SYSTEMS THINKING CONCEPTS

SYSTEMS THINKING CONCEPTS:

accumulations "Accumulations are everywhere. The food in our stomach. The money in your wallet. The knowledge in your head. The love in your heart. All are accumulations. All have surged and slumped, waxed and waned, as your life has rolled along. Accumulations in a system indicate how things are. If your stomach is too full, you feel uncomfortable. If your gas gauge is near empty, that’s also uncomfortable. On the other hand, if you've just blown off some steam in a productive manner, your blood pressure probably has now inched down a few points. We can assess the state of "things" by gauging the magnitudes of the relevant accumulations. Accumulations thus serve as barometers of conditions within a system." An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLA, HPS-Inc.)

archetype Common causal loop combinations (combinations of balancing and reinforcing loops) that are often found within a system structure. Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling, David P. Kreutzer, (1994)

balancing feedback "a balancing process is always operating to reduce a gap between what is desired and what exists." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990) The system takes action based on the gap, the greater the gap, the more action occurs. Negative loops counteract and oppose change. The less nicotine in a cigarette, the more smokers must consume to get the dose they need. The larger the market share of dominant firms, the more likely is government antitrust action to limit their monopoly power. These loops all describe processes that tend to be self-limiting, processes that seek balance and equilibrium.

boundaries Boundaries are the definition of all that is required to produce the behavior of the system and elimination of all else.

change over time The elements of a system change as time passes, as does the amount in each accumulation within the system.

circular causality "The language of systems thinking is circular rather than linear. It focuses on closed interdependencies, where x influences y, y influences z, and z influences x." Systems Thinking as a Language, Michael Goodman (Pegasus Communications, Systems Thinking Tools, 1995)

delays Delays are time lags between actions and effects, and effects and actions.

doubling time "Pure exponential growth has the remarkable property that doubling time is constant: the state of the system doubles in a fixed period of time, no matter how large." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, McGraw-Hill: 2000)

drifting goals "In a drifting goals archetype, a gap between the goal and current reality can be resolved by taking corrective action or lowering the goal. The critical difference is that lowering the goal immediately closes the gap, whereas corrective actions usually take time." Systems Archetypes at a Glance, Daniel Kim (Pegasus Communications, The Systems Thinker, 1995)

dynamic "Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000)

dynamic complexity "Dynamic complexity arises from the interactions among the agents (in a system) over time." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John Sterman (McGraw Hill, 2000)

dynamic system Systems, which change over time, are dynamic. Growth, decay, and oscillations are the fundamental patterns of systems.

equilibrium Stasis, in which the state of the system remains constant over time Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John Sterman (McGraw Hill, 2000)

escalation A systems archetype in which two entities compete for superiority. As on party's actions put it ahead, the other party retaliates by increasing its actions. Examples: price battles, the Cold War. Systems Thinking Basics, Anderson and Johnson (Pegasus Communications)

exponential change Any time the rate of change of some quantity is proportional to the quantity itself, the function for the quantity is an exponential function.

exponential decay "Exponential decay is a process wherein the change of a quantity, from iteration to iteration, is proportional to the quantity itself. Thus the size of a population determines how quickly their numbers will diminish." An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLAÒ, HPS-Inc.) See also exponential growth.

exponential growth "arises from positive (self-reinforcing) feedback. The larger the quantity, the greater its net increase, further augmenting the quantity and leading to the ever-faster growth." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

feedback "Feedback is said to occur when the effect of a cause re-effects the next iteration of the cause. The size of a population is the cause affecting, as feedback, the amount of the next change of population. The fractional effect on the population change from iteration to iteration is called the feedback fraction." An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLAÒ, HPS-Inc.) "... process whereby an initial cause ripples through a chain of causation ultimately to re-affect itself" Introduction to Computer Simulation, A System Dynamics Modeling Approach, Roberts, Anderson, Deal, Garet, Shaffer, (1983)

