Thinking Inside the Box: Applying the Theory of Karma to Make Boundary Judgements in Systemic Interventions

Sankaran, S; Sankaran, G

Thinking Inside the Box: Applying the Theory of Karma to Make Boundary Judgements in Systemic Interventions

Sankaran, S

Sankaran, G

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Publisher:: Springer International Publishing
Publication Type:: Chapter
Citation:: Managing VUCA Through Integrative Self-Management: How to Cope with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity in Organizational Behavior, 2017, pp. 131 - 147
Issue Date:: 2017

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	2017 Springer Book Chapter Sankaran and Sankaran Thinking Inside the Box Karma-1.pdf	Published version	1.76 MB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Sankaran, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5485-6216	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sankaran, G	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Nandram, SS	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Bindlish, PK	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Managing VUCA Through Integrative Self-Management: How to Cope with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity in Organizational Behavior, 2017, pp. 131 - 147	en_US
dc.identifier.isbn	978-3-319-52230-2	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/99757
dc.description.abstract	Systems researchers often combine methodologies to carry out systemic interventions in a purposeful way. Midgley defines a systemic intervention as “purposeful action by an agent to create change in relation to reflection on boundaries”. It is therefore important when undertaking systemic interventions that researchers and practitioners engage in ‘boundary critique ’. This involves making judgements on inclusion, exclusion and marginalization of stakeholders, and on the issues relating to the intervention. Midgley argues that it is impossible for practitioners involved in systemic interventions to become neutral modelers or facilitators. They suggest that practitioners have to explicitly acknowledge these limitations and manage them while making decisions about system boundaries. Midgley et al. also recommend that a systems approach to an intervention should include exploration of stakeholder values and boundaries for analysis, challenge marginalization and use multi-methodologies. This chapter will explore—providing examples of issues faced during systemic interventions from the literature—how the Indian philosophical concept of karma (right action) could assist the ‘thinking inside the box’ that could assist systems researchers to make boundary judgements while carrying out systemic interventions ‘outside the box’.	en_US
dc.publisher	Springer International Publishing	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Managing VUCA Through Integrative Self-Management: How to Cope with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity in Organizational Behavior	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/978-3-319-52231-9_9	en_US
dc.title	Thinking Inside the Box: Applying the Theory of Karma to Make Boundary Judgements in Systemic Interventions	en_US
dc.type	Chapter
utslib.location	Germany	en_US
utslib.for	160807 Sociological Methodology and Research Methods	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Built Environment
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CCDP - Contemporary Design Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	true	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	Germany	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US

Abstract:

Systems researchers often combine methodologies to carry out systemic interventions in a purposeful way. Midgley defines a systemic intervention as “purposeful action by an agent to create change in relation to reflection on boundaries”. It is therefore important when undertaking systemic interventions that researchers and practitioners engage in ‘boundary critique ’. This involves making judgements on inclusion, exclusion and marginalization of stakeholders, and on the issues relating to the intervention. Midgley argues that it is impossible for practitioners involved in systemic interventions to become neutral modelers or facilitators. They suggest that practitioners have to explicitly acknowledge these limitations and manage them while making decisions about system boundaries. Midgley et al. also recommend that a systems approach to an intervention should include exploration of stakeholder values and boundaries for analysis, challenge marginalization and use multi-methodologies. This chapter will explore—providing examples of issues faced during systemic interventions from the literature—how the Indian philosophical concept of karma (right action) could assist the ‘thinking inside the box’ that could assist systems researchers to make boundary judgements while carrying out systemic interventions ‘outside the box’.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/99757