The Paradox of Control in Organizations (Complexity and Emergence in Organizations)

In this book Philip Streatfield reflects on his own experience as a manager to explore the question - who, or what is 'in control' in an organization. Adopting the perspective of complex responsive processes developed in the first two volumes of this series, the author takes self-organization and emergence as central themes in thinking about life in organizations. He focuses on the tension between spontaneously forming patterns of conversation, and intentional actions, arguing that the order of organizations emerges through a combination of collective interaction and individual intentions.