Wht us a Systems Perspective?

What is systems perspective? A system is comprised of interrelated structures that cooperate in processes to accomplish set objectives. From the perspective of an organization structure, the organization is unified with a purpose that is viewed as the larger system that has parts called sub-systems. Systems thinking perspective applies engineering/scientific principles to social and business structures. Instead of a traditional analysis approach of focusing analysis in isolation for root causes, systems thinking perspective applies to the whole system, the feedback, interactions from all sources.

Systems’ thinking allows managers to understand and develop adaptive behaviors in their approach to problem solving. Managers need to understand why and communicate how and why their chosen actions are necessary. It is common that most do not understand how their decisions and the following result actually occur. As J. Atwater and Paul Pittman (2006) explain that decisions today occur are dynamically complex and one decision can result in several other reactions from the single choice, which traditional analysis in isolation rarely has the intended result.

According to Jay Forrester (1995), systems thinking perspective is a way to deal with changes through time. Problem solving from a systems approach is reflected as an approach to solving problems holistically and not in isolation. Systems’ thinking is a process to understand how a process from a systems perspective is viewed. Focus of systems thinking is that problems are cyclical instead of a series of cause and effects. Systems’ thinking allows managers to understand and develop adaptive behaviors in their approach to problem solving. Managers need to understand why ...

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...uring product that has placed them as a leader in manufacturing shoes, but also in its supply chain. As stated before, from the perspective of an organization, the structure of the organization, how the organization structure influences behavior, and the decision-making is placing constraints on what the company is trying to achieve.

References

Atwater, J., & Pittman, P. (2006). Facilitating Systemic Thinking in Business Classes. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 273 - 290.

De Wit, B., & Meyer, R. (2010). Strategy: Process, Content, Context, An International Perspective. Cengage Learning.

Forrester, J. W. (1995). The Beginning of System Dynamics. The McKinnsey Quaterly, 4 - 16.

Hamel, G., & Prahalad, C. (1996). Competing for the Future. Harvard Business School.

Kotter, J. P. (2012). The Big Idea Accelerate. Harvard Business Review, 45 - 58.