Individual Capacity and Organizational Competency for Systems Thinking

Organizations and practitioners must contend with systems that operate in complex problem domains characterized by increasing complexity, ambiguity, uncertainty, and emergence. Systems thinking (ST) has been suggested as a framework of thought, based in holistic understanding of systems, to aid in dealing with increasingly complex systems and their problems. The primary contribution of the paper is examination of both individual capacity and corresponding organizational competence related to ST as a response to more effectively navigate the complex problem domain facing practitioners and organizations. Following a short introduction, we have organized the paper to explore four primary areas. First, we examine the nature of the complex problem domain confronting organizations and practitioners. Second, we suggest individual capacity and organizational competence as two essential areas necessary for ST to offer a response to more effectively navigate the complex problem domain. Third, we present an in depth examination of individual capacity for ST. Fourth, we develop a perspective of organizational competencies in relation to engaging ST. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and implications for further development and application of ST.