IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v64y2011i3p236-241.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Complexity in business environments

Author

Listed:
  • Vasconcelos, Flávio C.
  • Ramirez, Rafael

Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of complexity from an epistemological point of view, drawing a distinction between complexity (contextual complexity) and complication (procedural complexity). This article explores some organizational consequences of increasing complexity in organizational environments as management must cope with complexity at three different levels -- internal, transactional environment, and contextual environment. The authors propose a model of managerial competencies in terms of complexity requirements and overview some consequences of this model for organizational learning and competence building processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasconcelos, Flávio C. & Ramirez, Rafael, 2011. "Complexity in business environments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 236-241, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:64:y:2011:i:3:p:236-241
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148-2963(09)00295-1
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth E. Boulding, 1956. "General Systems Theory--The Skeleton of Science," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(3), pages 197-208, April.
    2. Russell L. Ackoff, 1981. "The Art and Science of Mess Management," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 20-26, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Krijkamp, Annefleur R. & Knoben, Joris & Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Leenders, Roger T.A.J., 2021. "An ace in the hole: The effects of (in)accurately observed structural holes on organizational reputation positions in whole networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 703-713.
    2. Mark Casson & Yutong Li, 2022. "Complexity in international business: The implications for theory," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(9), pages 2037-2049, December.
    3. Spelta, A. & Flori, A. & Pecora, N. & Pammolli, F., 2021. "Financial crises: Uncovering self-organized patterns and predicting stock markets instability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 736-756.
    4. Riccaboni, Massimo & Wang, Xu & Zhu, Zhen, 2021. "Firm performance in networks: The interplay between firm centrality and corporate group size," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 641-653.
    5. Akhtar, Ch. Shoaib & Awan, Sajid Hussain & Naveed, Shaheryar & Ismail, Kamariah, 2018. "A comparative study of the application of systems thinking in achieving organizational effectiveness in Malaysian and Pakistani banks," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 767-776.
    6. Zhao, Yushan & Cavusgil, Erin & Cavusgil, S. Tamer, 2014. "An investigation of the black-box supplier integration in new product development," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1058-1064.
    7. Saghiri, Soroosh & Wilding, Richard & Mena, Carlos & Bourlakis, Michael, 2017. "Toward a three-dimensional framework for omni-channel," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 53-67.
    8. Gonzales Martinez, Rolando & D’Espallier, Bert & Mersland, Roy, 2021. "Bifurcations in business profitability: An agent-based simulation of homophily in self-financing groups," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 495-514.
    9. González-Varona, José M. & Martín-Cruz, Natalia & Acebes, Fernando & Pajares, Javier, 2023. "How public funding affects complexity in R&D projects. An analysis of team project perceptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    10. Discua Cruz, Allan & Hamilton, Eleanor & Campopiano, Giovanna & Jack, Sarah L., 2024. "Women’s entrepreneurial stewardship: The contribution of women to family business continuity in rural areas of Honduras," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 15(1).
    11. Evans, Jocelyn & Borders, Aberdeen Leila, 2014. "Strategically Surviving Bankruptcy during a Global Financial Crisis: The Importance of Understanding Chapter 15," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 2738-2742.
    12. De Toni, Alberto F. & Pessot, Elena, 2021. "Investigating organisational learning to master project complexity: An embedded case study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 541-554.
    13. Förster, Bernadette & von der Gracht, Heiko, 2014. "Assessing Delphi panel composition for strategic foresight — A comparison of panels based on company-internal and external participants," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 215-229.
    14. Galati, Francesco & Bigliardi, Barbara & Galati, Roberta & Petroni, Giorgio, 2021. "Managing structural inter-organizational tensions in complex product systems projects: Lessons from the Metis case," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 723-735.
    15. Molden, Lars Hovdan & Clausen, Tommy Hoyvarde, 2021. "Playing 3D chess, or how firms can thrive under complexity: The mediating role of innovation capabilities in the use of innovation input," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 1-13.
    16. Han, Jin & Ruan, Yi & Wang, Yanmin & Zhou, Haibo, 2021. "Toward a complex adaptive system: The case of the Zhongguancun entrepreneurship ecosystem," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 537-550.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David C. Lane, 2022. "Fons et origo: reflections on the 60th anniversary of Industrial Dynamics," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 38(3), pages 292-324, July.
    2. Lu, Jinfeng & Dimov, Dimo, 2023. "A system dynamics modelling of entrepreneurship and growth within firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(3).
    3. Jin P. Gerlach & Ronald T. Cenfetelli, 2022. "Overcoming the Single-IS Paradigm in Individual-Level IS Research," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 33(2), pages 476-488, June.
    4. George Kleiner, 2015. "State — Region — Field— Enterprise: Framework of Economics System Stability of Russia. Part 1," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(2), pages 50-58.
    5. Avner Engel & Shalom Shachar, 2006. "Measuring and optimizing systems' quality costs and project duration," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(3), pages 259-280, September.
    6. Justin R. Hall & Selen Savas-Hall & Eric H. Shaw, 2023. "A deductive approach to a systematic review of entrepreneurship literature," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 987-1016, September.
    7. Masechaba Nthunya & Nien-Tsu Tuan & Corrinne Shaw & Ian Jay, 2017. "A Systemic Exploration of Lesotho’s Basic Education through Interactive Management," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 257-276, June.
    8. Ahmet Ilhan, 2020. "Comparison of Organizational Theory in the Axis of the "Pandemonium" Metaphor in Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern Approaches," Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, Eurasian Publications, vol. 8(4), pages 292-304.
    9. Barile, Sergio & Carrubbo, Luca & Iandolo, Francesca & Caputo, Francesco, 2013. "From 'EGO' to 'ECO' in B2B relationships," jbm - Journal of Business Market Management, Free University Berlin, Marketing Department, vol. 6(4), pages 228-253.
    10. M C Jackson, 2009. "Fifty years of systems thinking for management," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(1), pages 24-32, May.
    11. Andreas Hieronymi, 2013. "Understanding Systems Science: A Visual and Integrative Approach," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 580-595, September.
    12. David C. Lane, 2010. "OR FORUM---High Leverage Interventions: Three Cases of Defensive Action and Their Lessons for OR/MS Today," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1535-1547, December.
    13. Luoma, Jukka, 2016. "Model-based organizational decision making: A behavioral lens," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 816-826.
    14. Ulrike Reisach, 2016. "The creation of meaning and critical ethical reflection in operational research," EURO Journal on Decision Processes, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 4(1), pages 5-32, June.
    15. George Kleiner, 2015. "State — Region — Field — Enterprise: Framework of Economics System Stability of Russia. Part 2," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(3), pages 9-17.
    16. Dimov, Dimo & Pistrui, Joseph, 2024. "Dynamics of entrepreneurial well-being: Insights from computational theory," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    17. Ormerod, Richard J. & Ulrich, Werner, 2013. "Operational research and ethics: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 228(2), pages 291-307.
    18. David C. Lane, 2012. "What Is a ‘Policy Insight’?," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 590-595, November.
    19. Stephens, William & Hess, Tim, 1999. "Systems approaches to water management research," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 3-13, March.
    20. Jim Spohrer & Alessio Giuiusa & Haluk Demirkan & David Ing, 2013. "Service Science: Reframing Progress with Universities," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 561-569, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:64:y:2011:i:3:p:236-241. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.