An explanation of what a HAS Map is; steps to develop a HAS Map; and ways to improve HAS Mapped problem situations.

1. Developing a
Human Activity System (HAS) Map
An explanation of what a HAS Map is; steps to develop a HAS
Map; and ways to improve HAS Mapped problem situations.
David Alman
Version 2 January 2014

2. What is a Human Activity System?
“A Human Activity System (HAS) includes interrelated,
interacting, and interdependent parts, viewed from
different perspectives, that describe a situation as a
whole.”

3. Three basic HAS Concepts
1. A HAS Model
HAS Model Factors
Meaning: Values, beliefs, attitudes,
assumptions, norms, culture, “rights”
Social Relations: Leadership styles,
behaviours, relationships, conflicts,
disputes, collaborations, power,
influence, social networks.
Material
Environment (Natural & Built) Including
fuel, water, temperature, lighting,
workspace, building conditions.
Human Design : Management systems,
practices, processes, standards,
procedures, reporting structures,
policies, rules, roles, competencies.
Outcomes of the problem situation.
Social Relations
Leadership styles, behaviours, relationships,
conflicts, disputes, collaborations, power,
influence, social networks.
Meaning
Values, beliefs, attitudes,
assumptions, norms,
culture, “rights”
Outcomes of
the problem
situation
Material
Environment (Natural & Built)
Including fuel, water, temperature,
lighting, work space, building
conditions
Human Design
Management systems, practices,
processes, standards, procedures,
reporting structures, policies, rules,
roles, competencies

4. Three basic HAS Concepts
2. HAS Map factors reset as Perspective Levels
2. HAS Map factors reset as
Perspective Levels e.g.
Human Activity System (HAS) Map Perspective Levels
Perspective
Levels
Meaning
Referential Level
Human Design
Governance Level
HAS Factor examples reset as Perspective
Levels
Referential
Level
Values, assumptions, attitudes, and beliefs that cause
appreciation of particular priorities and intentions and not
others
(HAS Meaning)
Governance
Level
How things are organised, directed, structured such as
plans, organisation structures, accountability reporting
(HAS Human Designed)
Social Relations
Transactional Level
Environmental
Transactional Level
Transactional
Level
Outcomes
Outcomes Level
Outcomes
Level
How people and processes and the physical environment
interact
(HAS Social relations and Physical environment)
Consequences (intended and unintended)
(HAS Outcomes)

5. Three basic HAS Concepts
3. The HAS Map Framework
The two previous concepts of:
1) a HAS Model and
2) Perspective Levels are
integrated to form
3) The HAS Map framework
within HAS Maps (please see
diagram example).

6. What Problem Situations can a HAS cover?
A wide range of problem situations can be assessed and addressed through Human
Activity System (HAS) Mapping, including:
In Human Resource Management (HRM):
•
•
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Accidents & Incidents;
Harassment & bullying & (environmental) stress related matters;
Grievance & conflict management issues;
Role and workplace performance & productivity
Change management program performance
In IT and IM
•
•
•
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Implementation of IT frameworks e.g. ITIL
IT changes
Project management performance
Client complaint management
In Organisational Services
•
•
Service quality and efficiency
Customer/client satisfaction and risk exposure

7. Steps to develop a HAS Map
Step 1. What’s the problem situation?
Step 2. Develop a HAS Map using HAS Map Perspective Levels
Step 3. Identify causes of failure
Step 4. Risk Assessment to reset HAS Map.
Step 5. Revise Human Activity System Map

8. Step 1. What’s the problem situation?
Step 1 Gather the problem situation as a story, including consequences and key
issues:
Consequences: Staff have been facing increased customer dissatisfaction over the last few months. This has increased
employee absenteeism, dissatisfaction, and turnover.
Key issues

Customer complaints have caused employee stress and distress, and associated increased employee
disengagement, and absenteeism.

