Abstract
Who and why? This chapter sets out the second stage of the five-stage Adaptive Learning Pathway for Systemic Leadership, which focuses on cultivating awareness of tacit assumptions, how to handle them, and how to consider what ought to happen. There are four suggested resources signposted for thinking about assumptions, which is also a more inclusive approach (hence, who and why?). These include: use of metaphor, boundary critique, Critical Systems Heuristics and Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing. Each signposted approach is presented in a standard format which includes a brief history, what’s involved, an example of application and a pointer towards further resources. The operational principle for considering assumptions is critical appraisal: the chapter concludes with the associated key facet of systemic leadership for this principle.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Alvesson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2011). Generating Research Questions Through Problematization. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 247–271.
Barabba, V. P., & Mitroff, I. I. (2014). Business Strategies for a Messy World: Tools for Systemic Problem-Solving. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Benson, J. K. (1977). Organizations: A Dialectical View. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(1), 1–21.
Berniker, E., & McNabb, D. (2006). Dialectical Inquiry: A Structured Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Report, 11(4), 643–664.
Bohman, J. (2016). Critical Theory. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 Edition). Retrieved August 9, 2017, from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2016/entries/critical-theory/.
Boys-Stones, G. R. (Ed.). (2003). Metaphor, Allegory, and the Classical Tradition: Ancient Thought and Modern Revisions. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis. London: Heinemann.
Capra, F. (1997). The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. London: Flamingo, HarperCollins.
Churchman, C. W. (1967). Guest Editorial: Wicked Problems. Management Science, 14(4), B141–B142.
Churchman, C. W. (1971). The Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organization. New York: Basic Books.
Churchman, C. W. (1979). The Systems Approach and Its Enemies. New York: Basic Books.
Fischer, F., Torgerson, D., Durnová, A., & Orsini, M. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of Critical Policy Studies. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Flood, R. L., & Jackson, M. C. (1991). Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention. Chichester: Wiley.
Gates, E. F. (2018). Toward Valuing With Critical Systems Heuristics. American Journal of Evaluation, 39(2), 201–220.
Hallsworth, M. (2011). System Stewardship: The Future of Policy Making? (Working Paper). London: Institute for Government.
Hills, D. (2017). Metaphor. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 Edition). Retrieved April 25, 2018, from https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/metaphor/.
Hobbs, C. (2016). Tapping the Resource Within? Exploring a Learning Pathway for Systemic Leadership Within Local Governance Networks. Unpublished doctoral dissertation (Ph.D. Systems Science), University of Hull, Hull, UK.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Conceptual Metaphor in Everyday Language. The Journal of Philosophy, 77(8), 453–486.
Laszlo, A., & Laszlo, E. (2003). The Systems Sciences in Service of Humanity. In F. Parra-Luna (Ed.), Systems Science and Cybernetics. Oxford, UK: EOLSS.
Mason, R. O. (1969). A Dialectical Approach to Strategic Planning. Management Science, 15(8), B403–B414.
Mason, R. O., & Mitroff, I. I. (1981). Challenging Strategic Planning Assumptions: Theory, Cases, and Techniques. New York: Wiley.
Midgley, G. (2000). Systemic Intervention: Philosophy, Methodology, and Practice. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Midgley, G., Munlo, I., & Brown, M. (1998). The Theory and Practice of Boundary Critique: Developing Housing Services for Older People. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 49(5), 467–478.
Morgan, G. (1980). Paradigms, Metaphors, and Puzzle Solving in Organization Theory. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25, 605–622.
Morgan, G. (1993). Imaginization: The Art of Creative Management. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Morgan, G. (2000). Images of Organisation. London: Sage.
Ortenblad, A., Trehan, K., & Putnam, L. L. (Eds.). (2016). Exploring Morgan’s Metaphors: Theory, Research and Practice in Organizational Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Reynolds, M. (2007). Evaluation Based on Critical Systems Heuristics. In B. Williams & I. Imam (Eds.), Using Systems Concepts in Evaluation: An Expert Anthology (pp. 101–122). Point Reyes, CA: EdgePress.
Reynolds, M., & Holwell, S. (Eds.). (2010). Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A Practical Guide (1st ed.). London: Springer.
Roberts, J. (2014). Critical Realism, Dialectics, and Qualitative Research Methods. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 44(1), 1–23.
Rowan, J. (2000). Dialectical Thinking and Humanistic Psychology. Retrieved May 10, 2013, from http://www.society-for-philosophy-in-practice.org/journal/pdf/3-2%2020%20Rowan%20-%20Humanistic%20Psychology.pdf.
Sandberg, J., & Alvesson, M. (2011). Ways of Constructing Research Questions: Gap-Spotting or Problematization? Organization, 18(1), 23–44.
Singer, E. A. (1924). Modern Thinkers and Present Problems. New York: Henry Holt & Co.
Singer, E. A. (1959). Experience and Reflection (C. W. Churchman, Ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Smircich, L. (1983). Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28(3), 339–358.
Tadajewski, M., Maclaran, P., Parsons, E., & Parker, M. (2011). Key Concepts in Critical Management Studies. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington, DC: Sage.
Torbert, W. R. (2010). The Power of Balance: Transforming Self Society and Scientific Inquiry. Integral Review, 6(1), 208–235.
Tsoukas, H. (2017). The “Metaphor” Metaphor: Educating Practitioners for Reflective Judgment. In A. Ortenblad, K. Tregan, & L. L. Putman (Eds.), Exploring Morgan’s Metaphors: Theory, Research and Practice in Organizational Studies (pp. 217–225). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ulrich, W. (1983). Critical Heuristics of Social Planning: A New Approach to Practical Philosophy. Chichester, UK: Wiley.
Ulrich, W. (2000). Reflective Practice in the Civil Society: The Contribution of Critically Systemic Thinking. Reflective Practice, 1(2), 247–268.
Ulrich, W. (2004). In Memory of C. West Churchman (1913–2004): Reminiscences, Retrospectives, and Reflections. Journal of Organisational Transformation & Social Change, 1(2), 199–219.
Ulrich, W. (2017). Werner Ulrich’s Home Page. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from http://wulrich.com/.
Williams, B., & Hummelbrunner, R. (2010). Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner’s Toolkit. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Yolles, M. (2001). Viable Boundary Critique. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 52(1), 35–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hobbs, C. (2019). Assumptions Matter. In: Systemic Leadership for Local Governance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-08280-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-08280-2_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-08279-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-08280-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)