Systems Thinking has been an important feature in the Tavistock Institute’s research and consultancy work from the beginning in 1947. Central to our action research work with major industries in the 1950-70’s, it formed the core of theory and practice related to ‘sociotechnical systems’ work. This tradition continued within our evaluation activities from the 1980’s onward, and features in several of our current projects. These have received added impetus from the growing interest in complexity theory and its application to evaluation practice, encouraged by our involvement in activities such as the Centre for Complexity in Evaluation across the Nexus (CECAN) and the writing of an annex to the revised Magenta book (Cross-Government Evaluation Group) published on 27 March this year.
This talk on Systems Thinking offers the opportunity for you to reflect with us on what we have learnt from the past, how we are currently applying this – and where systems thinking will be taking us next.
Cynefin and Complexity: A Gentle IntroductionJocko Selberg
NYC Lean Kanban Meetup - Presentation October 28, 2015 - Jocko Selberg
What do we really mean when we say that a problem is "complex"? Do we simply mean to say that a given problem is extremely complicated, or are complex problems something fundamentally different? We typically assume we are operating in a deterministic, ordered system where we can identify a cause and effect relationship, when in actuality we are often operating in a non-deterministic complex system, where these relationships can not be known in advance, if at all. How can we sense which context we are operating in and how might we act under varying degrees of uncertainty.
Complexity Theory is a term used to describe a field that is focused on the study of complex systems. Complexity science is not a single theory— it encompasses multiple theoretical frameworks, seeking answers to some of the fundamental questions about continuously changing, dynamic systems.
Cynefin is a framework developed by Dave Snowden and Cognitive Edge which seeks to helps us "make sense of the world, such that we can act in it". By understanding the fundamental differences between directed (ordered) systems and emergent (unordered) systems, we can modify our approach to match the context of the problem we are facing. The Cynefin framework takes a science based approach to dealing with critical business issues, drawing from anthropology, neuroscience and complex adaptive systems theory to improve decision making.
Complexity Theory and Cynefin have an undeserved reputation for being difficult to grasp. In this introductory talk we will break down these approaches so that we can effectively use them to help us to better act under conditions of uncertainty.
About Jocko Selberg
Jocko Selberg is currently a Project Manager for The Nielsen Company with over 15 years experience in the interactive industry. He is a non-sectarian agilist and does not own a TV.
3 steps to implement holacracy in your companyKozo Takei
Since 2007, we DIAMOND MEDIA has been Holacracy model organization. We built a Holacratic management and operating system by ourselves. We finally found the way to implement holacracy in your company only in 3 steps.
Special thanks; Sylvain Pierre, Thomas Rodriguez.
Behavioral theories assert that people can learn how to become leaders through teaching and observation. As a reaction to the trait theories, the behavioral theories looks not at the traits and abilities of leaders, but their behavior.
Community perspectives on sustainability and resilience within a social ecolo...Alex Webb
Thesis defense presenting results from social science research project examining community knowledge and perspectives related to coupled human and natural systems or social-ecological systems dynamics in St. Thomas, USVI.
Systems Thinking in Practice - an Open University showcasedtr4open
Presentation details the Open University's Systems Thinking in Practice Masters programme along with examples of practice from STiP Alumni as showcased at the UK Public Sector Show April 2013.
Cynefin and Complexity: A Gentle IntroductionJocko Selberg
NYC Lean Kanban Meetup - Presentation October 28, 2015 - Jocko Selberg
What do we really mean when we say that a problem is "complex"? Do we simply mean to say that a given problem is extremely complicated, or are complex problems something fundamentally different? We typically assume we are operating in a deterministic, ordered system where we can identify a cause and effect relationship, when in actuality we are often operating in a non-deterministic complex system, where these relationships can not be known in advance, if at all. How can we sense which context we are operating in and how might we act under varying degrees of uncertainty.
