Techne and techniques for engaging in a socially complex world

Abstract

This paper addresses the challenge for Operational Research (OR) in extending out from traditional forms of modelling towards a more relational form of modelling. The challenge comes from OR practice becoming more transformative in nature, which puts more emphasis on reflective practice, people and relationships. Staged Appreciation is proposed as an overall guiding framework and selected illustrative techniques are presented for engaging with social complexity; so-called “wicked” problems. Systems Thinking techniques, guided by Staged Appreciation add an insightful new dimension to knowledge sharing for understanding, and for reflecting upon the intricacies involved in socially complex situations. There are analytical advantages of standing apart from complexity. Staged Appreciation complements this analytical standpoint by asking analysts to take a more reflective view of their own working relationships, being more a part of the socially complex problem as well as standing apart from it. Staged Appreciation offers a reflective framework for working with Systems Thinking techniques and together they complement traditional practice. The proposal and suggestions aim to support analysts to adopt a more reflective and relational view of a complex problematic situation in order to see it “as a whole.” The paper draws lessons from holism, reflective practice and subjective analysis.

Keywords:

• Soft systems
• methodology
• practice of OR
• multi-objective
• heuristics

Notes

1 There were 330 stakeholder representatives involved in the initial defining of potential actions and then 16,900 people participated in nineteen regional meetings, in which thirty national councils offered views.

2 In more detail: “Normally critical NGO and media voices were openly surprised that agreement had been reached on sensitive issues such as transport (restrictions on building of highways or airports, further development of the rail network), building (homeowners to be required by law to make homes energy efficient and given funding to do so), energy (the development of renewable energy to be prioritised over that of other energy sources) and agriculture (organic farming to increase from 2% of cultivated land to 20%; the use of pesticides to be reduced by 50%; the growing of GM organisms to cease).”