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System Archetype
System Archetype
System archetypes are patterns of behavior of a system. Systems expressed by circles of causality have therefore similar structure. Identifying a
system archetype and finding the leverage enables efficient changes in a system. The basic system archetypes and possible solutions of the
problems are mentioned in the section Examples of system archetypes.[1] A fundamental property of nature is that no cause can affect the past.
System archetypes do not imply that current causes affect past effects.
Circles of causality
The basic idea of system thinking is that every action triggers a reaction. In system dynamics this reaction is called feedback. There are two types
of feedback – reinforcing feedback and balancing feedback. Sometimes a feedback (or a reaction) does not occur immediately – the process
contains delays. Any system can be drawn as a diagram set up with circles of causality – including actions, feedbacks and delays.[1]
Delays
Delays in systems cause people to perceive a response to an action incorrectly. This causes an under- or overestimation of the needed action and
results in oscillation, instability or even breakdown.[1]
This archetype explains the system in which the response to action is delayed. If the agents do not perceive the delayed feedback, they might
overshoot or underestimate the requisite action in order to reach their goals. This could be avoided by being patient or by accelerating reactions of
the system to realized measures. Example: supply chain (The Beer Game)[1]
Limits to growth
The unprecedented growth is produced by a reinforcing feedback process until the system reaches its peak. The halt of this growth is caused by
limits inside or outside of the system. However, if the limits are not properly recognized; the former methods are continuously applied, but more
and more aggressively. This results in the contrary of the desired state – a decrease of the system. The solution lies in the weakening or elimination
of the cause of limitation. Example: dieting, learning foreign languages[1]
Causal loop diagram "Limits to growth"
Attractiveness Principle is an archetype derived from Limits to Growth. The main difference is that Attractiveness Principle assumes growth is
limited with two or more factors.
The problem is handled by a simple solution with immediate effect, thereby "healing the symptoms". The primary source of the problem is
overlooked, because its remedy is demanding and has no immediate outcome. The origin of the problem should be identified and solved in the
long-term run during which the addiction to the symptomatic remedy decreases. Example: drug addiction, paying debts by borrowing[1]
A special case of the “Shifting the Burden” systems archetype that occurs when an intervenor is brought in to help solve an ongoing problem.
Over time, as the intervenor successfully handles the problem, the people within the system become less capable of solving the problem
themselves. They become even more dependent on the intervenor. Examples: ongoing use of outside consultants.
In simple terms, this is an archetype whereby a system grows increasingly dependent on an outside intervenor to help it function. In the short-term
this works, but in the long term the system is unable to function on its own due to the dependence on the intervention and eventually fails to
perform.
Causal loop diagram "Shifting the burden to the intervenor"
Eroding goals
A kind of drift to low performance archetype. Example: balancing the public debt, sliding limits of environmental pollution[1]
Escalation
This archetype could be seen as a non-cooperative game where both players suppose that just one of them can win. They are responding to
actions of the other player in order to “defend themselves”. The aggression grows and can result in self-destructive behavior. The vicious circle
can be broken by one agent stopping to react defensively and turn the game into cooperative one. Or by stopping to react to the other, or very
slightly.
Success to successful
Two people or activities need the same limited resources. As one of them becomes more successful, more resources are assigned to him/it. The
second one becomes less and less successful due to lacking resources, and “prove the right decision” to support the first one. Problems occur if the
competition is unhealthy and interferes with the goals of the whole system. The two activities or agents might be decoupled or they should receive
balanced amount of resources. Examples: two products of one company, work vs. family[1]
Agents use common limited resource to profit individually. As the use of the resource is not controlled, the agents would like to continuously raise
their benefits. The resource is therefore used more and more and the revenues of the agents are decreasing. The agents are intensifying their
exploitation until the resource is completely used up or seriously damaged. To protect common resources some form of regulation should be
introduced. Example: fish stocks (The Fishing Game)[1]
The limit to growth is the current production capacity. It can be removed by sufficient investment in new capacities. If the investment is not
aggressive enough (or it is too low), the capacities are overloaded, the quality of services declines and the demand decreases. This archetype is
especially important in capacity planning.[2] Example: small, but growing company.[1] The models presented in the above reference[2] are not
properly formulated and results may mislead newcomers, neither are they representative of the archetypes shown on this page.
See also
The Fifth Discipline
System Dynamics
Organizational learning
Limits to Growth
Accidental Adversaries
References
1. Senge, Peter M. (1990), The Fifth Discipline (https://books.google.com/books?id=bVZqAAAAMAAJ), Doubleday/Currency,
ISBN 978-0-385-26094-7
2. Spicar, Radim (April 3, 2014). "System Dynamics Archetypes in Capacity Planning" (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.proeng.2014.
03.128). Procedia Engineering. 69 (C): 1350–1355. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.03.128 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.proeng.201
4.03.128).
External links
System archetypes (http://www.systems-thinking.org/arch/arch.htm)
System thinking (http://www.systems-thinking.org/index.htm)
Systems archetypes and their application (https://www.saybrook.edu/unbound/systems-archetypes/) (Jorge Taborga, August
2011)
The System Archetypes (https://www.albany.edu/faculty/gpr/PAD724/724WebArticles/sys_archetypes.pdf) (William Braun,
2002.02.27) - this is a pdf document (26p)
Systems Archetypes at a Glance (https://thesystemsthinker.com/pocket-guide-systems-archetypes-at-a-glance/) (Daniel H. Kim)