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Kerala’s Innovations and Flexibility for Covid-19 Recovery: Storytelling using Systems Thinking

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  • Arun A. Elias

    (Victoria University of Wellington)

Abstract

During the early five months of the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, the South Indian state of Kerala regularly appeared in world media, presenting an impactful case of Covid-19 innovations. The purpose of this article is to uniquely present Kerala’s success of flattening the Covid-19 curve during that period, employing storytelling using systems thinking. Contributing to the literature stream linking flexible systems management and systems thinking, this study presents the interconnected whole of Kerala’s Covid-19 innovations for pandemic management. The reference mode that was developed using the systems thinking and modelling methodology confirmed Kerala’s exemplary performance in flattening the Covid-19 curve during the first five months of 2020. The systems model built showed six feedback loops explaining how Covid-19 spreading was controlled in Kerala by different types of innovations and an effective public health system. Overall, with a strong inbuilt social fabric, experienced leadership that withered Nipah-virus outbreak, and robust public health system at its advantage, Kerala flattened the Covid-19 curve using its intertwined social, policing, communication and technological innovations.

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  • Arun A. Elias, 2021. "Kerala’s Innovations and Flexibility for Covid-19 Recovery: Storytelling using Systems Thinking," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 22(1), pages 33-43, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:gjofsm:v:22:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s40171-021-00268-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s40171-021-00268-8
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    3. Md. Rayhan Sarker & Md. Abdul Moktadir & Ernesto D. R. Santibanez-Gonzalez, 2021. "Social Sustainability Challenges Towards Flexible Supply Chain Management: Post-COVID-19 Perspective," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 22(2), pages 199-218, December.
    4. Bechir Mokline & Mohamed Anis Ben Abdallah, 2022. "The Mechanisms of Collective Resilience in a Crisis Context: The Case of The ‘COVID-19’ Crisis," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 23(1), pages 151-163, March.
    5. Le Thanh Tam & Huong Xuan Ho & Dong Phong Nguyen & Arun Elias & Angelina Nhat Hanh Le, 2021. "Receptivity of Governmental Communication and Its Effectiveness During COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 22(1), pages 45-64, June.
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    7. Daniel E. Ufua & Olusola J. Olujobi & Hammad Tahir & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan & Oluwatoyin A. Matthew & Evans Osabuohien, 2022. "Lean Entrepreneurship and SME Practice in a Post COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Conceptual Discourse from Nigeria," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 23(3), pages 331-344, September.
    8. Priyanka Das & Santosh Shukla & Ashwin Bhagwat & Saurabh Purohit & Sanjay Dhir & Sushil & Harkabir Singh Jandu & Meenal Kukreja & Nitin Kothari & Saurabh Sharma & Shyamashree Das & Gunjan Taneja & Raj, 2023. "Modeling a COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in the State of Madhya Pradesh, India," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 24(1), pages 143-161, March.

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