Browsing by Author "Forsyth, Tim"

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    The Boundaries of Flow: when the balance between a person’s challenges and capabilities becomes imbalanced, an empirical investigation of the relationship between subjective experience, capabilities and challenge.
    (2022-08) Forsyth, Tim; Hilton, Jeremy; Dodd, Lorraine
    The problematic situation this doctoral research project investigates concerns how the quality of a person’s lived subjective experience is affected by differing degrees of challenge: a product of pressures and demands that overwhelm a person’s knowledge, skills and experience (capability). The cost of stress and the ways stress make people vulnerable to illness is well documented. Therefore, the purpose of this doctoral research project is – to identify the thresholds (points) where the balance between challenges and capability moves to imbalance. This study uses Flow Theory and Complex Systems Theory as the foundation for this research. A literature review of flow theory pertaining to the research problem identified deficiencies in the models, methods and practices. As a result, the project is divided into two sections. The first section developed a new synthesised model of experience using an innovative suite of methods. The insights gained from this model were used to inform the second phase of the research project. The second phase utilises a novel multi-paradigmatic design strategy grounded in a realist philosophy of science. This approach facilitated the development of a quasi-experimental protocol and construct elicitation method to investigate the individual participant's subjective experience of varying degrees of challenge in the sensory and affective domains, respectively. This project contributes to the knowledge gap in two distinct yet complementary ways. Firstly, the research identified a relational link between challenge and subjective experience. Secondly, as experienced by the individual, challenge is incremental and cumulative. Moreover, this doctoral research project realises the overarching research objective by developing a codebook and a new synthesised model of experience. When the model and codebook are combined, they can identify when a person’s challenges and capabilities are aligned and misaligned through the various instances and absences of experiential states. This contribution represents a proof of concept. Future work is required to develop the method's applicability in organisational environments to support and enhance people’s lived experience of work.
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    A framework for systems thinking practice
    (Cranfield University, 2022-09-15) Clewley, Natalie; Forsyth, Tim; Dodd, Lorraine; Hilton, Jeremy
    This paper provides a novel model/framework for OR practitioners to approach and engage in complex situations. Developed over many years by the Systems Thinking Practice team at Cranfield University, this framework builds upon and complements previous multi-methodology theory (Jackson, 2019; Mingers & Brocklesby, 1997) and draws from new methodological developments in philosophy of science (Blaikie & Priest, 2017). Reflective Practice lies at the heart of good systems intervention (Churchman, 1979; Dodd, 2018; Hoverstadt, 2022; Jackson, 2019). The proposed framework uses Reflective Practice as the conduit that coheres three interrelated and interdependent domains: the practitioner-academic interface; systems tools and methods; and philosophical perspectives. The intersection of these three domains highlights additional challenge areas that practitioners need to be aware of. At the intersection of Philosophy and Method is a new methodology that links the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ (Checkland, 1999, p. 163). At the intersection of Practitioner and Method, the practitioner must balance the selection of methods in conjunction with their previous experience, skills and preference for individual tools, in such a way as to be mindful of any biases. The intersection between Practitioner and Philosophy is grounded in the lower levels of the Iceberg Model (Hall, 1976) where the practitioner should be mindful of (and potentially surface) any personal beliefs and values that may inhibit the appreciation of other perspectives. Currently, we apply this model/framework in research in Public Health, Defence and Security and Organisational Resilience; also, in teaching a new generation of systems thinking practitioners who will go on to be active members within the OR community. Going forward, our intention is to generate a set of principles to support practitioners engaging with complex situations within OR.
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    A novel framework for identifying the threshold of trust-worthiness of Artificial Intelligence
    (Cranfield University, 2021-10-12) Forsyth, Tim; Kumar, Ajay; Economou, John T.