Complex adaptive system

About: Complex adaptive system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3190 publications have been published within this topic receiving 111947 citations. The topic is also known as: Complex adaptive system, CAS.

A conceptual framework of generative customization as an approach to product innovation and fulfillment

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the problem in research of a lack of a holistic conceptual framework related to incremental and discontinuous innovation. Too often, the term “innovation” is used without an understanding of how it can be applied in a product design and supply chain fulfillment system. In this study, the goal is to develop a holistic “innovation continuum” to treat innovation as a complex adaptive system (CAS).Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and from it, four propositions and a conceptual framework were developed.Findings – The authors determined that an “innovation continuum” can be established through the use of a complex adaptive system. Two, incremental innovation is determined to possess adaptive qualities, and can be enhanced through the use of collaboration and evolutionary algorithms. Three, discontinuous innovation is established as a creative process enabled through expert designers, and improved through the use of g...

The universal principles of self-organization and the unity of Nature and knowledge

Abstract: It is argued that diverse complex adaptive systems, such as proteins, cells, organisms, organizations, societies and ecosystems, all together constitute one developing, multiscale continuum-economy composed of interacting and interdependent adaptive organizational forms that co-exist and co-evolve at different spatiotemporal scales, forming a nested set of interdependent organizational hierarchies. When reconceptualized in equivalent terms of selforganizing adaptive networks of energy/matter/information exchanges, complex systems of different scales appear to exhibit universal scale-invariant patterns in their organization and dynamics, suggesting the self-similarity of spatiotemporal scales and fractal organization of the living matter continuum. The self-organization of biomolecules into cells, cells into organisms and organisms into societies and ecosystems is presented here in terms of a universal scale-invariant organizational process driven by economy and assisted by memory and innovation. It is driven by economy as individual adaptive organizations compete and cooperate at every scale in their efforts to maximize the rate and efficiency of energy/matter/information extraction from their environments and the rate and efficiency of negative entropy production. Evolutionary memory, manifested as organizational structure balancing economic efficiency and adaptability, and innovation, manifested as stochastic generation of new organizational forms, facilitate economy-driven selforganization. Self-organization is proposed to be an ever-expanding process covering increasingly larger spatiotemporal scales through formation of interdependent organizational hierarchies. The process of self-organization blends Darwinian phases dominated by diversification, competition, and selection and organizational phases dominated by specialization, cooperation, and organization. It is argued and illustrated that the self-similarity of spatiotemporal scales in the organization and dynamics of living matter can be exploited both for scientific discovery within specialized disciplines and the unification of individual sciences within one and the same conceptual framework of self-organization. This is achieved by 1) defining scale-invariant organizational concepts, patterns and measures; 2) reconceptualizing organizational phenomena of different scales in the same scale-invariant terms and 3) mapping the knowledge structures of different scales onto each other, using overlapping patterns for alignment, filling in missing parts, and re-structuring misaligned patterns on the assumption of spatiotemporal self-similarity of scales.

Unifying the behavioral sciences II

Abstract: My response to commentators includes a suggestion that an additional principle be added to the list presented in the target article: the notion of human society as a complex adaptive system with emergent properties. In addition, I clear up several misunderstandings shared by several commentators, and explore some themes concerning future directions in the unification of the behavioral science.

The reconstruction of narrative identity during mental health recovery: a complex adaptive systems perspective.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: 1) to understand the reconstruction of narrative identity during mental health recovery using a complex adaptive systems perspective, 2) to address the need for alternative approaches that embrace the complexities of health care. METHOD: A narrative review of published literature was conducted. RESULTS: A complex adaptive systems perspective offers a framework and language that can assist individuals to make sense of their experiences and reconstruct their narratives during an often erratic and uncertain life transition. It is a novel research direction focused on a critical area of recovery and addresses the need for alternative approaches that embrace the complexities of health care. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A complexity research approach to narrative identity reconstruction is valuable. It is an accessible model for addressing the complexities of recovery and may underpin the development of simple, practical recovery coaching tools.