Systems Thinking - innate or learned? Recent study findings

To perform successfully interdisciplinary engineering tasks, engineers need a systems view, in other words, a high capacity for engineering systems thinking (CEST). Systems thinking is a major high-order thinking skill that enables individuals to successfully perform systems engineering tasks. Industrial engineers who work in complex, multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary reality need to view systems in a holistic manner or in another words need to implement systems thinking. In the current study we identified the factors that influence the development of systems thinking among engineers and found ways to encourage this development. Moreover, we presented specific personality types that tend to naturally use the Systems Thinking approach. According to the study findings, Systems Thinking is most likely a combination of innate talent and acquired experience.