![]() ![]() Other questions lead deeper into the model. If the planners had applied the iceberg model to the process, they might have begun by asking simply, “Will we do this again? Should it become an annual event?” These events were nice, but of little long-term significance. Immediately following the tragedy, various groups sponsored events embracing immigrants, with participants singing “We Are the World” and taking part in other heart-warming efforts to reach out to others in a time of national pain and anguish. Consider, for example, the response of many communities across the U. Is the company founded on a sense of trust for its employees, or does management view itself as needing to monitor workers’ hours to make sure they put in what they’re being paid for? Is “face time” more important than productivity? These attitudes affect the company’s policies and ultimately how it treats all employees, including those with small children.Įach level down the iceberg offers a deeper understanding of the system being examined as well as increased leverage for changing it. In the case of the working mother, is she late every week because the organization has strict policies about when staffers need to be in the office - policies that don’t take into account when daycare facilities open their doors in the morning? Would a more effective policy be one that allows employees to work flexible hours or dial in from home on some days? In organizations, the structure is often determined by its policies and procedures.Įach level down the iceberg offers a deeper understanding of the system being examined as well as increased leverage for changing it.Īt the next level down, our “mental models” - and those of the people who came before us - affect the structures we put in place and the way we understand the top parts of the iceberg. Submerged below the level of the trend is the “structure,” the foundation that supports and creates the behaviors higher up in the pyramid. It’s not necessary to have a deep understanding of systems theory in order to use it to influence institutional behavior. We might ask, in this case or any similar situation, whether these two events are unique or if a pattern of behavior is beginning to emerge. Just below the surface, a deeper level of examination reveals patterns of events, or “trends.” The young mother is late on the same day a week later. Her supervisor is understanding - this time. In the iceberg model, the piece of the structure that appears above the surface represents a single “event.” A young woman arrives an hour late for work after dropping off her young child at a nursery. Thanks to movies like “Titanic,” many people recognize that most of an iceberg sits hidden beneath the water that is, out of sight.ĭifferent authors present the iceberg model as having from three to six levels we’ll use a four-level model here. The iceberg is one of the most frequently used models to explain systems thinking (see “The Iceberg”). The Iceberg (It’s bigger than you think!) Finally, behavior over time graphs draw attention to the long-range effects of organizational efforts. The spidergram emphasizes linkages within a given system. The force field analysis provides a visual means of understanding the factors that keep organizations in “quasi-equilibrium” and the issues involved in any change process. ![]() The iceberg metaphor helps to probe the underlying causes of events and patterns. In this article, I suggest how organizations might apply four models to make the transition from thinking to action. What is crucial is to connect some of the elements of systems thinking directly to proposed actions. Nevertheless, it’s not necessary to have a deep understanding of systems theory in order to use it to influence institutional behavior. For them, having a metaphorical understanding of systems thinking does not necessarily lead to action or to an integration of the concepts into everyday practice. But for some, the concept seems so easy to understand that they miss its value. Many people can intellectually grasp the idea of interconnections in our world and the importance of taking a holistic perspective. These and other metaphors are often used to help explain systems theory, and they do so effectively - to a point. A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and a tornado sweeps down the plains in Oklahoma. An acorn drops in a quiet pond, and ripples move out over the whole surface. A child randomly kicks the elephant on the mobile hanging over her crib, and the other members of the aerial zoo shift their positions as well. ![]()
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