Systems Thinking Research Articles

The Effect of Problem Based Learning STEM (PBL STEM) on Students' Systems Thinking Skills on Global Warming Material

The Effect of Problem Based Learning STEM (PBL STEM) on Students' Systems Thinking Skills on Global Warming Material

Artificial Intelligence and the Great Reset: Impacts and Perspectives for Italian SMEs Business Model Innovation

The rise of artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the competitive landscape across various sectors, offering visionary enterprises new pathways to innovation development and to get a competitive edge. AI leverages data, analysis, and observations to perform tasks without hard coding, and benefits from self-learning and continuous improvement. We use Systems Thinking to frame how managers may adopt and integrate AI in business activities. We also investigate the motivations driving entrepreneurs to adopt AI solutions, and how they may impact on sustainable business model innovation, by administering a questionnaire to a sample of innovative Italian SMEs to get a comprehensive overview of the dynamics influencing AI adoption in business. This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between technology, sustainability, and corporate innovation. It offers both valuable insights for future research and for strategic managerial decisions on AI integration. Furthermore, it helps the development of innovative, sustainable business models in the evolving landscape of the Great Reset.

An empirical study on the relationships and impacts of leadership styles, organizational learning, and organizational competitiveness

This study dwells into the relationships and the impact of Leadership Styles (LS) and Organizational Learning (OL) practices on Organizational Competitiveness (OC) of the organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia. Correlation and regression are employed for data analysis. The data analysis is conducted by using Excel and SPSS. The findings shed light on getting a more comprehensive understanding of organizational competitiveness. Shared Vision (SV) and Systems Thinking (ST) are found to have the strongest positive correlation with OC. The efficiency and effectiveness are also found to be affected by the Learning Organization Disciplines. Efficiency, especially, is found to be impacted when practicing Directive Leadership Style. However, the efficiency and quick and effective adjustment of changes are not affected when using cooperation as a coaching leadership approach, nor when explanation, demonstration, and verification are used in a mixed leadership approach. The limitation of this research study comes mainly from geographical concentration. However, the managerial implications from provided insights about the relationships and impacts are indeed diversified and plentiful which should help managers and leaders in adjusting their strategies and activities for their respective organizations. Scholars can consider these findings to tap into the complex nature of the phenomena of achieving and sustaining organizational competitiveness.

The Growth Dynamics of the Restaurant Industry from Single Store to Chain Store in Taiwan: A Systems Thinking Perspective

The Growth Dynamics of the Restaurant Industry from Single Store to Chain Store in Taiwan: A Systems Thinking Perspective

Model for Global Quality Management System in System of Systems

This study inaugurates an innovative field of research for Global Quality Management System (G-QMS) in System of Systems (SoS), integrating emerging and rapidly evolving disciplines of QMS, SoS Globalization, and Systems approaches, chiefly Systems Thinking. This manuscript introduces, for the first time, a conceptual model for G-QMS in sectors of SoS, developed from an extensive field study conducted in real SoS global organizations, employing the Grounded Theory methodology. We found that this model can be described by two separate supra entities, despite their extensive interrelationships. This manuscript focuses on the first supra entity, which constitutes the foundation for understanding the second supra entity. The model pertaining to the first supra entity, named G-QMS of G-Organization in Sectors of SoS, is introduced through a detailed description of its structural principles. Additionally, a detailed description of its complementary aspects and elements is provided, which condenses these principles into a complete conceptual model picture. This field of research is highly significant for such organizations. These organizations typically maintain leading and advanced quality bodies, especially in comparison to the broader industry. Therefore, the G-QMS model developed through this research can offer substantial contributions to these organizations, but also to all other global organizations.

Implementing Ireland’s Food Vision 2030 within the Fresh Produce Sector: An Investigation of the Barriers and Enablers Using Systems Thinking Principles

