Systemic constellations applied in organisations: a systematic review

Abstract

This article—published in the Journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation.— presents a systematic overview of the current empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the systemic constellation method when applied in organisations.Although the systemic constellation method is increasingly used for team coaching, organisational development and transformation processes, among others, scientific evidence on the effectiveness and quality of this method is still scarce. This may hamper the broader implementation of a potentially useful approach. Altogether, ten electronic databases were searched up to January, 2020. Multiple languages, qualitative and quantitative designs, and academic and grey literature were included. The search resulted in the identification of 79 potentially relevant publications, seven of which were prospective and 13 were retrospective effectiveness studies in terms of organisational outcomes. Only two of the seven prospective studies used a controlled design. This review concludes that the empirical evidence on the systemic organisational constellation method points toward a potentially effective intervention in the organisational context. However, it is too early to make firm conclusions as the number of studies was small and quality of the studies was low in general.The present systematic review summarises the literature on the systemic constellation method applied in organisations. It offers coaches and consultants insights into the method from a scientific perspective and describes potential mechanisms of action regarding the intervention. The results of the review provide a solid basis for future research and give directions for new studies to support quality improvement and help us better understand the factors influencing effectiveness.

Education to support professional identity formation in medical students: guiding implicit social learning

“…24 However, it has been developed further, and its application has been extended to other social systems, such as organisations and teams. 22 The method is premised on a view that individuals intuitively know about the structures, relations and interdependencies of the components within the social systems to which they belong. 22,24 This knowledge is often implicit, although it can be rendered explicit via the visualisation of a social system using a spatial arrangement of elements, which are relevant to the specific social context (a constellation).…”

“…22 The method is premised on a view that individuals intuitively know about the structures, relations and interdependencies of the components within the social systems to which they belong. 22,24 This knowledge is often implicit, although it can be rendered explicit via the visualisation of a social system using a spatial arrangement of elements, which are relevant to the specific social context (a constellation). These elements comprise individuals or objects representing functions or roles within the social system (e.g., an intern) or groups/stakeholders (e.g., patients).…”

“…A detailed description of the practical implementation of an SC is provided in a previous publication 22 and at the university website (www.rug.nl/SCOPE). In brief, a SC is performed with a group led by a trained facilitator.…”

“…Although its application in the medical education setting is new, it is widely used in other domains. [20][21][22] While there are other methods that can support students in becoming aware of their unconscious beliefs, such as mask making 13 and rich pictures, 25,26 the SC method specifically addresses their unconscious beliefs about their social contexts. The visualisation of a social context is an important benefit associated with this method, as it enables individuals to capture an issue or context at a glance.…”

“…This process encourages active reflection on these values, beliefs, habits and perspectives and an exploration of individual differences. The method is already widely used in business settings for team development and leadership training 21,22 and has also been applied within the education sector. 20,23 In 2017, we began incorporating the SC method into the medical curriculum at our university.…”