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Being the most powerful creatures on the planet, we humans should carefully consider our beliefs for the simple reason that the way in which we think influences our behaviors; this in turn can either transform the world or negatively affect the world. Our mores, paradigms, and worldviews translate into behaviors (e.g., factory farming for meat production and consumption) that in turn modify the environment. In general, much of our thinking system is backed up by some concept, theory, paradigm, or ideology. Our thinking systems generate our belief systems of goals and mission statements; our belief systems, in turn, determine our behavior systems (e.g., our strategies, choices, commissions, omissions as implementation systems); our behavior systems determine our impact systems (e.g., impact on us, our families and neighborhoods, our cities and villages, our state and our country, our globe and sometimes our cosmos). Thus, our behavior systems eventually impact our thinking systems, which we started with, thus completing a circular or spiral loop. This chapter examines the thinking–beliefs–behaviors–impact loop, exploring its internal and external dynamics and validities. Specifically, in Part I, we examine the structure of our belief systems in business; in Part II, we explore the power of our structured belief systems in business; in Part III, we apply critical thinking that systematically questions and seeks to redesign our presumed thinking and belief systems.

To present which properties of social systems can be used in studying and determining their broadly defined security. A core concept of security is to be developed into a typology of attributes of security of social systems.

The interpretation of security has become one of the most important challenges of theory of international relations and of related areas. Unfortunately, theory only follows the processes and provides descriptions and interpretations. Explanations are rare or superficial. Predictions or normative approaches, essential for security considerations, are mainly embedded either in ideological discourse or in common sense conclusions. A broadly defined systems thinking is applied as an instrument allowing for enhancement of methodology of security research in dealing with complex social phenomena.

It may not be expected that systems thinking could provide all the answers to the questions arising in security theory and policy. At the same time, it can be shown how strongly the discourse on a broadly defined security, not only in international relations, has been influenced by systems thinking.

It is but an introductory survey study and includes omissions and simplifications that have to be explained in detail in further studies.

An introduction to the further research on the links between systems thinking and discourse on broadly defined security of individuals and social systems.

Allows systems specialists to avoid simplifications in understanding social systems and at the same time helps security specialists to avoid abuses and trivialization of systems thinking.

This paper aims to use systems thinking, systems theory and Camillus’ framework for responding to wicked problems to provide social marketers with a theoretically based framework for approaching strategy formation for wicked problems. The paper treats fast fashion as an illustrative case and takes a step back from implementation to provide a framework for analysing and gaining understanding of wicked problem system structure for social marketers to then plan more effective interventions. The proposed approach is intended as a theory-based tool for social marketing practitioners to uncover system structure and analyse the wicked problems they face.

Following Layton, this work provides theoretically based guidelines for analysing the black box of how to develop and refine strategy as first proposed in Camillus’ (2008) framework for responding to wicked issues.

The prescription thus developed for approaching wicked problems’ system structure revolves around identifying the individuals, groups or entities that make up the system involved in the wicked problem, and then determining which social mechanisms most clearly drive each entity and which outcomes motivate these social mechanisms, before determining which role the entities play as either incumbent, challenger or governance and which social narratives drive each role’s participation in the wicked problem.

This paper shows that using systems thinking can help social marketers to gain big picture thinking and develop strategy for responding to complex issues, while considering the consequences of interventions.

The purpose is to forward systems theory one more step towards social theory and integrate problem-solving and theory-building, and search for the integration and unity of science by revealing the nature and role of critical systems thinking (CST).

This article describes relations between systems theory and social theory in three parts. First, it examines the links of systems methodologies with three social science approaches as well as the role of CST. Second, the focus of theory and the form of explanation are discussed from critical social science (CSS) perspective. Third, the direction of theorizing of a CST-based systems theory is investigated.

First, CST is a hidden assumption of system dynamics (SD)/systems thinking (ST). Second, systems theory is positioned in CSS. Third, CST integrates traditional and soft systems methodologies (SSM), and connects systems science and social science. Fourth, this article reveals hidden links between systems approaches and three corresponding social science approaches. Fifth, the theoretical focus of a CST-based systems theory could be formal/structure theory and/or substantive/content theory. Sixth, the form of explanation could be structural/mechanismic explanation combining causal and interpretive explanations. Seventh, a CST-based systems theory may adopt abduction, which complements a defect in deduction and induction in a difficulty of nonlinearity.

It illustrates a graph of the competing approaches in systems science corresponding to paradigms in social science.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical discussion of the development of systems thinking and systems methodologies and explain how such approaches can deal with issues of problem complexity and the variety of views, agendas and political positions that the people involved and affected by the problem situation may have.

The paper examines the different ontological and epistemological assumptions that the various social paradigms are based on and uses social theory in order to explain the development of systems thinking and systems methodologies.

As there is a plethora of relevant systems methodologies, managers will need to understand the philosophical assumptions of different systems approaches, their strengths and weaknesses and how to use them creatively in combination. Viewing the problem situation from a holistic perspective and treating alternative systems approaches as complementary rather than in competition will help managers deal creatively with the complex problems that organisations face.

This paper will shed some light on the philosophical assumptions that the various strands of systems thinking are based on and will help managers appreciate the importance of creative holism and the benefits that holistic thinking can bring to their organisation.

