This action research case study was intended to qualitatively determine how system thinking and system dynamics modeling informed regional strategic planning and to derive a grounded theory based upon data collected during the Steinbeck Innovation Cluster strategic planning process. Three areas of previous research were investigated: systems, complexity, networks and system dynamics; strategic planning; and industrial clusters. The grounded theory that emerged from my research is that: System thinking and the use of small, system dynamics models can enhance the awareness of decision and...