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How can we restore the ecological balance of our planet? The present article is aimed at contributing a structural framework for such a restoration. In the quest for ecological recovery, cybernetic–systemic approaches are in demand. They specialize in coping with complexity and offer new, transdisciplinary and non-reductionist ways of system design for renewing sustainability. This contribution uses a proven model from organizational cybernetics—the viable system model—as a frame for sustainable development. The model specifies how the viability of any human or social system can be achieved by means of clearly defined organizational structures. In accord with the logic of recursive organization inherent in the model, a proposal for a structural design aimed at enabling ecological recovery is formulated. That design includes all organizational levels of recursion, from individual to world. The implications of such a novel approach are far-reaching, and the impact powerful.

This paper evaluates the ways in which European business schools are implementing sustainability and ethics into their curricula. Drawing on data gathered by a recent large study that the Academy of Business in Society conducted in cooperation with EFMD, we map the approaches that schools are currently employing by drawing on and expanding Rusinko's (Acad Manag Learn Educ 9(3):507-519 2010) and Godemann et al.'s (2011) matrice of integrating sustainability in business and management schools. We show that most schools adopt one or more of the four approaches outlined by Godemann et al. (2011). However, we also argue that a fifth dimension needs to be added as the existing matrices do not capture the systemic nature of such curricular initiatives and how these are influenced by internal factors within the business school and external factors beyond. We suggest calling this fifth dimension 'Systemic Institutional Integration' and demonstrate that any business school which aims to integrate sustainability further into the curricula cannot succeed without the following: (1) Systemic thinking and systemic leadership, (2) Connectedness to business, the natural environment and society and (3) Institutional capacity building. Utilising further literature and the answers provided by the deans and faculty, we discuss each factor in turn and suggest paths towards the successful systemic institutional integration of sustainability and ethics into management education.

Purpose The prestigious policy advisor, World Economic Forum (WEF), underlines that “governments, businesses and civil society organisations” must find “new ways of tackling the systemic risks that affect us all”. Paradoxically, policy’s and politicians’ great trust in the basic forces of the business world is accompanied with a disinterest in how they are captured in analytical approaches. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what consequences different approaches to interaction present for policy attempts to use business forces to achieve change. Design/methodology/approach The discussion of theoretical approaches available for policy aiming to use the basic forces of business exchange for efficiency, innovation and industrial/societal renewal in specific directions is designed as follows: The authors identify two main choices of dimensions in the conceptualisation of business exchange, based on the acknowledgement of thin or thick interactions. The authors discuss how these are related to how interaction patterns appear in empirical studies of exchange. Based on the identification of conceptualisations and empirical findings, the authors discuss the ability for the public sphere to use the basic characteristics of business exchange to cope with societal challenges. Findings Research experiences on thick interaction and its consequences, that businesses and their input and output are interdependent, systemic and promote certain development paths, are largely ignored in approaches used in policy circles. Instead, policy advisors’ and policy commissioners’ understanding of business interaction patterns is coloured by mainstream economies assumption of thin interaction. The content and function of the market as depicted in this tradition are within EU, the basic foundation for legal regulations and limitations of businesses interaction patterns. Simply put, actors as well as the activities and resources that they are related to are approached as independent. Research limitations/implications This paper is focussed on the conceptual underpinnings of contemporary policy advices and commissions. This paper does not investigate deviations from these advices and commission made by policy practitioners on a local level Practical implications The message given by theoretical approaches recognising thick interaction is that the thicker it is, the more intervening, broader and more differentiated the policy tools and measures have to be. But that also puts high demands on policy actors on all levels to have both general and specific knowledge about thick interaction patterns. However, given the big challenges the society is facing, increased speed of change and, above all, increased influence over the direction of change are needed. Social implications WEF recognises the systemic features of the contemporary challenges to society with climate change in the foreground, and it stresses the need for finding new ways for public bodies and private businesses to cooperate to solve this. This implies the need to consider what theoretical approaches that should guide policy advice and measures. Hence, there is a need for the use of more sophisticated analytical approaches to the collective level, instead of those relying on that the interaction pattern of the business world is thin, straightforward and easy manageable. Originality/value This paper takes a novel approach to policy advice and policy commissions through focussing on what kind of theoretical concepts and approaches that actually are available for policy advisors and policy commissioners interested in using the basic forces of business exchange to increase efficiency and innovation in the public setting in general and furthermore to solve specific problems and to create new, specific development paths. Hence, both approaches adopted and neglected by policy are considered.

