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Minding the abstraction gap: approaches supporting implementation

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  • Laura J. Black
  • Donald R. Greer

Abstract

Regardless of insights gained from building and analyzing dynamic models, the only strategies people can act on are those in their heads. The strategies people internalize are related to their perceived capacities to act—the verbs they believe they can do. If we want others to implement model‐informed policies, then we must connect model abstractions with new situated, concrete actions stakeholders can take. We can emphasize opportunities to act with SD representations, navigating levels of abstraction cleanly, identifying flows as verbs, and choosing variable names that signal who is acting. By drawing on social‐science theories as we offer our grammar of accumulations, activities, and relationships in the language of actions accessible to stakeholders, we help connect experiential understandings to richer, dynamic explanations people can internalize and so discover situated steps to implement policies informed by modeling. © 2024 The Author(s). System Dynamics Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of System Dynamics Society.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura J. Black & Donald R. Greer, 2024. "Minding the abstraction gap: approaches supporting implementation," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 40(4), October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:sysdyn:v:40:y:2024:i:4:n:e1790
    DOI: 10.1002/sdr.1790
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul R. Carlile, 2002. "A Pragmatic View of Knowledge and Boundaries: Boundary Objects in New Product Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 442-455, August.
    2. George P. Richardson, 2024. "Building confidence in exploratory models," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 40(4), October.
    3. Sarah Kaplan, 2008. "Framing Contests: Strategy Making Under Uncertainty," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(5), pages 729-752, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Krystyna Stave & Nici Zimmermann & Hyunjung Kim, 2024. "Qualitative Aspects of System Dynamics Modeling," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 40(4), October.

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