Cynefin Framework

The various domains of the Cynefin model

Cynefin /ˈkʌnᵻvɪn/ is a Welsh word, which as a noun means "haunt, usual abode" or "habitat" and as an adjective "customary, habitual, familiar, usual, ordinary".[1][2] The term was chosen by the Welsh scholar Dave Snowden[3] to describe a perspective on the evolutionary nature of complex systems, including their inherent uncertainty ("The Cynefin framework").

The framework provides a typology of contexts that guides what sort of explanations or solutions might apply. It draws on research into complex adaptive systems theory, cognitive science, anthropology, and narrative patterns, as well as evolutionary psychology, to describe problems, situations, and systems. It "explores the relationship between man, experience, and context"[4] and proposes new approaches to communication, decision-making, policy-making, and knowledge management in complex social environments.

Meaning of the word

Cynefin is the state of being influenced by multiple pasts of which we can only be partly aware: cultural, religious, geographic, tribal, etc. “It describes that relationship: the place of your birth and of your upbringing, the environment in which you live and to which you are naturally acclimatised.” [5] or knowledge and sense of place that is passed down the generations.[6] Cynefin is related conceptually to the German word, Heimat[7] and has been linked to the Maori Tūrangawaewae which means a place to stand. [8]

Description of the framework

The Cynefin framework has five domains.[9] The first four domains are:

The fifth domain is Disorder, which is the state of not knowing what type of causality exists, in which state people will revert to their own comfort zone in making a decision. In full use, the Cynefin framework has sub-domains, and the boundary between obvious and chaotic is seen as a catastrophic one: complacency leads to failure.

Applications

The work of Snowden and his team was initially in the areas of knowledge management, cultural change, and community dynamics.[10] It subsequently became also concerned with some critical business issues, such as product development, market creation, and branding. Their work has also involved issues of organizational strategy and national security.[10]

Others have used the Cynefin framework for such purpose as analysing policymaking within the George W. Bush administration and the impact of religion in that process,[4] the nature of response to bioterrorism, as well as aspects of measurement in the British National Health Service. It has also been used for the retrospective study of emergency situations,[11] the management of food chain risks,[12] and to study the interaction between civilians and military during disaster control,[13] as well as recognition of question patterns from citizens requests by (social) service organizations.[14] Most recently it has been extended to cover software development within Agile.[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "cynefin". GPC Online. University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies. 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "cynefin". Welsh-English / English-Welsh On-line Dictionary. University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Honorary Professorship for David J Snowden –". Bangor University. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 O'Neill, Louisa-Jayne (2004). "Faith and decision-making in the Bush presidency: The God elephant in the middle of America's livingroom" (PDF). Emergence: Complexity and Organisation 6 (1/2): 149–156. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  5. ↑ Williams, Kyffin (1 January 1999). "Introduction". In First Impression edition. The Land & the Sea. Dyfed: Gwasg Gomer. ISBN 1859025536.
  6. ↑ Davies, Peter Ho (2008). The Welsh Girl. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-618-91852-3.
  7. ↑ Dale, Ann; Ling, Chris; Newman, Leonore (2008). "Does Place Matter? Sustainable Community Development in Three Canadian Communities" (PDF). Ethics Place and Environment 11 (3): 267–281. doi:10.1080/13668790802559676. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Garvey Berger, Jennifer; Johnston, Keith (2015). Simple Habits for Complex Times. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 9780804794251.
  9. ↑ Snowden, David (2005). "Multi-ontology sense making – a new simplicity in decision making". Informatics in Primary Health Care 13 (1): 45–53. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 Kurtz, C.F.; Snowden, D.J. (2003). "The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated world". IBM Systems Journal 42 (3): 462 – 483. doi:10.1147/sj.423.0462. ISSN 0018-8670.
  11. ↑ French, Simon; Niculae, Carmen (2005). "Believe in the Model: Mishandle the Emergency". Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management 2 (1). doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1108. ISSN 1547-7355.
  12. ↑ Shepherd, Richard; Barker, Gary; French, Simon; Hart, Andy; Maule, John; Cassidy, Angela (July 2006). "Managing Food Chain Risks: Integrating Technical and Stakeholder Perspectives on Uncertainty". Journal of Agricultural Economics 57 (2): 313–327. doi:10.1111/j.1477-9552.2006.00054.x.
  13. ↑ Otten (January 2006). "Civiel-militaire samenwerking bij crisisbeheersing, Carré" (in Dutch) 29 (11-12): 32–34.
  14. ↑ Martha van Biene (2008). Beyond the standard question - narrative research into question-patterns. Arnhem-Nijmegen: Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, Faculteit Gezondheid, Gedrag en Maatschappij. ISBN 978-90-813751-1-5.
  15. ↑ Pelrine, Joseph (March 2011). "On Understanding Software Agility: A Social Complexity Point Of View" (PDF). Emergence: Complexity & Organization 13 (1/2): 26.

Bibliography

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