This study examined the role of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in promoting, creating, and sustaining social innovation. Recently, HEIs have extended their contribution beyond the traditional function of teaching and research to perform in socio-economic problem-solving. Considering the increasing trends of higher education involvement in social innovation practices, this study tries to examine the tools such as learning processes and systemic thinking approach that could be helpful to align the function and responsibilities of HEIs towards social innovation. The objective is to develop a theoretical understanding of the “co-creation for social innovation” concept and to understand the functions and activities of HEIs that can contribute to this process. To promote co-creation for social innovation, HEIs should actively encourage collaborative learning tools that focus on open platforms for collective action and systemic change that help them to engage with society and strengthen their collaboration with social actors. Different activities such as mutual learning and knowledge diffusion using a transdisciplinary approach, technology-based learning and collaboration, and relational transformation are key enablers that can promote social innovation.

This article analyzes the perceived competencies of first-year students entering social sciences and humanities programs at a technological university in western Mexico, focusing specifically on systemic thinking as a foundational metacompetency. The study examines whether these students possess a competency profile aligned with the demands of their disciplinary training and the broader challenges of humanistic education. Complex thinking was approached as a macrocompetency composed of four subdimensions, with systemic thinking prioritized due to its interdisciplinary relevance and its capacity to foster holistic understanding of interrelated social phenomena. Drawing on a sample of 255 students, the study employed the e-Complexity instrument to assess perceived achievement across disciplines. Statistically significant results indicate that students in social sciences and humanities exhibit higher self-perception in systemic thinking compared to peers in engineering and sciences. Gender-based differences were also observed, with women in these disciplines reporting the highest levels of systemic thinking. These findings underscore the centrality of systemic thinking for future professionals engaged in addressing multifaceted societal issues. The study advocates for integrating systemic thinking into curricular design to enhance students’ readiness for complex, interconnected realities. It concludes that this competency is not only crucial within humanistic disciplines but also transferable and essential across broader educational and professional contexts.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore a particular philosophical underpinning for Information Systems (IS) research - critical systemic thinking (CST). Drawing upon previous work, the authors highlight the principal features of CST within the tradition of critical research and attempt to relate it to trends in the Italian school of IS research in recent years, as exemplified by the work of Claudio Ciborra but also evident in work by, e.g. Resca, Jacucci and D'Atri.Design methodology approach - This is a conceptual paper which explores CST, characterised by a focus on individual uniqueness, and socially-constructed, individual worldviews as generators of human knowing.Findings - The paper draws on work by Heinz Klein in which he elaborated three constitutive stages in critical research: interpretive, genealogical and constructive. The authors introduce a fourth, reflective stage and discuss five categories of critical research, reflecting different perspectives on emancipation, culminating in emergent expressionism, associated with Ciborra and the Italian school more generally.Research limitations implications - This paper discusses approaches to CST and how they might have practical implications in IS development. The distinction between approaches founded in logical empiricism and those founded in hermeneutic dialectics are considered and the development of critical and systems strands are discussed.Practical implications - The paper addresses CST as an approach to development of information systems. Such approaches enable users to explore their individually unique understandings and create a constructive dialogue with one another, which emancipates and empowers users to own and control their own development processes and hence build more productive and usable systems.Social implications - A focus on research which is oriented towards emancipation in the tradition of critical social theory.Originality value - The paper draws on extensive theoretical research carried out by the authors over a period of more than ten years in CST and synthesises the practical implications.

A systems perspective is used to discuss the concept of sustainability. From this perspective, it is argued, sustainability can be regarded as a system state that is mediated by specific structures. This is fundamentally different from regarding sustainability merely as a normative goal, as it is presently regarded by most. Insight into the kinds of structures which mediate a system’s state open the door to proactive design of new structures and mechanisms, which are necessary for yielding effective change: in this case, promoting the sustainability agenda. The kind of change required to transform the prevailing trajectory of human affairs is presented as a second order change: a change that requires a major shift, and a complete transformation of the system itself, not only in a few aspects of its behavior. A new definition of sustainability is offered, anchored in the interaction of a population and the carrying capacity of its environment. From this definition, five core sustainability principles are derived, along with their respective policy and operational implications. Together, these principles prescribe the conditions that must be met to attain sustainability as an enduring state. The principles themselves form an integrated, systemic set, which requires them to be acted on simultaneously. A piecemeal approach—focusing on one aspect while neglecting others—is not likely to yield effective results for the whole.