Complexity Theory is a term used to describe a field that is focused on the study of complex systems. Complexity science is not a single theory— it encompasses multiple theoretical frameworks, seeking answers to some of the fundamental questions about continuously changing, dynamic systems.
Cynefin is a framework developed by Dave Snowden and Cognitive Edge which seeks to helps us "make sense of the world, such that we can act in it". By understanding the fundamental differences between directed (ordered) systems and emergent (unordered) systems, we can modify our approach to match the context of the problem we are facing. The Cynefin framework takes a science based approach to dealing with critical business issues, drawing from anthropology, neuroscience and complex adaptive systems theory to improve decision making.
Complexity Theory and Cynefin have an undeserved reputation for being difficult to grasp. In this introductory talk we will break down these approaches so that we can effectively use them to help us to better act under conditions of uncertainty.
About Jocko Selberg
Jocko Selberg is currently a Project Manager for The Nielsen Company with over 15 years experience in the interactive industry. He is a non-sectarian agilist and does not own a TV.
3 steps to implement holacracy in your companyKozo Takei
Since 2007, we DIAMOND MEDIA has been Holacracy model organization. We built a Holacratic management and operating system by ourselves. We finally found the way to implement holacracy in your company only in 3 steps.
Special thanks; Sylvain Pierre, Thomas Rodriguez.
Behavioral theories assert that people can learn how to become leaders through teaching and observation. As a reaction to the trait theories, the behavioral theories looks not at the traits and abilities of leaders, but their behavior.
Community perspectives on sustainability and resilience within a social ecolo...Alex Webb
Thesis defense presenting results from social science research project examining community knowledge and perspectives related to coupled human and natural systems or social-ecological systems dynamics in St. Thomas, USVI.
Systems Thinking in Practice - an Open University showcasedtr4open
Presentation details the Open University's Systems Thinking in Practice Masters programme along with examples of practice from STiP Alumni as showcased at the UK Public Sector Show April 2013.
RECODE Collaborate Webinar: Designing your campus change strategy,RECODE
February 2, 2016
Have you identified the on campus change you want to work towards?
Take the next step and discover the true cause of the problem to help deepen your understanding of your campus context, and decide on the most strategic places to intervene for impact. Cheryl Rose to walks through the key questions involved in designing a campus change strategy and provides you with the thinking and mapping tools to collaboratively develop a unique strategy with the potential to shift your campus system.
A presentation by Mr Rudolph Louw (Director: Transnet Centre of Systems Engineering: WITS University) at the Transport Forum SIG 21 April 2016 hosted by T-Systems SA Pty)Ltd. The theme for the event was: "Innovation in Transnet" and the topic of the presentation was: "A New Systems Perspective in Context of Transnet One Company"
Systemic Design Toolkit - Systems Innovation BarcelonaPeter Jones
The Systemic Design Toolkit represents a formalized set of methods and research tools designed by Namahn and developed with collaboration by me (SDA) and Alex Ryan of MaRS. The Toolkit can be discovered at https://www.systemicdesigntoolkit.org/
KEYSTONE HPSR Initiative // Module 7: Realist evaluation // Slideshow 1: Realist and theory driven approaches in HPSR
This is the only slideshow of Module 7: Realist evaluation, of the KEYSTONE Teaching and Learning Resources for Health Policy and Systems Research
To access video sessions and slides for all modules copy and past the following link in your browser:
http://bit.ly/25vVVp1
Module 7: Realist evaluation
Programmes and policies are complex in their design and implementation because of the number of interacting agents, components and forces that influence people and organisations in a given system. In this module through the realist evaluation approach explores why programmes/interventions work for some and not for others and getting to the core issue of trying to understand the conditions under which the interventions works.
There is 1 slideshow in this module.
