Assessing the Barriers to Implementing Systems Thinking in Organizations Using Interpretive Structural Modeling

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Razieh Mirnezhad

Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative sciences, Ferdowsi University Of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22067/jstinp.2022.76256.1008

Abstract

Systems thinking is a useful approach to realizing and analyzing real-world phenomena. It helps us to study components of a system jointly rather than individually. In this regard, organizations need systems thinking to strengthen their holistic inclusiveness because it aids managers examine structures, patterns, and events about each other and not just observing events. Even though applications of systems thinking have been the center of scholars' attention, barriers, and factors that cause organizations to impair systems thinking have not appropriately been addressed and have been paid less attention. The passage of six decades of systems thinking as a theoretical-practical approach implies that it is appropriate that the field of growth and promotion of this effective thinking in the management of society and organization are given more attention by managers and decision-makers. Therefore, this study has been carried out to identify and analyze the barriers to systems thinking in Iranian organizations using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique. This method is one of the system analysis methods and examines the interactions between system elements. In this study, after a comprehensive review of the research literature, 64 factors were extracted, combined as much as possible, and finally, the identified barriers were reduced to 7 categories. The results of the ISM model divided these 7 categories of factors (general barriers) into three levels of importance and effectiveness. Organizational, cultural, financial, educational, and personality factors were at the first level of influence. The mental factor took the second position, and the information factor took the third place. It can be mentioned that the managers should pay special attention to 5 factors in the first level as they are the most effective factors that concentration on them can lead to successful systems thinking in organizations.

Keywords

Systems Thinking

ISM

Implementation Barriers

Organization

---

References

Ackoff, R., 2009. Recreating the Organization, translated by Taghi Nasser Shariati et al., Industrial Management Organization. [in Persian].

Arnold, R.D. and Wade, J.P., 2015. A definition of systems thinking: A systems approach. Procedia computer science, 44, pp.669-678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.03.050.

Baron, P., 2014. Overcoming obstacles in learning cybernetic psychology. Kybernetes, 43(9/10), pp.1301-1309. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-07-2014-0150.

Basile, G. and Caputo, F., 2017. Theories and challenges for systems thinking in practice. Journal of Organisational Transformation & Social Change, 14(1), pp.1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/14779633.2017.1291148.

Beasley, R., 2012, July. 4.3. 1 the barriers to systems thinking. In INCOSE International Symposium, 22(1), pp.517-531. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2334-5837.2012.tb01353.x.

Berry, H.L., Waite, T.D., Dear, K.B., Capon, A.G. and Murray, V., 2018. The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health. Nature climate change, 8(4), pp.282-290.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0102-4.

Binesh, M., 2011. Barriers to systems thinking. Automotive Magazine, 158, pp.24-28. Available at: http://www.mgtsolution.com/show/918345602. [in Persian].

Castka, P., Bamber, C.J., Sharp, J.M. and Belohoubek, P., 2001. Factors affecting successful implementation of high performance teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 7(7/8), pp. 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527590110411037.

Faisal, M.N., Banwet, D.K. and Shankar, R., 2006. Supply chain risk mitigation: modeling the enablers. Business Process Management Journal, 12(4), pp.552-535. https://doi.org/10.1108/14637150610678113.

Hopper, M. and Stave, K.A., 2008, July. Assessing the effectiveness of systems thinking interventions in the classroom. In 26th international conference of the system dynamics society (pp. 1-26).

Hossain, N.U.I., Dayarathna, V.L., Nagahi, M. and Jaradat, R., 2020. Systems thinking: A review and bibliometric analysis. Systems, 8(3), pp.1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems8030023.

Iacovidou, E., Hahladakis, J.N. and Purnell, P., 2021. A systems thinking approach to understanding the challenges of achieving the circular economy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(19), pp.24785-24806. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11725-9.

Jacob, S.R. and Warschauer, M., 2018. Computational thinking and literacy. Journal of Computer Science Integration, 1(1), pp. 1-19.

Khaldun, I., 2004. Abd al Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad. Al Muqaddimah. Maktaba al Hidayah, Damascus.

Kuo, Y.H., Chan, N.B., Leung, J.M., Meng, H., So, A.M.C., Tsoi, K.K. and Graham, C.A., 2020. An integrated approach of machine learning and systems thinking for waiting time prediction in an emergency department. International journal of medical informatics, 139, pp.1-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104143.

Low, K.C.P., 2006. Cultural obstacles in growing entrepreneurship: a study in Singapore. Journal of management development., 25(2), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610645144.

Mambrey, S., Timm, J., Landskron, J.J. and Schmiemann, P., 2020. The impact of system specifics on systems thinking. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(10), pp.1632-1651. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21649.

Mohammadi, A., Abbasi, A., Alimohammadlou, M., Eghtesadifard, M. and Khalifeh, M., 2017. Optimal design of a multi-echelon supply chain in a system thinking framework: An integrated financial-operational approach. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 114, pp.297-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2017.10.019.

Moscardo, G., 2021. Using Systems Thinking to Improve Tourism and Hospitality Research Quality and Relevance: A Critical Review and Conceptual Analysis. Tourism and Hospitality, 2(1), pp.153-172. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp2010009.

Norouzi, A., 2017. 11 Laws of Systems Thinking from Peter Senge's Perspective. [Online]. Available at: https://www.chetor.com/86167. [in Persian].

Plate, R. and Monroe, M., 2014. A structure for assessing systems thinking. The Creative Learning Exchange, 23(1), pp.1-3.

Plate, R., 2010. Assessing individuals' understanding of nonlinear causal structures in complex systems. System Dynamics Review, 26(1), pp.19-33. https://doi.org/10.1002/sdr.432.

Richmond, B. and Peterson, S., 2001. An introduction to systems thinking. Lebanon, NH: High Performance Systems., Incorporated.

Schuler, S., Fanta, D., Rosenkraenzer, F. and Riess, W., 2018. Systems thinking within the scope of education for sustainable development (ESD)–a heuristic competence model as a basis for (science) teacher education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 42(2), pp.192-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2017.1339264.

Senge, P.M., 1990. The art and practice of the learning organization (Vol. 1). New York: Doubleday.

Singh, J., 1990. A typology of consumer dissatisfaction response styles. Journal of retailing, 66(1), pp.57-99.

Trochim, W.M., Cabrera, D.A., Milstein, B., Gallagher, R.S. and Leischow, S.J., 2006. Practical challenges of systems thinking and modeling in public health. American journal of public health, 96(3), pp.538-546. https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2005.066001.

Wade, J., 2011. Systems engineering: At the crossroads of complexity. Kongsberg Systems Engineering Event.

Warfield, J.N., 1974. Developing subsystem matrices in structural modeling. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 4(1), pp.74-80. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSMC.1974.5408523.

York, S., Lavi, R., Dori, Y.J. and Orgill, M., 2019. Applications of systems thinking in STEM education. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(12), pp.2742-2751. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00261.