Abstract   Public health systems face increasing complexity-driven by competing, fast-paced, and intersecting environmental, social, and political challenges. Addressing the emerging challenges requires governance approaches that embrace systemic thinking, manage policy trade-offs, and prioritise long-term health equity. This workshop brings together five research-based contributions that illustrate how policies and governance mechanisms operate in different public health domains-from climate change and industrial pollution to poverty, unemployment, and physical inactivity. The workshop's objective is to enhance understanding of how institutional structures, indicators, and evaluation frameworks can support public health professionals and policymakers in navigating difficult decisions and fragmented policy landscapes. The session will explore topics including governance platforms, welfare regimes, multidimensional poverty responses, and the role of evidence in national and international policy evaluation. Janssen will present an analysis of how a Dutch governance platform facilitated agreements across institutional levels to address health risks from industrial emissions, identifying mechanisms that mediate short- and long-term trade-offs. Kopasper will share findings from panel data collected from seven countries, demonstrating how welfare spending modifies the health and wellbeing effects of unemployment, with policy implications for labour market protection. Chen, representing the Lancet Countdown Europe, will discuss the integration of climate-health indicators into European policy frameworks and the role of public health professionals in advancing climate resilience. Champagne will interpret how Scotland's policy landscape responds to food and fuel insecurity, highlighting the tension between structural poverty, charitable responses, and the role of the health sector. Finally, Messing will critically assess the use of physical activity policy evaluation tools and propose avenues to better align national and international evaluation efforts. This session will begin with brief presentations, followed by an interactive moderated discussion to explore shared lessons learned, tensions, and possibilities for strengthening policy-relevant public health governance. The workshop is organised by EUPHA's PHPP section and aims to foster transdisciplinary reflection and practical strategies for systems-informed policymaking. Key messages • Institutional structures and indicators play a critical role in shaping public health responses to complex, multisectoral challenges. • Cross-country insights can help public health professionals and policymakers design more equitable and resilient systems in the face of current and future crises.

Underpinned by systemic thinking, social-ecological systems (SES) research has emerged as a critical field for addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene, marked by a cross-scale focus, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, and a strong emphasis on place-based work. Thanks to the efforts of many networks and institutes, the field has advanced new theoretical and methodological approaches, fostered dedicated journals, and spurred educational programs. It has also significantly influenced sustainability initiatives and policy from local to global scales, and has richly informed place-based efforts. Despite this progress, SES research faces persistent challenges, including conceptual and methodological fragmentation, difficulty in scaling localized insights to global frameworks (and vice versa), and capturing cross-scale connections and processes while retaining contextual relevance. Inclusivity also remains a critical issue, with regional, Indigenous, and local contributions often underrepresented, as there is still a reliance on short-term, inequitably distributed grant funding for much of the research in the field. This paper introduces the Society for Social-Ecological Systems (SocSES), a global platform designed to build on and connect to the rich legacy of SES networks. SocSES aims to advance and support SES–based research, practice, and action toward a just and sustainable future. We outline how SocSES will provide a home for SES institutes, networks, researchers, and practitioners working at the science-practice-policy interface to connect and amplify existing efforts through thematic streams, regional hubs, an institutional hub, an early-career professionals hub, and synthesis groups. The society will provide a stable infrastructure to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, enhance the generalizability and policy relevance of SES research, bolster education, research, and knowledge co-production, and support the next generation of SES professionals. By addressing the persistent challenges facing the field and fostering transformative spaces and communities for innovation and action, SocSES aspires to support and leverage SES knowledge as a cornerstone of global sustainability science.In line with the society’s commitment to linguistic diversity and equitable access, this abstract has been translated into 12 languages by authors of this paper and additional contributors. These translations are available in Appendix 2 and at https://socses.org/about/paper.

This study aims to explore the role of strategic awareness in its dimensions (reconstruction, systemic thinking) in the spread of organizational spirituality. Tikrit University employed descriptive analysis to collect and describe data, utilizing questionnaires as the primary data collection tool. The questionnaires were distributed to 150 people, of whom 139 valid questionnaires were available for analysis. The study drew several conclusions, the most significant of which was the existence of an essential relationship between strategic awareness in its dimensions (reconstruction and systemic thinking) and organizational spirituality. A correlation was found between the impact of strategic awareness in its dimensions (reconstruction, systemic thinking) and organizational spirituality. This means that the more conscious the leader is, the more organizational spirituality spreads throughout the organization. The various dimensions of strategic awareness have different effects on organizational spirituality, with meditation and systemic thinking having the most significant impacts. Meditation and systemic thinking have the greatest influence. This indicates that these two dimensions are considered the primary sources of the spread of organizational spirituality.