Systems Thinking during Systems Analysis and Design

A number of academicians and practitioners have called for more systems thinking. In this subjective essay I examine elements of systems thinking that are and are not likely to be taught in the education of systems analysts. My purpose is to understand the elements of systems thinking that potential systems analysts learn. Since no definitive model of systems thinking exists, I first summarize the elements of systems thinking in five alternative models of systems thinking extant in the literature - general systems approach and complexity theory, cybernetics, system dynamics, soft system methodology, and critical systems theory and multimethodology - and then examine which of those elements are included in Systems Analysis and Design textbooks. The findings indicate that what is likely to be taught is an approach to understanding and designing an information system that decomposes the system into component parts that interrelate through processing input data into outputs. This reductionist approach also includes an understanding of the information system's boundary, which determines system scope. What is unlikely to be taught, besides the five alternative models of systems thinking, are the general system concepts of synergism, negative entropy, dynamic equilibrium, internal elaboration, multiple goal-seeking, and equifinality of open systems. With this foundation I encourage IS faculty to engage in a continuing dialog on what elements of systems thinking potential systems analysts should learn.