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Embracing Complexity: Strategic Perspectives for an Age of Turbulence

Author

Listed:
  • Boulton, Jean G.

    (Visiting Fellow, Cranfield School of Management and Director, Claremont Management Consultants Ltd)

  • Allen, Peter M.

    (Cranfield University)

  • Bowman, Cliff

    (Cranfield University)

Abstract

The book describes what it means to say the world is complex and explores what that means for managers, policy makers and individuals. The first part of the book is about the theory and ideas of complexity. This is explained in a way that is thorough but not mathematical. It compares differing approaches, and also provides a historical perspective, showing how such thinking has been around since the beginning of civilisation. It emphasises the difference between a complexity worldview and the dominant mechanical worldview that underpins much of current management practice. It defines the complexity worldview as recognising the world is interconnected, shaped by history and the particularities of context. The comparison of the differing approaches to modelling complexity is unique in its depth and accessibility. The second part of the book uses this lens of complexity to explore issues in the fields of management, strategy, economics, and international development. It also explores how to facilitate others to recognise the implications of adopting a complex rather than a mechanical worldview and suggests methods of research to explore systemic, path-dependent emergent aspects of situations. The authors of this book span both science and management, academia and practice, thus the explanations of science are authoritative and yet the examples of changing how you live and work in the world are real and accessible. The aim of the book is to bring alive what complexity is all about and to illustrate the importance of loosening the grip of a modernist worldview with its hope for prediction, certainty and control.

Suggested Citation

  • Boulton, Jean G. & Allen, Peter M. & Bowman, Cliff, 2015. "Embracing Complexity: Strategic Perspectives for an Age of Turbulence," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199565269.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxp:obooks:9780199565269
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kuhmonen, Irene & Kuhmonen, Tuomas, 2023. "Transitions through the dynamics of adaptive cycles: Evolution of the Finnish agrifood system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    2. Schlaile, Michael P. & Bogner, Kristina & Muelder, Laura, 2021. "It’s more than complicated! Using organizational memetics to capture the complexity of organizational culture," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 801-812.
    3. Michael C. Jackson, 2023. "Rebooting the systems approach by applying the thinking of Bogdanov and the pragmatists," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 349-365, March.
    4. Yi Yang, 2021. "Critical realism and complexity theory: Building a nonconstructivist systems research framework for effective governance analysis," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 177-183, January.
    5. Thomas Weber & Jorge Louçã & Lasse Gerrits, 2022. "Dissipative structures and the relation between individual and collective aspects of social behavior," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 274-286, March.
    6. Aleksander Jakimowicz, 2022. "The Energy Transition as a Super Wicked Problem: The Energy Sector in the Era of Prosumer Capitalism," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-31, December.
    7. Rika Preiser & Reinette Biggs & Maike Hamann & Nadia Sitas & Odirilwe Selomane & Joy Waddell & Hayley Clements & Tanja Hichert, 2021. "Co‐exploring relational heuristics for sustainability transitions towards more resilient and just Anthropocene futures," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 625-634, October.
    8. Crabolu, Gloria & Font, Xavier & Eker, Sibel, 2023. "Evaluating policy complexity with Causal Loop Diagrams," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    9. Burns, Danny, 2018. "Deepening and scaling participatory research with the poorest and most marginalised," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 865-874.
    10. Agustín Zaballos & Alan Briones & Alba Massa & Pol Centelles & Víctor Caballero, 2020. "A Smart Campus’ Digital Twin for Sustainable Comfort Monitoring," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-33, November.
    11. Gianpaolo Abatecola & Alberto Surace, 2020. "Discussing the Use of Complexity Theory in Engineering Management: Implications for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-24, December.
    12. Michael Hallsworth, 2023. "A manifesto for applying behavioural science," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 310-322, March.
    13. Mason, Mark & Crossley, Michael & Bond, Tim, 2019. "Changing modalities in international development and research in education: Conceptual and ethical issues," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Chao Yang & Xianyin Meng, 2023. "A Fuzzy-Set Configurational Examination of Governance Capability under Certainty and Uncertainty Conditions: Evidence from the Chinese Provincial Cases of Early COVID-19 Containing Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, February.
    15. Devereux, Luke & Melewar, T.C. & Dinnie, Keith & Lange, Thomas, 2020. "Corporate identity orientation and disorientation: A complexity theory perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 413-424.
    16. Rapuano Violeta & Valickas Andrius, 2021. "Application of Complexity Theory to Organizational Career Management System’s Development," Management of Organizations: Systematic Research, Sciendo, vol. 85(1), pages 47-64, June.
    17. Adam Day, 2022. "States of disorder: An ecosystems approach to state-building in conflict-affected countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-154, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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