Title

Leadership in complex organizations

Authors

Authors

R. Marion;M. Uhl-Bien

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Leadersh. Q.

Keywords

CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP; MEMBER EXCHANGE; SOCIAL-EXCHANGE; SYSTEMS; MODEL; PERSPECTIVE; MOTIVATION; NEWNESS; Psychology, Applied; Management

Abstract

This paper asks how complexity theory informs the role of leadership in organizations. Complexity theory is a science of complexly interacting systems; it explores the nature of interaction and adaptation in such systems and how they influence such things as emergence, innovation, and fitness. We argue that complexity theory focuses leadership efforts on behaviors that enable organizational effectiveness, as opposed to determining or guiding effectiveness. Complexity science broadens conceptualizations of leadership from perspectives that are heavily invested in psychology and social psychology (e.g., human relations models) to include processes for managing dynamic systems and interconnectivity. We develop a definition of organizational complexity and apply it to leadership science, discuss strategies for enabling complexity and effectiveness, and delve into the relationship between complexity theory and other currently important leadership theories. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible implications for research strategies in the social sciences. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Leadership Quarterly

Volume

12

Issue/Number

4

Publication Date

1-1-2001

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

389

Last Page

418

WOS Identifier

WOS:000174278500003

ISSN

1048-9843

Share

COinS