Exploring and designing practical techniques for the analysis and design of complex work systems : a journeyman's story

Formal systems thinking methods are not readily understandable, applicable nor necessarily useful in the dealing with complex problem domains facing managers in the public sector workplace. This thesis explores the design of other practical techniques that managers, designers, business systems analysts and project staff can use in the workplace to enhance their individual and collective analytical, systemic and critical thinking skills and capabilities. The interpretive framework used in this social ecology research comprised a constructivist paradigm, a relativist ontology, a subjectivist epistemology, and a critical learning heuristic method. The research technique has been a purposeful and practical combination of critical learning heuristics, action research, project management and creative design conversations. Through the adoption of a first person narrative form and the literary motif of a journeyman?s story, the author relates aspects of his cumulative learning and research. The four major action research cycles are presented in a chronological sequence spanning the seven year period from late 1997 to end 2004. Key findings include a range of practical techniques, informed by systems and complexity theories, that managers and staff can readily understand and apply in approaching complex issues and dynamic problem domains in a large public sector organisation.