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System dynamics and group facilitation: contributions from communication theory
Author(s) -
Visser Max
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
system dynamics review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.491
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1099-1727
pISSN - 0883-7066
DOI - 10.1002/sdr.391
Subject(s) - facilitation , process (computing) , dynamics (music) , computer science , group dynamic , system dynamics , group (periodic table) , work (physics) , quality (philosophy) , basis (linear algebra) , management science , process management , psychology , engineering , artificial intelligence , social psychology , mathematics , epistemology , mechanical engineering , pedagogy , philosophy , chemistry , organic chemistry , neuroscience , operating system , geometry
In this paper a theoretical approach to group facilitation is introduced, based on the work of the so‐called Palo Alto school in communication and psychotherapy. This approach permits an analysis of group facilitation processes on the basis of several important principles that also inform system dynamics model building and simulation. On the basis of this analysis existing lists of appropriate facilitation skills and attitudes may be supplemented with three guidelines, leading to greater insight into the quality of the process of group model building and possible ways to evaluate that process. Ultimately, the growth and proliferation of system dynamics models and simulations depend on improvement of both process and content of modeling and simulation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.