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Example 1:
Computers, computers everywhere...then why don't we use them right???
A true story, told with permission.
An employee in a medium size company was insistent that she was unable to use computers. This became increasingly problematic as the company
became more technology dependent. When queried about her difficulty she said
that she was very slow at typing and was unable to increase her speed
despite many attempts over the years. This resulted in great
frustration and a general avoidance of the computer.
Her computer usage pattern was observed from a psyhological and behavioral perspectvie. It was
pointed out that although her typing was slow, she could still
operate at a basic functional level. She had difficulty with tasks such
as negotiating the Internet, accessing her email and file management.
She was shown that much of computer usage was done with the mouse, without the need for typing. It was her avoidance of
computers therefore and not her slow typing that stopped her from
learning effectively. As she was taught basic skills she became much less
computer phobic and more proficient. Establishment of her own web site
for her expanding personal business increased her incentive to learn
and utilize the technology greatly.
Organizational Principle:
Even in well-computerized organizations end user resistance or lack of
knowledge is the final determinant of how well computer systems are
utilized. Employees are frequently left to their own partially
effective or inefficient learning strategies, resulting in significant loss of
productivity in this crucial area.
Example 2:
I want to be President...
I often ask a client at the beginning of the consultation to reflect on what they would most like to do in life if there were no obstacles in their way. This helps to define the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the individual. They will sometimes answer with an entirely impractical goal such as “I always wanted to be President of the US.” The fact that they are 50 years old and have no political experience is a good indicator that this will not probably not occur in their lifetime. Nevertheless, it is important not to entirely dismiss an answer such as this. What after all is enticing about being President? Is it engaging in the political process or debate, being in charge, the love of power or having media attention for example? We then might incorporate these factors into more practical goals. They might be interested in leading a local community group or trying to run for local office. Alternatively they might start their own business to be in charge or look to take on more responsibility and power at work. People often, as they go on in life, sacrifice their long-standing hopes and aspirations in place of the practical. Helping one to reestablish and strive for long abandoned or forgotten goals may be an enormously liberating and gratifying experience.
Example 3:
Focused Interventions, Unexpected Results
When the complexity of systems interactions are not taken into perspective we sometimes get very unexpected and contradictory results. In the biological sphere for example, let us say that one has developed an insect spray of very low environmental toxicity that is very effective and specific for killing a certain type of crop-damaging insect. The first year of application the insect population plunges and the crop yield increases dramatically. However the second and third year resulted in an unanticipated drop in crop yield occurs. Why might such a seemingly contradictory result occur? Several factors might have caused this discrepancy. This particular insect may have kept a more damaging insect in check. Killing off the first may have resulted in an explosion of population growth of the second more destructive pest. The exterminated pest may also have played a positive role in the life cycle of the plant that was not known at the time. Alternatively, some species of birds may have fed on the insect. As the insect population drops so does the bird population and they in turn no longer feed on other damaging insects, rodents and the like.
Taking an illustration from business, let us say that an employee is praised openly in a meeting by his supervisor about his excellent work. The supervisor, thinking that positive reinforcement should motivate him even higher levels of performance, is distressed to note that in the ensuing months his productivity falls rather than rises. How might we explain this? There might be several system explanations for this. Possibly the individual has other interests in mind other than his job (e.g., starting his own business) and knowing that he is doing so well gives him license to do less work and more time to pursue his personal interests on the job. Alternatively, he may feel a loyalty to the other members of his team and may decrease his productivity to be more in line with the group norm. Understanding the individual in the context of his internal psychology as well as his external milieu helps us to begin to understand seemingly inconsistent behavior such as this. Subsequently dealing with the larger contextual issues will then help to resolve this issue successfully.

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