Complexity theory attempts to understand some of the surprising
and paradoxical consequences which arise when complex systems are operating. Organisations
are complex systems and complexity theory offers the possibility of helping us understand
organisational change and culture rather better than we do at present.
Complexity theory isn't really a single theory but a variety of
developing approaches to complex systems. It is sometimes compared to, and confused with,
'chaos theory' - more correctly described as a branch of dynamics. Put very
simplistically, chaos theory is concerned with complicated results of simple interactions
while complexity theory looks at the simple results of complicated interactions.
Below I've given some links to good sites and mail lists,
including a few articles which offer some interesting perspectives.
Articles
Culture & Complexity by Richard Seel
gives an introduction to some of the complexity and organisational ideas underpinning New
Paradigm Consulting. The Introduction to Complexity & OD
is an edited version of some lecture notes originally written to accompany a lecture at
South Bank University. The notes were not written to stand alone but they do have the
advantage of a large annotated bibliography (now
on a separate page) and links to some key web sites and discussion groups
relating to complexity (below). There's also Emergence in
Organisations (based on an
abstract which was accepted for
the ECHO IV conference, but in the end not presented) .
Links & Mail Lists
There are many sites which include resources for those who would like to know more
about the research and developments which underpin our way of working. We offer just a few
here - but many of these contain further links if you wish to pursue your interests
further.
The
Complex Adaptive
Systems Research Group at the University of Newcastle, Australia takes a
philosophical approach towards exploring aspects of complexity.
Human Strategies in
Complexity also has a philosophical bent. This collaboration between a
number of Universities in Vienna, Kassel, Kiev and Moscow has a number of
articles on aspects of self-organisation.
Interjournal
is a web-based complexity journal covering all aspects of complex systems.
The
Autopoesis Tutorial may help
if you want to know more about Maturana & Varela's work.
Individual sites
Jim Crutchfield has
published widely and has an interest in emergence and emergent computation.
Chris Langton is one of the
pioneers of the cellular automaton approach to complexity.
Mike Lissack did his
doctorate at Henley on complexity and metaphors. He is also the editor of Emergence.
If
Price is interested in systems thinking and memes.
Complex-science considers all aspects of complexity science. Send an
e-mail with the word "subscribe" to complex-science-on@necsi.org
Complex-community looks at the wider implications of complexity
approaches (though it isn't very active). Subscribe by e-mail to complex-community-on@necsi.org
The Complexity Digest is an
independent e-mail bulletin published by Dean LeBaron and edited byGottfried J. Mayer. For individual free e-mail subscriptions send requests to: subscriptions@comdig.org.
Systems thinking
Peter Senge and his colleagues at MIT have written a lot about
systems thinking.
Systems Dynamics is a particular approach to systems thinking.
The Systems Dynamics Society web site offers
this introduction:
System dynamics
is a computer-aided approach to policy analysis and design. With origins in
servomechanisms engineering and management, the approach uses a perspective based on
information feedback and mutual or recursive causality to understand the dynamics of
complex physical, biological, and social systems.
The Society's site also has information on how to order copies of
the 'Beer Game', simulation which helps people understand something of the nature of
systems.
