Complexity and Innovation in Organizations

Complexity and Innovation in Organizations PDF Author: José Fonseca
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415250290
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
Taking a critical look at major perspectives on innovation, this book suggests that innovation is not a designed functional activity of a firm or an intentional process through which firms anticipate changes in conditions. Jose Fonseca proposes that the concepts behind the innovation experiences cannot be traced to any particular time, space or individual, even if one person has figured prominently. The innovative ideas in the examples considered did not occur as a direct product of a purposeful search triggered by the perception of some problem to solve, nor did they result from a sequential process that was laid out in advance. Instead, innovative ideas were a product of streams of conversations that extended over long periods of time and were characterized by critical degrees of misunderstanding and redundancy. Fonseca's book presents innovation as new meaning potentially emerging in ongoing, every-day conversations. Drawing on the theory of complex responsive process, developed in the first two volumes of this series, Fonseca presents a particular way of understanding innovation. The experiences of innovation studied in this book suggest that innovations do not start with a match between a need to be satisfied and a set of competencies and tools purposefully brought together to meet the need. On the contrary, identification of need is a consequence of success, rather than a pre-condition. The innovations studied in this book (a selection of innovation experiences from Portugal are considered) were subject to constant and never ending redefinition.

Complexity and Innovation in Organizations

Complexity and Innovation in Organizations PDF Author: José Fonseca
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415250290
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 154

Get Book Here

Book Description
Taking a critical look at major perspectives on innovation, this book suggests that innovation is not a designed functional activity of a firm or an intentional process through which firms anticipate changes in conditions. Jose Fonseca proposes that the concepts behind the innovation experiences cannot be traced to any particular time, space or individual, even if one person has figured prominently. The innovative ideas in the examples considered did not occur as a direct product of a purposeful search triggered by the perception of some problem to solve, nor did they result from a sequential process that was laid out in advance. Instead, innovative ideas were a product of streams of conversations that extended over long periods of time and were characterized by critical degrees of misunderstanding and redundancy. Fonseca's book presents innovation as new meaning potentially emerging in ongoing, every-day conversations. Drawing on the theory of complex responsive process, developed in the first two volumes of this series, Fonseca presents a particular way of understanding innovation. The experiences of innovation studied in this book suggest that innovations do not start with a match between a need to be satisfied and a set of competencies and tools purposefully brought together to meet the need. On the contrary, identification of need is a consequence of success, rather than a pre-condition. The innovations studied in this book (a selection of innovation experiences from Portugal are considered) were subject to constant and never ending redefinition.

Open Boundaries

Open Boundaries PDF Author: Howard Sherman
Publisher: Re-Emerge Book
ISBN: 9781938158209
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Since it was first published 25 years ago, Open Boundaries has been recognized as a seminal work in leading Enterprise Complexity. The process of interaction and emergence introduced in this book, exposes the myth that enterprise complexity can be managed. It cannot. But it can and must be led. Written by the late Howard Sherman and Ron Schultz, Open Boundaries emerged out of years of seminars held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These workshops attracted businesses and enterprises from around the world grappling with rapid change. The pace of that change had unceremoniously propelled them out of the industrial age, through the information age, and into a post information age of new and previously unimagined opportunities that were always just one step away. Leading the way to these adjacent opportunities is why the ideas in Open Boundaries continue to create a new future. They are as needed today as they were when they first shattered enterprise thinking. There is a good reason it, as well as the other books in the Re-Emerge collection, are classics. They are not about control and order, but a means of understanding and meeting the complexity encountered and leading it to a new and vital future.

Changing Conversations in Organizations

Changing Conversations in Organizations PDF Author: Patricia Shaw
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415249140
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
Focusing on the essential uncertainty of participating in evolving events as they happen, this book considers the creative possibilities of such participation from a complexity perspective.

Complexity and the Nexus of Leadership

Complexity and the Nexus of Leadership PDF Author: J. Goldstein
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780230622289
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The authors present a new approach to leadership based on findings from complexity science. Integrating real case studies with rigorous research results, they explore the biggest challenges being faced in fast-paced organizations, and provide a host of concrete tools for leading during critical periods.

Simplify Work

Simplify Work PDF Author: Jesse W. Newton
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
ISBN: 1642790834
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 151

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Book Description
In urgent response to the epidemic of crippling complexity affecting organizations around the world, Simplify Work reveals the common sources of this virus and outlines practical steps that can be taken to liberate innovation, productivity, and engagement. Complexity is like a vine that gradually grows and expands, wreaking havoc in organizations and individual lives. Growing complexity has traditionally been met with added structures, processes, committees and systems. Consequently, organizations often become a complicated mess, clouding strategic focus, slowing innovation and breeding complacency. It is no wonder that large organizations around the world are failing at an increasing rate and employee engagement levels have never been so low. Simplify Work reveals the typical drivers of complexity and provides a practical method for simplifying work. Inside, global management consultant Jesse Newton delivers a newfound clarity on the case for simplification and the steps organizations and individuals need to take to unleash its potential. He reveals the common drivers of debilitating complexity and provides a recipe for reducing and removing those things getting in the way of peak performance. Based on the research and experiences of a recognized organization effectiveness expert, Simplify Work leaves readers inspired and equipped to create a new liberating reality in both their organization and their life.