Of all the challenges facing scholars in the 3rd world today none is as serious as the need to harness their knowledge and skills for the task of nation‐building. There is a demand on the scholars to make their teaching and research activities relevant to the problems of their societies. For the social scientists the pressure is even greater since they claim as their domain the study of man in society. In meeting this challenge, many of these scholars have come up against formidable odds created by the historical background of their discipline; the dominant intellectual orientation that informed their training; and academic colonisalism that urges them to conform to walls of the “ivory towers”. Ironically, this situation is not helped by an awareness among an increasing number that knowledge is socially determined and that in every human community men strive to make sense of their social reality. This awareness only created different camps divided on what form the contribution of the sociologists should take in the development of theories needed in understanding their society. This article attempts to discuss these issues in the context of the debate on universalism and indigenisation in social theory. The debate is on the extent to which theories developed within a particular social context might be expected to hold in all others. This debate is fundamental as it not only touches on the popular identity of sociology as a science it also bears on the role of the non‐Western sociologist in studying his own society. To give focus to the theoretical and methodological issues involved in the debate‐which is discussed in the first part of this article, the second part highlights the developments one major area of sociological interest and shows in concrete terms (1) how the dominant trend has hindered our understanding of social issues and (2) how the sociological enterprise can benefit from an approach which is flexible enough to integrate a people's thought system into an explanation of their social reality.

The metaphor which is central to all of the activities at the Centre for Systemic Development at the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, is that of the critical learning system (CLS), a construct developed as the framework for the systemic education of students in the School of Agriculture and Rural Development at Hawkesbury. CLSs are construed as coherent groups of individuals who are co‐operating together, in learning how to learn collectively to deal with complex matters which are relevant to their own sustainable development as organizations (or more typically, organizational units). The action researching processes common to the centre’s research and consultancy activities, its postgraduate curricula, and its own management practices, are all grounded in experiential learning principles and practices as informed by systems theories and philosophies. The research/consultancy staff and the postgraduate students work together in collaboration with “real‐world” clients who are committed to the sustainable development of their own organizations and/or communities, while bringing a CLS perspective to their programmes and projects. From this CLS perspective, the crucial competences for all those concerned with the sustainable development of organizations, are to understand, create and use CLSs as their vehicles for informed change about, and in, a complex world. Addresses the logic, concepts and methods of the CLS approach, as a contribution to debates about the utility of the learning organization approach to development.

The purpose of this paper is to explain why systems must make a habit of exploring the unknown and identify the complex and chaotic dynamics that drive modern volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) situations.

Eight faculty staff from the “Thunderbird School of Global Management” were interviewed around the subject of “what does it take to be a successful 21st Century leader?” in spring 2012. These interviews were then analysed using Ricoeur’s Hermeneutic methodology which resulted in three behaviours being identified. Then, according to Ricoeur’s methodology, deep interpretation of the results took place to understand these research results through the lens of complexity science.

Systems must make a habit of actively exploring the unknown to discover the patterns that cause complex chaos. This enables them to improve their capacity to generate useful situational understanding in VUCA environments and better position themselves in the fitness landscape. Finally, the idea of “epistemic stance” is introduced as an important way of managing identity and improving innovation.

The implication is that modern systems, e.g. leaders and organisations, must make a habit of exploring the unknown to find and understand the dynamics that drive the complex world if they are to build effective situational understanding of VUCA environments.

If systems wish to innovate, they must ensure they have the appropriate epistemic stance in place so that they can change their identity to allow innovation to transform the identity.

Whilst the behaviour of exploration is already known, this research focuses that behaviour on specifically identifying the patterns that cause complex chaos. Further, the epistemic stance is introduced which plays an important role in regulating how open a system is to changing its identity and therefore adapting and innovating.

Social marketing has gained widespread recognition as a means of motivating behaviour change in individuals for societal good. Many opinions have been shared regarding its potential to affect society or systems-wide change, leading to the macro-or systems social marketing (SSM) concepts and ideas. This paper aims to critically appraise the SSM literature, identify key features and highlight gaps for future research.

A search was conducted of peer-reviewed SSM articles published from 2000 to March 2018 inclusive. A number of online databases were mined, including but not limited to Google, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane and Medline. Key social marketing outlets (Social Marketing Quarterly and Journal of Social Marketing) were browsed manually. In total, 28 SSM articles were identified.

SSM adopts a dynamic systems thinking approach; it is an orientation, not a theory or model; it is multi-method; and it recognises that intervention can occur on multiple levels. Yet, greater attention should be given to the complexities of the systems context and the power structures and relations that exist between stakeholders. Significant issues also include stakeholder voice and participation, the use and reporting of theories and models, the measurement of long-term intervention outcomes and the undesirable impacts of SSM.

This paper identifies issues that need to be addressed if social marketing is to become a more system-oriented means to positively influence societal change. Implications for theoretical and practical development of the social marketing field are provided.

This study aims to examine the relationships between a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and its performance and risk. The authors hypothesize that industry-level effects are highly determinant of the sign and magnitude of these relationships to establish a ranking of industries to identify the position of the most prominent tourism-related industries: hotels and airlines. Based on the cybernetic model of decision making and the heuristics thereof, shareholders base their investment decisions derived from CSR announcements on the idea that the industries behave differently; their fixed costs being a relevant factor.

The authors estimate the industry-specific effects of CSR initiatives on firms' performance and risk using a sample of 583 announcements from the Spanish Stock Market.

The results show that while CSR announcements have a positive effect on performance when the authors do not account for industry-specific factors, once the authors incorporate these factors into the analysis, the authors find that firm performance and risk vary quite substantially as a function of the industry to which the firm belongs. Interestingly, while the hotel industry presents an average behavior (standing at 9th position in returns, 15th in terms of risk, and 8th according to the ratio returns/volatility), the airline industry presents the worst situation of all industries: last in performance and last in risk.

The results help managers assess their decisions and allocate CSR resources optimally.

This article is the first attempt to empirically test and comprehensively detect the different relationships between CSR and firm performance across industries.