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| Complexity, Organization Dynamics and Total Performance System |
| Saturday, May 29, 2004 |
| 4:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Liberty C |
| Area: OBM/TPC; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Rene Quinones (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Discussant: William B. Abernathy (Abernathy & Associates) |
| Abstract: . |
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| Complexity, Organization Dynamics and Total Performance System |
| RENE QUINONES (University of Nevada, Reno), N. Joseph Rodrigues (University of Nevada, Reno), Linda J. Parrott Hayes (University of Nevada, Reno), William B. Abernathy (Abernathy & Associates) |
| Abstract: The Total Performance System embodies important dynamical principles active on successful in organizations and which control might influence the business profitability and accurate performance of their employees.
It is possible to provide a more graphical, mathematical, and dynamical version based on those ideas. An important goal is to present some principles that describe the dynamics of organizations and how they can be organized and presented containing some dynamical modeling ideas borrowed from chaos, complexity, network theory, etc. This would provide several advantages. First, it might facilitate the training and diffusion of the theory and methodologies. Second, it would facilitate the understanding the dynamics of companies. Finally, it might facilitate the data analysis because it would provide important conceptual frames into which fit the observations, as network theory for example. The main ideas that we had selected are networks vs. hierarchies, synchronicity, selection, self-organization vs. imposed order and evolution of complex adaptive systems, etc. |
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| Recognizing and Managing Complexity in Organizations |
| N. JOSEPH RODRIGUES (University of Nevada, Reno), Linda J. Parrott Hayes (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: Large organizations tend to manifest several of the characteristics of complex systems. For example, small, subtle changes in one area of the organization can have surprisingly large effects on the overall health of the business. Companies also show a tendency to self-organize when an explicit organizational design is absent. In addition, unpredictable changes in the economy or the business environment will oftentimes favor new and different practices. We discuss how some mathematical concepts of complexity such as networks, fractals, and attractors may be used to better understand organizations. Finally, we present a few of the ways in which this complexity can be recognized and managed. |
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