MGT603 System Thinking Critique - Assignment Solution

Critique of Sean Mangan Proposal

The key element of system thinking as we discussed in the September 2019 Module 1.2 lecture was the holistic perspective or approach to a problem. The first step after identifying an organisation and its problem is to apply the system thinking analysis to the problem. In this section, you identified the St Andrews Catholic College and parking as the major problem to address using the system thinking perspective. The application of a system thinking the analysis in your case is impressive and on point. Proctor (2010) argues, system thinking sees the structures, patterns, and cycles of a system and not focusing on a single event. In this approach, you have observed the parking problem not only a challenge for the college administration but as a multi-perspective issue. This has enabled the evaluation of the problem from the perspective of different stakeholders. 

The identification of plausible consequences is on point is given that the proposed solution will ensure safety for road users within and outside the school and enhance efficiency and security for parents, staff, and students. This affirms that the use of system thinking has enabled you to view the college as a large ecosystem with different actors and stakeholders which help in understanding the interrelation between the variables. The use of CATWOE tool of analysis is effectively illustrated with key elements identified appropriately. However, the Customer and Owner elements are inadequate since you did not illustrate how the problem affects them and the role they play in the solution within the CATWOE diagram. Although this is explained in the conclusion, it makes the logical flow of the solution ambiguous. Regardless, it has little impact on the overall analysis and integration of system thing analysis and tools.