Module 7: Realist evaluation
Module 7 Slideshow 1: Realist and theory- driven approaches in HPSR
The other modules in this series are:
Module 1: Introducing Health Systems & Health Policy
Module 2: Social justice, equity & gender
Module 3: System complexity
Module 4: Health Policy and Systems Research frameworks
Module 5: Economic analysis
Module 6: Policy analysis
Module 8: Systems thinking
Module 9: Ethnography
Module 10: Implementation research
Module 11: Participatory action research
Module 12: Knowledge translation
Module 13: Research Plan Writing
KEYSTONE is a collective initiative of several Indian health policy and systems research (HPSR) organizations to strengthen national capacity in HPSR towards addressing critical needs of health systems and policy development. KEYSTONE is convened by the Public Health Foundation of India in its role as Nodal Institute of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR).
The inaugural KEYSTONE short course was conducted in New Delhi from 23 February – 5 March 2015. In the process of delivering the inaugural course, a suite of teaching and learning materials were developed under Creative Commons license, and are being made available as open access resources. The KEYSTONE teaching and learning resources include 38 videos and 32 slide presentations organized into 13 modules. These materials cover foundational concepts, common approaches used in HPSR, and guidance for preparing a research plan.
These resources were created and are made available through support and funding from the Alliance for Health Policy & Systems Research (AHPSR), WHO for the KEYSTONE initiative.
Organizing for Sustainability: Including and Engaging Diverse Stakeholders Rahul Mitra
Presented at the "Our Legacy, Our Relevance: Breaking Down Privilege Using Communication Theory to Build Frameworks that Support Inclusion" preconference, at the National Conference Association 2017.
GreenBiz 19 Workshop Slides: The School of Systems ChangeGreenBiz Group
The challenges we face as sustainability professionals are complex and interconnected. They’re global in scale, with many root causes and contributing factors, supported by deep-rooted institutions and structures. It can seem that the more urgency we feel, the more these challenges seem nearly unmovable. How do we know where and when to intervene? What actions and efforts will unlock transformational change, and avoid unintended consequences? How do we work with power, and understand who and how to influence to make change happen? Forum for the Future and their partners in the School of System Change are building the system change capabilities of change leaders around the world, and invite you to join this tutorial for a whirlwind exploration of tools, approaches, and methodologies that can enable you to take a systemic approach to your work. Learn from the do-ers and the makers, take real life lessons back with you, and discover how you can be a system change agent, no matter your context and role.
Systems Thinking in Public Health for Continuous Quality ImprovementCameron Norman
Opening presentation at the first meeting on CQI in Public Health in Ontario, held at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Practitioners from across the province gathered to learn more about quality assurance measures, metrics, theories and ideas. This presentation provides a simple overview of systems thinking as it might apply to CQI in public health. This simple overview looks at the nature of systems, how they apply to CQI, how design thinking and developmental design can aid public health in creating relevant, appropriate means of quality assessment in its work.
Provides an overview of organization development (OD), focusing particularly on the intervention processes available. Categories or types of intervention are noted, and the depth of intervention is recognised as a key decision point for OD practitioners.
Systems thinking training course covers the hypothesis, sane, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking. Systems thinking enables you to comprehend the relationship and associations between a framework's parts, rather than taking a gander at the individual segments one by one. Systems thinking training covers the hypothesis, reasonable, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking.
Added Value of Systems Thinking Training:
Risk reduction
Determining developing markets and product lines
Crucial tools for competitive strategy
Tools for scenario building in a non-linear world
Effective assessment of the already existing reality and SWOT
Tools for productive involvement with diverse stakeholders
Enhanced determination of most efficient actions to drive greater “bang for the buck”
Audience:
Systems thinking training is a 2-day course designed for:
Business leaders
Executives
Strategic leaders
Mid-level and senior managers
What Will You Learn?
Below are the major topics are covered in this course:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Hands-On Activities
TONEX Systems Thinking Training Sample Workshop
Training Objectives:
Determine repeating patterns, or models, in systems — according to the behavior of the system over time
Plot the components in a system and the streams between those components
Determine causes and effects within a system
Involve stakeholders in cooperative action to impact the results of a system
Explain systems thinking
Improve their comprehending of complicated and changing organizational problems
Derive their abilities to model and examine business postulations, problems and decisions. More...
