Systems Thinking Assignment: Case Analysis of Johnson and Johnson Company

Question

Task: Context:
We live in a dynamic world, which consists of various complex adaptive systems and requires today’s managers to take a holistic view of the business. In order to gain a holistic understanding, managers need to understand all the key stakeholders and the intended and unintended consequences of their decisions. To achieve this objective, managers need to learn and apply systems thinking tools and techniques. One such tool is “Rich Picture”. Rich picture helps us express our own understanding of the world, the stakeholders to be considered and the impact that they may have our actions. Tools such as Rich picture, CATWOE and Root Definition reports help us to understand others’ perspectives without getting involved in conflicting arguments of convincing one another about their own worldview.

Systems Thinking Assignment Instructions:
Using the resulting discussion as a platform students are required to analyse and synthesise consequences on various stakeholders involved while achieving the goals and objectives through policy implementation. There are two (2) sections to

Assessment 2
1) Rich Picture – Students are to create a Rich Picture of the problem. This can be hand drawn and should provide aconcise overview of the complex system under review.

2) Root Definition report using CATWOE – A Root
Definition report is a structured analysis and description of the system being investigated. A Root Definition report explains the what, how and why. A CATWOE analysis can help in the development of a thorough Root Definition Report. CATWOE is a mnemonic that identifies all stakeholders in the system being analysed.

CATWOE stands for
C- Customers/clients
A - Actors
T – Transformation Process
W- Weltanschauung / Worldview
O – Owners
E- Environment

To successfully complete Assessment 2 both sections must be completed. Your final report must include

• Rich Picture
• Root Definition Report using CATWOE.
• And, based on these two tools, students will recommend a minimum of two (2) optimal solutions to overcome the problem/policy challenge

Answer

Introduction
This report on systems thinking assignment is entirely based upon the case of Johnson and Johnson Company. This company has been recognized as one of the leading brands in the world that supplies different organizational products and services to its customers, such as packaged products, medical as well as health care devices. However, it has been observed that from the last two years the company is facing different complaints from the consumers, related to their product quality, performance, reliability as well as usability. However, this particular report will analyze these specific problems observed in the organization with the utilization of a rich picture and a root definition report. In the section of the root definition report, this report will engage CATWOE analysis on the identified situation.

Rich Picture
The rich picture refers to a specific diagram concerning any particular and sensitive situation, which demonstrates the major component as well as connection, which should be recognized on account of intervening for the purpose of implementing a few enhancements. Furthermore, it contains different symbols, texts, icons as well as pictures. These specific structures have been utilized for the purpose of illustration of that particular situation, following a graphical manner. However, this has been named as a rich picture as this demonstrates the specific richness along with the difficulties concerning any specific and significant situation. Moreover, it also assists in having acknowledgment regarding the difficulty concerning the total situation.

Figure: rich picture
(Source: Created by the student)

Root definition report
The initial phases within SSM that stand for Soft System Methodology is of generating the root definition of a situation that tended to be studied, analyzed rather designed. Moreover, it has been considered as a well-framed explanation concerning that particular system(Støttrup et al., 2019).It includes a transparent declaration concerning the operations that occur within the Johnson and Johnson Company. It mainly includes the responses of three different queries in regards to the identified situation, such as why what and how. However, CATWOE analysis is really helpful in case of the formulation of a proper root definition report. It refers to a mnemonic that supports identification as well as categorization of each and every stakeholder, such as entities, environments, processes, and peoples concerning the particular organizational situation that tended for being analyzed here in order to generate the root definition. However, each of the letters of CATWOE represents a specific entity; environment, process, or people, such as C stand for Customer, A stands for Actors, T stands for the Transformation process, W stands for Worldview, O stands for Owners, along with that E stands for Environment. However, the following section of the report includes the analysis of all of these aforementioned elements of CATWOE analysis on behalf of the particular situation of Johnson and Johnson Company.

a) Customers: This particular element consists of organizational customers. Here, in this case, the customers should have a quality product, and should not be harmful. The organization should perform the changes in the organizational system focusing on the requirements and demands of the customers(Deutscher, 2017). After all, the customer support is one of the major things in order to be successful in the particular changes in the system.

