A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collabo... more A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collaborative work forms. In the oil and gas industry, developments in communication and automation technologies have enabled the implementation of collaborative environments called integrated operations (IO). The IO concept is usually described as the integration of people, work processes and technology with the goal of facilitating decision-making and process optimization. This study contributes to the study of the knowledge dimension of IOs by investigating the exploitation of existing practices and the exploration of new possibilities in complex adaptive processes. Data collected through observations of practices reveal changes in patterns of interaction among oil platform operators relocated to an IO facility and the emergence of a complex interplay between exploitation and exploration. Rather than a spatial or temporal separation between the two processes, the findings illustrate an organic relation between exploration and exploration in the context of uncertainty and local adaptations in oil production. The discussion of findings provides elements to reflect upon knowledge management in the oil and gas industry.
In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "... more In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "good leadership" has been emphasized as strategically decisive within the sector. Nevertheless, the structure and character of higher education institutions have historically no given space for top-down leadership which is usually associated with managerialism. The concept of distributed leadership has been suggested as a response to new challenges posed towards higher education institutions based on the understanding that more hierarchical leadership practices are not well suited to global complexity and change. In academic environments, the idea of collegiality is strongly-rooted assuming a "first among equals" approach to leadership where authority of professional expertise, self regulation, academic freedom and autonomy are more present than positional power. As a recognition of both the challenges faced by higher education institutions in the globalized world, and of perceptions of leadership that have historically characterized universities, the concept of distributed leadership has been presented as a framework for understanding leadership and change in higher education. The main argument of this article is that with the emphasis on participation and mutual influence, the distributed concept has many common features with the traditional collegial model of leadership in higher education. However, the lack of focus on internal dynamics of power relations still seems to be a limitation of this concept.
Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent-teacher collaboration (PTC) in special ... more Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent-teacher collaboration (PTC) in special education (SE). In Lebanon, there is a widespread perception among practitioners that out of many educational challenges facing SE organizations, there is the need to consolidate successful parent-teacher partnerships. We contribute to research on PTC by applying a conceptual framework from complexity science to investigate the interaction between teachers and parents in one SE organization in Lebanon. The interaction between teachers (internal agents) and parents (external agents) constitute an important dimension of the information flow between the school and its surrounding environment. We follow a narrative approach aiming at grasping the temporal dimension of teachers' experience related to interacting with parents. Findings from this study indicate that teachers play an important role in sensing educational challenges and reaching out for a collaboration. However, although they gain access to valuable information regarding students' background and social environment, several organizational factors restrain internal knowledge-sharing and communication about innovative practices. Teachers' narratives depict learning on an individual level, but organizational barriers in the form of negative feedback loops for knowledge-sharing at the organizational level. This study recommends facilitating adaptive processes deriving from PTC. This demands positive feedback loops that facilitate behavioral variation, open communication, and thereby the exploration of innovative practices.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work p... more In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work processes and bridging network clusters. These are often permeated by different assumptions regarding clusters in organizational settings. There are concerns about the formation of silos and structural barriers to communication across the formal and informal network structures. Conversely, network clusters are regarded as spaces of local social reinforcement from which innovation ideas may emerge. Although terminologically and functionally different, they share some common features insofar as organizational behavior is concerned and the production of artifacts that fulfill organizational goals. The present scoping review presents an analysis of the literature on organizational silos while investigating attempts to bridge network clusters. Based on the search results, 40 studies were included in the analysis of the findings; of these, 20 were empirical studies and were included in a further quantitative analysis of methods and findings. We identified patterns of definitions of silos and variation in terms of aims, variables, and methods used to evaluate interventions among the heterogeneous studies. Special attention was dedicated to the role of consequences of siloed organizational behavior. We conclude that silos comprise barriers to achieving organizational goals insofar as they pose a threat to internal cooperation.
