The impact of culture on group model-building process

System thinking refers to the interrelationship between the parts of the organization that intend to design, produce and distribute products or services. System thinking is actually a conceptual language that encourages professionals into using “feedback loop" thinking rather than mere linear thinking. To solve a problem, systems thinking requires the building of a model by a diverse group with a varied input. The group modeling process which is an important process of system dynamics intervention in organizations is mainly developed by researchers from similar backgrounds and cultures. A research conducted in Israel, a country with a mixture of cultures and social backgrounds, evokes a different experience and approach to the more known group model building techniques. Since the participants in the group were from diverse backgrounds in terms of their culture, economic situation and their work position, they could easily be led by their social condition in their thinking and opinions. Therefore, knowledge elicitation through the group model building process during the group sessions and on the other hand, knowledge elicitation through personal conversation brought up contradictory information and called for constantly improving the elicitation process.