What are System Archetypes?

Let’s go step by step so you get a clear foundation in System Archetypes.

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🔹 1. What Are System Archetypes?

System archetypes are recurring patterns of behavior that show up in complex systems across different domains (business, transport, health, environment, logistics, etc.).

• They were first introduced by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline (1990).
• Archetypes are made up of causal loop diagrams (CLDs) — maps showing feedback loops (reinforcing and balancing).
• They help us see underlying structures, not just surface symptoms.

👉 Think of them as “templates of common systemic problems.”

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🔹 2. Why Are They Useful?

• They reveal why well-intentioned solutions often fail.
• They guide us to identify leverage points (where small changes can lead to big, sustainable improvements).
• They are transferable: the same archetype might explain congestion at a port, delays in healthcare, or supply shortages in retail.

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🔹 3. Key Building Blocks

1. Feedback loops:
   • Reinforcing loop (R): amplifies change (growth or decline).
   • Balancing loop (B): seeks stability, counteracts change.
2. Delays: gaps between action and visible effect — often cause unintended consequences.

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🔹 4. Common System Archetypes

Here are some of the most frequently used (with a short explanation):

1. Fixes that Fail
   • A quick fix solves a problem short-term but creates unintended side effects that worsen the issue later.
   • Example: Expanding port capacity eases congestion → but attracts more ships → congestion returns.
2. Shifting the Burden
   • Reliance on short-term solutions reduces motivation to tackle root causes.
   • Example: Rerouting ships to nearby terminals instead of fixing inefficient port operations.
3. Limits to Growth
   • Growth continues until it hits a limiting factor (capacity, resources, regulation).
   • Example: A port expands throughput → but hinterland road/rail capacity becomes the bottleneck.
4. Tragedy of the Commons
   • Shared resources get overused because each actor acts in self-interest.
   • Example: Too many carriers schedule arrivals in the same time slots → congestion.
5. Success to the Successful
   • Two entities compete; early advantage reinforces itself, while the other falls behind.
   • Example: One port invests early in automation → attracts more traffic → generates more revenue → invests more.

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🔹 5. A Simple Visual (Fixes that Fail)

Problem → Apply Quick Fix → Temporary Relief
                   ↓
         Unintended Consequences (Delay)
                   ↓
                Problem Worsens

This circular causality explains why congestion, delays, or inefficiencies often come back stronger.

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🔹 6. How to Use Archetypes

1. Identify repeating problems → e.g., port congestion reappears every year.
2. Map feedback loops with a causal loop diagram.
3. Diagnose the archetype that best fits (Fixes that Fail, Shifting the Burden, etc.).
4. Identify leverage points → usually deeper structural changes rather than symptomatic fixes.
5. Test interventions (using system dynamics modeling if possible).

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✅ Key insight: Archetypes shift thinking from “How do we fix this problem now?” to “What structure causes this pattern, and how can we redesign it?”