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Structured Dialogic Design for Mobilizing Collective Action in Highly Complex Systems

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Handbook of Systems Sciences

Abstract

Structured dialogic design is a methodology for integrating diverse ideas into coherent understanding through open and focused dialogue. There are two primary approaches for modeling systems. The more familiar approach is causal loop mapping. This is a powerful tool for managing a system. The less familiar approach is directed acyclic digraphs. This is a powerful tool for root cause analysis and system transformation. This chapter provides a brief, mechanical overview of a root cause approach which is appropriate for inclusively constructing a systems view of the influence flow and the aspirational structure of a complex system. The approach is both descriptive and prescriptive, because the inclusive discovery of root opportunities and root causes prescribes consideration of desired responses to these features of a complex system. The structured dialogic design methodology has a 40-year history based on the science of generic design (of John Warfield) fused to a science of dialogic design (after Alexander N. Christakis).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for 21st Century Agoras, Warren, RI, USA

    Thomas R. Flanagan

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  1. Thomas R. Flanagan
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Leadership and Management, Saybrook University, Ashland, KY, USA

    Gary S. Metcalf

  2. Grad Sch of Decision Sci & Tech, Tokyo Institute of Technology Grad Sch of Decision Sci & Tech, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kyoichi Kijima

  3. CABSSS, Tokyo Institute of Technology CABSSS, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

    Hiroshi Deguchi

Section Editor information

  1. Design, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada

    Peter Jones

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Flanagan, T.R. (2020). Structured Dialogic Design for Mobilizing Collective Action in Highly Complex Systems. In: Metcalf, G.S., Kijima, K., Deguchi, H. (eds) Handbook of Systems Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0370-8_59-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0370-8_59-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-0370-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-0370-8

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