Towards evaluation of systems-thinking interventions: a case study

Abstract

The use of system dynamics and systems thinking in organizations is increasing dramatically. However, little is known about the efficacy of these interventions in enhancing organizational effectiveness or productivity. With few exceptions, the relationship between the use of systems thinking and organizational performance remains the province of anecdote rather than rigorous follow‐up research. Evaluation helps identify the tools and techniques that can be used successfully, the situations in which they work, and their limitations. This article reports a follow‐up evaluation of a well known systems thinking intervention designed to improve quality and performance in the claims adjusting unit of a U.S. insurance firm. Through a questionnaire, interviews, and extensive review of company records, it has been established that the intervention succeeded in changing the mental models and behavior of key managers. New policies consistent with model recommendations were implemented. Evidence of performance improvement is mixed, however. A number of confounding variables limit the possibility of assessing the business impact of the intervention. These limitations could have been lessened if the original intervention had been designed with rigorous evaluation as a goal. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leader Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: Strategies for Sensemaking

“…Stenmark et al (2010) concluded that leaders should identify critical causes of the ethical dilemma. Research suggests leaders use causes as the basis for forecasting alternative outcomes in complex problems (Cavaleri and Sterman 1997;Maani and Maharaj 2004). By recognizing causes, leaders can more easily determine the appropriate course of action needed to solve the problem and execute a successful plan.…”

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“…Although it seems rather straightforward to expect that group interaction leads to increased learning about a problem, research into business simulator application to prove these effects formally is a difficult and demanding task (Andersen et al 1997;Cavaleri and Sterman 1997). One of the reasons is the complexity of the addressed problem in a real situation.…”

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“…Overall the educational benefits observed in this study agreed with what literature indicates as key benefits of GMB workshops, specifically, improving ideas for strategic action by facilitating a workshop with a common set of tools to appreciate complexity. 14,[16][17][18][19][20] This study was limited in its focus on one GMB workshop at one specific institution with one specific student project team; however, this study demonstrates an exciting potential for future GMB workshops as a tool to more tangibly improve engineering students' systems thinking abilities. We feel this study makes a compelling case for future work that Page 26.1039.15…”

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“…Questions were guided in part by research done on evaluating the impact of systems thinking and GMB by Richmond, 10 Cavaleri and Sterman, 20 Qualitative analyses of survey data were conducted by identifying and grouping recurring themes found within the student's responses.…”