Write a new introduction and a new conclusion!!

Complexity Theory and Organization Science

Author

Institution

Organizations are mostly viewed as units that have a purpose, possess a structural form, and exhibit a given level of determinism and order. Complexity theory, in this instance is a pool of ideas revolving around the top bottom analysis approach used in understanding systems such as organizations, in fields such as strategic management. Its application areas comprise understanding how firms adapt to operational environments and how they handle uncertainty conditions. The theory treats firms and organizations as a collection of structures and strategies. The structure being complex that is, they are dynamic interaction networks, and they are adaptive meaning the collective behaviour change and organize themselves to fit the changes initiated by collection of events (Marion, 1999).

A theory of complex systems is important in unraveling the basic principles common to all systems. Presently there lacks a single integrated theory of complexity, but rather their exists theories that explain the common behaviors of a complex system such as:

Unification of themes, of a complex adaptive system (CAS), this is a system exhibiting behaviours such as learning, emergence, self organization, or co-evolution, which are popular across systems like human settlements or ant colonies. Appreciating these unification themes of CAS, helps to develop descriptions that relate to a case of an organization. The concept of self-organization is the ability of a system to instinctively self organizes itself into superior complex states, by interacting locally. This leads to renewal and reshaping of a whole system to adapt to external environment changes. Learning and adaptive behaviour is the capacity to learn and adapt to a complex system. The idea of an organization being complex and an adaptive system was derived in relation to the high levels of interconnectivity and technological advancements. Social systems, like organizations that are subsets exhibit a heap of complexity in their feature and form, by representing a complex interconnectivity web amid human beings who are capable of self-organization in order to respond to changes. However there is adaptation and learning involved at individual levels, system levels leading to development of direction and order, to empower groups into better handling of changes within its environment (Richardson, 2005).

In summary the notion of organizations being complex systems, capable of logically evolving strategies, processes, structures and self adjustment to changes in environment, imply novel roles and learning for managers as facilitators and guides for successful and transformative organizations.

References

Marion, R. (1999). The edge of organization: Chaos and complexity theories of formal social systems. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publ.

Richardson, K. A. (2005). Managing organizational complexity: Philosophy, theory and application. Greenwich, Conn: Information Age Publ.