Synopsis

Combining insights from the new science of complexity with insights from psychoanalysis, Stacey posits that repressing the anxiety caused by the unstable, ever-changing nature of today's business world also represses the creative impulses - the "spaces for novelty" - that allow members of a workforce to produce their best work. Using the science of complexity as a starting point, he pulls together many insights into behavior and organizational functioning that currently lie at the edges of research and practice. This book invites people to explore what the new science might mean for understanding life in organizations, and shows how it can be used as a framework for understanding the processes that produce emergence rather than intentional strategies. Stacey presents an entirely new perspective on what it means for an organization to learn.

Booknews

Combines insights from the fields of complexity, organizational behavior, and psychoanalysis, and shows how complexity concepts can be used as a framework for understanding organizational processes and organizational learning. Reviews current knowledge in the nature of human networks and complexity theory, explores the place of creativity in individuals, groups, and organizations, and discusses the implications of the complexity paradigm for management research and practice. Includes a glossary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)