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It’s Not Complicated

The Art and Science of Complexity in Business

Rick Nason

University of Toronto Press, 2017

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Drawing on systems thinking, professor Rick Nason encourages you to differentiate among “simple, complicated and complex” problems. He explains the “false axioms of business” and seven ongoing “paradigm shifts“ to help you understand how each type of problem requires a unique approach. Nason draws from economic theory, scientific management and behavioral research to offer a broad perspective on problem solving. At times you might feel a bit lost in this rather complicated – or complex? – approach to strategic thinking, but Nason cites business examples, both recent and historic, to help you connect the dots. getAbstract recommends his take on conquering the “complexity-thinking paradigm” to businesspeople and managers who may sometimes feel stuck in old ways of attacking hard problems.

Summary

“Introduction to Systems and Complexity”

You can apply systems thinking to many fields, such as the natural sciences and engineering, to describe how things work and how to get tasks done. However, systems thinking is less known in the business world. Across fields, systems thinking differentiates among three kinds of tasks:

A simple task – Making coffee is a simple task because it is straightforward, it doesn’t require much skill training and it’s easy to determine if you’ve achieved the right result.
A complicated task – Preparing accounting statements is complicated because you need to be an expert who understands financial rules. Following these rules exactly produces a well-defined outcome. You can reproduce this outcome by giving the same task to another accountant who should come up with the same results.
A complex task – Giving a sales presentation differs from making coffee or preparing accounting statements because it doesn’t follow a prescribed, linear path to success. Each sales meeting is unique; results depend on positive interaction between you and the client. You...

About the Author

Rick Nason is an associate professor of finance in the Rowe School of Business at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

It’s Not Complicated

The Art and Science of Complexity in Business

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“Introduction to Systems and Complexity”

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