Desde os anos 90, há um aumento no interesse por gestão do conhecimento por parte de formuladores... more Desde os anos 90, há um aumento no interesse por gestão do conhecimento por parte de formuladores de políticas públicas, profissionais e acadêmicos. Em várias partes do mundo, empresas têm implementado diferentes formas de estratégia de geri-lo. Entretanto, os pressupostos básicos e os efeitos práticos destas estratégias continuam sendo questões de debate. Neste artigo, apresento uma visão geral de diferentes conceitualizações da ideia de gestão do conhecimento. Esta visão geral deriva do reconhecimento de que qualquer tentativa de conceitualizar gestão do conhecimento requer uma reflexão a respeito da própria natureza do conhecimento e de gestão. Esta reflexão proporciona a oportunidade de problematizar algumas noções e pressupostos tipicamente associados este campo de estudo, assim como a possibilidade de traçar novas direções. Neste âmbito, concluo oferecendo uma discussão sobre os desafios da complexidade para o tema.
This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing ... more This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing the intellectual interest in better understanding common challenges facing higher education. The very concept of quality is a disputed one in higher education, with meanings linked to different streams of demands and to a variety of understandings of what the mission of higher education should be. Changing definitions of quality in education constitutes a very controversial topic that cannot be understood disassociated from the analysis of relatively complex power struggles. The publication discusses perceptions of quality, university rankings and benchmarking with a special focus on teaching and learning in higher education institutions. The participants address questions such as: What are benchmarking procedures really measuring? What is the contribution of university rankings? In what respects do they differ, and what do they present in common? What do we understand by "quality t...
African Journal of Business Management, Jul 31, 2010
This study aims to contribute to the discussion about the role of leadership in academic departme... more This study aims to contribute to the discussion about the role of leadership in academic departments in research-intensive universities. The objective here is to understand how leadership and teaching are perceived in the context of an academic department of one elite US research-intensive university. Semistructured interviews carried out in a dialogical manner, with the aim of grasping teachers' perceptions of leadership in their academic department, were the main data gathering method. Complexity theory which involves the investigation of how apparently random patterns of behaviour form complex dynamic systems, constitutes the theoretical framework of this study. The contribution of this school of thought is the emphasis on non-linearity as the main approach to understanding living systems. The main finding of this study is that participants identified self-organization as their main organizational strength. Dispersed, non-hierarchical leadership was described both as an outcome and a major factor contributing to what was perceived as organizational success.
Resilience derives from the study of socio-ecological systems and refers to the dynamical capacit... more Resilience derives from the study of socio-ecological systems and refers to the dynamical capacity to adapt to internal and external perturbations by changing its mode of operation without losing its ability to perform. The present article offers a scoping review of organizational research discussing the concept of resilience in the oil and gas industry. Rather than approaching a narrowly defined question as in systematic reviews, scoping reviews produce an overview of a body of knowledge covering broad questions. It reviews organizational research on resilience in the oil and gas industry by covering five main categories: conceptualizations; article type/methods; context/unit of analysis; relation between resilience and safety; and, central topics highlighted in the literature. The review of both empirical and conceptual literature reveals that the concept of resilience tends to be researched in terms of system capabilities or outcomes rather than processes. Integrated operations has provided new scenarios to discuss and investigate resilience in oil and gas production. However, findings demonstrate how resilience is often presented as a normative construct and there is little development in terms of understanding the dynamics of adaptive processes in the industry. The overall goal is to contribute to the study of organizational resilience by identifying areas for further study and by producing new knowledge that can permeate practices in organizations.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2019
Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent–teacher collaboration (PTC) in special ... more Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent–teacher collaboration (PTC) in special education (SE). In Lebanon, there is a widespread perception among practitioners that out of many educational challenges facing SE organizations, there is the need to consolidate successful parent–teacher partnerships. We contribute to research on PTC by applying a conceptual framework from complexity science to investigate the interaction between teachers and parents in one SE organization in Lebanon. The interaction between teachers (internal agents) and parents (external agents) constitute an important dimension of the information flow between the school and its surrounding environment. We follow a narrative approach aiming at grasping the temporal dimension of teachers’ experience related to interacting with parents. Findings from this study indicate that teachers play an important role in sensing educational challenges and reaching out for a collaboration. However, although they gai...
