Complex Adaptive Systems Theory Research Articles

Evolution of a Technology Standard Alliance Based on an Echo Model Developed through Complex Adaptive System Theory

The evolution of the technology standard alliance (TSA) is examined using complex adaptive system (CAS) theory. Taking TSA as a dynamic CAS, an echo model is constructed to depict the mechanism of its evolution, and a model is simulated on the NetLogo platform. The echo model includes a basic model, an extended model, and a three-layer echo model. The adhesive aggregation of agents is explained, and the three evolutionary stages of agents’ entry, migration, and exit are analyzed. Moreover, the adaptability of agents in TSA is quantified. The results of simulation show the evolution of the TSA in relation to the two aspects of agent adhesion aggregation and agent resource interaction, and they demonstrate the dynamic and complex hierarchical structure of the TSA system. It is proposed that greater matching ability, moderate behavior income, and lower behavior cost are more conducive to the evolution and development of TSA. Additionally, the echo model is reconstructed to expand the range of application of CAS theory.

Historical roots and the evolving science of forest management under a systemic perspective

In recent history, both a growing awareness of how scientific and societal uncertainty impacts management decisions and of the intrinsic value of nature have suggested new approaches to forest management, with a growing debate in forest science over the need for a paradigmatic shift from the classic conventional world view, based on determinism, predictability, and output-oriented management, towards a world view that has roots in complex adaptive systems theory and is consistent with a nature-based ethic. A conceptual framework under this context is provided by systemic silviculture. In this discussion, we analyze how this approach can be linked to three fundamental moments of the history of forestry and forest science: the Dauerwald theory, Gurnaud’s control method, and the origins of environmental ethics. Relationships with the recent history of forest management science and current research perspectives are also highlighted.

Implementing education system reform: Local adaptation in school reform of teaching and learning

This paper has two purposes: first, to investigate centre- periphery, and within-school relationships and processes by which Vietnam schools undertake system reform implementation; second, to develop the explanatory power and complementarity of two theories – complex adaptive system theory and loose-tight coupling. Main findings - schools’ internal enablers driving reforms were shaped by external enablers; a plethora of internal enablers then worked in concert to implement the intended reforms (eg. the take-up of student-centred teaching and learning); in the local adaptation process, school culture and professional development were pre-eminent. Conclusions – complex adaptive system theory was validated in how Vietnam schools locally adapted policy.

Developing a methodology to assess the financial market security based on the actor-network theory

Subject. The article addresses problems related to assessing the level of the national financial market security in condition of strengthening the inter-system connections between financial and non-financial sectors of the economy. Objectives. The aim is to develop a methodology to assess the security of the national financial market through the application of the actor-network theory approach to the analysis of occurring processes. Methods. The study rests on methodologies of the actor-network theory and the theory of complex adaptive systems. Results. The study underpins the applicability of the actor-network theory for assessing the financial market security. It highlights the system properties of the financial market that determine the level of its security, i.e. structural complexity, functioning efficiency, sensitivity, and adaptability. It also offers an approach to assessing the security of the financial market. Conclusions. The proposed approach to assessing the security of financial market function will enable to develop priorities of its reform by the market regulator and the professional community, through early identification of risks and threats caused by the increasing role of the financial market in the socio-economic development, and the interpenetration of financial and non-financial economic sectors.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Relevance of Ayurveda's Whole Systems Approach to Health and Disease Management.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Relevance of Ayurveda's Whole Systems Approach to Health and Disease Management.

The emergence of a Fintech Ecosystem: A case study of the Vizag Fintech Valley in India

Fintech ecosystems (FE) are characterized by heterogeneous, non-linear, dynamic and complex network of agents that interact with each other to provide a wide array of financial products and services to end customers. With the rise of myriad complementary technologies, the complexity of Fintech ecosystems is increasing exponentially as new players are emerging and new connections are formed. Despite the widespread attention Fintech ecosystems have attracted from both academia and practice, rather little is known about how such an ecosystem emerge. Toward addressing this knowledge gap, this research paper draws on complex adaptive systems (CASs) theory to examine the emergence of a global self-sustaining ecosystem: The “Fintech Valley” in Vizag, India. In doing so, our findings offer insights into the dynamics of FE emergence that is transforming the financial landscape globally, and may be helpful to practitioners who are looking to effect organization-wide cultural change and the 'compliant by design' approach.

