Dynamic Relationality Theory of Creative Transformation: Grounding Machinic Ecosystems in Life Experiences

Dynamic Relationality Theory of Creative Transformation: Grounding Machinic Ecosystems in Life Experiences introduces a visionary approach to understanding the evolving relationship between technology and human experiences. It delves into the transformative potential of Machinic Generalized Intelligence (MGI), where AI and human intelligence converge harmoniously, creating a new paradigm of interactive, machinic life experiences. This book challenges the traditional tech-centric view, advocating for a life and experience-first perspective. It presents the Dynamic Relationality Theory (DRT), a novel conceptual framework that redefines our interaction with technology, emphasizing cocreative, emergent experiences over mere digital platformization. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining philosophical insights and social theories with practical applications, this book navigates the complexities of digitalized life ecosystems, employing concepts and tools from assemblage theory, category theory, sheaf theory, differential topology, and gauge theory. For readers grappling with the complexities of AI and its societal implications, this book offers clarity and direction. It provides a robust theoretical framework to understand the changing landscape of human–technology interaction. Furthermore, it integrates philosophical insights and ethical considerations into the discussion of AI and technology, providing a well-rounded perspective that aids in ethical decision-making and responsible innovation. It also delves into practical applications and future implications of AI, aiding readers in applying these concepts in real-world scenarios. By moving beyond a purely technological focus, this book equips readers with the insights needed to navigate the ethical, philosophical, and practical challenges posed by the integration of AI into daily life. A crucial resource for academics, professionals, and policymakers, this book serves as a guide to making informed decisions and fostering responsible innovation in the age of AI.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Relational Dynamics 1. Theorizing Relational Dynamics of Creative Transformation 2. Grounding Machinic Ecosystems in Life-Experiences Part 2: Dynamic Relationality Theory 3. Dynamic Relationalities in an Assemblage 4. Dynamic Relationalities on Strata 5. Dynamic Relationalities Across (Stacked) Strata 6. Dynamic Relationalities of Relational Dynamics Part 3: Organizations and Creative Transformation 7. Creative Transformation Along a Molar /Molecular Stack 8. Diagrammatic Logic of Organizations in Ecosystems 9. Organizational Morphology and Development 10. Architectural Transformation in an Ecosystem Part 4: Complex Transformative Emergence and Evolution 11. Emergent Transformation in a Machinic Life-Experience Ecosystem 12. Evolutionary Transformation in a Machinic Life-Experience Ecosystem

About the Author :
Dr. Kerimcan Ozcan is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the School of Business and Global Innovation, Marywood University, USA. His expertise encompasses co-creation, interactive platforms, digitalization, strategy, and various facets of marketing such as branding, customer service, and industrial/B2B marketing. His current work emphasizes the fusion of human-AI interactions and their transformative impact on organizational and societal systems. This research highlights how the dynamic relationalities of machinic ecosystems and life-experiences coalesce into strategic organizational transformations, helping organizations navigate their evolving ecosystems. Forthcoming contributions extend the current work into real-world applications, with projects that bridge theoretical advancements with hands-on strategies for organizational growth, including strategic engagement with AI, co-innovation platforms, and ecosystem-based value creation. Dr. Ozcan’s prior scholarly work includes The Co-Creation Paradigm co-authored with Dr. Ramaswamy, published by Stanford University Press, along with contributions to Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Research in Marketing, and Harvard Business Review. Previously, he taught at several other universities (including University of Michigan and International University of Japan) and held engineering roles in various industries. His research has garnered support from entities such as Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, and the University of Michigan Tauber Manufacturing Institute. Dr. Ozcan received a Ph.D. in Marketing and an M.A. in Applied Economics from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), an M.S. in Management from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Boğaziçi University. Dr. Venkat Ramaswamy serves as Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, contributing to innovation, strategy, marketing, branding, IT, operations, and organizational behavior. His scholarly work and practical implementation of ideas have earned him global recognition. In 2004, Ramaswamy, alongside C.K. Prahalad, introduced the concept of Co-Creation in The Future of Competition (Harvard Business School Press) offering a new perspective on value generation through experiential environments and collaborative practices. This concept was further explored in influential articles in Harvard Business Review and Sloan Management Review, focusing on interactive value creation and innovation from an individual experience standpoint. From 2005 to 2010, Ramaswamy’s research addressed the impact of digital and social media, technological convergence, and IT-enabled services on organizational engagement platforms, emphasizing the importance of using lived experiences to enhance interactions, as discussed in "Building the Co-creative Enterprise" (Harvard Business Review). In 2010, The Power of Co-Creation (Free Press) co-authored with F. Gouillart, examined co-creation platforms across various industry sectors, highlighting the transition from traditional product offerings to interactive, value-creating platforms. His 2014 book, The Co-Creation Paradigm (Stanford University Press) co-authored with K. Ozcan, advocated for a shift in individual and institutional engagement to foster a collaborative economy and society. Dr. Ramaswamy's ongoing research focuses on systemic transformations through digitalized societal ecosystems, aiming to enhance wellbeing, wealth, and welfare. His mentorship extends globally, guiding enterprises in adopting co-creative practices and building management capabilities. Dr. Ramaswamy holds a Ph.D. in marketing from Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology.

