What Does systems thinking Mean
We explain what systems thinking is, its principles, method and characteristics. Also, cause-effect thinking.
What is systems thinking?
Systems thinking or systematic thinking is a conceptual framework that understands reality as a system of interconnected objects or subsystems. Consequently, try to understand its operation and its properties to solve a problem .
Put more simply, systems thinking prefers to see wholes rather than isolated parts , to focus on the patterns of functioning or the mode of interrelation between the parts, operating as a system .
It is a way of thinking developed over the last seventy years. It aims to facilitate the understanding and resolution of patterns, based on common concepts in other disciplines , such as engineering, biology or systems theory .
The term systemic thinking comes from the concept of system , by which is understood any set, organism or segment of reality that can be described based on its components and the interaction between them, abstracting from the “outside” of it.
Systems have "inputs" and "outputs" through which they exchange information ( energy , matter ) with their surrounding environment, and depending on how much they do, they can be open systems (free exchange) or closed (limited or null exchange).
It can help you: Information system
Background of systems thinking
Its antecedents are in philosophy , hylozoic theory , and vitalism in biology . As for psychology , the notion of Gestalt is important .
The General Theory of Systems was enunciated in 1937 by Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901-1972). This Austrian philosopher and biologist proposed the original statement of the inaugurating a trend that others later incorporated into their respective areas of study.
For example, it was taken up by the Prussian psychiatrist Kurt Goldstein (1878-1965) and the American physiologist Walter Cannon (1871-1945). Also disciplines such as engineering were nourished by this new perspective, giving rise to the emergence of cybernetics.
In 1961, with the appearance of the book The Social System , the American sociologist Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) applied the theory of systems to the entire society , being until today one of the greatest applications of systems thinking available.
Characteristics of systems thinking
Systems thinking understands its objects of interest as ordered systems, and for this it applies four fundamental principles, which are:
- Position principle. There is a hierarchy within the systems, that is, a vertical order, on which depends the place that its elements occupy. This is also replicated when analyzing systems of systems, that is, suprasystems.
- Relationship principle. The relationship that exists between the elements of a system, or between different systems of the same suprasystem, generates polarities, forces of attraction or repulsion, and allows the formulation of a field theory.
- Limitation principle. Every system is limited by controls that correct its duration, measurement, rhythm , radius of influence and operating model.
- Equifinality principle. Systems that move towards a specific purpose can achieve it through different mechanisms, as long as they contemplate the same goal.
In addition, there are other psychological criteria of systems thinking, which are:
- That the essential properties of a system belong to the whole, and none of its parts can have it by itself. A system is more than the sum of its parts .
- All analysis of a system must be done from the micro and the macro , the sub and the supra, at its different levels.
- A part of the system is a pattern embedded in a network of relationships.
- Reality is a network of relationships .
Systems thinking methodology
The methodology of this type of thinking can be very diverse, but it is roughly summarized in four fundamental steps:
- Acquire a global vision of the system and its sets.
- Understand the implications between the parts of the system and its projection in the medium and long term.
- Recognition of dynamic and complex and interdependent (sub) systems that allow the construction of useful models for solving a problem .
- Recognition of measurable and / or non-measurable indicators to be able to use qualitative or quantitative resources as necessary, and thus obtain conclusions .
Benefits of systems thinking
Systems thinking provides a more holistic perspective , that is, more global, complex and dynamic of reality. It allows you to model complex systems, reduce problems to their minimum expression , and open our minds to solutions “out of the box” ( Out-of-the-box in English). For this reason, it drastically rethinks the perspective of the subject studied.
Differences with cause-effect thinking
Cause-effect thinking and systems thinking are two different routes to the same result. However, cause-effect thinking is characterized by a direct relationship between an event and its consequences : a specific cause and a measurable effect of it, assuming that there is a demonstrable relationship between the two.
This is, in some cases, one of its weaknesses: the effects of a cause cannot always be perceived , or the causes of a perceived effect can be known, and this does not mean that they do not exist. Sometimes, even, the excess of contextual information obscures any attempt to establish a cause and an effect. This is where systems thinking proves its worth.
Useful for long-term evaluations, systems thinking allows us to understand the complex relationships that link two events , in principle, distant from each other, or difficult to relate directly, allowing us to reach a perspective that goes beyond the need to find a person in charge or attribute blame.
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