GLO 410: Systems Thinking: Chapter 6: Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Impacts

This guide for Systems Thinking provides students with links to references from the textbook Systems Concepts in Action in addition to other resources to help develop systemic thinkers.

Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Impacts

"SAST is designed to be used in situations where problems are highly interrelated and often conceal deep divisions between those addressing the problems... it forces people to identify and explore issues that normally remain ignored or hidden. It reflects Churchman's conviction that you need to involve the desired system's enemies, since their worldviews not only need to be addressed to ensure sustainability but also need to be respected as containing relevant concerns. Having done that, SAST seeks to find ways that people can resolve, reframe, and, to use Russ Ackoff's term, “dissolve” problems rather than “solve” problems."-Systems Concepts in Action, Chapter 6

eBooks/ Articles

Dialectical Inquiry in Strategic Planning: A Case of Premature Acceptance?
Cosier, Richard A. 1981. "Evidence from several field studies supports the claim that dialectical inquiry aids strategic decision making. This evidence is not conclusive, however, and findings
from other studies have indicated that a devil's advocate approach may be superior.
A fundamental difference between the two is that dialectical inquiry requires
specification of an alternative course of action. It is possible that the benefits of
strategic assumptions analysis can be realized without this specification—i.e.,
through a devil's advocate approach.""
Systems Approaches to Management
Jackson, Michael C. 2000. Offers a guide to the application of Systems Thinking. This book "traces the emergence of holistic thinking in various disciplines. It details and provides a critique, based upon social theory, of the range of systems approaches, methodologies, models and methods." It also offers case studies to illustrate systems thinking applied to management.