Systems thinking is an approach to integration that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system will act differently when isolated from the system's environment or other parts of the system. Standing in contrast to Descartes' and others' reductionism and philosophical analysis, it proposes to view systems in a holistic manner. Consistent with systems philosophy, systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that comprise the entirety of the system.

Systems thinking attempts to illustrate that events are separated by distance and time and that small catalytic events can cause large changes in complex systems.

Acknowledging that an improvement in one area of a system can adversely affect another area of the system, it promotes organizational communication at all levels in order to avoid the silo effect. Systems thinking techniques may be used to study any kind of system — natural, scientific, engineered, human, or conceptual.

The Systems thinking approach incorporates several tenets:

Interdependence of objects and their attributes - independent elements can never constitute a system
Holism - emergent properties not possible to detect by analysis should be possible to define by a holistic approach
Goal seeking - systemic interaction must result in some goal or final state
Inputs and Outputs - in a closed system inputs are determined once and constant; in an open system additional inputs are admitted from the environment
Transformation of inputs into outputs - this is the process by which the goals are obtained Entropy - the amount of disorder or randomness present in any system
Regulation - a method of feedback is necessary for the system to operate predictably
Hierarchy - complex wholes are made up of smaller subsystems
Differentiation - specialized units perform specialized functions
Equifinality - alternative ways of attaining the same objectives (convergence)
Multifinality - attaining alternative objectives from the same inputs (divergence)