Complexity: A Key Idea for Business and Society (Key Ideas in Business and Management)

"This book interprets insights from the complexity sciences to explore seven types of complexity better to understand the predictable unpredictability of social life. Drawing on the natural and social sciences, it describes how complexity models are helpful but insufficient for our understanding of complex reality. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book develops a complex theory of action more consistent with our experience that our plans inevitably lead to unexpected outcomes, explains why we are both individuals and thoroughly social, and gives an account of why, no matter how clear our message, we may still be misunderstood. The book investigates what forms of knowledge are most helpful for thinking about complex experience, reflects on the way we exercise authority (leadership) and thinks through the ethical implications of trying to co-operate in a complex world. Taking complexity seriously poses a radical challenge to more orthodox theories of managing and leading, based as they are on assumptions of predictability, control and universality. The author argues that management is an improvisational practice which takes place in groups in a particular context at a particular time. Managers can influence but never control an uncontrollable world. To become more skilful in complex group dynamics involves taking into account multiple points of view and acknowledging not knowing, ambivalence and doubt. This book will be of interest to researchers, professionals, academics and students in the fields of business and management, especially those interested in how taking complexity seriously can influence the functioning of businesses and organizations and how they manage and lead. ". (source : taylorfrancis.com) This book interprets insights from the complexity sciences to explore seven types of complexity better to understand the predictable unpredictability of social life. Drawing on the natural and social sciences, it describes how complexity models are helpful but insufficient for our understanding of complex reality.Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book develops a complex theory of action more consistent with our experience that our plans inevitably lead to unexpected outcomes, explains why we are both individuals and thoroughly social, and gives an account of why, no matter how clear our message, we may still be misunderstood. The book investigates what forms of knowledge are most helpful for thinking about complex experience, reflects on the way we exercise authority (leadership) and thinks through the ethical implications of trying to co-operate in a complex world. Taking complexity seriously poses a radical challenge to more orthodox theories of managing and leading, based as they are on assumptions of predictability, control and universality. The author argues that management is an improvisational practice which takes place in groups in a particular context at a particular time. Managers can influence but never control an uncontrollable world. To become more skilful in complex group dynamics involves taking into account multiple points of view and acknowledging not knowing, ambivalence and doubt.This book will be of interest to researchers, professionals, academics and students in the fields of business and management, especially those interested in how taking complexity seriously can influence the functioning of businesses and organizations and how they manage and lead. Cover 1 Endorsement 2 Half Title 4 Series Information 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgements 13 1 Introduction: The Predictable Unpredictability of the World 14 Overview of the Book 18 Chapter 2 – Complex Models 18 Chapter 3 – Complex Action 20 Chapter 4 – the Complex Self 21 Chapter 5 – Complex Communication 22 Chapter 6 – Complex Knowledge, Complex Knowing 23 Chapter 7 – Complex Authority 25 Chapter 8 – Complex Ethics 25 Seven Types of Complexity – Combining Natural and Social Sciences 26 Thinking Without a Bannister: the Importance of Reflection and Reflexivity 27 Notes 29 References 29 2 Complex Models: Radical Challenge to Management Orthodoxy 31 How Might Any of this Be Helpful to Managers in Organizations? 