This document discusses complexity theory and its application to organizational management. It argues that traditional systems thinking has limitations and a new approach is needed that is informed by complexity science and cognitive science. It presents key concepts from complexity theory like emergence and phase transitions. It also emphasizes the importance of narratives, rituals, and networks between groups.

1. think anew, act anew
All cartoons courtesy of GAPING VOID
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brutal facts
We are creating a dependency
on recipe book users and we are
loosing our chefs
There is a near absence of
learning from natural science in
organisational management ...
... but pseudo-science, pop-
science, techno-fetishism &
cults are all too pervasive
98% of our genetic history is as
pliocene hunter-gathers; we are
social creatures
from engineering to ecology
Systems thinking (dynamics)
has reached its effective limits, from idealised future states, to
radical shift to complexity exploring the evolutionary potential of
theory informed by cognitive the present
science
Pragmatic, abductive, effective
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2. Bounded applicability
Key language
A system is any network that has
coherence Complex Complicated
it may be fuzzy, it may or may
not have purpose Probe Sense
Sense Analyse
An agent is anything which acts Respond Respond
within the system
individual, group, idea etc. Emergent Good practice
Three types of system
Ordered: system constrains Chaotic Simple
agents
Act
Chaotic: agents unconstrained & Sense
Sense
independent of each other Respond
Categorise
Respond
Complex: system lightly
constrains agents, agents modify Novel Best practice
system by their interaction with
it and each other, they co-evolve
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from cause to dispositions
A visual representation showing
the performance of all possible
examples, cases or situations in
phase space
Each trough represents a stable
state – each peak represents an
instability where the dynamic
landscape can potentially
reconfigure dramatically the next
instant
Identifying and tweaking control
parameters can create instabilities
that show the tipping points
Fitness landscape
Large fluctuations are a clue that a
phase change is approaching
Allows nuanced behaviour to be
appreciated & probed
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3. meeting them half way
Decisions: a first fit pattern
match with prior experience
5, 15 & 150
Ritual is key to switching
patterns of interaction
Crews create ritual context
SNS, creating cross silo
teams with constrained self-
organisation
Narrative is key to human
insight & sense-making ...
...self-interpreted micro-
narrative is key to operation
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Rewards before the fact
“Economists and workplace consultants regard it
as almost unquestioned dogma that people are
motivated by rewards, so they don’t feel the need
to test this. It has the status more of religious
truth than scientific hypothesis.”
“The facts are absolutely clear.
There is no question that in virtually all
circumstances in which people are doing things in
order to get rewards, extrinsic tangible rewards
undermine intrinsic motivation”
New Scientist 9th April 2011 pp 40-43
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S Curves adapted with Moore
Until it gets taken to
excess, looses utility but
prevents new entrants
Early
enthusiasts Yellow is the
get very danger zone:
excited change or die
It then becomes the
new orthodoxy (after
a lot of pain, and
If it looks serious the frequently badly
white blood cells of compromised
orthodoxy kick in
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5. Moving to the next paradigm
COGNITIVE
COMPLEXITY
UTILITY OF PARADIGM
Impact orientated
Pervasive computing
Evolutionary possibilities
Clans in situated networks
SYSTEMS
DYNAMICS Outcome focused
Scalable computing
Engineering dominates
Cult of individual; atomism
SCIENTIFIC
MANAGEMENT Hierarchical
Telephone & fax
Muddling through
Fiefs in bureaucracies
TIME
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6. Beware magpie 4.0
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Nasrudin found a weary falcon sitting
one day on his window-sill.
He had never seen a bird like this before.
“You poor thing”, he said, “how ever were
you to allowed to get into this state?”
He clipped the falcon’s talons and cut its
beak straight, and trimmed its feathers.
“Now you look more like a bird”, said
Nasrudin
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