Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Definition of Integrative Thinking

A decision-making process in which an individual balances tensions between opposing variables. In general, integrative thinking follows a four-step process. The first step (salience) seeks to define the relevant aspects of a problem. The second step (causality) seeks to determine the relationships between related and seemingly unrelated parts of the problem. The third step (architecture) involves the creation of a model that outlines the relationships defined in the previous two steps. The fourth step (resolution) outlines the decision and how it was reached. The process is similar to a feedback loop in which each step links forward to the next step as well as backwards to the previous step.

1. The first step (salience) seeks to define the relevant aspects of a problem.
2. The second step (causality) seeks to determine the relationships between related and seemingly unrelated parts of the problem.
3. The third step (architecture) involves the creation of a model that outlines the relationships defined in the previous two steps.
4. The fourth step (resolution) outlines the decision and how it was reached.