root-definition

The chapter elaborates on the later stages of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), focusing on building conceptual models from Root Definitions and comparing these models with real-world perceptions to identify systemically desirable and culturally feasible changes. It emphasizes that SSM is an iterative, learning-based process that treats both 'what to do' and 'how to do it' as problematic, using models as epistemological devices to facilitate debate among stakeholders with conflicting interests. The chapter contrasts SSM with traditional Systems Engineering by highlighting SSM's focus on cultural meanings and its role as an inquiry process rather than a fixed system.

The chapter presents a detailed application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) within a UK science-based company's Information and Library Services Department (ILSD), where managers unfamiliar with SSM conducted a systems study to improve performance amid organizational pressures. The study involved exploring the complex, ill-structured problem situation, identifying informal power dynamics and multiple problem owners, and using the EROS model to prioritize problem themes. Through iterative methodological cycles, the team developed root definitions and conceptual models, shifting their understanding of ILSD from a reactive to a proactive information service, and operationalized these insights by defining databases, performance measures, and resource requirements to support decision-making under constraints.