Power and influence: developing a political archetype at an Australasian systems workshop

Abstract

Systems archetypes are effective in communicating complex behaviour with relatively simple structures across a wide range of topics. The “power dynamics” between divergent points of view is critically important in decision-making when it comes to formulation and implementation of policies. This topic was explored at a four-day Australasian systems workshop run in New Zealand. A synthesis approach was combined with using rigorous analytical procedures from system dynamics. Building n Rahn’s “Fear and Greed” political archetype, a conceptual “Power and Influence” political archetype was developed, structurally similar to Wolstenholme’s “underachievement” archetype based on Senge’s systems archetypes. This political archetype was used to analyse a crowdfunding story in New Zealand. Insights include how the “Power and Influence” political archetype can be used to help understand switching behaviour related to power dynamics over time.