Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is recognized as a complex multifactorial disease often resulting in significant economic losses for the stocker industry through reduced health and performance of feeder calves. Conventional approaches to manage BRD in stocker production systems can be challenged wi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/2/69 |
| _version_ | 1797617876413186048 |
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| author | Daniel B. Cummings John T. Groves Benjamin L. Turner |
| author_facet | Daniel B. Cummings John T. Groves Benjamin L. Turner |
| author_sort | Daniel B. Cummings |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is recognized as a complex multifactorial disease often resulting in significant economic losses for the stocker industry through reduced health and performance of feeder calves. Conventional approaches to manage BRD in stocker production systems can be challenged with a restricted view of the system, most importantly the structure, which drives the behavior of the system and fails to anticipate unintended consequences. The translation and implementation of systems thinking into veterinary medicine can offer an alternative method to problem-solving. Fundamental to the success of the systems thinker is the conceptualization of the Iceberg Diagram intended to identify root causes of complex problems such as BRD. Furthermore, veterinary and animal health professionals are well-positioned to serve as facilitators to establish creative tension, the positive energy necessary to identify high-leverage strategies. The interrelationships and interconnected behaviors of complex stocker systems warrant an understanding of various archetypes. Archetypes provide the systems thinker with a decision-making tool to explore tactics in a nonlinear fashion for the purpose of recognizing short- and long-term outcomes. Developing literacy in the discipline of systems thinking will further equip professionals with the skillset necessary to address the multitude of challenges ingrained in complex stocker cattle systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:02:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c501ff5cba1146359f6890e4e65ff924 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:02:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c501ff5cba1146359f6890e4e65ff9242023-11-16T23:45:12ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812023-01-011026910.3390/vetsci10020069Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle OperationsDaniel B. Cummings0John T. Groves1Benjamin L. Turner2Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA 30096, USALivestock Veterinary Service, Eldon, MO 65026, USADepartment of Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Environmental Science and King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78636, USABovine respiratory disease (BRD) is recognized as a complex multifactorial disease often resulting in significant economic losses for the stocker industry through reduced health and performance of feeder calves. Conventional approaches to manage BRD in stocker production systems can be challenged with a restricted view of the system, most importantly the structure, which drives the behavior of the system and fails to anticipate unintended consequences. The translation and implementation of systems thinking into veterinary medicine can offer an alternative method to problem-solving. Fundamental to the success of the systems thinker is the conceptualization of the Iceberg Diagram intended to identify root causes of complex problems such as BRD. Furthermore, veterinary and animal health professionals are well-positioned to serve as facilitators to establish creative tension, the positive energy necessary to identify high-leverage strategies. The interrelationships and interconnected behaviors of complex stocker systems warrant an understanding of various archetypes. Archetypes provide the systems thinker with a decision-making tool to explore tactics in a nonlinear fashion for the purpose of recognizing short- and long-term outcomes. Developing literacy in the discipline of systems thinking will further equip professionals with the skillset necessary to address the multitude of challenges ingrained in complex stocker cattle systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/2/69bovine respiratory disease (BRD)systems thinkingIceberg Diagramcreative tensionunintended consequencesarchetypes |
| spellingShingle | Daniel B. Cummings John T. Groves Benjamin L. Turner Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations Veterinary Sciences bovine respiratory disease (BRD) systems thinking Iceberg Diagram creative tension unintended consequences archetypes |
| title | Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations |
| title_full | Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations |
| title_short | Assessing the Role of Systems Thinking for Stocker Cattle Operations |
| title_sort | assessing the role of systems thinking for stocker cattle operations |
| topic | bovine respiratory disease (BRD) systems thinking Iceberg Diagram creative tension unintended consequences archetypes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/2/69 |
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