Managing Complexity in Social Systems: Leverage Points for Policy and Strategy

Description

Why do policies and strategies often fail, and what can be done about it? How can complexity be managed in cases where it cannot be reduced? The answers to these questions are anything but trivial, and can only be found by combining insights from complexity science, system dynamics, system theory and systems thinking. Rooted in the seminal works of Gregory Bateson, Jay Forrester, Donella Meadows, Peter Senge, W. Brian Arthur, John Sterman and Thomas Schelling, this book bridges the gap between rigorous science and real-life experience to explore the potential and limitations of leverage points in implementing policies and strategies. It also presents diagnostic tools to help recognize system archetypes, as well as the powerful language of stock and flow diagrams, which allows us to think in terms of circular causality. These tools are subsequently employed to thoroughly analyze particularly thorny problems such as global climate change, the tragedy of the commons, path dependence, diffusion of innovations, and exponential growth of inequality. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Prelude: Scientific Journey into a Strange Paradigm (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 1-9 Front Matter ....Pages 11-11 Perceiving Events, Patterns, and Structure (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 13-22 Homeostasis, Complexity, Emergence, and Purposeful Behavior (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 23-30 Decision and Forecast: The Cassandra Paradox (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 31-38 Front Matter ....Pages 39-39 Language, Syntax, and Semantics for Describing Dynamics of Systems (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 41-58 Confusing Stocks with Flows: The Carbon Credit Fallacy (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 59-66 Leverage Points as Technology to Change Problematic Dynamics (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 67-79 Sensitivity and Uncertainty: Locust Plagues and Price Dynamics of Commodities (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 81-90 Generic Structures, Systems Archetypes, and Theories (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 91-93 Front Matter ....Pages 95-95 Shifting the Burden: When Organizations Become Addicted (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 97-106 Accidental Adversaries: The Enigma of Sustained Cooperation (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 107-112 Adaptation: Drifting Goals, Invisible Hand, and Breastfeeding (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 113-119 Limits to Growth: Network Effect and Attractiveness Principle (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 121-128 Growth and Underinvestment: Aligning Performance and Resources (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 129-134 Front Matter ....Pages 135-135 Policy Resistance: Rebound Effect and Other Paradoxes (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 137-145 Escalation: The Strength of Fear (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 147-153 Diffusion of Innovations: The Much Sought After Tipping Point (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 155-162 Market for Lemons: When Dishonesty Prevails (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 163-169 The Commons: A Tragedy? (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 171-188 Path Dependence: Segregation, Increasing Returns, Success to the Successful (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 189-202 Front Matter ....Pages 203-203 Managing Complexity (Christoph E. Mandl)....Pages 205-215 Back Matter ....Pages 217-222