The DOI matches its Crossref record; 166 of the 167 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Complex Thinking, Complex Practice: The Case for a Narrative Approach to Organizational Complexity
Abstract
Complexity is not only a feature of the systems we study, it is also a matter of the way in which we organize our thinking about those systems. This second-order complexity invites consideration of the modes of thinking we use to theorize about complexity, and in this article we develop the idea of second-order complexity using Jerome Bruner’s contrast between logico-scientific and narrative modes of thinking. Using Bruner’s framework, we examine and critique dominant forms of thinking about organizational complexity that are rooted in the logico-scientific mode, and suggest alternatives based in the narrative mode. Our evidence for the value of doing this comes from the logic of complexity theory itself, which we claim indicates and supports the use of the narrative mode. The potential contribution of the narrative approach to developing second-order thinking about organizational complexity is demonstrated by taking a narrative approach to the matter of recursiveness. By extension, similar insights are indicated for other features that logico-scientific thinkers commonly attribute to complex systems, including, nonlinearity, indeterminacy, unpredictability and emergence.
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“Much of the literature is conceptual or theoretical in nature, introducing the complexity approach to a specific area of study (e.g.Leeuwis & Aarts, 2011), providing alternative views or methods to the analysis (e.g.Corman et al., 2002), or reflecting the use of complexity science in the communication research in general (e.g.Tsoukas & Hatch, 2001).”
From Complexity and Organizational Communication: A Quest for Common Ground (2016) · cites this paper as Tsoukas & Hatch, 2001
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Paradox research in management science: Looking back to move forward
Schad, J., Lewis, M. W., Raisch, S., & Smith, W. K. (2016) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520.2016.1162422 · Cited by 1,385
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“Some may object that representation of processes in empirical time series and mathematical models overly ‘variabilizes’ them (Tsoukas and Hatch 2001).”
BackgroundGRASPING THE LOGIC OF PRACTICE: THEORIZING THROUGH PRACTICAL RATIONALITY.
Sandberg, J., & Tsoukas, H. (2011) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2011.59330942 · Cited by 850
Self-citationPath Dependence or Path Creation?
Garud, R. B., Kumaraswamy, A., & Karnøe, P. (2009) · Journal of Management Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00914.x · Cited by 788
“In addition to relational elements, agency also implicates temporal elements (Tsoukas and Hatch, 2001).”
BackgroundA Narrative Approach to Collective Identities*
Brown, A. D. (2006) · Journal of Management Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00609.x · Cited by 576
“Stories do not tell themselves, they are told by storytellers, and are ‘a product of contingent human construction’ (Tsoukas and Hatch, 2001, p. 999).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Tsoukas, H., & Hatch, M. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Strathclyde (GB)
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tsoukas, Haridimos
- ORCID
- Hatch, Mary Jo
- Venue
- Human Relations
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2001-08
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 979-1013
- ISSN
- 0018-7267 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-282X
- OpenAlex
- W2137373608
- Semantic Scholar
- 11ac8f21ef439d6b4f53d6b2a123cd618bbe8d42
- Cited by
- 489
- References
- 167
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 6.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Human Relations (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Chaos, Complexity, and Education
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Complex Systems and Decision Making
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Keywords
- organizational complexity, narrative thinking, Bruner, complexity theory, recursiveness, nonlinearity, indeterminacy, unpredictability, emergence, complex systems
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