Complexity and chaos in organisations: complex management

In the present work we analyse the implications of complexity in the behaviour of organisations, and how they should adapt to this complexity instead of trying to exclude it. We divide the paper in seven different sections: after a brief introduction (Section 1) we comment the influence of complexity in the evolution of scientific paradigms (Section 2); in Section 3 we analyse the meaning of the term 'complexity' and the characteristics of a complex system; in Section 4 complexity and chaos are related, conforming what is named chaordic system thinking; in Section 5 we analyse the shift of paradigm in management and the implications of the new complex paradigm in organisations; in Section 6 we analyse the meaning of complex organisation; at last, in Section 7 we expose the new tools in organisation to cope with complexity.

[1]  Ilya Prigogine,et al.  El nacimiento del tiempo , 1991 .

[2]  Patricia Shaw,et al.  Complexity and Management: Fad or Radical Challenge to Systems Thinking? , 2002 .

[3]  David Arellano Gault,et al.  L. Douglas Kiel,managing chaos and complexity in government .A new paradigm for managing change, innovation and organizational renewal , San Francisco, Jossey -Bass,1994 , 1995 .

[4]  Ilya Prigogine,et al.  Las leyes del caos , 1997 .

[5]  R. Stacey The science of complexity: An alternative perspective for strategic change processes , 1995 .

[6]  David L. Levy CHAOS THEORY AND STRATEGY: THEORY, APPLICATION, AND MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS , 2007 .

[7]  D. Snowden,et al.  A leader's framework for decision making. A leader's framework for decision making. , 2007, Harvard business review.

[8]  Marguerite Schneider,et al.  Organizations as complex adaptive systems: Implications of Complexity Theory for leadership research , 2006 .

[9]  J. B. Rosser,et al.  On the Complexities of Complex Economic Dynamics , 1999 .

[10]  Michael C. White,et al.  Why Study the Complexity Sciences in the Social Sciences? , 1999 .

[11]  Frans M. van Eijnatten,et al.  Chaos speak: a glossary of chaordic terms and phrases , 2002 .

[12]  John R. Darling,et al.  From theory to practice: using new science concepts to create learning organizations , 2003 .

[13]  Laurie A. Fitzgerald Chaos: the lens that transcends , 2002 .

[14]  Ralph Stacey,et al.  Strategy as order emerging from chaos , 1993 .

[15]  Erik-Hans Klijn,et al.  Complexity Theory and Public Management , 2008 .

[16]  D. Snowden,et al.  A leader's framework for decision making , 2007 .

[17]  J. Jaramillo,et al.  The New Complex Perspective in Economic Analysis and Business Management , 2002 .

[18]  Frans M. van Eijnatten,et al.  Reflections: Chaos in organizational change , 2002 .

[19]  F. C. Winter,et al.  Management and Control , 1954 .

[20]  Bruce Edmonds,et al.  What is Complexity? - The philosophy of complexity per se with application to some examples in evolution , 1995 .

[21]  Ysanne Carlisle,et al.  Strategy as Order Emerging from Chaos: A Public Sector Experience , 2007 .