Representing driver-response complexity in ecosystems using an improved conceptual model

This conceptual article continues a discussion into the nature of complexity in ecosystems and environmental change through the improved conceptual model (ICM). The ICM developed is useful for reducing the “usability” gap (i.e. between what scientists consider useful information and what users consider usable in decision-making) by improving understanding and representation of complexity in ecosystems, assessment of climate change impacts, and development of adaptation and mitigation strategies. The ICM is demonstrated by applying it to an agroecosystem in the southeastern United States as a case study. It improves Anandhi and Bentley (2018)’s framework by adding indicators, theory (complex adaptive systems theory), a framework (Cynefin framework), and a model (knowledge hierarchy) to the conceptualization. Since this study focused on demonstrating the framework, several simplifying assumptions were made for conciseness and simplicity: selecting precipitation and temperature variables to represent climate, having fewer indicators (frost and wet/dry spells), influencing frost only by minimum temperature, influencing wet/dry spells by daily precipitation, assuming equal likelihood of potential changes in climate scenarios, selecting studies based on impacts, and selecting fewer adaptation strategies. Future studies could use the ICM framework to examine more closely mathematical relationships among climate variables, indicators, prediction uncertainty, and decision making in more realistic scenarios, choosing multiple indicators with detailed information and measured data in each.

Learning through work and structured learning and development systems in complex adaptive organisations: ongoing disconnections

ABSTRACT Decades of research on workplace learning has reinforced that professionals learn through work; however, organisational learning practices have often not shifted to recognise or facilitate this learning. This article presents findings from an interview-based study of professionals in Australia that investigated their experiences of work and learning in a variety of complex adaptive organisations. The focus of this article is on a particular aspect of the study’s findings which identified that, despite the organisations studied espousing support for learning through work, the professionals interviewed described learning through engaging in ‘fluid work’, and that organisational learning and development systems and practices were still largely oriented towards formality and structure. The study contributes to the research field of work and learning, through the use of complex adaptive systems theory to examine how organisational complexity influences professionals’ experiences of work and learning. It also empirically indicates the interrelatedness of work and learning in complex adaptive organisations. The implications of this study suggest that the focus for understanding and reforming organisational learning and development systems and practices needs to shift away from structure and measurement and towards the interplay of organisational complexity, fluidity of work, and experiences of learning primarily through work.

Outlier knowledge management for extreme public health events: Understanding public opinions about COVID-19 based on microblog data

Based on complex adaptive system theory and information theory for investigating heterogeneous situations, this paper develops an outlier knowledge management framework based on three aspects—dimension, object, and situation—for dealing with extreme public health events. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we apply advanced natural language processing (NLP) technology to conduct data mining and feature extraction on the microblog data from the Wuhan area and the imported case province (Henan Province) during the high and median operating periods of the epidemic. Our experiment indicates that the semantic and sentiment vocabulary of words, the sentiment curve, and the portrait of patients seeking help were all heterogeneous in the context of COVID-19. We extract and acquire the outlier knowledge of COVID-19 and incorporate it into the outlier knowledge base of extreme public health events for knowledge sharing and transformation. The knowledge base serves as a think tank for public opinion guidance and platform suggestions for dealing with extreme public health events. This paper provides novel ideas and methods for outlier knowledge management in healthcare contexts.

