A Reflection on the Use of Systemic Thinking in Software Development

The research examines the value and potential usefulness of using systemic thinking, which looks at the inter-connectedness of things, to comprehend the complexities of software development projects and the technical and human factors involved. It considers two different aspects of systemic thinking - psychological and sociological - and posits that these can assist in understanding how software teams function and attain their objectives, as well as the goals of the entities for which they work. Our research aims to provide a novel contribution to the field by investigating the use of systemic thinking in software development teams and organizations. We evaluate the reliability and validity of the survey applied to different groups of relevant participants, relate our findings to existing literature, and identify the most representative factors of systemic thinking. Despite the popularity of various factors that fall under the umbrella of 'systems thinking', there is limited understanding of their effectiveness in improving organizational performance or productivity, particularly when it comes to psychological and sociological systemic factors. The relationship between the use of systems thinking and organizational performance is often based on anecdotal evidence, rather than the identification and application of specific factors. Our work emphasizes the importance of understanding and applying such factors in order to build a solid foundation for the effective use of system dynamics and systems thinking tools, which is crucial for software development teams.