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Many design characteristics of organizations never become stable, predictable, and controllable. Instead, they appear to behave randomly. Seemingly random processes may be chaotic, and if they are random they may reflect different colors (pink, brown, black, white noise). These different colors of randomness and chaotic processes follow different rules, but even simple rules can produce great complexity. Driven partly by new metaphors and partly by a new branch of nonlinear dynamic mathematics, there has been a great interest in applying complexity “theory” to organizations.
Prof. Van de Ven’s class slides and notes on Organization Complexity
Required Readings
Anderson, Meyer, Eisenhardt, Carley, & Pettigrew (1999) "Introduction to the Special Issue: Applications of Complexity Theory to Organization Science," OS, 10, 3: 216-236.
Siggelkow (2001) “Change in the presence of fit:... Liz Claiborne,” AMJ, 44, 4: 838-857.
Benner & Tushman (2003) “Exploitation, Exploration, and Process Management:…” AMR, 28: 238-256.
Davis, Eisenhardt, & Bingham (2009). Optimal structure, market dynamism, and the strategy of simple rules, ASQ, 54: 413-452.
Raisch & Birkinshaw (2008), Organizational ambidexterity: Antecedents, outcomes and moderators,” Jrnl of Management, 34: 375-409.
Supplementary Readings
Dooley & Van de Ven (1999) “Explaining Complex Organizational Dynamics,” Organization Science, 10, 3: 358-372.
McKelvey (1999) "Avoiding Complexity Catastrophe in Coevolutionary Pockets: Strategies for Rugged Landscapes," OS, 10, 3: 294-321.
Cheng & Van de Ven (1996) "Learning the Innovation Journey: Order Out of Chaos?" Org. Science.
Leventhal & Warglien (1999) "Landscape Design: Designing for Local Action in Complex Worlds," OS, 10, 3: 342-357.
Sigglekow (2002) “Misperceiving interactions among complements and substitutes...” Mgmt Sci. 48, 7: 900-916.
Siggelkow & Levinthal (2003), “Temporarily divide to conquer: entralized, decentralized, and reintegrated organizational approaches to exploration and adaptation,” Org. Sci. 14: 650-669.
Raisch, Birkinshaw, Probst & Tushman (2009). “Organizational ambidexterity: Balancing exploitation and exploration for sustained performance,” Intro to special issue in Org Sci 20: 685-695.
Jansen, Tempelaar, van den Bosch & Volberda (2009) “Structural differentiation and ambidexterity: The mediating role of integration mechanisms,” Org Sci 20: 797-811.
Eisenhardt, Furr & Bingham (2011). “Microfoundations of Performance: Balancing efficiency and flexibility in dynamic environments,” Org Sci 10.
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