Simply Effective

Simply Effective PDF Author: Ron Ashkenas
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1422156176
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
The level of complexity in most organizations today is staggering-and it's only getting worse. There are so many choices to be made, people to involve, processes to manage, and facts to analyze, it's impossible to get things done. And in today's hypercompetitive world, that can be fatal. Yet complexity doesn't happen on its own. Managers unwittingly create it, often through well-intended decisions. In Simply Effective, Ron Ashkenas provides a playbook for regaining control, focused on the four major causes of complexity: -Constant changes in organizational structures -Proliferation of products and services -Evolution of business processes -Time-wasting managerial behaviors The author provides a diagnostic for identifying how these causes of complexity are affecting your organization-and presents practical tactics for combating each one. Ashkenas also explains how to craft a strategy that will make simplification an ongoing driver of your company's success-no matter where you work in your organization. Abundant examples from companies like ConAgra Foods, GE, Cisco, Zurich Financial Services, and Johnson & Johnson illuminate his points. A crucial resource in today's overly complex age, Simply Effective should be required reading for everyone on your management team.

Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition

Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition PDF Author: Andrei Perumal
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071835547
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
A new lens on growth and a critical set of strategies for navigating a complex world Growth is rarely in a straight line. It is tempting to think otherwise, particularly when looking in the rear view mirror, but anyone faced with plotting the coordinates for a company's growth knows the fallacy of this notion. As much as we like to think of corporate leaders executing sure-fire growth strategies, the truth is far messier: it’s more an act of exploration and discovery than a step-by-step process. In Growth in the Age of Complexity, the authors describe in detail how complexity has impacted businesses and the markets in which they compete, and the strategies, mindsets and skillsets required to grow profitably! New strategies are required to navigate the “Sirens of Growth”: the growth plans borne of Industrial Age mindsets that too frequently lead to complexity vs. scale. In addition, companies need to develop an Explorer’s Mindset and a Navigator’s Skillset to sustain performance. You’ll discover how to: •Assess where you’re truly making money •Reignite your core products and services to drive growth •Incorporate experimentation as a key way to discover new opportunities •Create an operating model for scale, location, and replication •Identify new markets where you are positioned to win •Understand the fundamentals for executing in a distributed organization This book is an invaluable tool for achieving growth and maintaining a competitive advantage in virtually any business.

The New Knowledge Management

The New Knowledge Management PDF Author: Mark W. McElroy
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136356568
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
'The New Knowledge Management' is the story of the birth of "second-generation knowledge management," told from the perspective of one its chief architects, Mark W. McElroy. Unlike its first-generation cousin, second-generation Knowledge Management seeks to enhance knowledge production, not just knowledge sharing. As a result, 'The New Knowledge Management' expands the overall reach of knowledge management to include "innovation management" for the very first time. 'The New Knowledge Management' introduces the concept of "second-generation knowledge management" to the business community. Mark W. McElroy has assembled a collection of his own essays, written over the past four years, chronicling the development of related thinking in the field. Unlike first-generation KM, mainly focusing on value derived from knowledge sharing, second-generation thinking formally adds knowledge making to the scope of KM. In this way second-generation KM expands the overall reach of KM to include "innovation management" for the very first time. 'The New Knowledge Management' finally begins to bridge the gap between KM and the field of organizational learning, which up until now have been viewed as miles apart.

Conquering Complexity in Your Business: How Wal-Mart, Toyota, and Other Top Companies Are Breaking Through the Ceiling on Profits and Growth

Conquering Complexity in Your Business: How Wal-Mart, Toyota, and Other Top Companies Are Breaking Through the Ceiling on Profits and Growth PDF Author: Michael L. George
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071454969
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Conquering the complexity in products and services can generate larger contributions to profits and growth than nearly any other business strategy Here's a guarantee: Somewhere in your business, there is too much complexity. You may also be losing out by having too little complexity where it counts - in the products, services and options you offer to customers. Either way, the impact of complexity is enormous in terms of lost profit and missed growth opportunities. Conquering Complexity in Your Business shows how to break through the ceiling on profits and growth by implementing the three rules for conquering complexity: Eliminating complexity that customers will not pay for Exploiting the complexity that customers will pay for Minimizing the costs of the complexity you offer You'll find methods and tools you need to: Identify the offering and process complexity in your business Quantify the impact of that complexity Decide which complexity you want to keep and which to eliminate Select specific approaches to eliminate different kinds of complexity This knowledge will significantly improve your ability to grow profit, revenue, and shareholder value.

Complexity and Management

Complexity and Management PDF Author: Ralph D. Stacey
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415247610
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
Providing a critique of the ways that complexity theory has been applied to understanding organizations, and outining a new direction, this book calls for a radical re-examination of management thinking.