Self-organisation, adaptability, organisational networks and inter-organisational coordination: empirical evidence from humanitarian organisations in Uganda

PurposeTo coordinate humanitarian organisations with different mandates that flock the scenes of disasters to save lives and respond to varied needs arising from the increased number of victims is not easy. Therefore, the level at which organisations self-organise, network and adapt to the dynamic operational environment may be related to inter-organisational coordination. The authors studied self-organisation, organisational networks and adaptability as important and often overlooked organisational factors hypothesised to be related to inter-organisational coordination in the context of humanitarian organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe study’s sample consisted of 101 humanitarian organisations with 315 respondents. To decrease the problem of common method variance, the authors split the samples within each humanitarian organisation into two subsamples: one subsample was used for the measurement of self-organisation, organisational network and adaptability, while the other was for the measurement of inter-organisational coordination.FindingsThe partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis using SmartPLS 3.2.8 indicated that self-organisation is related to inter-organisational coordination. Organisational network and adaptability were found to be mediators for the relationship between self-organisation and inter-organisational coordination and all combined accounted for 57.8% variance in inter-organisational coordination.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was cross sectional, hence imposing a limitation on changes in perceptions over time. Perhaps, a longitudinal study in future is desirable. Data were collected only from humanitarian organisations that had delivered relief to refugees in the stated camps by 2018. Above all, this study considered self-organisation, adaptability and organisational networks in the explanation of inter-organisational coordination, although there are other factors that could still be explored.Practical implicationsA potential implication is that humanitarian organisations which need to coordinate with others in emergency situations may need to examine their ability to self-organise, network and adapt.Social implicationsSocial transformation is a function of active social entities that cannot work in isolation. Hence, for each to be able to make a contribution to meaningful social change, there is need to develop organisational networks with sister organisations so as to secure rare resources that facilitate change efforts coupled with the ability to reorganise themselves and adapt to changing environmental circumstances.Originality/valueThe paper examines (1) the extent to which self-organisation, adaptability and organisational networks influence inter-organisational coordination; (2) the mediating role of both adaptability and organisational networks between self-organisation and inter-organisational coordination in the context of humanitarian organisations against the backdrop of complex adaptive system (CAS) theory.

Toward a resilient complex adaptive system view of business models

This paper employs the theory of resilient complex adaptive systems (RCAS) to offer a versatile and universal foundation for the concept of a business model that facilitates connections between prior works while enabling future exploration with a common language. The proposed business model construct is developed by first exploring the field of systems to highlight how the concept of an RCAS can be employed to provide a more robust conceptualization of a business model than previous constructs. A thematic analysis of the literature is then conducted to translate the fundamental requirements of an RCAS into the business model context. This system view is inherently abstraction tolerant and provides a foundation for both academic research and practical applications. Specifically, it addresses two key gaps in the business model literature. First, the comprehensive nature of the system model naturally calls out important aspects of business models that have been largely ignored in the literature. Second, the construct provides a comprehensive means to connect the work of business model scholars and practitioners outlined in more than 150 studied articles, highlighting how each earlier research effort has employed a construct that is actually part of a grander whole.

Sustainability in Community Building: Framing Design Thinking Using a Complex Adaptive Systems Perspective

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory is acquiring mainstream recognition in sustainable community building. In this paper, we bring the applicability of CAS theory into sharper focus, highlighting its potential for integrating complexity and adaptivity of community into a structured body of knowledge while also providing a thought pattern for generating, implementing and validating new design ideas. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a framework of design thinking that uses a CAS perspective to aid designers in conceiving new community building design ideas efficiently. Next, this paper presents the results of a cognitive design experiment where functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and extended protocol analysis methods were combined to examine the validities of the proposed design thinking framework in community building. The results show that the Agent-Interaction-Adaptation (AIA) design thinking framework has the ability to promote designers’ extension of idea space, brain activation and idea quality in contrast to a traditional design thinking framework, but it did not significantly increase the designers’ idea quantity.

