilitate or block initiatives. Participants were allocated 15 minutes to brainstorm the question: “What can a community paramedic do for you to improve rural health provision?” Group views were verbally shared with all workshop participants and video recorded for analysis. Results The ‘customers’ asked about CP from patient, family and carer perspectives, and were highly engaged with questions about how, when and where CP could operate. The paramedic and volunteer ambulance officer group of ‘actors’ battled to move beyond their emergency response mindset to articulate a clear CP vision. The executive management team responded from a strategic and risk management perspective focussing on patient safety and corporate image. They identified the need to form stakeholder partnerships. The ‘owners’ representing the Office of the Minister focussed on the holistic and wellness benefits of CP. The health professional group anticipated the CP role could provide collaborative care and support doctors. Conclusions The findings suggest many participants had a limited understanding of CP, which creates a barrier for implementation. Key benefits identified included a reduction in financial and physical burdens on the rural healthcare sector and improved outcomes for consumers. Active participation of stakeholders in the process of introducing CP programs, where people are comfortable questioning current practices and encouraged to explore new concepts and innovations, would enable a shared understanding of program aims and expectations. For paramedic services to expand service delivery models in rural Australia community participation and engagement with stakeholders is essential. They and paramedics must be willing to embrace meaningful and collaborative partnerships with patients, broader health networks, social services, politicians and researchers, and be prepared to step away from their traditional ‘command and control’ culture to co-design innovative paramedic models. SSM was a worthwhile approach to stakeholder engagement that has the potential to improve implementation of community paramedic programs through improved inclusion and the valuing of stakeholder perspectives.

The Digitalised Terrorism Ecology: A Systems Perspective

This study uses a systematic review methodology to interpret existing literature on the digital dimensions of contemporary terrorism and counter-terrorism. Using the theory of synergetics as a guiding analytical framework, the study conducts meta-synthesis of relevant literature, including application of soft systems methodology (SSM), in order to generate conceptualisation of a digitalised terrorism ecology. This ecology comprises five interacting sub-systems: open digital infrastructure; digital information ecology; digital terrorism enactment; digital capabilities; and digital enslavement.

Mapping the use of soft systems methodology for change management in healthcare: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionIt is notoriously challenging to implement evidence-based care and to update and improve healthcare practices. One reason for the difficulty is the complexity of healthcare and the powerful influence of...

Sociomateriality of Digital Technologies in Collaborative Decision-Making Counter-Terrorism Contexts

The notion of sociomateriality is deeply rooted in attempts to understand the ontological nature and role of digital technologies (ICTs) in human systems. Prior research, particularly in the Information Systems (IS) discipline, recognizes the relational perspective of such efforts. From a meta-synthesis of literature and the application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), this study sought to explicate the sociomaterial nature of digital technologies in collaborative decision-making within the context of counter-terrorism as a ‘wicked’ problem. Throughout the meta-synthesis, what comes to the fore is the perfunctory engagement of computing disciplines with digital technologies as a critical artifact in structuring of the CDM problem in ‘wicked’ contexts. However, insight from further analysis pinpoint discourses reifying the relational ontology of digital technologies in human systems, which are firmly entrenched in various disciplines. The resurgent interest in the sociomateriality of digital technologies is compelling and likely to provide a “new theatre”, providing both scholars and practitioners the opportunity to better structure digitally-enabled complex and wicked situations. Three insights were plausible from the meta-synthesis. First, from a methodological perspective, soft Operations Research (OR) approaches such as SSM can undergird structuring of wicked problems such as CDM within counter-terrorism contexts. The second insight directly calls for theorizing the sociomaterial nature of IS-related ‘wicked’ problems by considering the affordances of digital technologies. In the case of CDM, democratizing affordances of digital technologies are fundamental in exposing the extant power structures in collaborative networks. The third inference elevates the metaphor of mutual coupling of digital technologies with other multi-actors in CDM. While these propositions are tentative due to the limits of a meta-synthesis approach, they provide a foundation to inform further inquiry for legitimizing sociomateriality of digital technology in the practice of CDM within ‘wicked’ counter-terrorism contexts.

