Multiple Systems Thinking methods for resilience research

Wright, Clare 2012. Multiple Systems Thinking methods for resilience research. MPhil Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

There is no commonly accepted typology to describe the field of Systems Thinking. It may be viewed from a number of different perspectives. This is interesting as systems and systemic problem situations may themselves be considered as conceivable from a number of different perspectives or “dimensions”. The more complex a systemic situation, the more relevant becomes taking a range of different dimensional views in its analysis. Critical Systems Thinking (CST), a domain within Systems Thinking, supports multi-dimensional analysis of systems and offers approaches to support practitioners in selecting and combining multiple systems thinking methods for this purpose. A detailed review of the Critical Systems Thinking literature and the multiple-systems-thinking-methods approaches therein reveals that there is a problem. Much debate surrounds the validity of the theory upon which these meta-methodologies are founded. According to Zhu (2011), “Combining multiple methodologies works in practice, but not yet in theory.” The need to find a reliable approach to selecting and combining multiple systems methods for the purpose of resilience research has led to the proposal of a systems-theory-based meta-methodology as an extension to CST. The proposal is a fusion of the multi-methodology ideas of Jackson, Mingers and Brocklesby with ideas for the conceptual dimensions of systems and levels of complexity of Angyal, Emery and Trist, together with the systems archetypes idea of Senge. It is hypothesised that the proposed new meta-methodology is useful for supporting resilience research. The thesis concludes with suggestions for future work required to develop the hypothesis further.

Item Type:	Thesis (MPhil)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Computer Science & Informatics
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software
Uncontrolled Keywords:	critical systems thinking ; systems thinking ; multiple methods ; resilience
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2023 13:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/45395

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