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How to Identify an Engineer with the Appropriate Systems Thinking Skills?

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The Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER 2023)

Part of the book series: Conference on Systems Engineering Research Series ((CSERS))

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Abstract

Systems thinking is an evolving field, and the demand for engineers with a high systems thinking capacity is growing. Since different areas require specific systems thinking abilities, there is a need for tools to identify people with appropriate systems thinking characteristics for various fields and positions. In this study, we introduce a practical tool for identifying systems thinking abilities via factor analysis of answers to a questionnaire designed to provide insights into such capabilities. The study sample included 120 respondents who completed the questionnaire after a learning process in a seminar on systems thinking principles. A factor analysis divided the questions into five groups, each representing one characteristic of systems thinking. This division of the questionnaire allows for identifying applicants with a high capacity for systems thinking and assessing their specific systems thinking capabilities.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial Engineering and Management Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

    Nissel Miller Anat & Kordova Sigal

Authors
  1. Nissel Miller Anat
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  2. Kordova Sigal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kordova Sigal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA

    Dinesh Verma

  2. Astronautics Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Azad M. Madni

  3. Endevor, Wilmington, DE, USA

    Steven Hoffenson

  4. Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA

    Lu Xiao

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© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Anat, N.M., Sigal, K. (2024). How to Identify an Engineer with the Appropriate Systems Thinking Skills?. In: Verma, D., Madni, A.M., Hoffenson, S., Xiao, L. (eds) The Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Systems Engineering Research. CSER 2023. Conference on Systems Engineering Research Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49179-5_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49179-5_45

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-49178-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-49179-5

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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