The Irish Food Vision 2030 (IFV 2030) seeks to restructure Ireland’s agricultural food system to deliver long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability in keeping with its commitment to the European Green Deal and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This study investigates the effectiveness of the IFV 2030 in delivering on this commitment across the fresh produce supply chain in Ireland using a combination of data collected from stakeholders through a survey and systems thinking principles. A review of the literature and Foucault’s genealogical methods guided the development of the survey. Systems thinking principles were used to review the IFV 2030 and assess its capacity to deliver large-scale change for a sustainable Irish food system. Barriers to change were identified, including historical patterns of behaviour between EU and Irish policymakers that have repeatedly hindered progress towards large-scale change events. The results demonstrate that successful, long-term change will depend on the involvement and incentives of stakeholders within the supply chain. Continuous stakeholder engagement is required through a bottom-up organisational and supply chain approach to deliver long-term sustainability within the fresh produce sector. Using a systems thinking lens brings benefits through transdisciplinary collaboration and fosters the multiple stakeholder perspectives needed to deliver new ideas and solutions.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills has become crucial for navigating an increasingly complex world. This study aims to explore the significance of these skills in modern education and how they can be effectively nurtured among students. The research employs a qualitative methodology, using interviews and focus group discussions with educators, students, and education experts as primary data sources. Through a thematic analysis of the data, the study identifies key strategies for integrating critical thinking and problem-solving skills into the curriculum. The results indicate that while educators recognize the importance of these skills, there are significant challenges in their implementation, including a lack of resources, teacher training, and assessment methods. Furthermore, the findings reveal that students who are exposed to curricula that emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving are better equipped to tackle real-world challenges, demonstrating enhanced creativity, adaptability, and decision-making abilities. The study concludes with recommendations for educators and policymakers to develop more comprehensive frameworks that support the integration of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in educational systems, ultimately preparing students to succeed in the 21st-century landscape.

ACL Injury Etiology in Its Context: A Systems Thinking, Group Model Building Approach.

Background/Objectives: Given the complex nature of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, it is important to analyze its etiology with suitable approaches in order to formulate intervention strategies for effective prevention. The present study employs system thinking techniques to develop a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) Model for investigating the risk factors for ACL Injury (CLD-ACLI), through a Group Model Building approach. Methods: A two-stage procedure was applied involving a comprehensive literature review followed by several systems thinking group-modeling co-creation workshops with stakeholders. Results: Based on input from experts and stakeholders, combined with the latest scientific findings, the derived CLD-ACLI model revealed a series of interesting complex nonlinear interrelationships causal loops between the likelihood of ACL injury and the number of risk factors. Particularly, the interaction among institutional, psychological, neurocognitive, neuromuscular, malalignment factors, and trauma history seem to affect neuromuscular control, which subsequently may alter the biomechanics of landing, predisposing the ACL to injury. Further, according to the proposed CLD-ACLI model, the risk for injury may increase further if specific environmental and anatomical factors affect the shear forces imposed on the ACL. Conclusions: The proposed CLD-ACLI model constitutes a rigorous useful conceptual presentation agreed upon among experts on the dynamic interactions among potential intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for ACL injury. The presented causal loop model constitutes a vital step for developing a validated quantitative system dynamics simulation model for evaluating ACL injury-prevention strategies prior to implementation.

Innovative exploration of designing the ‘Host Defense and Immunology’ course based on the concept of seamless learning

Abstract Objectives The ‘Host Defense and Immunology’ course is compulsory for undergraduate students majoring in clinical medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. In order to promote students’ self-directed and active learning, we innovated teaching activities around ‘seamless learning’ which is emphasising learner-centredness. Methods Guided by the concept of seamless learning, we integrated teaching content, constructed course resources, innovated course-teaching modes, and reformed assessment and evaluation. Then two survey questionnaires were provided to students to get feedback on the course achievement. One set of survey questionnaire with written descriptions was designed to collect feedback on the overall evaluation of the course. Another survey questionnaire was presented in the form of multiple-choice questions to get feedback on more specific questions. Results 294 questionnaires were distributed to eight-year clinical medicine students in years 2021–2022, and 234 were valid. Overall student feedback revealed that the students mastered the immunological basic theories, research techniques and have acquired integrated systematic thinking. The students also deepened their application ability, pursued clinical rigor and logic, and shaped their clinical thinking patterns. The survey questionnaire revealed that the comprehensive immunological mind map was highly beneficial for analysing clinical immunological problems, understanding immunological principles, grasping interrelationships between knowledge points, and fostering self-learning abilities. Case-based learning (CBL), micro-lecture videos, and learning about scientists’ and doctors’ stories also had positive effects on students’ active learning, understanding, logical thinking, innovation, and humanistic literacy, with over 79 % of students reporting benefits. Conclusions Based on seamless learning, students acquired integrated systematic thinking through the course, shaped clinical thinking patterns, developed communication and collaboration skills, and enhanced their ability to analyse and solve clinical problems. The exploration and practice of the ‘Host Defense and Immunology’ course provides a good example for the integration of seamless learning concepts into teaching.