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2018
A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collabo... more A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collaborative work forms. In the oil and gas industry, developments in communication and automation technologies have enabled the implementation of collaborative environments called integrated operations (IO). The IO concept is usually described as the integration of people, work processes and technology with the goal of facilitating decision-making and process optimization. This study contributes to the study of the knowledge dimension of IOs by investigating the exploitation of existing practices and the exploration of new possibilities in complex adaptive processes. Data collected through observations of practices reveal changes in patterns of interaction among oil platform operators relocated to an IO facility and the emergence of a complex interplay between exploitation and exploration. Rather than a spatial or temporal separation between the two processes, the findings illustrate an organic relation between exploration and exploration in the context of uncertainty and local adaptations in oil production. The discussion of findings provides elements to reflect upon knowledge management in the oil and gas industry.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2019
Changes in workplace demographics in the oil and gas industry have raised a concern about the ris... more Changes in workplace demographics in the oil and gas industry have raised a concern about the risks of a knowledge-loss crisis due to mass retirement. The industry response has often consisted of strategies aimed at mapping knowledge across organizational units, codifying knowledge in databases, and mentoring new staff. However, such common managerial responses show important limitations in terms of grasping tacit and network-based dimensions of knowledge in complex oil production operations. Therefore, there is an industrial need for innovative knowledge management practices. In this conceptual article, we look at the knowledge-loss crisis from the perspective of network resilience in complex systems. A central assumption here is that it is important to look at retiring staff not only in terms of their explicit knowledge, but also in relation to their roles in evolving networks of interactions. Why do some social systems adapt to the departure of some individuals, recover from even...
In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "... more In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "good leadership" has been emphasized as strategically decisive within the sector. Nevertheless, the structure and character of higher education institutions have historically no given space for top-down leadership which is usually associated with managerialism. The concept of distributed leadership has been suggested as a response to new challenges posed towards higher education institutions based on the understanding that more hierarchical leadership practices are not well suited to global complexity and change. In academic environments, the idea of collegiality is strongly-rooted assuming a "first among equals" approach to leadership where authority of professional expertise, self regulation, academic freedom and autonomy are more present than positional power. As a recognition of both the challenges faced by higher education institutions in the globalized world, and of perceptions of leadership that have historically characterized universities, the concept of distributed leadership has been presented as a framework for understanding leadership and change in higher education. The main argument of this article is that with the emphasis on participation and mutual influence, the distributed concept has many common features with the traditional collegial model of leadership in higher education. However, the lack of focus on internal dynamics of power relations still seems to be a limitation of this concept.
The Ethiopian predicament in establishing a service university is a function of sev- eral mismatc... more The Ethiopian predicament in establishing a service university is a function of sev- eral mismatches between university, society and state: (a) between society's mainly low-tech agricultural production and the university's production of academics; (b) between the state's need for investment finances in new economic activities and the lack thereof; (c) between the state and the university in terms of proper governance and how organisational changes in higher education should be made; and (d) differ- ent opinions between state and university about the proper balance between indi- vidual academic freedom, institutional autonomy and accountability to society and state. Turning mismatches into constructive national development suggests that the government should attract foreign capital for new production activities, under the specific condition that the foreigners should simultaneously invest a certain per- centage in the country's higher education development. An imp...
In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work p... more In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work processes and bridging network clusters. These are often permeated by different assumptions regarding clusters in organizational settings. There are concerns about the formation of silos and structural barriers to communication across the formal and informal network structures. Conversely, network clusters are regarded as spaces of local social reinforcement from which innovation ideas may emerge. Although terminologically and functionally different, they share some common features insofar as organizational behavior is concerned and the production of artifacts that fulfill organizational goals. The present scoping review presents an analysis of the literature on organizational silos while investigating attempts to bridge network clusters. Based on the search results, 40 studies were included in the analysis of the findings; of these, 20 were empirical studies and were included in a furthe...
