Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments

Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments is organized into two parts. In the first part, the authors unpack the concept of complexity and analyse how organizational governance can contribute to environmental sustainability. A common theme in these chapters is that organizations actively engage with their environments. Consequently, organizational responses are partly the result of iterative processes with the environment, beyond a simple reaction to external demands. Thus, organizations enact their environments. In the book's second part, the chapters focus on concrete managerial practices that facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship at both the organizational and individual levels, especially in the context of small and medium firms (SMEs) which are central to the vitality of most economies. The book ends with a proposal to change conceptual metaphors and build management theories fit for organizations' social reality in complex environments.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables List of Figures Foreword Notes on Contributors Understanding Organizations in Complex, Emergent and Uncertain Environments: An Introduction; A.Davila & M.M.Elvira PART I: COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND GOVERNANCE How Organizations Engage with External Complexity: a Political Action Perspective; J.Child & S.B.Rodrigues The Social Dimension of Boards' Role in better Corporate Governance; C.Ingley, M.Rennie, J.Mueller, D.D.Warrick & L.Erakovic Promoting Leadership in Governance and Governance in Leadership: Towards a Supportive Research Agenda; L.Erakovic & B.Jackson SME Adoption of Environmental Management Practices: Four Exploratory Case Studies; R.C.Beckett PART II: INNOVATION MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS Engaging Small Businesses in Innovation: Building Absorptive Capacity through R&D Clubs; P.K.Couchman & R.C.Beckett Exploring the Determinants and Dimensionality of SME eCollaboration Trust; L.Burgess, B.Parrish, M.Jones & L.Seritti Exploring Managerial Perceptions of the Innovation Process in Mexico; D.Maranto, L.Garcia-Calderon & J.Reynoso The Role of Physical Space and Information Technologies in Knowledge Transfer Processes within SMEs; L.Zapata-Cantu, J.L.Pineda & D.Lozano The Motivation and Management of Highly Specialized Creative Employees; H.H.Hein From Life in Cages to Life in Projects: Metaphors for Moderns; S.Clegg & C.Baumeler

About the Author :
ANABELLA DAVILA is Professor of Organization Theory and the Research and PhD Program Director at EGADE Business School, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. Her research interests include culture and management practices in Latin American organizations. Her work examines the social logic that governs business organizations. MARTA M. ELVIRA Professor at IESE Business School, University of Navarre, Spain. Besides human resource practices in Latin America and incentives in organizations, her main research is on social inequality and human capital development. She is currently studying the coordination of health and social services, its implications for occupations, and the role of technology in care coordination. JACOBO RAMIREZ External Lecturer at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Copenhagen, Denmark. His research interests include HRM, education, institutions and national context, and cross-cultural studies. LAURA ZAPATA-CANTU Associate Professor of Strategy at EGADE Business School, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. Her research interests include management processes, strategic planning and human resources management in small, medium and international enterprises.