The Impact of Strategic Intelligence on Marketing Agility: A Field Study in Private Universities in the Capital Municipality of Sana'a

This study aimed to determine the levels of marketing agility and strategic intelligence, as well as the impact of strategic intelligence on marketing agility in private universities in the Capital Municipality of Sana'a. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as a tool for data collection from private universities that have been established for more than 15 years and have more than 20 educational programs. One hundred and thirty-seven questionnaires were distributed to university rectors, vice rectors, general secretaries, deans of colleges, marketing managers, heads of academic departments, registrars, and student affairs. A total of 118 valid questionnaires were collected for analysis. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The study found that the level of strategic intelligence practice in private universities was high, with the future vision dimension being the most practiced, while motivation was the least practiced. The level of marketing agility application was also high, with implementation agility being the most applied dimension, while participation agility was the least applied. The results also showed a significant statistical impact of strategic intelligence on marketing agility. The motivation and partnership dimensions of strategic intelligence had the greatest impact on marketing agility, while systematic thinking had the least impact. The study recommends increasing focus and attention on the motivation and partnership dimensions, as they have the greatest impact on marketing agility and increase the achievement of marketing agility in the face of increasing competition in the private university sector in Yemen.

Enriching systems practice with African perspectives

AbstractThis paper follows an autoethnographic approach that seeks to give a practitioner's reflection by exploring the intersection between African philosophies, particularly the concepts of Ubuntu and Ukama, and the practice of systems thinking. It raises concern about the absence of an African perspective in the discourse on mainstream systems thinking approaches. It argues that African philosophies, with their emphasis on relationality, community and humanness, can contribute to and enrich the discourse on developing systems thinking approaches. The main author's positionality, including his struggles with his identity as an African, his personal experiences growing up in a rural African village and being exposed to traditional African storytelling and community‐based practices, is used to illustrate the connections between African philosophies and systems thinking. As an example of this linkage and how an African perspective can enrich the practice of systems thinking, the paper applies an African worldview to Critical Systems Heuristics.

Mental Fitness and Its Relationship to Systemic Thinking of a Kindergarten Teacher in the Kurdistan Region – Iraq

Mental Fitness and Its Relationship to Systemic Thinking of a Kindergarten Teacher in the Kurdistan Region – Iraq

Cormorant management in Denmark: A retrospective analysis using the Systems Approach Framework

Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) aims to ensure sustainable management of coastal areas. The Systems Approach Framework (SAF) provides a structure for an ICM process that includes scenario simulations of management options for complex systems. Through the SAF stakeholders are identified and engaged at an early stage. Further, the SAF guides a process to assess the ecological sustainability, economic efficiency, and social equity of management options, even for complex issues. Implementation of the European Union's Birds Directive (BD) in 1979 instigated protective management plans to protect a waning population of cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). Since then, multiple adjustments were made to the management plans to mitigate arising issues and conflicts. In this study, we used the SAF to conduct a retrospective analysis of cormorant management in Europe, Denmark, and a local community in order to identify which ICM elements were put into effect and their effectiveness. The analysis comprised the two initial steps of the SAF: Issue Identification and System Design. Data and information were extracted from EU and Danish management plans, available literature and interviews with stakeholders. The management process was divided into two periods related to the motivation: i), 1979–2002 focusing on cormorant protection promoted by nature conservations organisations, and ii), 2003–2020 focusing on ad hoc adaptive management to mitigate negative effects of an exponentially increasing cormorant population on other sectors and related income and activities. Our study revealed that cormorant management at all levels lacked elements important for a sustainable ICM process. Implementation of the BD was a top-down process leading to a single sector solution, influenced by a few highly organised stakeholders with strong views. The ecological issue of protecting the species was resolved, but the lack of Systems Thinking and specific success targets, for which indicators could have been developed, led to new conflicts and negative user perceptions. In response to increasing and new emerging conflicts, more stakeholders became involved during the second period. Thorough mapping of stakeholders, institutions and governance structures at the outset could have provided for a more transparent, inclusive, and participatory process. In addition, the management plans did not involve cross-sectorial, bio-economic assessments. The latter would have allowed deliberations of potential ecological and socio-economic consequences of different management options, which could have enhanced transparency and equity in the decision-making and thus could have facilitated compliance and long-term sustainability during implementation.