Staff have raised their concerns with supervisors and more senior management both formally and through e-mails
and group meetings. No action is perceived to have been taken by management.

Employees have also highlighted and expressed the view that the current customer service policies and standards are
poor and better offered by a competitor that is in the next building. This is ignored by senior management whose
view is that everyone works for a successful company that values “pride of service” and “quality of service” as a
priority. Employees also point out that their competitor’s priority is “speed of service” and “meeting customer
needs” that seems to meet customer expectations.
Additional Notes



Step 1 . Gather the story (to be used to develop the HAS Map) based on the following question about a problem
situation’s events: What led/lead to what?
Step 2. Start a HAS Map by working out the story’s outcomes, and then progressively work up through Transactional,
Governance, and Referential Perspective Levels.
Step 3. Once a HAS Map is developed, bold words in “What’s the problem situation? A Story” s (above) reflect 3
aspects affecting the “Story” in terms of Interpersonal Conflicts; Work Constraints; and unmet or violated expectations
From this “Conflict”; Constraint” and “unmet expectations” can be marked onto the HAS Map to indicate failure
causes.

9. Step 2. Develop a HAS Map using
Perspective Levels
Human Activity System (HAS) Map Perspective Levels
Perspective
Levels
Perspective Level examples
(based on HAS factors)
Referential
Level
Values, assumptions, attitudes, and beliefs that cause appreciation of
particular priorities and intentions and not others
(HAS Meaning factor)
Governance
Level
How things are organised, directed, structured such as plans, organisation
structures, accountability reporting
(HAS Human Designed factor)
How people and processes, and the physical environment interact
Transactional
Level
Outcomes
Level
(HAS Social Interaction and Physical environment factors)
Consequences (intended and unintended)
(HAS Outcomes)

10. Step 2. Develop a HAS Map using HAS Map Perspective Levels
Human Activity System Map
Purpose: Identify Customer Service staff issues.
Referential
Level
Governance
Level
Transactional
Level
Current customer service policies emphasised by
the executive:
• Pride of service
• Quality of service
Customer service
policies and standards
implemented
Customer service staff concerns raised
with supervisors and management but
no change is supported, and concerns
ignored
Customer service staff are stressed as they are not
meeting customer expectations. Staff feel their
concerns about current service policies are ignored
and morale has dropped. Absenteeism has increased
Outcomes
Customer complaints increasing,
and customer expectations unmet
Customer Service
staff leaving

11. Step 3 Identify causes of failure
• Constraints: “Anything that limits a system's higher
performance relative to its purpose” Lisa Scheinkopf “Thinking for
a change: Putting the TOC Thinking Processes to use.”
• Conflict: “when two or more people or groups perceive
that their values or needs are incompatible” Tillett and French
“Resolving conflict: A practical approach”.
• Unmet expectations: “A violation or unfulfillment of a
positive, valued expectation” John Mitrano “That’s not fair!: The social
construction of organizational (in)justice among professionals”.

12. Step 3. Identify causes of failure
Human Activity System Map (with underlying causes of failure in red ink)
Purpose: Identify Customer Service staff issues.
Referential
Level
Governance
Level
Transactional
Level
Outcomes
Current customer service policies emphasised by
the executive (Constraint):
• Pride of service
• Quality of service
Customer service
policies and standards
implemented
Customer service staff concerns raised
with supervisors and management but
no change is supported, and concerns
ignored(Constraint)
Customer service staff are stressed as they are not
meeting customer expectations. Staff feel their
concerns about current service policies are ignored
and morale has dropped (Conflict). Absenteeism has
increased
Customer complaints increasing
(Unmet expectations)
Customer Service staff leaving
(Unmet expectations)