Course Outline:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Systems thinking training course
https://www.tonex.com/systems-thinking-training-course/
In October 2020, Anna Sophie Hahne, Georgie Parry-Crooke and Thomas Spielhofer, presented finding from the TIHR Covid-19 research study, during one of our regular lunchtime talks.
The session was framed around the following questions: what have we learned so far about how we can adapt our working practices? How can we use this learning to prepare for a continuation of this pandemic? What needs to change?
In this talk, Dr Philip Corran explores the challenges of balancing everyday life and policy when it comes to ageing, disability and social exclusion.
In the abstract, the connections between everyday life and the broader policies which govern it (political, economic, etc.) seem clear. However, when exploring regions of everyday life through the eyes of individuals living it, these policies can seem detached and distant. Researchers scrutinising both policy and everyday life must strike a balance between the discourses and realities encountered in each one. This talk is an exploration of Philip’s attempts to strike this balance, drawing on examples from his PhD research, which focuses on the everyday life of older people experiencing chronic illness and disability in London. By exploring how older people defined wellbeing in their own lives, how they experienced social exclusion, and how they understood their experiences in relation to broader social issues, Philip demonstrates some of the difficulties in reconciling the often estranged perspectives of policy and the everyday.
Lunchtime Talk: Giorgia Iacopini – 16 October 2019
This Lunchtime Talk explores what drives policy-making, taking us beyond the assumptions of policy work that still inform the evidence-based policy movement.
More from The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (20)
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
How to Create Map Views in the Odoo 17 ERPCeline George
The map views are useful for providing a geographical representation of data. They allow users to visualize and analyze the data in a more intuitive manner.
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
Thesis Statement for students diagnonsed withADHD.ppt
Systems thinking at the Tavistock Institute – past, present and future
1. Systems thinking at the Tavistock
Institute: past, present and future
Dione Hills
With contributions from
Richard Allen, David Drabble and Camilla Child
2. Overview
• Introduction - Why is systems perspective (or lens) important today?
(5 mins)
• Systems thinking at the Tavistock Institute past and present (20
mins)
• Discussion – what place does systems thinking have in your
work/field (15 mins)
• Systems thinking at the Tavistock Institute in the future – potential
areas for development (10 mins)
• Break out group discussion – what might a ‘Tavistock’ approach to
systems look like going forward, and how might this be helpful for
you? (15 mins)
• Feedback (10 mins)
3. Why is systems thinking important
today?
Upsurge in interest in systems and complexity
A systems perspective (or lens) helps to
• Highlight interconnections and interdependencies
• Understand the impact of external factors (context) on groups,
organisations and communities
• Explore boundaries - and the role of leadership in managing
boundaries
• Examine relationships: between parts of a system (subsystems)
or different kinds of system (natural, technical, social, political,
economic)
• Understand dynamic relationships e.g. between stability
(homeostasis) and change
• Communicate complexity (complex adaptive systems)
4.
5. Systems thinking when the Institute was
set up
In the social sciences
In the natural sciences
In cybernetics (in
engineering, biology
and management
research)
