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The Cynefin Framework: A Retrospective Application To University Library Leadership Covid-19 Responses, Alexis M. Eberth

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how university library leadership retrospectively applied the Cynefin framework to COVID-19 responses. Developed using the principles of complexity theory, the Cynefin framework is a sense-making framework that assists those who use it with decision making in ordered and un-ordered situations. The framework comprises five domains: (a) clear, (b) complicated, (c) complex, (d) chaotic, and (e) aware and confused. Because problems are ever-evolving, the cyclical nature of the Cynefin framework allows for and encourages transitions between domains. Through reflection on their experiences during the pandemic, library leaders can utilize the framework’s tenets to …