Managing organizational transformation (OT) using complex adaptive system (CAS) framework: future lines of inquiry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the success factors in a large organization that contributed to the success of organizational transformation (OT) through business diversification using a complex adaptive systems (CAS) framework. This assessment is done to determine how well the CAS framework can explain the success factors that contribute to the success of large-scale organizational change in complex organizations. If the CAS framework is capable of explaining the organizational factors that lead to the success of change implementation, the managers can employ this framework to increase the likelihood of success while implementing change.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses qualitative research methodology. The data were collected from the case study organization (CSO) through 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic deductive analysis approach.FindingsThe CAS framework explains the success factors that contribute to the success of OT through business diversification.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a comprehensive guide for change implementation by combining the insights from the CAS framework with identified success factors (for change implementation) from the case organization.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in extending the principles of existing change models, for successful change implementation by using the CAS framework. The prescribed change models and the CAS framework/complexity theory are two distinct sets of literature; this paper successfully merges the two to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines for change implementation. By doing so, this paper highlights the fact that alternative, non-linear, change approaches, instead of conventional multistep change models, can be effective in implementing large-scale organizational change successfully given the complexities of current organizational environments.

Complex adaptive systems-based framework for modeling the health impacts of climate change

Studies on the application of complex adaptive systems (CAS) framework to describe variations in free healthcare policies during implementation are limited. This study uses a CAS framework to explore interactions among actors and to explain how specific characteristics of CAS framework change in institutional designs of a Free Maternal and Child Healthcare Program (FMCHP) in Nigeria. A qualitative, case study approach was used to collect data on variations in features of FMCHP from policymakers (n = 16) and providers (n = 16) selected by purposeful sampling from the Ministry of Health and two health districts in Enugu State based on their posts in FMCHP, using semi-structured interview. Additional qualitative data were collected through document review. Main actors, their roles, incentives, and power were identified. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis guided by a CAS framework. Six core features of FMCHP changed during implementation, namely, revenue collection, the role of Ministry of Health, the role of the state teaching hospital, introduction of evidence of tax payment, provider payment process, and establishment of a Financial Monitoring Committee. Formal rules alone did not guarantee consistency and stability of policies. Power imbalances, coordination, and cooperation among actors affected fidelity of policy implementation. The CAS phenomena associated with these changes include path dependence, feedback, lever points, emergent behaviors, and phase transition. Managing changes in free healthcare policies requires recognizing the power shifts, nonlinearity of outcomes, unpredictable consequences and feedbacks, and addressing the context, adaptive behavior, and network of actors.

In multidisciplinary research interpreting interactions between diverse data sources requires a Complexity approach. A Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework allows the relationships of multiple factors to be explored and may provide a more holistic and nuanced understanding. This study is innovative in explaining the potential benefits in a CAS approach to combining bioarchaeological and historical data when examining a rare archaeological skeletal sample of early migrants to South Australia (SA). Macroscopic, radiographic and micro-CT methods were used for the analysis of the skeletal remains of a group of 19th century migrants buried in an unmarked area of St Mary's Anglican Church Cemetery. The relevant historical records explored were from British emigrant ships to SA (1836-1885 CE) and the Church burial records (1847-1885 CE). Evidence of poor oral and general health was present in the skeletal material. Dental developmental defects indicated health insults in early life. Pathological manifestations in bone were compatible with joint and infectious diseases, and metabolic deficiencies. Historical documents recorded that the voyages to SA were challenging, with some ships experiencing a high death rate. Diseases, e.g., measles and scarlet fever, and diarrhoea were frequently recorded as causes of death at sea for both non-adults and adults. In the Colony, burial records showed similar causes of death for non-adults, but for adults, accidents and tuberculosis were often reported. The CAS approach provided insights beyond those from analysis of the individual sources. It increased understanding of emergent, non-predicted outcomes that resulted from interactions between multiple factors, the impact of fluctuating economy, political instability and ideological pressures, on the health of migrants. The CAS framework is a valuable methodology for interpreting health patterns and can be further developed including for a range of historical and contemporary health contexts.

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate how a community psychiatry model, referred to as the Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT) in India, provides decentralized care and comprehensive services to people with severe mental illness living in poverty. Using the complex adaptive system (CAS) framework, the authors aim to understand the factors that contribute to the diverse outcomes of the MHAT community mental health programme as observed in four different locations.Design/methodology/approachFour MHAT clinics were purposively chosen from two districts in Kerala. A comparative case study methodology was used to document each clinic’s MHAT services and activities, as found during field visits and interviews with staff members and volunteers.FindingsThe study shows that all four clinics met the basic aim of providing free, quality mental health care to the poorest populations, although not all aspects of the comprehensive model could be equally provided. Alignment with the MHAT vision, appropriate leadership, the relationship with partners and their level of community engagement determined the varied success between clinics.Originality/valueThe current study evaluation stresses that community ownership is crucial. Careful attention must be paid to the characteristics of selected partners, including their leadership styles and ability to garner resources.

