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Multilevel organizational adaptation : Scale invariance in the Scottish healthcare system

Author

Listed:
  • Brice Dattée

    (EM - EMLyon Business School)

  • James Barlow

    (Imperial College London)

Abstract

We use the case of a "whole-system" change program in a national healthcare system to empirically examine the multilevel dynamics underlying organizational adaptation. Our analysis demonstrates how the cognitive distance between agents' causal representations affects opportunities to cooperate in hierarchical systems. Using complexity theory, we identify a scale-invariant causal pathway that can be applied recursively across many organizational levels. At each level, three coupled feedback loops determine how local agents modify their cognitive representations to include uncovered interdependencies and synchronize their adaptive search across organizational boundaries: a "boundary work" loop, a "small wins" loop, and a "parochialism" loop. Our results also point to the scale-dependency of the strength of dissipative processes across levels. These novel results further develop the theory of organizational change and have practical implications for large multilevel organizations, especially regarding the sustainability of improvements.

Suggested Citation

  • Brice Dattée & James Barlow, 2017. "Multilevel organizational adaptation : Scale invariance in the Scottish healthcare system," Post-Print hal-02311971, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02311971
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2017.1113
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. de Leeuw, Tim & Gilsing, Victor & Duysters, Geert, 2019. "Greater adaptivity or greater control? Adaptation of IOR portfolios in response to technological change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 1586-1600.
    2. April L. Wright & Gemma Irving & Asma Zafar & Trish Reay, 2023. "The Role of Space and Place in Organizational and Institutional Change: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 991-1026, June.
    3. Khodadad-Saryazdi, Ali, 2021. "Exploring the telemedicine implementation challenges through the process innovation approach: A case study research in the French healthcare sector," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Cisnetto, Valentina & Barlow, James, 2020. "The development of complex and controversial innovations. Genetically modified mosquitoes for malaria eradication," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    5. Elio Borgonovi & Paola Adinolfi & Rocco Palumbo & Gabriella Piscopo, 2018. "Framing the Shades of Sustainability in Health Care: Pitfalls and Perspectives from Western EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, November.

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