Developing alternative business models for smart infrastructure: a UK case study

There is a need to identify as wide a range as possible of sources of value arising from a given infrastructure development when creating infrastructure business models. The need for novel, more effective business models is being driven by the UK government’s very considerable programme of infrastructure investment, coupled with a reduction in the supply of public capital over recent years and a corresponding increase in the demand for private project finance. To support both public and private infrastructure investment, new business models are required that can internalise the positive externalities associated with public goods. Based on an exploration of the application of soft systems methodology to business model creation, this paper proposes a generic six-step methodology for identifying a wide range of potentially value-generating opportunities and proves its efficacy by applying it to a case study of Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham, UK. The findings from the methodology, which treats a newly constructed, refurbished or upgraded infrastructure system as a ‘business’, can then be used to broker the necessary collaboration with all relevant stakeholders – those who have a stake in the business – to refine the business models and ensure that they are resilient in the face of contextual change.

Application of SSM in tackling problematical situations from academicians’ viewpoints

In recent years, a wide variety of studies have applied soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the complexities of the messy situations. This paper seeks to identify 1) application areas and 2) application levels of the use of SSM in dealing with problematical situations. To do so, 149 articles published between 2000 and 2015 were studied. The findings revealed the application of SSM in new application areas such as sustainable development, knowledge management and project management. The results of this study also indicated that researchers applied SSM at three levels: SSM as a process of inquiry, SSM as an action-oriented methodology, and the hybrid use of SSM. Based on the findings, SSM at the level of a single methodology for bringing out changes has been less welcomed by researchers, but the application levels of inquiry processes and hybrid approaches have been more utilized. This suggests that in the correspondence of SSM with the nature or situation of problems, a sort of incommensurability is witnessed. Factors arising from the nature of the problem, inadequate mastery of the researcher over SSM or the limitations of SSM can exert an influence on this incommensurability.

Coordination in Protected Forest Management in Indonesia: An Application of Soft Systems Methodology

Coordination is a very complex problem that has occurred in the management of protected forest in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to elucidate how the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is used as a basis for rearranging coordination in the management of protected forest. SSM demonstrates various aspects of coordination to be addressed and concrete steps that decision makers in the management of protected forest should make. Using the case example of protected forest management in Wonosobo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, this study suggests that there are 9 steps to be considered in coordinating the management of protected forest. The findings of this study are relevant to decision makers in which the stages in SSM can assist decision makers to address problems in the coordination of protected forest management.

An Application of Soft Systems Methodology in the Evaluation of Policies and Incentive Actions to Promote Technological Innovations in the Electricity Sector

Abstract The promotion of a reliable and sustainable power system has as key drivers the development of smart grids associated with demand-side management schemes, diffusion of electric mobility, integration of larger shares of distributed (micro)generation, and the introduction of storage systems. In addition, these technological developments represent new business opportunities for several players, which should be considered by regulatory guidelines accounting for technical efficiency, economic feasibility and tariff affordability. The technical and economic characteristics of the electricity sector do not induce that the process of technological innovation happens in an endogenous manner within the sector dynamics. Therefore, public policies have a role to play in this process. This work presents an approach using Problem Structuring Methods to frame the problem of analyzing and evaluating technological innovations and associate incentive policies in the electricity sector. The results of this structuring phase using Soft Systems Methodology under different perspectives suggest a large number of issues to be taken into account that were organized as a hierarchy of objectives. These objectives correspond to the criteria of a multicriteria decision analysis model to assess policies promoting technological innovations. This methodology provides decision support to decision makers to shape policies aimed at fostering more reliable and sustainable electricity systems.

Improving coordination in an engineer-to-order supply chain using a soft systems approach

An empirical study in the ship-building sector has been undertaken to understand the problems associated with the coordination of engineer-to-order (ETO) supply chains and to reveal insights into opportunities for improvements based on the application of soft systems methodology. A number of alternatives to improve coordination of supply chain have been proposed based on the comparison between a soft systems model and actual practice. These alternatives were summarised into seven general principles that help define the role of individual companies in coordinating ETO supply chains, highlighting the company’s structures and interdependencies that lead to project tardiness. Due to the specific nature of a project which changes according to the context, it is difficult to generalise the soft systems model. Nevertheless, future research can further explore some of the principles proposed to deal with coordination problems experienced in other types of ETO project operations, such as construction and oil and gas.