Review :
“AI is disrupting the modern enterprise ecosystem, raising many unforeseen opportunities for companies, but also posing relevant challenges for managers, who not always know how to best integrate AI within their strategic decision-making processes and how to effectively transform their organizations. The new book by Ozcan and Ramaswamy presents Dynamic Relationality Theory, a much-needed theoretical framework which models how organizations can be transformed through co-intelligence. The depth and rigor of the book makes it an essential reading for scholars. However, the very interesting practical examples will also help managers to navigate the complexities of the co-intelligent business landscape.” Testimonial by Oriol Iglesias, Professor of Marketing, ESADE – Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain), 2025 “Presents a sophisticated and timely theorisation of evolutionary change within machinic life-experience ecosystems. Building on the concept of counter-actualisation and the MLXE framework, the authors illuminate the entangled dynamics of human–machinic relationality across diverse matrices. Particularly compelling is the book’s applicability to patient care, where complex, adaptive interactions among technology, clinicians, and lived experience increasingly shape therapeutic pathways. By demonstrating how technological platforms can be strategically integrated with existential territories and embodied experience, this work offers a vital contribution to posthuman thought, systems theory, and creative transformation across technological, organisational, and existential domains.” Testimonial by Cristian Ortiz-Villalón, MD PhD PhD MBA, Karolinska Institute (Sweden), 2025 “Moving from an ontology grounded in fixed essences to one attuned to relations and processes is the defining feature of all contemporary social and political theory. Yet this move continues to bedevil scholars concerned to map new empirical coordinates for the social sciences. Offers a welcome breakthrough by presenting a systematic guide for empirical inquiry equal to the grand challenges of the age. From generative AI and machine learning to robotics and synthetic biology, sets out a new empiricism for the assemblage, presenting critical new tools for thinking about the transformations of work, life and culture.” Testimonial by Cameron Duff, Professor of Politics and Organisation, Centre for Organisations and Social Change, RMIT University (Australia), 2025 “The book offers an emergent theory of Dynamic Relationality. It pulls both from the authors’ own impressive academic track record but also from a deep philosophical legacy. It is both timely and relevant in its treatment of interaction, experience and assemblage in the context of exploring the synergies between human and artificial intelligence. The level of the book is ambitious and will undoubtedly stimulate new and innovative research in relational dynamics. Their ideas of Machinic General Intelligence (MGI) and Machinic Life Experience Ecosystem' (MLXE) are new and interesting and I am really interested to read further.” Testimonial by Richard Ian Gyrd-Jones, Professor of Marketing, Center for Tourism and Hospitality Management, Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), 2025 “I have been deeply impressed with the depth of thinking and rigor that both Kerimcan Ozcan and Venkat Ramaswamy have put into Dynamic Relationality Theory. I believe that the concepts outlined here can serve as the foundation for any future thinking related to the intersection of value creation, AI and other key technologies (blockchain, distributed ledger technology, etc.). The ideas presented here are powerful, and this book is amust reading for anyone truly serious about the future of value measurement and value co-creation in technologically-enhanced environments and systems.” Testimonial by Philip Sugai, Professor of Marketing and Director of Value Research Center, Doshisha University (Japan), 2025 “Ozcan and Ramaswamy span an impressive theoretical umbrella across digital ecosystems, (generative) AI, and organizational transformation. In doing so, they achieve a remarkable conceptual comprehensiveness and cohesiveness that covers technological, machinic, and strategic aspects just as much as human, (co-)creative, and experiential dimensions—not in isolation but with an explicit focus on their underlying intricate interactions and interdependencies. While grounded in the fundamental philosophies of Deleuze and Guattari, Ozcan and Ramaswamy never lose sight of the practical and pragmatic, applying their foundational theory to crucial sectors like food, health, and education, and deriving important implications for sustainability, well-being, and welfare.” Testimonial by Julian R.K. Wichmann, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Tilburg University (The Netherlands), 2025