TY - JOUR
T1 - What about adaptiveness? The case of organisational resilience and cognition
AU - Secchi, Davide
AU - Neumann, Martin
AU - Festila, Maria Stefania
AU - Gahrn-Andersen, Rasmus
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This paper makes the very simple, perhaps straightforward point that adaptiveness cannot be taken for granted when analysing a complex system. The paradigm of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory makes it clear that a key feature of complex systems is the ability to adapt to changes in their environment. This is, indeed, relevant to many systems (e.g., living and social systems) since change is embedded in the way in which systems evolve over time. At the same time, adaptiveness is a strong assumption to make, since it prioritises change over stability and it can be a straight jacket, especially when it comes to studying complexity in the context of human social organising. By using a Case Study, this paper highlights the limits of a focus on adaptiveness and pushes for a more “neutral” perspective that allows researchers to appreciate a wider set of mechanisms, norms, and behaviours pertaining to complex social systems.
AB - This paper makes the very simple, perhaps straightforward point that adaptiveness cannot be taken for granted when analysing a complex system. The paradigm of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory makes it clear that a key feature of complex systems is the ability to adapt to changes in their environment. This is, indeed, relevant to many systems (e.g., living and social systems) since change is embedded in the way in which systems evolve over time. At the same time, adaptiveness is a strong assumption to make, since it prioritises change over stability and it can be a straight jacket, especially when it comes to studying complexity in the context of human social organising. By using a Case Study, this paper highlights the limits of a focus on adaptiveness and pushes for a more “neutral” perspective that allows researchers to appreciate a wider set of mechanisms, norms, and behaviours pertaining to complex social systems.
U2 - 10.3389/fcpxs.2024.1329794
DO - 10.3389/fcpxs.2024.1329794
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2813-6187
VL - 2
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - Frontiers in Complex Systems
JF - Frontiers in Complex Systems
ER -