Implementation of shared decision-making in healthcare policy and practice: a complex adaptive systems perspective

Background:Despite the suggested benefits of shared decision-making (SDM), its implementation in policy and practice has been slow and inconsistent. Use of complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory may provide understanding of how healthcare system factors influence implementation of SDM. Methods:Using the example of choice of mode of birth after a previous caesarean section, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, providers, and decision makers in British Columbia, Canada, to explore the system characteristics and processes that influence implementation of SDM. Implementation and knowledge translation principles guided study design, and constructionist grounded theory informed iterative data collection and analysis. Findings:Analysis of interviews (n=58) revealed that patients formed early preferences for mode of delivery (after the primary caesarean) through careful deliberation of social risks and benefits. Physicians acted as information providers of clinical risks and benefits, while decision makers revealed concerns related to liability and patient safety. These concerns stemmed from perceptions of limited access to surgical resources, which had resulted from budget constraints. Discussion and conclusions:To facilitate the effective implementation of SDM in policy and practice it may be critical to initiate SDM once patients become aware of their healthcare options, assist patients to address the social risks that influence their preferences, manage perceptions of risk related to patient safety and litigation among physicians, and enhance access to healthcare resources.

How can a municipal government continue operations during megadisasters? An analysis of preparedness using complex adaptive systems

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how government continuity planning contributes to strengthening the public sector's emergency preparedness, resulting in enhanced resilience of the public sector. Government continuity plans (GCPs) are a recently focused concept in disaster preparedness, compared to business continuity plans (BCPs) in the private sector. The need for BCPs was widely recognized after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and the 2011 Thailand Floods. However, recent disasters, such as the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake in Japan, have revealed that local governments without effective GCPs were severely affected by disasters, preventing them from quickly responding to or recovering from disasters. When the GEJE occurred in 2011, only 11% of municipal governments in Japan had GCPs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyzes basic principles of government continuity planning using complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory while summarizing recent developments in theory and practice of government continuity planning.FindingsThis research investigates the Japanese experience of GCPs using self-organization, one of the concepts of CAS. A GCP will complement regional disaster plans, which often focus on what governments should do to protect citizens during emergencies but fail to outline how governments should prepare for an emergency operation. The study concludes that GCPs contribute to increased resilience among the public sector in terms of robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness and rapidity.Practical implicationsThis paper includes implications for the development and improvement of a GCP's operational guideline.Originality/valueThis research fulfills an identified need to investigate the effectiveness of a GCP for resilience in the public sector and how to improve its operation using concepts of CAS.

The Dynamics of Psycho-Social-Ecological Resilience in the Urban Environment: A Complex Adaptive Systems Theory Perspective

As the proportion of people living in urban areas continues to grow (United Nations, 2019), it becomes increasingly important to understand urban resilience in the face of both chronic and acute, endogenous and exogenous stressors. Indeed, there is a growing literature on urban resilience, which includes several recent frameworks to operationalize and assess the concept and its indicators. Inherent in this literature, though rarely explicitly, is the psychology of the people comprising urban environments. The purpose of this paper is to explore the intersection of urban resilience and psychological resilience by viewing both in the context of complex adaptive systems theory. Arising from this juncture is a more robust and dynamic understanding of resilience, a psycho-social-ecological resilience. The discussion will draw from this notion of resilience a more thorough framework for understanding the reciprocal relationships among urban dwelling people and their total environments. Areas for future research and implications for our understandings of psychological resilience, urban resilience, and sustainable cities will be highlighted.

