Does the theory of Open Systems result in an inability to ever find a route cause?
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Last Updated: Wed 25 Oct 2023 11:15
Question
Does the theory of Open Systems result in an inability to ever find a route cause?
Answer
The theory of open systems does not necessarily result in an inability to ever find a root cause. Open systems theory refers simply to the concept that organizations are strongly influenced by their environment1. The environment consists of other organizations that exert various forces of an economic, political, or social nature1. The environment also provides key resources that sustain the organization and lead to change and survival1. Open systems theory allows for repeated cycles of input, transformation (i.e., throughputs), output, and renewed input within organizations2. A feedback loop connects organizational outputs with renewed inputs2.
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a process of discovering the root causes of problems in order to identify appropriate solutions3. RCA assumes that it is much more effective to systematically prevent and solve underlying issues rather than just treating ad hoc symptoms and putting out fires3. Therefore, RCA can be used in open systems as well as closed systems.