We live in a very complex world where we face complex phenomena such as social norms and new technologies. To deal with such phenomena, social scientists often use reductionism approach where they reduce them to some lower-lever variables and model the relationships among them through a scheme of equations. This approach that is called equation based modeling (EBM) has some basic weaknesses in modeling real complex systems so that assumptions such as unbounded rationality and perfect information are strongly emphasized while adaptability and evolutionary nature of all engaged agents along with network effects go unaddressed. In tackling deficiencies of reductionism, the complex adaptive system (CAS) framework has been proven very influential in the past two decades. In contrast to reductionism, under CAS framework, complex phenomena are studied in an organic manner where their agents are supposed to be both boundedly rational and adaptive. As the most powerful methodology for CAS modeling, agent-based modeling (ABM) has gained a growing popularity among academics and practitioners. ABMs show how agents’ simple behavioral rules and their local interactions at micro-scale can generate surprisingly complex patterns at macro-scale. Despite a growing number of ABM publications, those researchers unfamiliar with it have to study a number of works to understand (1) why and what of ABM, (2) its differences with EBM (3) its main functionalities in scientific studies and (4) some of its applications in management science. So, this paper’s major contribution is to help researchers particularly those unfamiliar with ABM to get insights regarding its philosophy and use and gain a big picture of it.

Urban water management specifies both supply-side and demand-side strategies to balance water supply and demands for social and environmental systems. As the sustainability of water resources depends on the dynamic interactions among the consumers and the policy makers of the water system, an optimal adaptive water management approach can be used to update utility decisions based on the feedback among these systems and may enable a more efficient use of resources. Adaptive demand-side management strategies, such as regulating water for outdoor use, can be designed with increasing restrictions corresponding to the depletion of reservoirs. Similarly, adaptive supply-side strategies can be designed to supplement supply by increasing the volume of water that is transferred among basins when reservoirs levels drop. In this study, a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework is used to simulate the adaptive behaviors of consumers, the adaptive decisions of the water utility, and an engineering model of the water supply infrastructure. The CAS framework is coupled with an optimization methodology to evaluate a combination of supply-side and demand-side adaptive water management strategies in achieving the utilities goal of minimizing management costs. The methodology is applied to an illustrative case study of an urban water supply system to explore trade-off relationship between optimal adaptive water management strategies.

Purpose Building on the complex adaptive systems (CAS) framework, this paper aims to investigate the detrimental effect of virtual teams’ (VTs) challenges and the upholding role of trust on the members’ ratings of VTs’ performance. Also, the study examines the mediating role of the preferences for VTs and investigates the moderating function of the openness to experience personality trait on the relationship between challenges, trust and preference for VTs. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional survey data were collected from a sample of 498 university students in Romania and path analysis was used for data analysis. Findings The results show evidence of the harmful effect of VTs’ challenges on members’ ratings of VTs’ performance and reveal that trust boosts members’ ratings of VTs’ performance. The findings highlight the mediating role of members’ preference for VTs and show evidence that the openness to experience personality trait strengthens the negative effect of the challenges on members’ preference for VTs. Research limitations/implications Given the cross-sectional design of the study, inferences regarding the causal relationship between the variables cannot be made, and further longitudinal research is called for. Originality/value The study builds on the CAS framework and addresses the call for research to explore the variables that might contribute or impede VTs’ performance.

Urban water supply systems may be managed through supply-side and demand-side strategies, which focus on water source expansion and demand reductions, respectively. Supply-side strategies bear infrastructure and energy costs, while demand-side strategies bear costs of implementation and inconvenience to consumers. To evaluate the performance of demand-side strategies, the participation and water use adaptations of consumers should be simulated. In this study, a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework is developed to simulate consumer agents that change their consumption to affect the withdrawal from the water supply system, which, in turn influences operational policies and long-term resource planning. Agent-based models are encoded to represent consumers and a policy maker agent and are coupled with water resources system simulation models. The CAS framework is coupled with an evolutionary computation-based multi-objective methodology to explore tradeoffs in cost, inconvenience to consumers, and environmental impacts for both supply-side and demand-side strategies. Decisions are identified to specify storage levels in a reservoir that trigger: (1) increases in the volume of water pumped through inter-basin transfers from an external reservoir; and (2) drought stages, which restrict the volume of water that is allowed for residential outdoor uses. The proposed methodology is demonstrated for Arlington, Texas, water supply system to identify non-dominated strategies for an historic drought decade. Results demonstrate that pumping costs associated with maximizing environmental reliability exceed pumping costs associated with minimizing restrictions on consumer water use.

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the global policy on sustainability, United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), is in alignment with the complexity of the sustainability landscape utilizing complex adaptive system (CAS) theory and theory of change.Design/methodology/approach– An original Complex Adaptive Policy System (CAPS) framework is used as a qualitative instrument with a constant comparison of 11 CAS themes in analyzing 117 UNGC speeches listed on the Global Compact Web site.Findings– Although this study is intended as a preliminary study, the findings raise important questions regarding the long-term impact of the Global Compact as a global policy on sustainability.Research limitations/implications– The limitations of the study include the preliminary study design and limited source of information. Future research should include a comprehensive evaluation of the UNGC to yield specific recommendations for aligning policy with the landscape.Originality/value– The study offers an original systems framework to evaluate public and private organizational polices on sustainability.

