Harnessing ComplexityOrganizational Implications of a Scientific Frontier Editorial ReviewsFrom Publishers WeeklyIn a world where companies are forced to adapt to an ever more quickly changing marketplace , where people from diverse backgrounds must work together in order to solve problems rapidly and the future is hard to predict , wouldn ' t it be wonderful if all this complexity could work to your advantage ? Axelrod ( The Evolution of the Corporation ) and Cohen ( a consultant to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center ) , both professors at the University of Michigan , aim to draw on the principles of evolutionary biology , computer science and social design to explain the functioning of " complex adaptive systems " ( specifically businesses ) , and how to improve them . They explore such abstract issues as whether to encourage variation in a rapidly changing situation ( whether it refers to a diversity of products or problem - solving approaches , variety is defined as " the raw material for adaptation "); the impact of manipulating interactions ( with respect to time as well as both physical and conceptual space ) in an organization ; and how to select and support the most viable individuals , teams , systems or business strategies that emerge . Although their schematic approach and well - drawn anecdotal examples yield pragmatic insights , Axelrod and Cohen rely on somewhat idiosyncratic terminology to make their key points : " Agents of a variety of types use their strategies in patterned interaction , with each other and with artifacts " ( authors ' emphasis ) . While most managers are aware of complexity theory and are eager to learn how to adapt it to their organizations , some may be put off by the convoluted language used here . Agent , Raphael Sagalyn . ( May ) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information , Inc . -- This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . From BooklistManagement theorists are increasingly turning to complexity science in their search for answers to questions about organizational behavior . Axelrod and Cohen are professors of public policy . Their perspective on complexity is on building effective teams from complex groups of individuals . Axelrod is the author of the groundbreaking The Evolution of Cooperation ( 1984 ) and its follow - up , The Complexity of Cooperation ( 1997 ) . Cohen has served on the external faculty at the Santa Fe Institute , a leading research facility in the field of complexity . Drawing on their research done for a report on national information policy by the Highlands Forum under the aegis of the Department of Defense , the authors offer numerous business , political , and cultural applications for their model of complex adaptive systems . Clarifying the differences between complexity and chaos theories , they trace the principles of complex adaptive systems to evolutionary biology , computer science , and social design ; and they outline three key processes of such systems : variation , interaction , and selection . David RouseCopyright © American Library Association . All rights reserved -- This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . - John Seely Brown , Xerox Corporation and Palo Alto Research Center " A brilliant exposition that demystifies both the theory and use of Complex Adaptive Systems . " ReviewHal Varian Dean , School of Information & Management Systems , University of California , Berkeley , and coauthor of Information Rules : A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy You can ' t control complex systems , but you can influence them . Harnessing Complexity shows how . It is the first book to show how to make complexity work for you . -- This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . Book DescriptionA state - of - the - art guide to the new field of complexity - the tool leaders use to understand how people and organizations adapt in a world of rapid change . Harnessing Complexity will be indispensable to anyone who wants to better comprehend how people and organizations can adapt effectively in the information age . This book is a step - by - step guide to understanding the processes of variation , interaction , and selection that are at work in all organizations . The authors show how to use their own paradigm of " bottom up " management , the Complex Adaptive System - whether in science , public policy , or private commerce . This simple model of how people work together will change forever how we think about getting things done in a group . Download DescriptionRobert Axelrod is one of the world ' s leading experts on game theory and cooperation . Together with Michael Cohen he now reveals what makes a complex group of individuals into a productive team . Harnessing Complexity will be indispensable to anyone who wants better ways of thinking about how people and organizations can adapt effectively in the information age . The authors ' paradigm of " bottom up " management -- the Complex Adaptive System -- is fast becoming a tenet of twenty - first - century science and management . Axelrod and Cohen use many fascinating real - world examples to illustrate their model