This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings ... more This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dramatic and unexpected environmental changes raise questions about the capacity of schooling organizations to adapt to in response to the pandemic. Different management practices have implications for the selection of organizational behaviors, electively in school settings. The research literature on school responses is analyzed from a selectionist perspective. The aim of this study is to identify and describe three constituting elements of this perspective: variation, interaction, and selection. An additional element is considered in this analysis and comprises the mechanisms of exploration and exploitation in the context of organizational adaptation. Sixteen studies met the selection criteria of describing emergent processes in schools. The findings highlight the emergence of exploration, as teachers actively experimented with a range ...
The objective of this article is to contribute to the debate about organizational changes in Wald... more The objective of this article is to contribute to the debate about organizational changes in Waldorf schools by analysing narratives of decision-making processes in one Norwegian school. The present study departs from an organizational perspective to investigate perceptions of decision-making processes in Waldorf schools in Norway. Both educational policy reforms in Norway and internal perceptions of limitations of a once established decision-making model based on principles of professional authority and consensual decision-making raise a debate about organizational changes in Waldorf schools. I contribute to this debate by articulating a frame of reference on deriving complexity in organizations in a way that provides a conceptual framework to investigate decision-making processes. One way of grasping the temporal dimension of processes of change is to focus on narratives that people express about their experience in work environments. Such stories are important forms of communicat...
A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collabo... more A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collaborative work forms. In the oil and gas industry, developments in communication and automation technologies have enabled the implementation of collaborative environments called integrated operations (IO). The IO concept is usually described as the integration of people, work processes and technology with the goal of facilitating decision-making and process optimization. This study contributes to the study of the knowledge dimension of IOs by investigating the exploitation of existing practices and the exploration of new possibilities in complex adaptive processes. Data collected through observations of practices reveal changes in patterns of interaction among oil platform operators relocated to an IO facility and the emergence of a complex interplay between exploitation and exploration. Rather than a spatial or temporal separation between the two processes, the findings illustrate an organic relation between exploration and exploration in the context of uncertainty and local adaptations in oil production. The discussion of findings provides elements to reflect upon knowledge management in the oil and gas industry.
In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "... more In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "good leadership" has been emphasized as strategically decisive within the sector. Nevertheless, the structure and character of higher education institutions have historically no given space for top-down leadership which is usually associated with managerialism. The concept of distributed leadership has been suggested as a response to new challenges posed towards higher education institutions based on the understanding that more hierarchical leadership practices are not well suited to global complexity and change. In academic environments, the idea of collegiality is strongly-rooted assuming a "first among equals" approach to leadership where authority of professional expertise, self regulation, academic freedom and autonomy are more present than positional power. As a recognition of both the challenges faced by higher education institutions in the globalized world, and of perceptions of leadership that have historically characterized universities, the concept of distributed leadership has been presented as a framework for understanding leadership and change in higher education. The main argument of this article is that with the emphasis on participation and mutual influence, the distributed concept has many common features with the traditional collegial model of leadership in higher education. However, the lack of focus on internal dynamics of power relations still seems to be a limitation of this concept.
Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent-teacher collaboration (PTC) in special ... more Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent-teacher collaboration (PTC) in special education (SE). In Lebanon, there is a widespread perception among practitioners that out of many educational challenges facing SE organizations, there is the need to consolidate successful parent-teacher partnerships. We contribute to research on PTC by applying a conceptual framework from complexity science to investigate the interaction between teachers and parents in one SE organization in Lebanon. The interaction between teachers (internal agents) and parents (external agents) constitute an important dimension of the information flow between the school and its surrounding environment. We follow a narrative approach aiming at grasping the temporal dimension of teachers' experience related to interacting with parents. Findings from this study indicate that teachers play an important role in sensing educational challenges and reaching out for a collaboration. However, although they gain access to valuable information regarding students' background and social environment, several organizational factors restrain internal knowledge-sharing and communication about innovative practices. Teachers' narratives depict learning on an individual level, but organizational barriers in the form of negative feedback loops for knowledge-sharing at the organizational level. This study recommends facilitating adaptive processes deriving from PTC. This demands positive feedback loops that facilitate behavioral variation, open communication, and thereby the exploration of innovative practices.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work p... more In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work processes and bridging network clusters. These are often permeated by different assumptions regarding clusters in organizational settings. There are concerns about the formation of silos and structural barriers to communication across the formal and informal network structures. Conversely, network clusters are regarded as spaces of local social reinforcement from which innovation ideas may emerge. Although terminologically and functionally different, they share some common features insofar as organizational behavior is concerned and the production of artifacts that fulfill organizational goals. The present scoping review presents an analysis of the literature on organizational silos while investigating attempts to bridge network clusters. Based on the search results, 40 studies were included in the analysis of the findings; of these, 20 were empirical studies and were included in a further quantitative analysis of methods and findings. We identified patterns of definitions of silos and variation in terms of aims, variables, and methods used to evaluate interventions among the heterogeneous studies. Special attention was dedicated to the role of consequences of siloed organizational behavior. We conclude that silos comprise barriers to achieving organizational goals insofar as they pose a threat to internal cooperation.
Desde os anos 90, há um aumento no interesse por gestão do conhecimento por parte de formuladores... more Desde os anos 90, há um aumento no interesse por gestão do conhecimento por parte de formuladores de políticas públicas, profissionais e acadêmicos. Em várias partes do mundo, empresas têm implementado diferentes formas de estratégia de geri-lo. Entretanto, os pressupostos básicos e os efeitos práticos destas estratégias continuam sendo questões de debate. Neste artigo, apresento uma visão geral de diferentes conceitualizações da ideia de gestão do conhecimento. Esta visão geral deriva do reconhecimento de que qualquer tentativa de conceitualizar gestão do conhecimento requer uma reflexão a respeito da própria natureza do conhecimento e de gestão. Esta reflexão proporciona a oportunidade de problematizar algumas noções e pressupostos tipicamente associados este campo de estudo, assim como a possibilidade de traçar novas direções. Neste âmbito, concluo oferecendo uma discussão sobre os desafios da complexidade para o tema.
This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing ... more This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing the intellectual interest in better understanding common challenges facing higher education. The very concept of quality is a disputed one in higher education, with meanings linked to different streams of demands and to a variety of understandings of what the mission of higher education should be. Changing definitions of quality in education constitutes a very controversial topic that cannot be understood disassociated from the analysis of relatively complex power struggles. The publication discusses perceptions of quality, university rankings and benchmarking with a special focus on teaching and learning in higher education institutions. The participants address questions such as: What are benchmarking procedures really measuring? What is the contribution of university rankings? In what respects do they differ, and what do they present in common? What do we understand by "quality t...
African Journal of Business Management, Jul 31, 2010
This study aims to contribute to the discussion about the role of leadership in academic departme... more This study aims to contribute to the discussion about the role of leadership in academic departments in research-intensive universities. The objective here is to understand how leadership and teaching are perceived in the context of an academic department of one elite US research-intensive university. Semistructured interviews carried out in a dialogical manner, with the aim of grasping teachers' perceptions of leadership in their academic department, were the main data gathering method. Complexity theory which involves the investigation of how apparently random patterns of behaviour form complex dynamic systems, constitutes the theoretical framework of this study. The contribution of this school of thought is the emphasis on non-linearity as the main approach to understanding living systems. The main finding of this study is that participants identified self-organization as their main organizational strength. Dispersed, non-hierarchical leadership was described both as an outcome and a major factor contributing to what was perceived as organizational success.
