Using Rich Picture and CATWOE to Gain a Holistic Understanding of Complex Adaptive Systems

Question 1: How we can gain a holistic understanding?

How we can gain a holistic understanding?

We live in a dynamic world, which consists of various complex adaptive systems and requires today’s managers to take a holistic view of the business. In order to gain a holistic understanding, managers need to understand all the key stakeholders and the intended and unintended consequences of their decisions. To achieve this objective, managers need to learn and apply systems thinking tools and techniques. One such tool is “Rich Picture”. Rich picture helps us express our own understanding of the world, the stakeholders to be considered and the impact that they may have our actions. Tools such as Rich picture, CATWOE and Root Definition reports helps us to understand others’ perspectives without getting involved in conflicting arguments of convincing one another about their own worldview. Instructions: This assessment is to be completed individually and is linked to Assessment

1. To successfully complete Assessment two (2) students will write a comprehensive report that helps resolve the problem they introduced in Assessment.

2. Using the resulting discussion as a platform students are required to analyse and synthesise consequences on Rich Picture,

What is CATWOE and Root Definition?

 Various stakeholders involved while achieving the goals and objectives through policy implementation. There are two (2) sections to Assessment 2 1) Rich Picture – Students are to create a Rich Picture of the problem they identified in Assessment

1. This can be hand drawn and should provide an consise overview of the complex system under review.

2) Root Definition report using CATWOE.

How to structure analysis and description of the system being investigated.

What is the purpose of a root definition explains the what, how and why?

Woolworths has faced issues with customer dissatisfaction as the number of customer complaints raises. Using different social media, offline and online platforms like Twitter, focus groups, Facebook, exit interviews and customer hotlines customers’ lodged complaints against various stocks and inventory management problems as well as issues with customer services. Most of the complaints included rude staff behaviour, understocked shelves, expired meat and vegetables, increased prices lack of on-demand products and brands and empty freezer shelves. While initially the organisation denied the claims of the company being in trouble later the CEO admitted that Woolworths in the recent years has shifted from their customer-driven culture resulting in the issues being reported against the company recently (Australian Financial Review, 2019).

The company shareholders, the customers, employees and management are the key stakeholders that have been identified to be affected the most (Jain, 2019). The issues of customer complaints caused the stock prices to fall harming the shareholders on a profit front. The rate of profit margin growth has also been negatively impacted resulting in affecting the management and shareholders. With regard to complaints against employees regarding their rude behaviour, the employees had been put under investigation on why such complaints are generating if the management is anyhow responsible for employees were not up to the mark in their job.

System thinking can be regarded as the skill to solve problems. (Mjema, 2018) remarked that system thinking allows to solve problems in innovative ways. However, Rebs, Brandenburg & Seuring (2018) identified that along with being innovative, system thinking is an efficient approach that helps identifying solutions within very less time accurately.