01 Oct Donella Meadows, the pioneer of systems thinking and author of Thinking in Systems:
WMBA-6040B/MMSL-6645/WMBA-6040/MGMT-6645
WMBA6040 Improving Business Performance
Week 1 Discussion
What Is a System? And What Is Systems Thinking?
Donella Meadows, the pioneer of systems thinking and author of Thinking in Systems: A Primer, defines a system as “an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something. If you look at that definition closely for a minute, you can see that a system must consist of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose” (2008, p. 11). In this Discussion, you will identify systems within an organization and define what systems thinking means to you.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Consider an organization with which you are familiar. This can be a current or former employer. Then, using Meadows’s definition of a system, think about the various systems that make up this organization and the multiple elements within these systems.
After identifying some examples of systems within an organization, consider how you would define systems thinking.
