The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated world
IBM Systems Journal
Autonomous agents and multi –agent systems (AAMAS) for the military – issues and challenges
DAMAS'05 Proceedings of the 2005 international conference on Defence Applications of Multi-Agent Systems
| Hi-index | 0.00 |
This chapter addresses causality in practice, not just in theory and starts by explaining the characteristics of practice. It then examines how, in social contexts, the complex networks of vested interests, power groupings, dynamic influences and community and cultural tensions can be identified and managed leading to there being perceptions of successful outcomes. Key to this is recognising how 'success' would be seen from the various perspectives and viewpoints and understanding, practically, the opportunities and limitations for intercepting and engaging with these complex motivations --even though, on paper, some appear to be contradictory or even incompatible. The chapter will describe a 'Landscape', inspired by complexity science, which is used to contrast two urban situations and to show how some of the outcomes and their consequences can be explained in causal terms. It concludes by suggesting developments needed to provide practitioners with a systematic approach to putting `complexity thinking' to work in practice.