33 Thinking About the Model Again 35 Varieties of Complexity Models and How They Are Constructed 37 Simplifying by Assuming Stability of the Elements and Average Behaviour Between Them 39 Simplifying by Assuming Structural Stability 39 Simplifying by Assuming the Most Probable Events 40 Advantages and Disadvantages of Drawing on Complexity Models 40 Taking the Insights Further 43 Summary of the Argument and Key Implications for Managers 47 Notes 50 References 50 3 Complex Action: The Uncertain Outcomes of Individuals Negotiating in Groups 52 Magico-mystical Thinking 53 Disaggregating and Recombining 55 Transaction and Transformation 56 Game Analogies 58 Negotiating Constraints in Organizations 61 Power in the Organizational Literature 65 Hannah Arendt of Power, Politics and Human Plurality 66 Summing Up for Managers – Why the Experience of Organizing Always Leads to Unexpected Outcomes 68 Notes 70 References 71 4 The Complex Self: The ‘I,’ ‘Me’ and ‘We’ 73 The Social Self – a Reprise 75 Making the Individual Prior 78 The Entrepreneurial Self – the Current Phase of Individualization 82 Complex Selves in Organizations 87 Summing Up for Managers – Why Our Sense of Self is Complex and Sometimes Indeterminate 89 Notes 92 References 92 5 Complex Communication: Persuading and Being Persuaded 95 The Unpredictability of Communicating 97 Imposing a View to Settle the Uncertainty 100 Managerialist Ways of Imposing Order 101 Organizational Development Interventions 104 Dwelling in Uncertain Speech – Rhetoric and Judgement 105 The Importance of Rhetoric 108 Summing Up – Why Speech Will Always Be Complex: Implications for Managers 111 References 114 6 Complex Knowledge, Complex Knowing 116 Hierarchies of Knowledge 117 Some Similarities and Differences Between Critical Theory, Pragmatism and Process Theories 120 Knowing Involves Dialogue, Dialectic, Politics and Ethics 123 Dialogic Knowledge 123 Dialectical Knowledge 125 Political Knowledge 126 Ethical Knowledge 127 Developing Reflexive Criticality – the Importance of Groups 130 Summing Up for Managers – Why Finding Out About Our Lives is a Complex Undertaking 133 Notes 134 References 134 7 Complex Authority: The Leader in the Group and the Group in the Leader 137 Thinking About Leadership as a Longer Term Social Trend 138 Uncertainty, Authority and Group Dynamics 143 Summing up the Importance of Group Process in Thinking About Leadership 148 Recognizing and Being Recognized – the Leader and the Group, the Group and the Leader 150 Summary of Complex Authority – Implications for Managers 152 Notes 153 References 154 8 Complex Ethics: Widening Our Circle of Concern 156 Ethics in the Concrete and the Minute Particulars 158 Thinking Sociologically About Ethics 162 On Deliberation in Groups – Revealing Competing Goods and Becoming Visible to Each Other 166 The Complex Characteristics of Narrative as a Medium for Exploring Ethics 169 Concluding Thoughts on Complex Ethics and the Implications for Managers 172 Notes 173 References 174 9 Conclusions: Towards Greater Humility and Humane Ways of Working 176 On the Strengths and Limitations of Models 178 Complex Action 181 Complex Selves 182 Complex Communication 183 Complex Knowledge, Complex Knowing 184 Complex Authority 185 Complex Ethics 186 So What Does it Mean for Managers to Take Complexity Seriously? 187 Notes 190 References 191 Index 192 "This book interprets insights from the complexity sciences to explore seven types of complexity better to understand the predictable unpredictability of social life. Drawing on the natural and social sciences, it describes how complexity models are helpful, but insufficient for our understanding of complex reality. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book develops a complex theory of action more consistent with our experience that our plans inevitably lead to unexpected outcomes, explains why we are both individuals and thoroughly social, and gives an account of why, no matter how clear out message, we may still be misunderstood. The book investigates what forms of knowledge are most helpful for thinking about complex experience, reflects on the way we exercise authority (leadership), and thinks through the ethical implications of trying to co-operate in a complex world. Taking complexity seriously poses a radical challenge to more orthodox theories of managing and leading, based as they are on assumptions of predictability, control and universality. The author argues that management is an improvisational practice which takes place in groups in a particular context at a particular time. Managers can influence, but never control an uncontrollable world. To become more skilful in complex group dynamics involves taking into account multiple points of view, and acknowledging not knowing, ambivalence and doubt. This book will be of interest to researchers, professionals, academics and students in the fields of business and management, especially those interested in how taking complexity seriously can influence the functioning of businesses and organisations and how they manage and lead"-- Provided by publisher