Mechanistic Misperception and the Mismanagement of Complexity

Summary: Pending
Based on his Ph.D. research topic, this is an article Tony wrote as part of his doctoral studies at TIPP, with suggestions and coaching from John, who felt Tony would benefit from getting something published in a refereed journal as part of his PH.D. candidacy. ABSTRACT: Results of an empirical investigation into the effectiveness of relational diagrams used in the management of complexity are presented. First-time viewer ability to interpret such diagrams is severely questions. Participants in empirical studies were highly schooled engineering- and management-oriented individuals attending a course in systems acquisision management. Results showed significant misinterpretation of a modestly sized diagrammatic display of problem elements and their interrelationships. Analysis of responses to questions about the meaning of the display indicated that participants were predisposed to reductive reasoning and emphasis on cause and effect as a principle mode of thought. Such a paradigm may be effective when managing well-defined mechanistic systems, but appears inapproppriate when facing multi-faceted issues that abound in contemporary society.

Additional Info

  • Description: Email
  • Publication Year: 1998
Read 103 times Last modified on Sunday, 07 May 2017 12:43
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More in this category: « Complexity: A Cognitive Barrier to Defense Systems Acquisition Management System Design with the Right Brain. »

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