Hi Doc:
Thanks for the cross-posting. This is certainly a good use of
cross-posting as a technique, IMO.
Personally, I've always made the distinction that systems dynamics tools
like causal loop diagrams are used to describe the current and historical
behaviours of systems. Their utility as predictive tools is very
questionable. Yes, all other things being equal, the system will continue
to behave in a manner consistent with a stock and flow model or causal
loop diagram. However, it seems that even the act of modelling systemic
behaviour starts to chip away at the notion of "all other things being
equal." I've been in situations where clients have stopped certain
behaviours simply by building the model. Causal loop modelling, if well
facilitated, creates an environment where people in different roles around
an issue can work together towards building a common understanding instead
of resorting to blame. The environments where these sessions take place
are often safter than ones they have experienced in the past. Yes, these
are probably not sustainable changes initially, but they do have some
effect.
In other cases, moving from causal loop models to the design and
implementation of leveraged actions causes change to organizational
skilling or structure. These design changes often have substantial
effects on the dyanmics of the organizational system.
Archetypical system behaviour, contained in Senge's work, is simply
patterns of loops that we see repeating in many different attempts to
model the historical behaviour of systems: biological, mechanical,
organizational, whatever. However, realistic attempts to understand
organizational issues with a systems seldom result in models that are a
textbook archetype. In my practice, archetypes have provided useful clues
for identifying leveraged actions. However, they are at best clues.
So, before jumping to conclusions about adaptive vs. deterministic
structure and the technique as a modeller of attractors, I think it's
important to understand the use of the technique in practice.
If you find this posting a useful contribution to the complexity list,
feel free to cross-post it there.
----------
Jason Smith
jsmith@quantumsolutions.on.
--"Jason Smith" <jsmith@quantumsolutions.on.ca>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>