Resilience derives from the study of socio-ecological systems and refers to the dynamical capacit... more Resilience derives from the study of socio-ecological systems and refers to the dynamical capacity to adapt to internal and external perturbations by changing its mode of operation without losing its ability to perform. The present article offers a scoping review of organizational research discussing the concept of resilience in the oil and gas industry. Rather than approaching a narrowly defined question as in systematic reviews, scoping reviews produce an overview of a body of knowledge covering broad questions. It reviews organizational research on resilience in the oil and gas industry by covering five main categories: conceptualizations; article type/methods; context/unit of analysis; relation between resilience and safety; and, central topics highlighted in the literature. The review of both empirical and conceptual literature reveals that the concept of resilience tends to be researched in terms of system capabilities or outcomes rather than processes. Integrated operations has provided new scenarios to discuss and investigate resilience in oil and gas production. However, findings demonstrate how resilience is often presented as a normative construct and there is little development in terms of understanding the dynamics of adaptive processes in the industry. The overall goal is to contribute to the study of organizational resilience by identifying areas for further study and by producing new knowledge that can permeate practices in organizations.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2019
Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent–teacher collaboration (PTC) in special ... more Several studies have highlighted the importance of parent–teacher collaboration (PTC) in special education (SE). In Lebanon, there is a widespread perception among practitioners that out of many educational challenges facing SE organizations, there is the need to consolidate successful parent–teacher partnerships. We contribute to research on PTC by applying a conceptual framework from complexity science to investigate the interaction between teachers and parents in one SE organization in Lebanon. The interaction between teachers (internal agents) and parents (external agents) constitute an important dimension of the information flow between the school and its surrounding environment. We follow a narrative approach aiming at grasping the temporal dimension of teachers’ experience related to interacting with parents. Findings from this study indicate that teachers play an important role in sensing educational challenges and reaching out for a collaboration. However, although they gai...
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2018
A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collabo... more A common organizational response to the recognition of complexity is the consolidation of collaborative work forms. In the oil and gas industry, developments in communication and automation technologies have enabled the implementation of collaborative environments called integrated operations (IO). The IO concept is usually described as the integration of people, work processes and technology with the goal of facilitating decision-making and process optimization. This study contributes to the study of the knowledge dimension of IOs by investigating the exploitation of existing practices and the exploration of new possibilities in complex adaptive processes. Data collected through observations of practices reveal changes in patterns of interaction among oil platform operators relocated to an IO facility and the emergence of a complex interplay between exploitation and exploration. Rather than a spatial or temporal separation between the two processes, the findings illustrate an organic relation between exploration and exploration in the context of uncertainty and local adaptations in oil production. The discussion of findings provides elements to reflect upon knowledge management in the oil and gas industry.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2019
Changes in workplace demographics in the oil and gas industry have raised a concern about the ris... more Changes in workplace demographics in the oil and gas industry have raised a concern about the risks of a knowledge-loss crisis due to mass retirement. The industry response has often consisted of strategies aimed at mapping knowledge across organizational units, codifying knowledge in databases, and mentoring new staff. However, such common managerial responses show important limitations in terms of grasping tacit and network-based dimensions of knowledge in complex oil production operations. Therefore, there is an industrial need for innovative knowledge management practices. In this conceptual article, we look at the knowledge-loss crisis from the perspective of network resilience in complex systems. A central assumption here is that it is important to look at retiring staff not only in terms of their explicit knowledge, but also in relation to their roles in evolving networks of interactions. Why do some social systems adapt to the departure of some individuals, recover from even...
In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "... more In a context of increasing pressure to deliver high quality teaching and research, the need for "good leadership" has been emphasized as strategically decisive within the sector. Nevertheless, the structure and character of higher education institutions have historically no given space for top-down leadership which is usually associated with managerialism. The concept of distributed leadership has been suggested as a response to new challenges posed towards higher education institutions based on the understanding that more hierarchical leadership practices are not well suited to global complexity and change. In academic environments, the idea of collegiality is strongly-rooted assuming a "first among equals" approach to leadership where authority of professional expertise, self regulation, academic freedom and autonomy are more present than positional power. As a recognition of both the challenges faced by higher education institutions in the globalized world, and of perceptions of leadership that have historically characterized universities, the concept of distributed leadership has been presented as a framework for understanding leadership and change in higher education. The main argument of this article is that with the emphasis on participation and mutual influence, the distributed concept has many common features with the traditional collegial model of leadership in higher education. However, the lack of focus on internal dynamics of power relations still seems to be a limitation of this concept.
