This study proposes that dynamically changing organizations can achieve stable productive capacit... more This study proposes that dynamically changing organizations can achieve stable productive capacity (or environmentally stable states) by adaptively processing internal and external volatility. It tests this proposal with agent network measures rather than with more traditional variables. We examine three such network dynamics that, according to the collective perspectives of complexity theory, influence a network's capacity to perform: informal leadership, interaction among agents, and clique engagement. Data were collected at an elementary school in the southeastern United States; the methodologies include qualitative interviews, network analysis, and response surface methods. Results revealed that informal leadership and engagement in cliques positively affect the productive capacity of organizations, and that cliques can absorb large amounts of information flow (volatility) thus promoting stable productivity levels. That is, collective, information-processing adaptability fosters stable productivity plateaus that absorb unpredictable demands. Suggestions for practitioners are provided.
Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of ... more Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive needs of organizations. In this paper, we propose that leadership (as opposed to leaders) can be seen as a complex dynamic process that emerges in the interactive "spaces between" people and ideas. That is, leadership is a dynamic that transcends the capabilities of individuals alone; it is the product of interaction, tension, and exchange rules governing changes in perceptions and understanding. We label this a dynamic of adaptive leadership, and we show how this dynamic provides important insights about the nature of leadership and its outcomes in organizational fields. We define a leadership event as a perceived segment of action whose meaning is created by the interactions of actors involved in producing it, and we present a set of innovative methods for capturing and analyzing these contextually driven processes. We provide theoretical and practical implications of these ideas for organizational behavior and organization and management theory.
This study proposes that dynamically changing organizations can achieve stable productive capacit... more This study proposes that dynamically changing organizations can achieve stable productive capacity (or environmentally stable states) by adaptively processing internal and external volatility. It tests this proposal with agent network measures rather than with more traditional variables. We examine three such network dynamics that, according to the collective perspectives of complexity theory, influence a network's capacity to perform: informal leadership, interaction among agents, and clique engagement. Data were collected at an elementary school in the southeastern United States; the methodologies include qualitative interviews, network analysis, and response surface methods. Results revealed that informal leadership and engagement in cliques positively affect the productive capacity of organizations, and that cliques can absorb large amounts of information flow (volatility) thus promoting stable productivity levels. That is, collective, information-processing adaptability fosters stable productivity plateaus that absorb unpredictable demands. Suggestions for practitioners are provided.
Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of ... more Traditional, hierarchical views of leadership are less and less useful given the complexities of our modern world. Leadership theory must transition to new perspectives that account for the complex adaptive needs of organizations. In this paper, we propose that leadership (as opposed to leaders) can be seen as a complex dynamic process that emerges in the interactive "spaces between" people and ideas. That is, leadership is a dynamic that transcends the capabilities of individuals alone; it is the product of interaction, tension, and exchange rules governing changes in perceptions and understanding. We label this a dynamic of adaptive leadership, and we show how this dynamic provides important insights about the nature of leadership and its outcomes in organizational fields. We define a leadership event as a perceived segment of action whose meaning is created by the interactions of actors involved in producing it, and we present a set of innovative methods for capturing and analyzing these contextually driven processes. We provide theoretical and practical implications of these ideas for organizational behavior and organization and management theory.
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Papers by Russ Marion