Week 2 Share -- Ethics and System Dynamics
Relative to the discussion in Pruyt and Kwakkel (2007) (Week 2 > Share > Reading 3),
What are some ways in which systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts?
What is our experience of Vensim this second week out? More issues or fewer?
How much time are we spending on the assignments?
1. A big thing that systems thinking which I found in exploring the most recent model is its influence on making big decisions. For example, let's say a company is temporarily struggling. The model they have shows that the amount of hires and labor productivity is overbearing for the volume of sales that come in to the company. When strictly looking at a technical approach, it would suggest suspending hiring and to give out some layoffs. This would help the module to being closer to an equilibrium. But, is it ethical to do things just based off of statistics? The need for incorporating fundamentals comes in to play. The company might be gearing up for a anticipated busy year, which would result in the module not being helpful. This is one example where it would be an important factor to consider for decision makers.
ReplyDelete2) Vensim is pretty interesting, although it is kind of hard to navigate still. Still getting used to understanding what the inputs we use actually do to the overall trend of a graph for example.
3). Assignments are taking about 2-3 hours for responses and model simulations aside from lectures.
1. One significant aspect of systems thinking that caught my attention in exploring the latest model is its impact on significant decision-making. Consider a struggling company facing a dilemma: their model indicates that the number of hires and labor productivity is excessive compared to their sales volume. A technical approach suggests halting hiring and implementing layoffs to bring the system closer to equilibrium. However, the question of ethics arises – is it appropriate to base decisions solely on statistics? Here, the importance of incorporating fundamental factors becomes evident. The company may be gearing up for a busy year, rendering the model less helpful. This example underscores the need for decision-makers to consider various factors.
ReplyDelete2. Vensim is quite fascinating, though its navigation remains a bit challenging. I'm still adapting to understanding the effects of the inputs we use on the overall trend of a graph, for instance.
3. Responding to assignments and conducting model simulations, excluding lectures, takes approximately 2-3 hours.
1. There are many ways in which systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and analysts. For example, systems and models are based off of certain basic assumptions (Pruyt and Kwakkel, 2007). If are basic assumptions are inherently unethical, then our entire model will be unethical as well. By using models, builders and analysts can look at problems and ideas from multiple angles and see the long-term impacts of their potential actions. By getting to see the long-term outcome of their decisions, analysts can make more ethical decisions based on the different possible outcomes. Here, builders and analysts can best see how their actions would impact different parties involved in different scenarios.
ReplyDelete2. I found some things in Vensim were easier this week while others were more difficult. Tools that I was familiar with from last week became easier to use while new tools were a bit more difficult. For example, I had trouble working on steps 2 and 3 of the workbook because I did not know how to change sales from 100 to 150 at 2 months. I think my issues are just coming from a lack of experience with the platform.
3. I spent about 3 hours on the assignments, excluding the lectures, this week trying to understand how to approach the problems and get better at using Vensim.
What are some ways in which systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts? There are a bunch of different ways in which systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts. First off I would say the idea of system models and the idea of assumptions as pointed in the work by Pruyt and Kwakkel, 2007. When we use models it allows the analysis to look at the problems and ideas and see how this could effect the issue in both the long and short term. This helps to bring to light the idea of ethical decision based on what the possible outcomes could be. We can see the impact that each would faced based on the scenarios. Thats my thoughts on how systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts
ReplyDeleteWhat is our experience of Vensim this second week out? More issues or fewer?
My experience of Vensim this week was still a little confusing. I think I am still trying to get my feet wet and haven’t worked with anything like this in my life so it is still new to me. I think I am trying my best to do my best work and figure it out to the best of my ability. I think I would say I am about the same as last week but trying to improve week by week.
How much time is spent on the assignments?
I would say I probably spend a good hour to and hour a half a week on the actually assignment. That varies by how much I understand it right away and how much time I need to spend to try and re learn and understand the work for the week.
