Organizations and Complex Adaptive Systems explains complexity theory within the organizational studies and discusses the applicability of complex adaptive systems principles for intraorganizational and interorganizational levels. Complex adaptive systems and complexity theory have been studied in many different fields of science. When studying the application of complex adaptive systems within social sciences, not many are seen in real terms in contrary to the myriads of theories and propositions available. The complex adaptive systems perspective is presented in quantitative terms in natural sciences, but a quantitative approach has not been used within social sciences a lot comparatively. This book links the basics of complex adaptive systems to social sciences, focusing on organizational studies and covering interorganizational, organizational, and individual levels. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to researchers, academics, managers, and students in the fields of management, organizational theory and behavior, and strategic management.

In this book, Lex Donaldson, one of the leading scholars in the field of organization theory, introduces a compelling theory of performance-driven organizational change, Organizational Portfolio Theory. In explaining why organizations change and also why they fail to change, the theory reconceptualizes the organization as a portfolio with a number of different causes of organizational performance varying over time. The author argues that without a performance crisis there is a good chance that necessary organizational changes will not be forthcoming, and that moreover, the adaptive change induced by the crisis creates the capacity for fresh organizational growth.

This book explores how enterprises adapt to challenges in their business environments. It focuses on the critical elements within organisations that every executive must address in order to remain competitive. It takes a pluralist approach in trying to broaden our knowledge on organisational adaptations. It also offers an exploratory delve into existing literature of organisational study. This is biased for content, context and process framework and processual analytic approach in order to identify, determine, understand the intricacies of adaptations going on in various business organisations. The book also includes a case study of how Kodak and Fujifilm responded to digitalisation of photographic film industry, which is an example of major adaptation change. Many global brands are often contending with similar issues and real life challenges. Simply put, today’s business environment demands a new way of doing business that challenges brand’s existing core business philosophy. Organisations are ‘individual’ entities in their own rights. Businesses have devised ways of surviving their environments. They do this by downsizing, merger and acquisition, business ecosystems, other forms of collaborations and strategic alliances. While this is true, current research works into generic predictors and/or concepts that enhance the transformation process are scarce. It is particularly important to align the theories and concepts of organisational adaptations with realities in the business environment. This book delves deep and explains adaptations in organisations, but also offers insight for how executives can adapt and thrive in their dynamic business environments.

Revised and updated for the second edition, the Handbook of Strategic Management provides a set of broad-based bibliographic essays on strategic management. It covers synoptic approaches, complexity theory, organizational capacity, financing strategy, networks, and chaos theory and offers an in-depth look the use of strategic management in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. The National Institute of Personnel Management called this book "...the most comprehensive single-source treatment of strategic management." New topics discuss the role of strategic management in political decision making, uncertainty, the absence of strategy, productivity, teamwork, leadership, and change.

Systemics of Emergence: Research and Development is a volume devoted to exploring the core theoretical and disciplinary research problems of emergence processes from which systems are established. It focuses on emergence as the key point of any systemic process. This topic is dealt with within different disciplinary approaches, indicated by the organization in sections: 1) Applications; 2) Biology and human care; 3) Cognitive Science; 4) Emergence; 5) General Systems; 6) Learning; 7) Management; 8) Social Systems; 9) Systemic Approach and Information Science; 10) Theoretical issues in Systemics. The Editors and contributing authors have produced this volume to help, encourage and widen the work in this area of General Systems Research.

In recent years the professions have undergone radical transformation. With the advent of rapidly changing markets, more sophisticated and demanding clients, deregulation and increased competition, the generalist professional partnerships have given way to larger, more corporate forms of organization, comprising increasingly autonomous specialist business units. This volume critically examines these changes through an examination of the archetypes which characterize accounting, health care and law practitioners. With examples drawn from Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, Restructuring the Professional Organization will be of interest to all students of organization studies seeking to understand the issues and problems confronting the professions as they move to the new millennium. Topics covered include: * a review of the models of professional organization *drivers of change in professional organizations * internal dynamics of changes in these organizations * new organizational forms and archetypes.