The study of complex adaptive systems has yielded great insight into how complex, organic-like structures can evolve order and purpose over time. Business organizations, typified by semi-autonomous organizational members interacting at many levels of cognition and action, can be portrayed by the generic constructs and driving mechanisms of complex adaptive systems theory. The purpose of this paper is to forge a unified description of complex adaptive systems from several sources, and then investigate the issue of change in a business organization via the framework of complex adaptive systems. The theory of complex adaptive systems uses components from three paradigms of management thought: systems theory, population ecology, and information processing. Specific propositions regarding the nature of dynamical change will be developed, driven by the complex adaptive systems model. Supporting evidence for these propositions is then sought within the existing management theory literature. In doing so, the complex adaptive systems approach to understanding organization change will be better grounded in domain-specific theory, and new insights and research areas will come to light.

This case study explores transformational change in the context of a large, multi-national corporation facing significant, external environmental threat. Adopting theoretical perspectives from both change management and complex adaptive systems theory, the study depicts conditions created by management that enabled successful transformational change. Findings revealed that a non-linear, emergent and co-created change process based primarily on complex adaptive systems theory, enabled the subject organisation to actively adapt to external challenges. Key management practices that assisted in providing appropriate conditions for transformation included open-mindedness, relinquishing control, organisational agility, valuing the commitment of employees to initiate and enact change, and knowledge sharing.

PurposeThe aim is to investigate the state of complex adaptive system (CAS) theory in the organizational theory literature and to provide a map for future studies of CAS theory.Design/methodology/approachAbstracts were searched via electronic database and a range of recently published (1996‐2004) books and articles were identified that contained a relatively concise description of CAS. Content analysis is used to deconstruct the CAS descriptions into “component concepts.” Those concepts are analyzed from multiple viewpoints.FindingsThere is no single, shared, sense of CAS theory. Differing understandings of CAS theory are identified based on “expert version” and “most popularly identified concepts.” Also, differences and similarities are identified between an “academic” version of CAS and a version developed by those who are influenced by both academic learning and practical experience.Research limitations/implicationsStudy is limited to concise definitions of CAS, so could be improved by including more lengthy conversations. Additionally, study is limited to organizational theory, so may be less applicable in other disciplines.Practical implicationsWhen working within a CAS framework, academics should specify their CAS perspective to improve clarity of their work. When using a CAS framework to study organizations, researchers should include a comprehensive suite of concepts. Though not described in depth, no effective application of CAS for organizational change were found.Originality/valueFor those who study CAS theory and theory of theory, this paper provides an important benchmark by identifying a bifurcation in the evolution of CAS theory.

The classical conceptual model of agricultural functional components, which divides the system into the domains of Farming, Agri-Support, and Agri-Milieu, is no longer adequate for representing the realities of contemporary agri-food systems. The modern agricultural landscape has been fundamentally reshaped by dual disruptions: the digital revolution (Agriculture 4.0), which positions data as a strategic asset, and the ecological imperative (Climate-Smart Agriculture/CSA), which demands resilience and sustainability. This study argues that the static and mechanistic model creates a significant conceptual gap because it fails to capture dynamic interactions, feedback loops, and emergent properties of current systems. Through a critical deconstruction of the classical model and a synthesis of the literature on Agriculture 4.0 and CSA, this article proposes a paradigm shift. The goal is to move from a siloes functional component model toward a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) framework. The CAS framework views agriculture as a dynamic network of interacting agents, where digital technology functions as an instrumental means to achieve sustainability objectives. Adopting the CAS lens carries profound implications, requiring a shift from top-down policymaking to adaptive governance and transforming the role of practitioners from mere producers to complexity managers an essential step for building food systems that are productive, resilient, and sustainable.

Este trabalho busca compreender o fenômeno de surgimento e desenvolvimento das Redes Interorganizacionais Horizontais (RIHs). Para tanto, são utilizados os preceitos de sistemas adaptativos complexos (SACs) e da coevolução, ambas as abordagens são fundamentadas na Teoria da Complexidade. O objetivo do estudo é identificar características básicas de um sistema adaptativo complexo, presentes em uma rede interorganizacional horizontal de supermercados do sul de Minas Gerais. Realizou-se um estudo de caso qualitativo em uma rede decompras, denominada nesse estudo de Ômega Rede. Verificou-se que esta rede é um sistema formado pelo processo coevolutivo de seus agentes, cujo objetivo básico é de favorecer a sua competitividade. Este propósito tem ocorrido pelo aumento da eficácia operacional dos agentes e pelo aprendizado, o que resulta em inovaçõescoletivas e individuais. Os resultados também apontam a presença de elementos de auto-organização na Ômega Rede. As considerações da pesquisa possuem implicações na compreensão da competitividade no âmbito das redes, e da importância do aprendizado e das inovações no seu desenvolvimento. O trabalho também abre espaço para novos estudos das redes como formas organizacionais evolutivas.