IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bushor/v67y2024i6p783-795.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Systems thinking for management practitioners and scholars: Strengthening the tools to analyze “wicked problems”

Author

Listed:
  • Cechvala, Sarah

Abstract

Global fragility and conflict have challenged business to identify solutions to some of the world’s most “wicked problems.” Yet corporate practitioners struggle to analyze the relationship between the firm and society in conflict-affected and fragile spaces. Systems analysis, emergent in peacebuilding, offers a compelling approach for management practitioners and scholars to better understand the role of business in complex social environments. This participatory, qualitative approach applies collaborative inquiry and causal-loop diagraming to analyze the complex dynamics that create the operational conditions and trace the impact of the firm on those conditions. This article outlines the application of this approach and argues that it fills a gap in the current tools used to understand the private sector’s role and agency in contributing positively to society. What emerges is a pathway to enhance theoretical development and practical understanding of the risks and impacts of corporate operations in the most challenging of contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Cechvala, Sarah, 2024. "Systems thinking for management practitioners and scholars: Strengthening the tools to analyze “wicked problems”," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 783-795.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:67:y:2024:i:6:p:783-795
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2024.08.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681324001186
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.08.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kolk, Ans & van Tulder, Rob, 2006. "Poverty alleviation as business strategy? Evaluating commitments of frontrunner Multinational Corporations," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 789-801, May.
    2. Sterman, John., 1994. "Learning in and about complex systems," Working papers 3660-94., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    3. Molecke, Greg & Pinkse, Jonatan, 2017. "Accountability for social impact: A bricolage perspective on impact measurement in social enterprises," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 550-568.
    4. Joep P. Cornelissen, 2017. "Preserving Theoretical Divergence in Management Research: Why the Explanatory Potential of Qualitative Research Should Be Harnessed Rather than Suppressed," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 368-383, May.
    5. Cecile Jackson, 2012. "Speech, Gender and Power: Beyond Testimony," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 43(5), pages 999-1023, September.
    6. Jan Anton van Zanten & Rob van Tulder, 2018. "Multinational enterprises and the Sustainable Development Goals: An institutional approach to corporate engagement," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 1(3), pages 208-233, December.
    7. Peter T. Coleman & Larry S. Liebovitch & Joshua Fisher, 2019. "Taking Complex Systems Seriously: Visualizing and Modeling the Dynamics of Sustainable Peace," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 10(S2), pages 84-92, June.
    8. Sarah Cechvala & Brian Ganson, 2024. "Systems Perspectives on Business and Peace: The Contingent Nature of Business-Related Action with Respect to Peace Positive Impacts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(3), pages 523-544, October.
    9. Ivan Montiel & Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Junghoon Park & Raquel Antolín-López & Bryan W. Husted, 2021. "Implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(5), pages 999-1030, July.
    10. Russell L. Ackoff, 1971. "Towards a System of Systems Concepts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(11), pages 661-671, July.
    11. Fernhaber, Stephanie A. & Zou, Huan, 2022. "Advancing societal grand challenge research at the interface of entrepreneurship and international business: A review and research agenda," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(5).
    12. Wettstein, Florian & Giuliani, Elisa & Santangelo, Grazia D. & Stahl, Günter K., 2019. "International business and human rights: A research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 54-65.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rekha Rao-Nicholson & Htwe Htwe Thein & Yifan Zhong, 2024. "A thematic analysis of the links between multinational enterprises’ corporate social responsibility and the Sustainable Development Goals in Myanmar," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(2), pages 203-223, June.
    2. Chie Iguchi & Axèle Giroud & Shasha Zhao & Si Zhang, 2025. "International Business and Sustainable Development in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges for Firms and Countries," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(1), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Ivan Montiel & Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Junghoon Park & Raquel Antolín-López & Bryan W. Husted, 2021. "Implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(5), pages 999-1030, July.
    4. Saka-Helmhout, Ayse & Álamos-Concha, Priscilla & Polo-Barceló, Carlos & Edwards, Tony & Murray, Gregor, 2024. "Corporate social innovation by multinationals: A framework for future research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(5).
    5. Leopoldo Gutierrez & Ivan Montiel & Jordi A. Surroca & Josep A. Tribo, 2022. "Rainbow Wash or Rainbow Revolution? Dynamic Stakeholder Engagement for SDG-Driven Responsible Innovation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(4), pages 1113-1136, November.
    6. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Theodosiou, Marios & Nilssen, Frode & Eteokleous, Pantelitsa & Voskou, Angeliki, 2024. "Evaluating MNEs’ role in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals: The importance of innovative partnerships," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(3).
    7. Bu, Maoliang & Xu, Liang & Tang, Ryan W., 2023. "MNEs’ transfer of socially irresponsible practices: A replication with new extensions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).
    8. Delios, Andrew & Li, Jiatao & Schotter, Andreas P.J. & Vrontis, Demetris, 2024. "Challenging the orthodoxy in international business research: Directions for “new” research areas," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 59(4).
    9. Pei Sun & Jonathan P. Doh & Tazeeb Rajwani & Donald Siegel, 2021. "Navigating cross-border institutional complexity: A review and assessment of multinational nonmarket strategy research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1818-1853, December.
    10. Sarah Cechvala & Brian Ganson, 2024. "Systems Perspectives on Business and Peace: The Contingent Nature of Business-Related Action with Respect to Peace Positive Impacts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(3), pages 523-544, October.
    11. Paola Perez-Aleman & Tommaso Ferretti, 2023. "Creating innovation capabilities for improving global health: Inventing technology for neglected tropical diseases in Brazil," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 84-114, March.
    12. Nafisat Olabisi & Yingqi Wei, 2025. "Designing effective policy to achieve sustainable development impact of FDI: the case of Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 33-52, March.
    13. Rozenn Perrigot & Komlanvi Elom Gbetchi, 2023. "Social franchise chains operating in African countries: are their social goals aligned with the 2030 United Nations sustainable development goals?," Post-Print hal-03715585, HAL.
    14. Hossain, Mokter & Park, Sukyung & Shahid, Subhan, 2023. "Frugal innovation for sustainable rural development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    15. Stacey Fitzsimmons & Mustafa F. Özbilgin & David C. Thomas & Stella Nkomo, 2023. "Equality, diversity, and inclusion in international business: A review and research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(8), pages 1402-1422, October.
    16. Irene Chu & Mayank Sewak & Rohit Trivedi, 2024. "Market or Community? An Institutional Logics Interpretation of how MNE Subsidiaries Respond to Mandated Social Innovation in India," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 459-487, June.
    17. Elisa Giuliani & Annamaria Tuan & José Calvimontes Cano, 2021. "Creating Shared Value Meets Human Rights: A Sense-Making Perspective in Small-Scale Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 489-505, October.
    18. Chao Zhou & Guannan Xu & Cong Sun & Xiaoran Chang, 2024. "How do emerging multinationals achieve sustainable development globally? The enabling mechanism of headquarter‐subsidiary structure in subsidiary sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 2549-2564, June.
    19. Eduardo Ordonez‐Ponce & David Talbot, 2023. "Multinational enterprises' sustainability practices and focus on developing countries: Contributions and unexpected results of SDG implementation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(2), pages 201-232, March.
    20. Galina Chernyshova & Evgeniy Taran & Anna Firsova & Alla Vavilina, 2025. "Monitoring of Sustainable Development Trends: Text Mining in Regional Media," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-17, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:67:y:2024:i:6:p:783-795. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.