Business Dynamics—Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World

uncertainty and create an opening in which creativity can flourish. They argue that we should embrace the freedom that relativism can provide: all methods provide some truths, so we should seek feelings of empowerment rather than ‘truth’. This may not be a view held by many in OR, particularly academics, but at the very least it provides a useful counterpoint to more traditional perspectives. Taket and White suggest that facilitators should assist stakeholders to learn through playing with their models or representations, in the process creating new ‘realities’; and that this requires the adoption of different roles at different times in an intervention, and in relation to different stakeholders. Reflecting on my experience of facilitation, I found these suggestions helpful. The next four chapters consider pluralism with regard to the client, methods, modes of representation, and facilitation. A feature for me is the helpful mnemonics that are provided: three C’s for working with a variety of stakeholders; four M’s for mixing methods; three V’s and PLAN for modes of representation; and four F’s for facilitators. I found myself wondering if there might be a fifth ‘F’, for example. Another strength is the wide coverage of a variety of methods and techniques that practitioners might find useful. The coverage is brief, but references to more detailed information are given. It gave me a number of ideas for extending my ‘toolbox’ of techniques, and I would expect most readers to find something new here—either a new method, or a new way of using a method with which they are already familiar. I was disappointed however, especially in view of the emphasis the authors give to modes of representation, to find that the book makes relatively little use of diagrams and other visual means of presentation. The final three chapters discuss how PANDA has been used in practice, including a number of case studies and a short conclusion. The description of the stages of PANDA with examples of methods that might be used within each stage is brief but clear. The case studies, though, were a disappointment for this reader. Ironically, in view of the authors’ approach, I found them lacking in emotion and colour, and missing the voices of others involved, such as clients. I also found that they added little to my understanding of PANDA. I would have liked the discussions after each case to have made more explicit connections to the framework. While acknowledging the authors’ view that we must act on intuition rather than rational analysis, I would have appreciated greater inclusion in the text of critical reflections on the choices that were made. This might have helped the case studies to ‘come alive’ and have provided greater insight. In conclusion, while it might be improved, I believe that this book could assist most practitioners to enlarge their repertoire of skills and techniques. It appears best suited, as the authors suggest, to being read ‘as a cookbook, where favourite recipes can be tried and variation on themes encouraged’. It is most obviously relevant to practitioners who already have some experience of multiagency facilitation, but might also serve as an introduction to working in this arena, if carefully supplemented with further reading and exploration of the topics it covers. Academics will not find new theoretical arguments, but might find value in reflecting on the breadth that the PANDA approach seems able to cover, and whether the restrictions of other approaches are warranted.