Our today and our tomorrow are being shaped by the three mega forces of Globalization, Innovation and Complexity. Complexity is probably the least understood and the most powerful of these forces.
He further states, “The constructionist hypothesis breaks down when confronted with the twin difficulties of scale and complexity. The behavior of large and complex aggregates of elementary particles, it turns out, is not to be understood in terms of simple extrapolation of the properties of a few particles. Instead, at each level of complexity entirely new properties appear, and the understanding of the new behaviors requires research (fundamental)”.
Complex systems are characterized by:
- Extraordinary decentralization
- Inherently conflicting, unknowable and diverse requirements
- Continuous evolution and deployment
- Heterogeneous, inconsistent, and changing elements
- Erosion of people/system boundary
- Normal failures
- New paradigms for acquisition and policy
We are surrounded (in reality) by complex systems. Our businesses, our technical systems and our organizations (and the environments in which they operate) are inherently complex. They are characterized by increasing interactions, dependencies, couplings or connections in not only the depth of existing dimensions but in increasing the number of connection dimensions manifold.
Thus far our methods to confront complexity have been based on reductionism or analysis, determinism, dualism, correspondence theory of knowledge and rationality – analytical and logical thinking as we know it. They have worked well for us in the past and continue to drive our approaches to problem solving, change creation and innovation.
However, the new age of innovation warrants newer methods to deal with complexity. These new methods are likely to be based on a deeper understanding of indeterminacy, non-linearity, chaos, adaptation, self-organization and distributed intelligence.
The “intersection of complexity and innovation” is a key element of our innovation frameworks and one of the most exciting areas of our innovation research agenda.