7. Situating TIHR in the bigger picture
Social action theory
Operational research
8. TIHR was set up to…….
• Apply social science to contemporary issues and problems
…to advance the study of the psycho-sociology of relations (in the widest
possible sense of the word) between human beings and groups or classes or
categories of human beings, and of the influence of environment in all its aspects
on the formation or development of human character or capacity, to conduct
research and experiment for this purpose, and to publish the results of such study
research and experiment for this purpose, and to train students in or for any
branches of the said study. (from Articles of Association for the Tavistock Institute)
• Practitioners,
• Social science
theory and
methods
• Contemporary
issues and
problems
• Consultancy,
• Coaching
• Research
• Professional training
• Publications
9. Systems theory combined with other
theories and practices in applied
settings
• Applied systems thinking in action research
projects (1947 through to early 1980’s)
• Open systems and turbulent environments
(Trist, Emery, Miller)
• Socio-ecological and Socio technical action
research
• Social systems as a defence against anxiety
(Menzies Lyth)
• System psychodynamics and group relations
11. Socio Technical Systems and coal mining
1951
Small semi autonomous teams replaced by
separated single workers operating long
wall mechanization
12. Fillers
• Most common and most isolated role
whilst being most vital to complete
on time
• Free for all allocation of spots,
competed for best spots and no
cooperation in difficult conditions
• Defences against anxiety were:
withdrawal, informal organisation,
reactive individualism and
scapegoating
13. STS model developed
• Developed intervention model to ensure social situation for
fillers was improved
• STS principles were:
1. good work
2. minimal critical specification
3. mutual adjustment
4. multi-functionality
5. permeable boundaries
6. incompletion
14. Social systems as a defence against anxiety
Isobel Menzies Lyth (1960)
14
Organisational structures and cultures are not only
created for the performance of a task but also
used to provide their members with defences
against anxiety the task may evoke
Menzies Lyth was concerned with the
containment of anxiety and suggested that this
was an organisational design issue. The task is to
design structures that contain this anxiety
Bion: work groups and
basic assumption
groups
15.
16. Systems thinking underpins all current
work
Activities
System
psychodynamic
models
Action
research
Systems
theory
Research and
evaluation
Group relations events
Leicester conference
Short and international
GR events
Publications
Human Relations
Evaluation
Papers and
monographs
Professional
development courses
PC3
Executive coaching
Board dynamics
Evaluation training
Consultancy
and coaching
17. Systems thinking in TIHR evaluation
activities
Systems
theory
Lewin: Field
theory Action research
Part of wider
evaluation
community
System based,
Socio- technical,
System
psychoanalytic
thinking
Contributing to
innovative
evaluation
theory and
practice
Formative and
participative
evaluation
approaches
Theory based
evaluation: theory of
change mapping
18. Evaluations strategies for a systemic
intervention
Individuals experiencing multiple and severe disadvantage:
• Homelessness, addiction, criminality, mental ill health
• Each challenge treated in isolation, services not ‘joined
up
Interventions:
• Flexible and bespoke (personalised) responses
• Seeking to address systemic causes of disadvantage
(economic, political, social, institutional and
organisational barriers, including lack of co-ordination
between agencies)
Evaluation models in use
• Seek evidence of outcomes from one service rather than
multiple factors leading to change
• Focused on individual rather than system level outcomes
19. An STS perspective for Community
Resilience and Risk Perception (RESILOC)
• New strategies for improving
preparedness of local
communities against any kind of
hazards,
• Knowledge and experiences of
local communities combines with
technical knowledge of hazard
professionals to enhance
community resilience
• STS perspective - bringing
communities, professionals and
agencies together to optimise
resilience.
20. What dominates?
Technical System
rational calculation of
risk, vulnerability,
preparation and
mitigation
Social system
Lifeworld experience -
relationships, history,
sense of place culture,
emotional, economic.
21. Two French towns – same region, different
systems
Lattes - System for living
with flooding
Sommieres – System for
defending against flooding
From: Quinn, T., Bousquet, F., Guerbois, C.,
Heider, L. and Brown, K., 2019. How local
water and waterbody meanings shape flood risk
perception and risk management preferences.
Sustainability Science, 14(3), pp.565-578.
22. The risk perception journey
Arguing about indicators
RP - Emotional not rational
Lifeworld analysis
Recognition of systems
• Socio-hydrological
• Spatial
• Technical
Pulling it together – co-producing a
socio-technical system of risk perception
and preparedness
Stakeholders and
Partners
• Lifeworld
• Spatiality
• Inter subjective
• Embodiment
• Temporal
23. Discussion 1
• Has a systems perspective helped you with your
work/field/professional activities?