Pluralistic Causal Mapping: A Postmodern Systems Thinking Approach Regarding Identification of a Causal Map of Social Complex Systems

Pluralistic Causal Mapping: A Postmodern Systems Thinking Approach Regarding Identification of a Causal Map of Social Complex Systems

Systems Thinking in Practice in a Circular Economy

The Circular Economy (CE) is frequently touted as important for building sustainability. Despite growing interest in CE, few theories have provided effective on the-ground tools for building circularity. This case study of an agricultural organization in Western Canada illustrates how the logic of complexity helps frame and sustain a CE. Interviewees embraced complexity to manage the messy, unpredictable work of CE. Although preliminary, this suggests the possibility that circular economy-like behaviour may be more complex than currently understood. Interviewees represented complex systems thinkers in the wild and could help others seeking to build their own CE initiatives.

Engineer students’ views on competencies for sustainable development: a case from a systemic PBL environment using Q methodology

ABSTRACT Despite an emerging emphasis on the role of engineers in achieving the SDGs, there is still a lack of agreement on which competencies should be prioritised to prepare them to tackle future sustainability challenges. By formulating a theoretical framework of key sustainable competencies based on prior studies, this study investigated engineering students’ subjective views on which competencies they considered as the most important to support them in becoming sustainable engineers/designers. Using Q methodology, views were collected from 26 master students in a Sustainable Design programme in a Danish systemic problem- and project-based (PBL) context. Three key competencies were identified: collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and systemic thinking. Competences within the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ dimensions were represented the strongest. There is a hierarchy between the competencies, with collaboration being the highest level, as it demonstrates that it is transversal to the others. These results emphasised the role of PBL in developing competencies for sustainability and in reinforcing the value of Education for Sustainable Development.

Mapping the Implementation Determinants of Second Dose Measles Vaccination in the World Health Organization African Region: A Rapid Review.

The second dose of measles-containing vaccines (MCV2) has significant programmatic relevance in the current immunisation landscape because it serves as both an opportunity to reduce measles immunity gaps and strengthen second year of life vaccination platforms. However, MCV2 coverage remains suboptimal across countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region and this puts a significant number of children at risk of morbidity and mortality from measles despite the availability of an effective vaccine. There is an urgent need to strengthen the implementation of MCV2 but this requires a thorough and systematic understanding of contextual factors that influence it. The literature that describes the determinants of implementation of MCV2 in a manner that adequately accounts for the complexity of the implementation context is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this rapid review was to explore the implementation determinants of MCV2 in the WHO African Region using systems thinking. Literature search in two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) were conducted. After screening, a total of 17 eligible articles were included in the study. Thematic analysis of extracted data was performed to identify the implementation determinants, after which they were mapped using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A causal loop diagram (CLD) was used to illustrate the linkages between identified determinants. We found 44 implementation determinants across the five CFIR domains, i.e., innovation, outer setting, inner setting, individual, and implementation process. The majority of identified determinants are within the individual domain followed by the inner setting domain. The CLD showed that multiple contingent connections and feedback relationships exist between the identified implementation determinants within and across CFIR domains. The linkages between the implementation determinants revealed three balancing and reinforcing loops each. The findings suggest that implementation determinants of second-dose measles vaccination in the WHO African Region are complex, with multiple interconnections and interdependencies, and this insight should guide subsequent policies. There is an urgent need for further implementation research with embedded CLD in specific settings to inform the design of tailored systemic strategies to improve the implementation effectiveness of MCV2.

Enhancing Adaptability: Exploring Structural Empowerment and Systems Thinking Among State Governmental Public Health Nutritionists.

This study explored how structural empowerment and systems thinking enabled public health nutritionists to adapt to complex environments. Interviews with 14 dietitian-prepared nutritionists from state governmental public health agencies elucidated 3 key themes: leveraging relationships was essential to exercising structural empowerment and systems thinking; accessing resources and support were priorities in supporting public health nutrition initiatives; and addressing gaps in formal training, specific to systems thinking, enabled adaptability to work in public health settings. The findings highlight the need for broader examinations into strengthening access to organizational power structures; integrating systems thinking into public health operations; and sustaining professional development for the public health workforce, especially with limited resources. Enhancing access to organizational power structures and applying systems thinking can empower the public health workforce to better adapt to challenges by building relationships, accessing resources and support, and making informed decisions that positively impact population health.

Presenting Biochemistry Topics through a Systems Thinking Approach

Presenting Biochemistry Topics through a Systems Thinking Approach

How Innovation Failure Affects Organizational Strategy? The Role of System Thinking and Risk Percept

How Innovation Failure Affects Organizational Strategy? The Role of System Thinking and Risk Percept