Towards a Behavioural System Dynamics: exploring its scope and delineating its promise

Attempts to examine so-called ‘behavioural effects’ have reached into many different fields and are in full sway across OR. This paper considers whether this can be applied to System Dynamics modelling in a useful way. The idea is that humans frequently do not employ strict rationality in their daily lives but make errors and are subject to fallacies. This can shed light on the cognitive and human interaction aspects of the process and outcomes of modelling. The paper first raises concerns about the current state of ‘Behavioural OR’ – BOR. To refocus the underlying ideas it then returns to the Decision Theory roots, takes a broader view using an illustration from the history of science and then builds on work which first proposed a link to System Dynamics (SD). The core of the paper then explores in depth how behavioural ideas apply to SD. This is done using examples dealing with complex systems in a ‘naïve’ versus a ‘sophisticated’ way, and then using a mind map. It then offers a new and detailed framework of the stages of an SD-based intervention, indicating the presence of behavioural effects and providing a fine-grained discussion of those effects as they apply to SD. It builds on this by proposing a definition of ‘Behavioural System Dynamics’ (BehSD) in terms of its perspective on phenomena, five new, constitutive axioms, and its potential for improving practice. The paper closes by reprising the nature and potential of ‘BehSD’ and by sketching how research that adopts this perspective might go forward

Mapping anticipated advantages and disadvantages of implementation of extensive donor genotyping: A focus group approach

Background and objectives: Current genotyping techniques allow typing of all relevant red cell, human leukocyte and platelet antigens in a single analysis. Even genetic markers related to donor health can be added. Implementation of this technology will affect various stakeholders within the transfusion chain. This study aims to systematically map the anticipated advantages and disadvantages of a national rollout of blood group genotyping of donors, which will affect the availability of rare donors and the implementation of an extensively typed blood transfusion policy. Materials and methods: Two focus-group sessions were held with a wide representation of stakeholders, including representatives of donor and patient organisations. A dedicated software tool was used to collect the reflections of participants on genotyping for blood group antigens and extensive matching. Additionally, stakeholders and experts discussed various prepared propositions. All information collected was categorised. Results: From 162 statements collected, 59 statements (36%) were labelled as ‘hopes’ and 77 (48%) as ‘fears’. Twenty-six (16%) statements remained unlabelled. The statements were divided in 18 categories under seven main themes: patient health, genotyping, privacy issues and ethical aspects, donor management, inventory management and logistics, hospital and transfusion laboratory and general aspects. The discussion on the propositions was analysed and summarised. Conclusion: Stakeholders believe that a genotyped donor pool can result in a reduction of alloimmunization and higher availability of typed blood products. There are concerns regarding logistics, costs, consent for extended typing, data sharing, privacy issues and donor management. These concerns need to be carefully addressed before further implementation