See systemicbusiness.org/digests/sabi2002/sabi2002.html

ABSTRACT
Along with the function of knowledge and technique increases, scientists, engineers and managers have increasingly focused on innovation. Innovation is a powerful weapon in competing with other business enterprises, and pushes the society forward endlessly. However, what' s the innovation? What' s condition under which innovation is facilitated? In the past four decades, many scientists have put continued effort to understand these questions. In 1975, Melanie Klein developed a theory of the development underlay later adult behavior, explaining how creative behavior comes about and what role it plays in the human psyche; In 1965, Donald Winnicott regarded creative behavior occurred in a transitional space between the real world outside the mind and inner fantasy world. Many scientists in Santa Fe Institute founded in 1984 regarded innovation as a result of interacting of a number of components, or agents according to sets of rules that require them to examine and respond to each other' s behavior so as to improve their behavior and thus behavior of the system which they comprises. After having analyzed current research in organizational innovation Fariborz Damanpour developed a theory of organizational complexity and innovation exploring both the innovation process and the conditions under which innovation is facilitated in 1996. Many papers and reports introduced experimental programs that utilize knowledge of the creativity process to enhance innovation were conducted at enterprises, like as Leonard Berkowitz in 1996, Tekla S. Perry in 1995, Kenneth S. Corts in 2000. this study intends to exploring the Innate characters of organizational innovation and its mechanism. Firstly, the definition of innovation will be defined after studying different innovations of different levels. Secondly, the explanation of organizational innovation behavior based on system thinking will be explored in detail. The complexity of organizational innovation and the conditions stirring up more innovation will be studied immediately after. The signification of organizational innovation on both foundational and applied will be investigated in the end.

daviding
ezOP
Posts: 27
(7/27/02 5:10:00 pm)
Reply Re: CAO & SONG 2002-048 Study on the Complexity of Organ

Since we only have the abstract, and not the full paper, it's difficult to make a full assessment, but I'll try.

Key insights I got from the paper:
I should consider thinking about innovation in terms of complexity.

How might I apply these concepts:
If there's more information in the paper, then I would consider ideas around how innovation in the parts of the business (i.e. individual innovation) is related to innovation in the business as a whole (i.e. organizational innovation).

Additional ideas I might suggest to the author.
I'm not familiar with these references, or have any idea of how you would apply them, as I don't have the full paper.

* Does the paper suggest a more descriptive approach, or a more prescriptive approach?
The Klein citation and the Winnicott citation suggest an orientation from psychology, possibly towards social engagement in an enterprise such as a business. However, the Santa Fe work around complexity would suggest more around emergence than purposeful design.

I would suggest a discussion around complexity versus complicatedness. See T. F. H. Allen, Joseph A. Tainter and T. W. Hoekstra, "Supply-Side Sustainability", Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Volume 16, Number 5, September - October 1999, pp. 403-427.