of complexity , but their book is more than a manual for success in Silicon Valley . Managers in any business , not - for - profit organization , or the public sector , can go step by step through the processes of variation , interaction , and selection that are at the heart of every Complex Adaptive System -- whether it is the ecology of a rain forest , an innovative banking system in the villages of Bangladesh , or the frenetic but efficient world of Wall Street trading . Their simple , paradigm - shifting model of how people work together will change forever how we think about getting things done in a group . -- This text refers to the Digital edition . Book InfoDistills the managerial essence of current research on complexity . Provides leaders in business and government with a guide to complexity helping them make effective decisions in a world of rapid change . DLC : Complex organizations . -- This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . From the Inside FlapAdvance praise for Harnessing Complexity : Harnessing Complexity distills the managerial essence of current research in complexity . Any manager confronted with disruptive change will find that Axelrod and Cohen have made a very valuable contribution to the emerging theory of competition and competitive advantage . -- C . K . Prahalad , University of Michigan , coauthor of Competing for the Future A brilliant exposition that demystifies both the theory and use of complex adaptive systems . -- John Seely Brown , Chief Scientist , Xerox Corporation , and Director , Palo Alto Research Center Insightful and refreshingly honest , Axelrod and Cohen have created a major contribution to complexity literature . -- Ellen H . Goldberg , President , Santa Fe Institute There has always been a fairly wide gap between theoretical work on complex adaptive systems and its application to real world problems confronting business and public policy . Harnessing Complexity builds a highly practical bridge between these worlds , drawing on the deep insights of two thinkers who were there at the beginning of the complexity revolution . -- Francis Fukuyama , author of The Great Disruption and The End of History You can ' t control complex systems , but you can influence them . Harnessing Complexity shows how . It is the first book to show how to make complexity work for you . -- Hal Varian , Dean School of Information & Management Systems , University of California , Berkeley , and coauthor of Information Rules : A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy Very very impressive ! Enables readers to sense the power of the concepts . Useful for people who want an introduction to complex adaptive systems and how Axelrod and Cohen ' s framework might be applied . -- Dr . Bruce Abell , a managing director of the Santa Fe Center for Emergent Strategies -- This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . About the AuthorRobert Axelrod is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Michigan . A MacArthur Prize Fellow , he is the author of The Evolution of Cooperation and a leading expert in game theory , artificial intelligence , evolutionary biology , mathematical modeling , and complexity theory . Michael D . Cohen , Professor of Information and Public Policy at the University of Michigan , has served as an External Table of ContentsContentsPrefaceI . Introduction Introduction to the FrameworkThe Difficulty of PredictionComplexity ResearchThe Design of Organizations and StrategiesThe Information RevolutionComplexity and InformationAdaptation and InformationComplexity as a Way of Thinking II . VariationThe Role of VariationAltering the Frequency of TypesCopying With ErrorEndogenous Copying MechanismsRecombining MechanismsExploration Versus ExploitationExample : Military Personnel SystemsWhether to Encourage VarietyExample : Linux Software DevelopmentExtinction -- The Vanishing of Types III . InteractionThe Importance of InteractionExample : Social CapitalHow Interaction WorksProximity and ActivationSpaces : Physical and ConceptualExample : Combating the AIDS Virus , Part 1 External Methods of Changing Interaction PatternsBarriers to Movement in Time and Physical SpaceBarriers to Movement in Conceptual SpacesSemi - permeable BarriersExample : Combating the AIDS Virus , Part 2 Activation in Sequence or in ParallelInternal Methods of Changing Interaction PatternsFollowing Another AgentFollowing a SignalExample : Tags in the Prisoner ' s DilemmaForming BoundariesSeparating Time ScalesRedistributing StressExample : Modes of Failure in Information SystemsOrganizing RoutinesRestructuring of Physical and Conceptual Spaces IV . SelectionDefining Criteria of SuccessExample : Prize CompetitionsDetermining the Level of SelectionSelection of AgentsSelection of StrategiesAttributing Credit for Success and FailureExample : Military SimulationCreating New Agents or StrategiesThe Key Role of CopyingDetailed Differences Among Generic Copying ProcessesExercising Visible Leadership V . ConclusionThe Central Elements of the FrameworkHow the Elements Form a Coherent FrameworkWhat a User of the Framework AsksWhat a User of the Framework Can DoWhat May Come of This ApproachReferencesIndex