Quantity:

More Buying Choices

30 used & new from �15.85

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science (JB OD (Organizational Development)) (Paperback)

by Edwin E. Olson (Author), Glenda H. Eoyang (Author) "THIS CHAPTER CONTRASTS the fundamental assumptions of the traditional paradigm of organization change with the paradigm that is emerging from the science of complex adaptive..." (more)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

RRP:	�30.99
Price:	�26.34 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save:	�4.65 (15%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 18? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

23 new from �15.85 7 used from �15.88

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
CD-ROM			Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Terms of Engagement - Changing the Way We Change Organizations

by Axelrod

5.0 out of 5 stars (6) �16.99

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

by Gordon D. Fee

5.0 out of 5 stars (8) �7.22

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource to Todays Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems

by Peggy Holman

5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �28.70

Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics: The Challenge of Complexity to Ways of Thinking About Organisations

by Ralph.D. Stacey

4.7 out of 5 stars (3) �42.04

Changing Conversations in Organizations: A Complexity Approach to Change (Complexity and Emergence in Organizations)

by Dr Patricia Shaw

4.0 out of 5 stars (1) �24.53

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Jossey Bass (7 Feb 2001)
Language English
ISBN-10: 078795330X
ISBN-13: 978-0787953300
Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 17.8 x 1.5 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 340,083 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

See Complete Table of Contents

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

(What is this?)

Organizational Complexity opens new browser window

main.vanthinking.com - The Ten Principles of Complexity - Free Email Course. Subscribe Now!

Organisational Change opens new browser window

www.sheppardmoscow.com - Expert Consultancy from one of the World's Leading OD Specialists

Product Description

Quality Progress, June 2002

"The authors offer a comprehensive alternative to traditional change models"

Review

"The authors offer a comprehensive alternative to traditional change models" (Quality Progress, June 2002)

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
THIS CHAPTER CONTRASTS the fundamental assumptions of the traditional paradigm of organization change with the paradigm that is emerging from the science of complex adaptive systems (CAS) (see table 1.1). Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

change leadership

organizational theory

emergence

edwin e olson

consulting

complexity

complex adaptive systems

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	81% buy the item featured on this page: Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science (JB OD (Organizational Development)) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �26.34
	8% buy The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource to Todays Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �28.70
	6% buy The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �10.51
	2% buy Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!: Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �9.55

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

1 Review

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars practical book about promising org. change approach, 3 Jul 2002

By	Coert Visser "solutionfocusedchange.com" (Driebergen Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This is an interesting book about an approach to managing and changing organizations, which is quite different from traditional change approaches: complexity theory. You might think: "Ah, here we go again.... Is this just the next new management hype, destined to be forgotten soon?" I don't think so. I think complexity theory is to be taken a bit more serious than that. What is it? It is a rapidly developing theoretical framework that describes and explains fundamental processes of complex adaptive systems, like organizations. What is a complex adaptive system? The authors of this book, Edwin Olson and Glenda Eoyang, explain that in a complex adaptive system, a multitude of different players (called agents) held together by some cohesive force (called a container) and constantly interacting with each other in all kinds of ways (these interactions are called transforming exchanges).

The self-organizing nature of human interactions in a complex organization leads to surprising effects. Small actions, events and interactions can lead to dramatic outcomes affecting the whole system. Human interactions in complex systems lead to so-called emergent properties, which are features of the system that the separate parts do not have. (For example, brain cells don't have consciousness, but the human brain does). All of this explains why it is often impossible to understand let alone predict or control events and developments. This is a rather big departure from the traditional view, which tends to see organizations as understandable, predictable and ... controllable!

Then how exactly is the complexity theory approach to change management different from the traditional approach? Ed Olson and Glenda Eoyang summarize the main features of the CAS approach to change as follows: 1) Achieve change through connections between agents (instead of trying to control the change top-down), 2) Adapt to uncertainty (instead of trying to use predictable stages of development), 3) Allow goals, plans, and structures to emerge (instead of depending on clear and detailed plans or goals), 4) Amplify and value difference (instead of always directly focusing on consensus), 5) Create self-similarity (instead of difference between levels), 6) Regard success as a matter of fit with the environment (instead of focusing on one dimensional success measures).

It's hard to accurately summarize in a few words what's in this book. So, if you're organizational development consultant, perhaps you'd better read it yourself. What you will find is that the book is a nice mix of theory, case descriptions and practical tools which (some of which are very nice and handy). I think this is the first book that makes complexity theory so practical.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }