BSNS 111 Exam Revision
What is systems thinking? - ANS-Ways of thinking which will help you to solve existing problems
in the world today
What are wicked problems? - ANS-Difficult or impossible to solve, made up as a product of
different interconnected issues
The Macro-environment - ANS-the total environment outside the firm, the comprehensive
societal context in which the organization resides
Cost of living crisis, use of child labor in supply change, climate change - ANS-Examples of
wicked problems
Capitalism - ANS-An economic system in which the major portion of production and distribution
is in private hands, operating under what is termed as a 'profit' or 'market' system.
Laissez-faire - ANS-A French leadership perception translating to letting people do as they
choose.
Cynefin Framework - ANS-Complex (probe, sense, respond)- emergent
Complicated (sense, analyze, respond)- good practice
Chaotic (act, sense, respond)- novel
Simple (sense, categorize, respond)- best practice
In the complex area... - ANS-the cause and effect are unknown
System? - ANS-Interconnecting parts functioning as a whole
Three core systems ideas: - ANS-Inter-relationships
Perspectives
Boundaries
Event-oriented thinking - ANS-information about a problem ---> action ---> result
The problem with event oriented thinking is... - ANS-that the approach does not target the issue
as it doesn't acknowledge context
, Feedback thinking - ANS-Time delays between cause and effect, and cause and effect can just
be floating in space
Anatomy of a causal loop diagram - ANS-- link: causal relationship between two variables
- link polarity: the '+' means that if then cause increases, the effect increases above what it
would otherwise have been
- Link polarity: the '-' means that if the cause increases, the effect decreases below what it would
otherwise have been
- Loop identifier: indicates whether the loop is balancing or reinforcing
Primary dimension of diversity - ANS-core elements through which people shape their
self-image and world views
e.g. age, race, ethnicity, gender, mental/physical abilities, sexual orientation
Secondary dimension of diversity - ANS-Can be acquired or changed throughout a lifetime
e.g. education, religion, location, experience, paternal status, marital status
Diversity can create an advantage in the workplace because... - ANS-- increased
creativity/synergy
- less likelihood of 'groupthink' and other bad decisions
- increased awareness of broad customer base
- more interesting, engaging and developmental work environment
An example of a diversity challenge faced by managers... - ANS-lower percentage of women in
top level management
Ethnocentrism - ANS-belief that one's own group or subculture is inherently superior to other
groups or cultures i.e. bias
Disparate treatment: - ANS-treating one employee or group of employees less favourably than
others for discriminatory reasons (e.g. race, religion, gender)
Disparate impact - ANS-a discriminatory effect on a group of employees (typically a protected
class) caused by an apparently, non-discriminatory policy or practice
Implicit bias - ANS-attitudes and stereotypes that subconsciously influence our thoughts, actions
and decisions, can be favourable or unfavourable, and can cause us to have feelings/attitudes
towards people based on certain characteristics, and can be different from out stated beliefs/not
reflect positions that we explicitly endorse
What is systems thinking? - ANS-Ways of thinking which will help you to solve existing problems
in the world today
What are wicked problems? - ANS-Difficult or impossible to solve, made up as a product of
different interconnected issues
The Macro-environment - ANS-the total environment outside the firm, the comprehensive
societal context in which the organization resides
Cost of living crisis, use of child labor in supply change, climate change - ANS-Examples of
wicked problems
Capitalism - ANS-An economic system in which the major portion of production and distribution
is in private hands, operating under what is termed as a 'profit' or 'market' system.
Laissez-faire - ANS-A French leadership perception translating to letting people do as they
choose.
Cynefin Framework - ANS-Complex (probe, sense, respond)- emergent
Complicated (sense, analyze, respond)- good practice
Chaotic (act, sense, respond)- novel
Simple (sense, categorize, respond)- best practice
In the complex area... - ANS-the cause and effect are unknown
System? - ANS-Interconnecting parts functioning as a whole
Three core systems ideas: - ANS-Inter-relationships
Perspectives
Boundaries
Event-oriented thinking - ANS-information about a problem ---> action ---> result
The problem with event oriented thinking is... - ANS-that the approach does not target the issue
as it doesn't acknowledge context
, Feedback thinking - ANS-Time delays between cause and effect, and cause and effect can just
be floating in space
Anatomy of a causal loop diagram - ANS-- link: causal relationship between two variables
- link polarity: the '+' means that if then cause increases, the effect increases above what it
would otherwise have been
- Link polarity: the '-' means that if the cause increases, the effect decreases below what it would
otherwise have been
- Loop identifier: indicates whether the loop is balancing or reinforcing
Primary dimension of diversity - ANS-core elements through which people shape their
self-image and world views
e.g. age, race, ethnicity, gender, mental/physical abilities, sexual orientation
Secondary dimension of diversity - ANS-Can be acquired or changed throughout a lifetime
e.g. education, religion, location, experience, paternal status, marital status
Diversity can create an advantage in the workplace because... - ANS-- increased
creativity/synergy
- less likelihood of 'groupthink' and other bad decisions
- increased awareness of broad customer base
- more interesting, engaging and developmental work environment
An example of a diversity challenge faced by managers... - ANS-lower percentage of women in
top level management
Ethnocentrism - ANS-belief that one's own group or subculture is inherently superior to other
groups or cultures i.e. bias
Disparate treatment: - ANS-treating one employee or group of employees less favourably than
others for discriminatory reasons (e.g. race, religion, gender)
Disparate impact - ANS-a discriminatory effect on a group of employees (typically a protected
class) caused by an apparently, non-discriminatory policy or practice
Implicit bias - ANS-attitudes and stereotypes that subconsciously influence our thoughts, actions
and decisions, can be favourable or unfavourable, and can cause us to have feelings/attitudes
towards people based on certain characteristics, and can be different from out stated beliefs/not
reflect positions that we explicitly endorse