The Ethiopian predicament in establishing a service university is a function of sev- eral mismatc... more The Ethiopian predicament in establishing a service university is a function of sev- eral mismatches between university, society and state: (a) between society's mainly low-tech agricultural production and the university's production of academics; (b) between the state's need for investment finances in new economic activities and the lack thereof; (c) between the state and the university in terms of proper governance and how organisational changes in higher education should be made; and (d) differ- ent opinions between state and university about the proper balance between indi- vidual academic freedom, institutional autonomy and accountability to society and state. Turning mismatches into constructive national development suggests that the government should attract foreign capital for new production activities, under the specific condition that the foreigners should simultaneously invest a certain per- centage in the country's higher education development. An imp...
In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work p... more In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work processes and bridging network clusters. These are often permeated by different assumptions regarding clusters in organizational settings. There are concerns about the formation of silos and structural barriers to communication across the formal and informal network structures. Conversely, network clusters are regarded as spaces of local social reinforcement from which innovation ideas may emerge. Although terminologically and functionally different, they share some common features insofar as organizational behavior is concerned and the production of artifacts that fulfill organizational goals. The present scoping review presents an analysis of the literature on organizational silos while investigating attempts to bridge network clusters. Based on the search results, 40 studies were included in the analysis of the findings; of these, 20 were empirical studies and were included in a furthe...
This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings ... more This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dramatic and unexpected environmental changes raise questions about the capacity of schooling organizations to adapt to in response to the pandemic. Different management practices have implications for the selection of organizational behaviors, electively in school settings. The research literature on school responses is analyzed from a selectionist perspective. The aim of this study is to identify and describe three constituting elements of this perspective: variation, interaction, and selection. An additional element is considered in this analysis and comprises the mechanisms of exploration and exploitation in the context of organizational adaptation. Sixteen studies met the selection criteria of describing emergent processes in schools. The findings highlight the emergence of exploration, as teachers actively experimented with a range ...
The objective of this article is to contribute to the debate about organizational changes in Wald... more The objective of this article is to contribute to the debate about organizational changes in Waldorf schools by analysing narratives of decision-making processes in one Norwegian school. The present study departs from an organizational perspective to investigate perceptions of decision-making processes in Waldorf schools in Norway. Both educational policy reforms in Norway and internal perceptions of limitations of a once established decision-making model based on principles of professional authority and consensual decision-making raise a debate about organizational changes in Waldorf schools. I contribute to this debate by articulating a frame of reference on deriving complexity in organizations in a way that provides a conceptual framework to investigate decision-making processes. One way of grasping the temporal dimension of processes of change is to focus on narratives that people express about their experience in work environments. Such stories are important forms of communicat...
Behavior Science Perspectives on Culture and Community, 2020
The complexity approach to science highlights the importance of communication between different a... more The complexity approach to science highlights the importance of communication between different areas of knowledge. The present chapter offers a discussion about the contributions of bridging social network analysis and behavior analysis in explaining behavior in systems. Social network analysis provides graphical representations and tools to describe structural features of complex webs of interactions in social groups. Networks may be described as the architecture of a complex system. Network analysis plays an important role in mapping the flow of information communication processes and cooperation in social groups. Networks are here understood as the structures of social systems. However, recent work attempts to move from static descriptions to incorporate a dynamic perspective that focuses on change and system resilience. There is an increasing recognition of the importance of reinforcement in order to understand to spread of behavior in complex systems. In this respect, much can be learned from the selectionist perspective that permeates behavior analysis. From a behavioral perspective, there is an interest in understanding interlocking behavioral contingencies, to the extent that interdependent individuals produce an aggregate product. The description of the interdependencies in a system may help identify the interlocking behavioral contingencies. In turn, this may provide a basis for prediction and influencing the system. Network analysis has been used in several contexts, including the spread of viruses and diffusion of innovations. The philosophical distinction between Being and Becoming is used to illustrate the differences and space for communication between network analysis and behavior analysis.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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