Traditional Thinking vs. System Thinking

Traditional Thinking vs. System Thinking

Traditional thinking is the classical approach to solving particular problems in which instead of viewing that problem in a holistic and comprehensive sense, it is broken down into different elements and then solved individually (Wulun, 2007). However, this kind of approach is faced with high complexity, wastage of resources, and decreased efficiency in approaching it, among other factors. One example through which the difference between system thinking and traditional thinking can be understood is the issue of poverty. In itself, poverty is a multidimensional and complex term encompassing different meanings for different sets of people and societies.

Traditional thinking takes the approach of finding indicators of poverty and subsequently solving the poverty problem (Wulun, 2007). For instance, the characteristics of poverty include illiteracy, malnutrition, poor housing, and maternal and neonatal mortality, among others. Therefore, the traditional approach would strive to improve such factors, and as can be seen, it would be solved in bits and pieces, such as promoting education, improving maternal health care, etc. On the other hand, system thinking would involve the root cause of poverty, and subsequently, it would strive to find the answers to the definition and threshold of poverty. Assuming the parameters defining poverty are a, b, and c, then some reforms would be introduced to solve a, b, and c; therefore, poverty is absolved of all its errors.

As seen, there are different approaches to solving problems. Whereas the traditional thinking method takes the approach of top to bottom, the system thinking takes the approach of bottom to top (Batra, Kaushik, & Kalia, 2010). The linear cause and effect relationship problems are resolved by identifying every factor influencing the parameter first, and then each parameter is resolved to a sustainable threshold.

References

Batra, A., Kaushik, P., & Kalia, L. (2010). System thinking: Strategic planning. SCMS Journal of Indian Management, 7(4).

Wulun, J. (2007). Understanding complexity, challenging traditional ways of thinking. Systems Research and Behavioral Science: The Official Journal of the International Federation for Systems Research, 24(4), 393-402.

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Traditional thinking views a problem in isolated parts, each part as linear, having a cause and effect that is managed. Systems thinking recognizes that a complex system managed in the traditional way will result in unintended consequences and enhance complexity instead of resolving the problem.

Provide an example of a problem in any context, i.e., environmental, social, educational, or financial.
Explain the problem using a traditional approach with a linear cause and effect, as well as how it can be resolved.
Then, put the problem into a system thinking approach in which the same solution to the problem can cause additional consequences or increase the complexity of the problem and how these must be considered before implementing a solution.