Examining innovation in hospital units: a complex adaptive systems approach

BackgroundWe are in an innovation age for healthcare delivery. Some note that the complexity of healthcare delivery may make innovation in this setting more difficult and may require more adaptive solutions. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between unit complexity and innovation, using a complex adaptive systems approach in a hospital setting.MethodsWe conducted a quantitative study of 31 hospital units within one hospital and use complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory to examine how two CAS factors, autonomy and performance orientation, moderate the relationship between unit complexity and innovation.ResultsWe find that unit complexity is associated with higher innovation performance when autonomy is low rather than high. We also find that unit complexity is associated with higher innovation performance when performance orientation is high rather than low. Our findings make three distinct contributions: we quantify the influence of complexity on innovation success in the health care sector, we examine the impact of autonomy on innovation in health care, and we are the first to examine performance orientation on innovation in health care.ConclusionsThis study tackles the long debate about the influence of complexity on healthcare delivery, particularly innovation. Instead of being subject to the influence of complexity with no means of making progress or gaining control, hospitals looking to implement innovation programs should provide guidance to teams and departments regarding the type of innovation sought and provide support in terms of time and management commitment. Hospitals should also find ways to promote and make successful pilot implementations of such innovations visible in the organization. A close connection between the targeted innovation and the overall success and performance of the hospital unit is ideal.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems: towards a systemic approach to entrepreneurship?

ABSTRACT Despite its relative newness, entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) have attracted much attention from research and policy but they are recognized to be largely untheorized. It is claimed that one aspect which distinguishes the EE perspective from other perspectives related to business environments is its systemic approach; however, much of the systemic approach still needs to be investigated. The aim of this paper is therefore to investigate how the systemic and complex approach of EEs can be theoretically strengthened. We do this by investigating what values complex adaptive system theory holds for advancing the EE perspective. We highlight four propositions which are of particular importance for strengthening the systemic approach of EE: spatial and component boundaries of the system; self-governance; the relational dimension between system components and the system; and the evolution of the system. We propose that boundaries should be seen as a natural part of the system, that a complex system is too complex to capture all components and all interactions, and that studying only individual activities will not enable us to fully understand the system’s behaviour.

Data-driven network layer security detection model and simulation for the Internet of Things based on an artificial immune system

Traditional network security detection models are trained offline using attack samples of known types. Although such models have high detection rates for known attack types, they cannot identify new attack types in the network layer. At present, these detection systems have the disadvantages of slow system construction and a high cost of model updating. Facing the increasing expansion of networks and endless attacks, these detection systems lack self-adaptability and expansibility, so it is difficult to detect complex and changeable attack events in networks. In this paper, the integrated use of immunology theory, complex adaptive system theory, and computational experiment technology is proposed to develop an Internet network layer security detection model based on an artificial immune system as an improvement over existing models of Internet network layer security. On the basis of testing knowledge, when a new type of attack is encountered, the online detection and learning process enables the dynamic extension of the network security detection model. Experimental calculations and an example analysis are presented to verify the scientific validity and feasibility of the model.

Network Layer Security Detection Model of Internet of Things Based on Immune System

The traditional network security detection model use attack samples of known types to train the security detection model offline. Although it has a high detection rate for the known attack types, it cannot identify the new attack types on the network layer. At present, detection system has disadvantages of slow speed of system construction and high cost of model update. Facing increasingly expanding network and endless attacks, the detection system lacks self-adaptability and expansibility. In this paper, the integrated use of immunology theory and complex adaptive system theory and computational experiment technology, based on Internet network layer security detection model of the immune system, existing Internet network layer security, the new type of attack occurred in the process of on-line detection of immune learning, realize the dynamic extension of network security detection model, and through calculating experiment and example analysis verify the scientific nature and feasibility of the model.

The implications of complexity for humanitarian logistics: a complex adaptive systems perspective

In this study we argue that recognising humanitarian logistics (HL) as a complex system is a key step in developing supply chain design and management strategies that meet the needs of stakeholders. This study draws on complex adaptive systems theory to examine the characteristics and implications of complexity for HL. Through case-study research of humanitarian responses in Haiti and Pakistan, characteristics of complexity across organisational boundaries are identified. We find that the complexity of the context impacts the outcome of the humanitarian response and conclude that HL must not only react to its environment, it must also create its environment. As HL must work within significantly differing environments to create solutions, the standardised approaches used to manage supply chains are less desirable. While this paper focuses on HL, wider applicability to other complex logistics operations is also discussed, informing the design and management of contextually specific supply chains.