Systems thinking in strategy, marketing and supply chain and application for business sustainability

Early work applying systems theory to marketing by Fisk (1967) was arguably ahead of its time but suffered from the limitations of the age. The later rise of computer modelling has enabled complex systems to be better understood. But how can this reveal the transition points between a system operating in a simple, and thereby predictable way, or in a complex and turbulent, unpredictable way? Looking at the natural world for inspiration, and at different cultural ways of interpreting the natural world, the balance and interplay between linear simplicity and nonlinear complexity seen in nature are discussed. This is contrasted with the traditional dominance of ‘mechanical thinking’ in management. Practical application is then considered, with a particular focus on sustainability issues related to demand and supply management