1) System thinking is a great way to facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts. Pruyt and Kwakkel stated that, “In other words, it could be used to answer the question of what alternatives/policies/systems are ethically acceptable” (Pruyt & Kwakkel, 2007). System thinking allows decision makers to run through several different situations before making a final decision. They can also change the factors relatively quickly and allows them to see what decision would be ethical and also allow the business to thrive in the best ways possible. It also allows them to see what the short- and long-term impacts can be and see if maybe they need to change their company down the road.
ReplyDelete2) My experience with Venism was better this week than last week. I am more comfortable navigating it and knowing where everything is, but I know that I am still a beginner with Venism and still run into problems. I find that I need to have a refresher of how to make graphs and the charts. I believe that as we go into further weeks, some of these problems that I am having will be second nature to me.
3) I spent about 2 hours on the first week assignments and about 4 hours on this week’s assignments.
1. System thinking may cause decision-makers and their analysts to look at the data and numbers being produced with a clear understanding that has no emotional influence on the issue that could affect the results. There is essentially no influence of humanity regarding the numerical models being produced.
ReplyDelete2. Using Vensim in the second week, I also found it more challenging. The learning curve was steeper as we delved into more complex aspects of the software. Despite the initial challenges, I enjoyed the learning process. The recorded Zoom video helped me immensely in completing this assignment.
3. I took around two hours to do this week's assignment. While it required more time compared to the previous week, the additional effort was worthwhile for gaining a deeper understanding of the software.
1. With systems thinking can give decision-makers and their analysts insight into ethical problems. System thinking allows them to examine the problem from multiple perspectives since adds sensitivity to the system model. With system thinking the complex issues are not just assumed to be purely economic, environmental, social-cultural, or technical. Instead, the modeled systems take into account creating causal links between these aspects and dimensions.
ReplyDelete2. Using Venism in the second week, I found it quite hard. But after playing around and watching the video I got a better understanding of how to link variables together so that use them in equations and do the charts associated with them.
3. It took me about two hours to do this assignment.
1. Systems thinking might facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision makers and their analysts through unpacking the consequences of choices when creating models. Every action counts and every action reflects the creator on a deeper level. Perhaps this is through cutting information, intentionally picking elements, the makers are not considering needs apart from their own. Like the text states, there are a plethora of external variables that are impacted by systems thinking. How to neglect or consider them is up to the analyst.
ReplyDelete2. I struggled with Venism due to overconfidence. Once I slowed down and restarted my work after going over the videos, I had a better time for sure!
3. My current pace is around 2-4 hours for tasks.
This is from Dominique Velarde
ReplyDelete1) Systems thinking helps to facilitate ethical discussion both by portraying the relationships between different aspects of a problem, and allowing for the testing of multiple solutions. As there are plenty of tools to visualize changes and adjust variables for testing through systems, an ethical discussion can occur much more easily with the availability of data. Without systems thinking, these discussions would be much more nebulous, whereas with these systems the different options and their consequences are much easier to see and evaluate.
ReplyDelete2) Though belated, my second experience with Vensim was a bit trickier than for the first assignment. In particular, I had a hard time navigating the versions of the model we used for this week, so it took a bit of extra effort.
3) My work has been delayed the last several weeks, but each week's readings and work takes me about 4 hours.
Relative to the discussion in Pruyt and Kwakkel on combining system dynamics and ethics, I believe systems thinking can facilitate ethical discussions for decision makers in a few key ways. First, mapping complex systems makes the downstream and unintended consequences of potential actions more visible. Leaders can't plead ignorance. Second, it surfaces the diverse perspectives of various stakeholders. Understanding how a decision strategically impacts different groups allows more ethical weighting. Finally, system dynamics models can quantify and compare the ethical impacts of alternatives using metrics like human welfare or environmental damage. This adds more precision and accountability.
