Complexity Theory 2021 PDF

Complexity theory and organisations. Complexity Theory Though relatively new, Complexity theory was initially influenced by scientists and mathematicians between 15th - 18th centuries. This was an important and dramatic shift in the way that people in Europe perceived and und...

Complexity theory and organisations. Complexity Theory Though relatively new, Complexity theory was initially influenced by scientists and mathematicians between 15th - 18th centuries. This was an important and dramatic shift in the way that people in Europe perceived and understood the world. This was through the influence of thinkers such as Nicolas Copernicus (Polish), Johannes Kepler (German), Galileo Galilei (Italian), and Rene Descartes (French).Francis Bacon (English).  The Western world underwent a scientific revolution and shifted from a worldview governed by the Church and Christian theology and ethics, to that of an inanimate, machine-like material world governed by natural forces and exact mathematical rules. The theory is especially important in the study of organizations, organizational change, and leadership, where it can offer insights into how organizations become more sustainable, adaptive, and innovative.  Complexity theory was founded on researchers’ attempts to rationalize the behaviour of large and complex systems, that could not be explained by usual rules of nature. It attempts to discover how the many disparate elements of a system work with each other to shape the system and its outcomes, as well as how each component changes over time.  The actors or components of a system are never locked in to a particular position or role within the system. Main tenets of the complexity Theory a. non-linearity in interactions b. dynamic interactions (that fluctuate i.re. not stable and sometimes chaotic, context may change at any time) c. adaptation d. continual uncertainty e. self-organisation f. dynamism g. multiple points of feedback (Multiple feedback sources different forms of feedback amplifies some changes, redirects or ignores others looks like: ongoing improvising eventually helps creates momentum – > tipping points)  The theory can be applied to almost all disciplines. Complexity theory emphasizes interactions and the accompanying feedback loops that constantly change systems. The basic premise of complexity theory is that there is a hidden order to the behaviour (and evolution) of complex systems, whether that system is a national economy, an ecosystem, an organization, or a production line. In business and finance, complexity theory places its focus on the ways a factory or company resemble an ecosystem or market, rather than a machine "whose parts and functions have been plucked out in advance," The organization of systems is no accident, but "the results of laws of nature that we don't yet fully understand." A complex system is one in which many independent agents/actors interact with each other in multiple ways. This variety of actors also allows for the "spontaneous self-organization" that sometimes takes place in a system. This self-organization occurs without anyone being in charge or planning the organization. Rather, it is more a result of organisms/agents constantly adapting to each other.  The complex systems are also adaptive (i.e., they always adapt in a way that benefits them) e.g..the way the human brain adapts to learn from experience. E.g. A firm will promote individuals who do well. Countries will make new trading agreements or realign themselves into whole new alliances."  All of these "networks" also act as a single system made of many interacting components. Complexity theory attempts to explain how even millions of independent actors can unintentionally demonstrate patterned behaviour and properties that, while present in the overall system, are not present in any individual component of that system.  Complexity theory can also be understood generally as the study of complex adaptive systems (CAS). The word “complex” implies diversity, through a great number, and wide variety of interdependent, yet autonomous parts. “Adaptive” refers to the system’s ability to alter, change, and learn from past experiences. The “system” refers to a set of connected, interdependent parts; a network. Complexity theory has been used to understand how organisations or firms adapt to their environments and how they cope with conditions of uncertainty. Organizations have complex structures their dynamic networks of interactions. They are adaptive; in that, the individual and collective behaviour mutate and self-organise corresponding to a change- initiating micro-event or collection of events.  In order to effectively put complexity theory to work, however, organization leaders need to give up rigid control of these systems from above. Managers also need to allow organizations to evolve in response to ongoing messages from customers.  As Hout states: No intelligence from on high can match the quality of solutions to market problems that arise from players who are constantly communicating with one another on the ground level. The invisible hand of the marketplace should displace the visible hand of the manager. Managers interfere at their peril. Complexity Theory in Education Complexity theory is provides a framework for those interested in examining how systems develop and change. Complexity perspectives provide important ways to understand more deeply educational change and have the potential to inform educational policy. The “education system is one of the most complex and challenging systems for research hence need for Action Research.  The theory stresses that a system would be dynamic while there is both and order and disorder. For example; unfreezing, Action and Refreezing leading to an improvement on o how an organisation operates. Chaos performs an important task of fluctuations in an environment, causing instability leading to change in behaviour. Life in the universe and life in organisations arises from a dialectic between competition and cooperation leading to a new order that is not predictable.  Complexity theory posits that systems begin as collections of individual actors who organise themselves and create relationships. These relationships form in response to positive or negative feedback – though a degree of randomness is inarguably involved as well. New structures and behaviours then emerge as the actors act and react to each other. Aim of the complexity Theory Complexity theory aims to account for how the interacting parts of a complex system’s collective behaviour and how such a system simultaneously interacts with its environment.  The agents/elements in a complex system change and adapt in response to the feedback; they interact in structured ways with interactions sometimes leading to self-organisation and emergence of new behaviour; the agent/elements operate in a dynamic world that is rarely in equilibrium and sometimes in chaos; agents may possibly lead to new understanding and actions.  Complexity theory offers possibilities for thinking about the challenges and opportunities inherent in teaching, teacher learning, and many other networked systems in teacher education. Complexity theory is a theory of learning systems that provides a framework for those interested in examining how systems develop and change.  It is transdisciplinary in nature, drawing on insights from diverse fields across both the hard and social sciences, and when applied to education may provide a complex rather than simplistic view of teaching and learning.  Complexity theory has the potential to offer a powerful alternative to linear and reductionist conceptualizations, with implications for methodology of teacher education research as well as its analysis and design. Scholars have argued for complexity theory’s usefulness as a framework to understand and describe how teacher education functions as a complex system.