Fixes that Fail/Backfire ". . . a problem symptom cries out for resolution. A solution is quickly implemented that alleviates the symptom, but the unintended consequences of the "fix" exacerbate the problem. Over time, the problem symptom returns to its previous level or becomes worse." Applying Systems Archetypes, Kim and Lannon (Pegasus Communications)

flows "Flows represent activities that cause conditions to change." An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLAÒ, HPS-Inc.) Examples of flows are evaporating, precipitating, gaining, losing, building, venting, depositing, withdrawing, being born, dying, etc.

generic structure A generic structure is a structure which exhibits generic behavior. It tends to recur in many walks of every day life, the behavior of which is transferable to other situations. Examples: linear growth, linear decay, compounding growth, compounding decay, goal seeking growth, goal seeking decay, etc.

goal-seeking behavior "Positive feedback loops generate growth, amplify deviations, and reinforce change. Negative loops seek balance, equilibrium, and stasis. Negative feedback loops act to bring the state of the system in line with a goal or desired state." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

infection dynamics "Epidemics of infectious diseases often exhibit S-shaped growth. The cumulative number of cases follows an S-shaped curve while the rate at which new cases occur rises exponentially, peaks, then falls as the epidemic ends." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

interdependencies Components of a system affect each other; the dynamics of the system are determined by the effects of the interdependencies, rather than by the components of the system themselves.

leverage "leverage - seeing where actions and changes in structures can lead to significant, enduring improvements." (The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, 1990)

limits to growth "No real quantity can grow forever. Every system initially exhibiting exponential growth will eventually approach the carrying capacity of its environment, whether that is the food supply for a population of a moose, the number of people susceptible to infection by a virus, or the potential market for a new product." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

Limits to Success "In a limits to success scenario, continued efforts initially lead to improved performance. Over time, however, the system encounters a limit which causes the performance to slow down or even decline even as efforts continue to rise." Systems Archetypes at a Glance, Daniel Kim (Pegasus Communications, The Systems Thinker, 1995)

linear decay "requires that there be no feedback from the state of the system to the net increase (or decrease) rate, because the net increase (or decrease) remains constant even as the state of the system changes." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

linear growth "requires that there be no feedback from the state of the system to the net increase (or decrease) rate, because the net increase (or decrease) remains constant even as the state of the system changes." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

loop dominance "The word dominates suggests that a particular loop in a system of more than one loop is most responsible for the current overall behavior of that system. Which particular loop dominates might shift over time." Introduction to Computer Simulation, A System Dynamics Modeling Approach, Roberts, Anderson, Deal, Garet, Shaffer, (1983)

mental models  "Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

multiple levels of perspective ". . . skills you need for defining an effective scope and level of detail for your mental models. . . . broad enough to capture the relevant set of relationships, yet shallow and "airy" enough to be cognitively manageable. Such models support the out-of-the-box/above-the-silo thinking needed to reveal high-leverage interventions." The Thinking In Systems Thinking, Barry Richmond (Pegasus Communications, 2000)

negative feedback loops Negative loops counteract and oppose change. The less nicotine in a cigarette, the more smokers must consume to get the dose they need. The larger the market share of dominant firms, the more likely is government antitrust action to limit their monopoly power. These loops all describe processes that tend to be self-limiting, processes that seek balance and equilibrium.

organizational learning Organizational learning facilitates a group’s ability to continually expand its capacity to create its future. Organizational learning requires a dynamic understanding of the system that supports current reality and a shared vision of and responsibility for the reality that is possible. Team learning, personal mastery, and an appreciation of the power of mental models are essential elements of organizational learning. The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

oscillation "Oscillation is the third fundamental mode of behavior observed in dynamic systems. Like goal-seeking behavior, oscillations are caused by negative feedback loops. The state of the system is compared to its goal, and corrective actions are taken to eliminate any discrepancies. In an oscillatory system the state of the system constantly overshoots its goal or equilibrium state, reverses, then undershoots, and so on. The overshooting arises from the presence of significant time delays in the negative loop. The time delays cause corrective actions to continue even after the state of the system reaches its goal, forcing the system to adjust too much, and triggering a new correction in the opposite direction." Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

pattern/trend "The general direction in which something tends to move." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000

personal mastery ". . . to continually clarifying what is important to us. . . . continually learning how to see current reality more clearly." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

population dynamics "Population dynamics is a key content area in many social studies and science curricula. From one-celled organisms to human populations, a generic structure can be used as a basis for studying the dynamics of population growth and decline." An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLAÒ, HPS-Inc.)

