Complexity in Organizations

Introduction – Complexity in Organizations

Complexity in organizations is far from a coherent research field constrained to a particular scientific discipline. As a research theme concerning the change and stability of organized activity – whether in nature or society – complexity has rather emerged from a multitude of sources and disciplines over a period of time dating at least back to the 19th century. In the literature on organizational studies, the theme of complexity first became visible in the wake of World War II, when researchers raised criticism against the mechanical view of people and organizations that had been dominating during the rise of industrialization in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

However, even though complexity ...