Capacity for Engineering Systems Thinking (CEST): Literature Review, Principles for Assessing and the Reliability and Validity of an Assessing Tool

To successfully perform systems engineering and/ or designing IT architecture roles, the systems engineers and IT architects need a systems view or a high capacity for engineering system thinking (CEST). This paper discusses the essence of this capacity, presents principles for developing a tool for assessing the CEST and presents a tool developed for use in selecting engineers for jobs that require CEST. A tool for CEST assessment may be useful for several purposes, one of which is the effective selection of candidates for engineering positions that require high CEST. The tool was tested and implemented in a pilot study aimed at examining its reliability and validity. Two types of reliability and four types of validity were checked. Then, a second study aimed at strengthening the results of the pilot study was conducted. The findings of the two studies indicate that the tool may prove to be a validated instrument. INtrODUctION: sYstEMs ENGINEERING, IT ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEErING sYstEMs tHINkING Systems thinking, according to Senge (1994), is a discipline for seeing wholes. Engineering Systems Thinking is a major high-order thinking skill that enables individuals to successfully perform systems engineering tasks (Frank, 2002). To successfully perform systems engineering and/ or designing IT architecture roles, both systems engineers and IT architects need a systems view or