positive feedback Each change feeds back through the system to cause still more change. This amplifies or adds to any change in the system. Examples: bank interest, knowledge, power, spread of an epidemic, spread of rumors, population growth. These issues are common and important to every day life. (Systems One, Draper Kauffman, Jr., Future Systems, Inc.: 1980)

reinforcing feedback Each change feeds back through the system to cause still more change. This amplifies or adds to any change in the system. Examples: bank interest, knowledge, power, spread of an epidemic, spread of rumors, population growth. These issues are common and important to every day life. (Systems One, Draper Kauffman, Jr., Future Systems, Inc.: 1980) "In reinforcing processes, …a small change builds on itself. Whatever movement occurs is amplified, producing more movement in the same direction." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

shared vision "A vision is truly shared when you and I have similar picture and are committed to one another having it, not just to each of us, individually, having it." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990

Shifting the Burden/Addiction In a shifting the burden scenario, a problem is solved by applying a symptomatic solution which diverts attention away from more fundamental solutions. In an addiction structure, a shifting the burden degrades into an addictive pattern in which the side-effect gets so entrenched that it overwhelms the original problem symptom. Systems Archetypes at a Glance, Daniel Kim (Pegasus Communications, The Systems Thinker, 1995)

S-shaped growth " . . . growth is exponential at first, but then gradually slows until the state of the system reaches an equilibrium level. The shape of the curve resembles a stretched-out - S". Business Dynamics, Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, John D. Sterman, (McGraw-Hill: 2000)

stock/accumulation/accumulator "Anything that builds up or dwindles." Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops, Anderson and Johnson (Pegasus Communications, Inc. 1997)

structure generates behavior "Structure produces behavior and changing, underlying structures can produce different patterns of behavior. Structure in human systems includes the "operating policies" of the decision makers in the system." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

Success to the Successful "In a success to the successful archetype, if one person or group is given more resources, it has a higher likelihood of succeeding (assuming they are equally capable). The initial success justifies devoting more resources to the successful party. As one gets less resources, its success diminishes, further justifying more resource allocations to another." Systems Archetypes at a Glance, Daniel Kim (Pegasus Communications, The Systems Thinker, 1995)

system "A set of parts or elements that are related and that interact to form a single whole or something that is considered a whole." Houghton Mifflin Dictionary Student (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989)

system dynamics ". . . the study of how systems change over time." Modeling the Environment, An Introduction to System dynamics Modeling of Environmental Systems, Andrew Ford (Island Press, 1999)

system structure The manner in which a system’s elements are organized or interrelated. Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops, Anderson and Johnson (Pegasus Communications, Inc. 1997)

Systems Citizen Systems Citizens strive to understand the complexities of today's world and have the capability to face into problems with an informed capacity to make a positive difference.

systems thinking "Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static "snapshots." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

team learning "Team learning is the process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the results its members truly desire. It builds on the discipline of developing shared vision." The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Peter Senge, (Doubleday: 1990)

temporal boundary  In the study of a system, the length of time over which the system's behavior will be considered.

time horizon "The length of time appearing on the horizontal axis of the reference mode is often called the time horizon of the model." Modeling the Environment, An Introduction to System dynamics Modeling of Environmental Systems, Andrew Ford (Island Press, 1999)

Tragedy of the Commons In a Tragedy of the Commons structure, each party pursues actions which are individually beneficial. If the amount of activity grows too large for the system to support, the commons becomes overloaded and everyone experiences diminishing benefits. Systems Archetypes at a Glance, Daniel Kim (Pegasus Communications, The Systems Thinker, 1995)

unintended consequences All actions and decisions have consequences some of which are intended and anticipated, some of which are unintended and are often unanticipated, especially long-term unintended consequences.

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