Enhancing collaborative advantage through critical systems thinking
An augmented viable system model intervention in a cross‐sector partnership social policy context
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7169317 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrea Clark (0009-0001-7918-8768, Department of Management University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand, corresponding author), John Brocklesby (0000-0001-8318-8384, Emeritus Professor Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand), Arun Elias (0000-0001-6319-9414, School of Management Victoria University of Wellington Wellington New Zealand) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 142-156 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Systems Research and Behavioral Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1092-7026 • E-ISSN: 1099-1743 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sres.3104 |
| OpenAlex | W4404443464 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 70 |
Cross‐sector partnerships are essential for addressing wicked problems but are typically ineffective because of messy human and organisational dynamics. Systemic approaches are needed to re‐design collaborations for a collaborative advantage. While the Viable System Model (VSM) is suited to this task, little guidance is provided on managing multiple perspectives or marginalisation in VSM interventions. Hence, we trial and evaluate the utility of a novel multimethodology approach combining the VSM with Team Syntegrity (TS), which is a workshop protocol for supporting fair dialogue and stakeholder pluralism. Our findings show this combination supports joined‐up thinking about improvements for viability and synergies from combining these methodologies. We propose that, before a VSM diagnosis, an understanding of ‘what a system does’ and the existence of VSM functions is established to ensure more meaningful selection of intervention participants and consideration of the VSM's insights. We also identify four avenues for marginalisation that need careful consideration in critical systems interventions
Business · General partnership · Geography · Knowledge management · Political science · Process management · Public relations · Social science · Social system · Sociology · Systems thinking · Viable system model · Community Health and Development · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Computer Science · Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development · Psychology · Artificial Intelligence
Cross-Sectoral Partners
Power
Stakeholder Theory
Systemic Intervention
Moving beyond Dyadic Ties
Capturing Collaborative Challenges
A Communicative Framework of Value in Cross-Sector Partnerships
Activity theory as a framework for analyzing and redesigning work
Critical systems practice 4
The Oxford Handbook of Inter-Organizational Relations
Building Collaborative Capacity in Community Coalitions
Building a new tool to evaluate networks and multi-stakeholder governance systems
Evaluating Organizational Collaborations
Evaluating Collaboration for Effectiveness
The ABLe Change Framework
Utilization-Focused Evaluation
Designing and Implementing Cross‐Sector Collaborations
Collaborating for Our Future
Discovering Collaborative Advantage
An introduction to cybernetics
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |