Application of Theories in Project Management Systems Thinking

Discussion 2: Application of Theories in Project Management

Change theories and systems thinking are important in nursing practice owing to the fact that they support safety and quality activities. Systems thinking includes a body of tools, methods, and theories which address various concerns in healthcare (Peters, 2014). Therefore, it would be prudent to note that systems thinking helps healthcare professionals come to terms with prevailing events and think of how improvements can be made in the realm of healthcare. According to Peters (2014), systems thinking also involves a wide range of theories which are used to explain a particular phenomenon. Tools in systems thinking are applied in different settings in healthcare. For instance, some systems such as systems archetypes facilitate teams and help them understand patterns that may be applied to the situation. Other systems thinking tools such as process mapping, social network analyses, and network mapping are used to analyze and illustrate connections between organizations and people as well as quantitative and qualitative processes. Further, some systems thinking tools and methods like scenario planning are used to forecast events in the future which happens to be useful in public health owing to the fact that it helps identify possible outcomes and prepare for the said outcomes (Peters, 2014). Moreover, approaches in systems thinking guide researchers and health planners by providing guidance on calibration of models against real data, identifying and testing hypotheses, and making explicit assumptions (Peters, 2014).

Theories are important in nursing practice given that they support the process of change which happens to be a crucial factor in nursing practice. Wagner (2018) provides various change theories that are used in different nursing situations. This text will focus on two theories as explained by Wagner (2018). The first theory that I will focus on happens to be Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory. This theory explains change in terms of how an individual gains knowledge about an innovation and how the said individual makes a decision of whether to reject or adopt the said innovation. Rogers’ uses five key stages to explain his innovation diffusion theory. Knowledge happens to be the first stage whereby individuals are exposed to innovations but they lack knowledge about the said innovation. The second stage is the persuasion stage where an individual shows interest in the innovation, and thus seeks details and related information regarding the said innovation. In the decision stage, a consideration is made regarding change and weighed for advantages and disadvantages to determine whether the said innovation should be implemented. In the implementation stage, the innovation is implemented and adjustments made to align the said innovation to the situation. Lastly, decisions of whether to continue with the innovation are made in the confirmation stage. For instance, an adoptive innovator may be willing to thrive on change by taking any risks related to the said innovation. The second change theory is the theory of planned change by Lippit, Watson, and Westley. This theory comprises of the following seven steps: diagnosis, assessing the system for change capacity and motivation, assessing the change agent for motivation and resources, establishing the function of the change agent, change maintenance, and termination of any relationship that was part of the change gradually (Wagner, 2018).

Theories and models serve as frameworks that guide research projects. Essentially, a theoretical framework, as Grant and Osanloo (2014) point out, is derived from theories that have already been validated and tested and considered acceptable in literature. Therefore, since theories are derivatives of a theoretical framework, they can be used to guide research projects. For instance, a theoretical framework helps researchers to understand their research questions. Essentially, a research question should articulate and embody some aspects of a theoretical framework which are then explored in a dissertation. In addition, theories serve as frameworks by guiding a research whereby they help in determining the things that will be measured and examined (Grant and Onsaloo, 2014). This helps researchers build on their research and informs the research design.