ReplyDeleteIn my second week using Vensim, I am having fewer issues building and running models. The interface makes more intuitive sense and debugging problems is getting easier through using the sketch and ghost modes. I am still learning how to format display elements properly for clear communication. The time I'm spending on assignments has remained fairly steady at around 5-6 hours per modeling activity. Now that I am more comfortable with the tools, I can focus cognitive bandwidth on strengthening the model conceptualization and analysis of dynamics rather than technical troubleshooting within the software. I expect time-on-task to taper a bit as fluency increases. Supplementing lessons with additional YouTube tutorials on Vensim has been helpful for consolidating skills.
- Systems thinking can facilitate the discussion of ethical issues for decision-makers and their analysts by analyzing them from multiple perspectives, thinking beyond mental models, and examining the long-term consequences (Pruyt & Kwakkel). Systems thinking allows you to develop multiple solutions from various viewpoints and determine whether each solution will be beneficial in the long run. Additionally, systems thinking is beneficial in devising better-suited decisions from the current ill-considered ones.
ReplyDeleteSystems thinking suggests that all involved parties are responsible for issues generated by a system. The criteria for responsibility relies on those who have the ability to change the system, and those with the legitimate power to make the change should act on it. Systems thinking would not allow someone with leverage to be passively inactive when faced with ethical issues (Pruyt & Kwakkel). Additionally, when faced with an ethical issue, “...a system dynamics practitioner…” has the greatest responsibility to share their knowledge due to their expertise about the system (Pruyt & Kwakkel).
- I struggled to learn how to use the different tools in Vensim. I could work more efficiently once I became more familiar with the interface. I did find myself wanting to look back at previous runs, so I got frustrated when I couldn’t figure out how to do so. My issues mainly resulted from my lack of experience with the software.
-I spend roughly three hours on the assignments because it takes me some time to figure out how to approach the problem.
1. Systems thinking offers a valuable framework for exploring ethical considerations among decision makers and analysts. Fundamental assumptions underpinning systems and models play a crucial role in shaping ethical implications. If these assumptions are ethically questionable, the entire model may be compromised. Utilizing models enables builders and analysts to examine problems and concepts from diverse perspectives, thus gaining insight into the potential long-term effects of their actions. By envisioning various outcomes, analysts can make more ethically informed decisions, considering the impact on different stakeholders across different scenarios.
ReplyDelete2. My experience with Vensim this week revealed a mixed bag of ease and difficulty. Familiar tools from previous sessions became more manageable, whereas unfamiliar ones presented challenges. For instance, I encountered difficulty changing the variables.
3. This week, I dedicated approximately three hours to completing assignments. My focus was on problem-solving approaches and using Vensim properly.
1. Systems thinking offers a holistic approach to understanding the ethical implications of decision-making by emphasizing the interconnectedness of various elements within a system. This approach allows decision-makers and analysts to consider the long-term consequences of their actions and how they affect different stakeholders. By using systems thinking, ethical considerations are integrated into the decision-making process, encouraging a broader perspective that goes beyond immediate outcomes.
ReplyDelete2. The experience with Vensim in the second week appears mixed, with some users finding certain aspects easier due to familiarity, while struggling with new features or more complex tasks. This variance suggests a learning curve that is gradually being navigated, with progress in some areas and challenges in others, indicating an ongoing adjustment to the tool's capabilities and how to effectively apply them to modeling tasks.
3. Time spent on assignments seems to range between 2 to 4 hours, indicating a significant commitment to understanding and applying the concepts taught in the course. This time investment reflects the complexity of the tasks and the effort required to master systems thinking tools like Vensim, along with the analytical skills needed to tackle the assignments effectively.
1. Systems thinking encourages stakeholders to consider the interconnectedness of various factors within a system. When analyzing ethical issues, decision makers and analysts can identify how actions in one part of the system might impact other parts, including unintended consequences.
ReplyDelete2. At first Vensim was fairly confusing, but after using it and getting my footing down it started to make a lot more sense. I can see why it is such a useful tool for data analytics.
3. The assignments have been taking me about an hour approximately.