13. Step 4 Risk Assessment to reset HAS Map
Perspective
Level
Causes of failure
Risk Assessment
Alternative options
Referential
Executive support
current policies
Current policies increase
loss of customers and
sales
Customer service policy themes
endorsed by executive:
• Service meets customer needs
• Consistent service quality standards
Governance
Managers and
supervisors do not
question reported
problems of Customer
Service Policies
Lack of dialogue (and
records) can cause
additional conflict with
employees, and not
improve customer service.
Management and supervisors regularly
meet with staff to address staff
concerns and improve customer
service issues.
Transactional
Employee stress and
morale dropping
Absenteeism, drop in
confidence, and loss of
staff
Customer service staff encouraged to
meet customer expectations.
Customer issues not addressed are
reported to management to identify
service improvements, and change
service standards.
Outcomes
Customer complaints
increasing
Loss of customers and
perception of services
Customer service and expectations
monitored and addressed
Customer Service staff
leaving
Employee resource losses
Address Customer Service staff
concerns and complaints.

14. Step 5 Revise Human Activity System Map (revisions in red ink)
Purpose: Identify Customer Service staff issues.
Customer service policy themes endorsed by
executive:
Referential
• Service meets customer needs
Level
• Consistent service quality standards
Governance
Level
Transactional
Level
Outcomes
Customer service
policies and standards
implemented
Management and supervisors regularly meet
with staff to address staff concerns
and improve customer service issues.
Customer service staff encouraged to meet
customer expectations. Customer issues not
addressed are reported to management to identify
service improvements, and change service
standards.
Customer service and expectations
monitored and addressed
Customer Service
staff retained

15. Lessons learned from using a HAS Map
• The “whole” problem situation is looked at to develop a sustainable
solution, not a local “quick fix” solution that focus only on immediate
consequence causes.
• Different perspectives that caused unintended consequence outcomes
are explored, not limited to a single perspective that can hide potential
future problem situations.
• Systemic, non linear, cause and effects are identified, not limited to linear
systematic causes (e.g. linear “why because” tree).
• Failure causes arise from constraints; conflicts; and unmet expectations
that need to be identified and addressed.

16. HAS Map Examples
The following HAS Maps example how diverse problem situations can
be addressed
• Performance Issue: Customer Contact Centre Issues
• Health & Safety Issue: Workplace injury
• Employee Grievance: Employment entitlement
• Employee Grievance: Workplace Harassment complaint
• Performance Issue: IT Division Performance issues

22. References
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David Alman Human Activity System (HAS) Mapping http://www.slideshare.net/davidalman/humanactivity-system-has-mapping
Rosalind Armson Growing wings on the way: Systems thinking for messy situations (2011). Triarchy Press.
John Mitrano (1997) “That’s not fair!: The social construction of organizational (in)justice among
professionals”. University of Texas Press.
Naiker, Hopcroft, and Moylan. Work domain analysis: Theoretical concepts and methodology
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a449707.pdf
Lisa Scheinkopf “Thinking for a change: Putting the TOC Thinking Processes to use.” (1999). St Lucie Press.
Tillett and French “Resolving conflict: A practical approach” (2007). Oxford University Press.
David Patching Practical Soft Systems Analysis (1990). Pitman Publishing.

23. About the author
David Alman lives in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is the business owner of Proventive Solutions, which offers services in
Organisational Health. Organisational Health is a broad overview term that refers to assessing and improving performance and
well being of both an organisation and its employees, recognising there is a nexus between the two.
Further author articles, blogs, and slides, can be found on the Proventive Solutions Google Site. Please refer to
https://sites.google.com/site/proventivesolutions/
This powerpoint is part of a body of work on Systems Thinking with a common base around the idea of looking at, and addressing,
situations through different “Perspective Levels”. Other articles in this body of work include:
Human Activity System (HAS) Mapping at http://www.slideshare.net/davidalman/human-activity-system-has-mapping and
http://en.calameo.com/read/0014509349aed27553fc3
Multilevel System Analysis : An introduction to Systems Thinking http://www.slideshare.net/davidalman/multilevel-systemanalysis and http://en.calameo.com/read/001450934d8a5a5d9b090