• Have you used a specifically ‘Tavistock’ approach – e.g.
socio technical systems, system psychodynamic?
• Does a systems perspective inform how you think about
– Boundaries (e.g. the role of leadership in managing
boundaries) or
– Context: e.g. how policies, economics, or social
change affects your organization or project or
– Relationships – between different parts of your
organization (subgroups, subsystems)?
24.
25. Systems thinking and complexity
sciences
Complexity
sciences
emphasise:
• Emergence
• Unpredictability
and uncertainty
• Path
dependency
• Domains of
stability
• Tipping points
• Diversity of
perspectives
• Matt Egan From Gates (2016)
26. Growing appreciation of complexity in
many fields
A policy or programme is increasingly
complex/complicated:
• The more organisations and
individuals involved
• The more layers or levels or types of
intervention involved
• The more dynamic or crowded the
environment (e.g. other polices and
programmes taking place)
• The more cross sectoral and
interprofessional (greater diversity of
opinion and views)
27. Growing interest in complexity in
evaluation
• MRC Evaluating Complex Interventions
guidance published 2000, revised 2006
• 2009 DECIPHer, the Centre for the
Development and Evaluation of Complex
interventions for Public Health Improvement
• 2015 Centre for Evaluation of Complexity
across the Nexus (CECAN)
• 2017 Centre of Excellence for Development
Impact (CEDIL)
30. We might……help
organisations respond to
complexity
• Do not try to solve it! Steer, not control
• Explore it with rigour
• Think systems, think broad
• Use adaptive management methods
• Iterate through stages of research and
design (action research)
• Active engagement of stakeholders
• Aim is to turn overwhelming complexity
into actionable complexity
31. We might….help introduce ‘agile’ and
‘adaptive’ management systems
Action research
Developmental evaluation
33. Discussion 2
• What might a ‘Tavistock’ approach to systems thinking – and
complexity theory - look like going forward?
• What external current developments (in theory and practice) should
we be engaging with?
• What would you find most helpful in your work/field/professional
practice, going forward?
Editor's Notes
At time of founding of Institute - systems thinking in the social sciences and biology growing in popularity and influence. E.g. Betralanfly general system theory published in 1951. Talcott Parsons systems approach to study of society often now criticised for an overly ‘static’ view – Kurt Lewin brought interest what it takes to bring about change in organisations and societies (force fields) – leading to ‘action research’ seeking to bring about change as a way of understanding systems and organisations.
Kurt Lewin and systems thinking very influential in early work of Institute, and its action research project with coal board, Glacier project, shipping project and many others. Contributes new ideas to area: socio ecological (focus on systems in their environment) and socio techincal (social systems interacting with technical systems), and system psychodynamics (unconscious processes in groups and organisations).
Tavistock tradition – Traditions of modern (modernist) management privileges the technical system over the social system which can lead to system failure or collapse when the organisation of work fails to take account exiting social structure, relationships, groups, traditions, reward systems and authority structures.
In the early years of the Tavistock, Tryst and Bamforth illustrate this powerfully when first demonstrating the StS . Newly nationalised coal mines in the uk in the late 1940’s were keen on the introduction of longwall mechanization for getting coal out of the mines more quickly and in greater volume. But the new method was initially unsuccessful because it failed to take account of the way that the ‘hand got’ coal extraction work it was replacing was a deeply established and valuable social structure of system of semi autonomous small teams.
Tryst and Bamforth demonstrated the importance of integrating the technical accomplishment of work with existing social systems for workforce motivation and job satisfaction
Working with the STS is still evident in much of work: e.g. Health Care navigation, Medici project, Smart metering - others? Often our focus is on the social system within communities rather than the workplace.