b) Actors: In this particular case of Johnson and Johnson Company the main actors of the change process are the suppliers, organizational employees, and managers. Here, in this case, these persons are only having the capability of ensuring that the transformation process is running properly or not. Here, in this case, all of these personals are responsible in case of handling different activities of the change process properly and efficiently.

c) Transformation process: It is the change, which a procedure rather system needs to have. This has been considered as the procedure, where the input has been transformed through the company in the outcome(Frank, Shaked&Koral-Kordova, 2016). Furthermore, the organization should consider the intermediate phases properly as well as the input along with the expected outcome of the process.

d) Worldview: This specific segment is gigantically affecting hierarchical business. A few pivotal issues are equipped for being emerged that can't sift through with no appropriate conversation, subsequently inside this particular segment; the immense issues will be clarified as well as administrated to illuminate. No one wants for making a tremendous issue alongside that no one is fit for disregarding the immense issue that showed up. Moreover, having an extraordinary worry about the issues concerning a perspective will support the Johnson and Johnson Company to deal with their issues inside their business.

e) Owners:It mainly indicates the person who demands to have transformation as well as who finalize whether an undertaking should be begun rather stopped.Here, in this case, the owner of this situation is the CEO of the Johnson and Johnson Company. Here, in this case, these persons are having the maximum power for the purpose of making a significant decision, so that, they need to be conscious on account of different changes along with the way of changing(Daly &Finnigan, 2016).

f) Environmental constraints: This specific element of CATWOE analysis is the last but similarly significant element likewise the previous, which main defines the real environmental components, which is having the capability of influencing the organization as well as also having the capability of limiting rather restricting the system. Here, in this case, the Johnson and Johnson Company should focus on the environmental factors, economical constraints, and regulations along with the ethical boundaries during performing the change process for making it much successful.

Recommended Solution
On behalf of the identified problem, the following section describes two significant solutions that the selected organization should incorporate, for addressing the problem. However, the solutions are:
a) Focus on the organizational people: However, as the organization problem mainly occurredfor the poor level of the organizational operations, thus the organization should focus on the organizational employees properly. The organization should check that each of the employees is having proper induction and abilities for doing their jobs(Caldwell & Anderson, 2019). Moreover, it is also essential to check all of the employees are doing their work properly and timely. The supplied raw materials from the different suppliers also need to be checked in this case.

b) Quality check: Quality check is another suitable solution in case of the identified problem in Johnson and Johnson Company. The organization should check each of their developed products twice before delivering to the customers(Spath& Kelly, 2017). The ingredients of the products should also be checked at the initiation stage of the product development process. The organization should also focus on the customer review on the product, for the purpose of its quality enhancement as well.

Conclusion
The entire report is based on the analysis of the identified problems of the Johnson and Johnson Company. Initially, it had developed a rich picture for explaining the specific situation of the organization. Furthermore, it had also included the root definition of the problem using the CATWOE analysis. However, in the end, the document suggested two specific and significant solutions, and through the incorporation of the particular changes, the organization can address the problem with their product quality as well as organizational operations.

Reference List
Caldwell, C., & Anderson, V. A. (2019). Continuous improvement : insights for a transformative world / (Ser. Management science--theory and applications). Nova Science.https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1126348964

Daly, A. J., &Finnigan, K. S. (Eds.). (2016). Thinking and acting systemically : improving school districts under pressure. American Educational Research Association.https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/988277863 Deutscher, M. L. (2017). Screening the system : exposing security clearance dangers. Potomac Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press.https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/953919198

Frank, M., Shaked, H., &Koral-Kordova, S. (Eds.). (2016). Systems thinking : foundation, uses and challenges (Ser. Management science: theory and applications). Systems thinking assignmentNova Science Publishers.https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/951563488

Spath, P., & Kelly, D. L. (2017). Applying quality management in healthcare : a systems approach (Fourth). Health Administration Press.https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/969200802

Støttrup, J. G., Dinesen, G. E., Schumacher, J., Gillgren, C., Ina?cio Miguel, &Schernewski, G. (2019). The systems approach framework for collaborative, science-based management of complex systems. Journal of Coastal Conservation : Planning and Management, 23(5), 881–898. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-018-00677-5