Complex Evolving Systems & Critical Management Insight
Management Implications
| Further Insight
Developing management thinking and practice is evolving in its regard and importance of organic management practice and the view of the organisation as a complex evolving system. In brief the organisation is:
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a human system, not a mechanistic system;
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an interactive network, not a linear system;
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an evolving system and therefore not controllable, with the product offering evolving daily in response to market conditions.
Complexity thinking is a simple architecture for seeing and understanding how natural, human systems such as organisations, operate while recognising system uncertainty. It helps ‘managers’ understand that the behaviour of the people within the organisation and their interactions influences the design and direction of the whole organisation.
Utilising complexity thinking, we are able to propose a different perspective of the uncertainty within human-interactive systems such as an organisation and provide critical management insight into how to embrace CES for effective management and transformational sustainability. This is further evidenced by the adoption of complexity thinking by industry leaders at the forefront of advanced critical management. This includes BP, Shell, GSK and smaller firms such as W. Gore Assoc.
Management Implications
There are a number of key management implications which complexity thinking has for organisations and developing management practice.
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The first is moving beyond the security of market prediction and suggestions of control, vision and mission statements created through strategic planning. As managers we need to recognise and accept that prediction is impossible and that organisational activity is adaptive and continually evolving.
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The second is to recognise that it is impossible to control what happens within the organisation and the people within it. So much management thinking and organisational culture focuses on the role of the ‘manager' as a leader and an enabler of change. This is at best sadly mistaken and at worst highly damaging for the organisation and the employees within. We need to start to see our organisations as human, non-linear and self-organising and empower leadership throughout the organisation.
Further Insight
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Glossary of CES Terms
This page contains a glossary of CAS terms as an introduction to the terminology used when discussing or reading about complex, adaptive and organic systems.