Fillers was the most common role, 20 on a shift, each had a 10 metre stretch of ore to move to their baskets, and 9 hour shifts to do this in. Allocation of spots was a free for all and some stretches were worse than others, depending on what had happened in the previous shift.
This left fillers as the most isolated and dependent role in the system, and therefore the most absent. Beyond withdrawal, fillers employed various defences against anxiety: informal organisation, reactive individualism, and scapegoating.
TIHR developed an intervention model (a first a list of suggestions, later a nine-step model) to ensure that the social situation of fillers was improved and designed for. This involved a mapping of the process and then of the system, followed by collaborative redesign with all staff, according to a set of principles.
Principles were: 1/ minimal critical specification (don’t specify more than necessary in job roles) 2/ Mutual adjustment, 3/ multi-functionality, 4/ Permeable boundaries, and 5/ Incompletion, and 6/ Good work (jobs should have demanding content, learning, decision making, social support, and a future)
This really was coming together of the social psychological and the social technical. IML’s seminal action research in hospitals was a magnifying glass on what happened when the sentient was not attended to and it’s consequences. Takes into account how the organisational task (in this case preventing people from dying) manifests in the behaviour. The social anxiety is death and the system prefers to shut or split this off (Klein).
Current approach to evaluation fed by many strands both inside and outside the institute. Woven together – old meaning of word ‘complex’ – The institute has always provided a place of interdisciplinary interchange leading to the emergence of new ideas and new approaches….
A current example is Resiloc. A pan European project that we are participating in along with partners from other European countries. . It stands for : Resilient Europe and Societies by Innovating Local Communities
Resiloc’s goal is to identify new strategies for improving preparedness of local communities against any kind of hazards, either planned or unplanned. It brings together the knowledge and experiences of local communities, with the technical knowledge of hazard professionals, to have a tangible impact on community resilience and how it is understood. the way resilience is understood and increased in local communities.
From an STS perspective this means bringing communities, professionals and agencies together to optimise resilience.
Our task was to try to understand this by analysing the risk perception literature relevant to natural hazards and particularly flooding.
Means investigating questions such as why do communities continue to live happily half way up an active volcano or on a frequently flooded plain.
Rational sensible people would surely move to a safer place. But to do so could mean giving up a valuable generations old social system of relationships, economics and culture embedded in a shared history
Exploring this we came right up against a tension between the technical system of risk perception with its rational calculation of risk, vulnerability, preparation and mitigation and the social system delivering risk perception based on relationships, history, sense of place, emotional reality and the local economy.
Resiloc’s task will be to about strengthening the capacity of these two systems to collaborate in optimising resilience
As an example a study of two towns in southern France evolved quite different socio technical systems in response to flooding.
Much of this is to do with the meaning given to water locally. Fifty years ago both towns had similar flood defences. In Lattes, as the local industry and economy grew significant flood defences were put in place and in many places the river has disappeared from view. This also reflects a move from an agricultural to a more industrial economy. The town’s emotional relationship with its river has shifted from an emotional to technical one.
In Sommieres, a poorer and smaller community, there is a lower level of flood defence and its citizens more willingly live with flood risk. People still have an inherited place attachment and a relationships with the natural cycle of the river along with a collective memory of the floods.
These examples illustrate the complex relationship between context and systemic factors.
Reviewing the risk perception literature made us think about using the STS perspective in making the journey towards a combined, or optimised, understanding of how risk perception works in communities.
We applied the five factors of lifeworld analysis to help us get a rich systemic picture of how risk perception works.
From this it looks as though framing the work around risk perception and resilience within a a socio technical system could enable a convergence of perspectives between hazard professionals and communities. Some of the literature describes socio hydrological systems which cover communities’ relationships with water.
A simple example of how this can work is through visulisation where technical mapping of a potential flood, when combined with data about how communities perceive sense of place and spatiality can produce a shared picture of risk and how to respond to it .