Kerala’s Innovations and Flexibility for Covid-19 Recovery: Storytelling using Systems Thinking

Arun A. Elias ()
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Arun A. Elias: Victoria University of Wellington

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 2021, vol. 22, issue 1, No 3, 33-43

Abstract: Abstract During the early five months of the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, the South Indian state of Kerala regularly appeared in world media, presenting an impactful case of Covid-19 innovations. The purpose of this article is to uniquely present Kerala’s success of flattening the Covid-19 curve during that period, employing storytelling using systems thinking. Contributing to the literature stream linking flexible systems management and systems thinking, this study presents the interconnected whole of Kerala’s Covid-19 innovations for pandemic management. The reference mode that was developed using the systems thinking and modelling methodology confirmed Kerala’s exemplary performance in flattening the Covid-19 curve during the first five months of 2020. The systems model built showed six feedback loops explaining how Covid-19 spreading was controlled in Kerala by different types of innovations and an effective public health system. Overall, with a strong inbuilt social fabric, experienced leadership that withered Nipah-virus outbreak, and robust public health system at its advantage, Kerala flattened the Covid-19 curve using its intertwined social, policing, communication and technological innovations.

Keywords: Covid-19 innovations; Flexible systems; Kerala; Systems thinking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1007/s40171-021-00268-8

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