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Complex venture acquisition: going beyond the traditional systems engineering paradigm

Linda J. Vandergriff (The Aerospace Corporation, Fairfax County, Virginia, USA)

VINE

ISSN: 0305-5728

Article publication date: 4 September 2007

568

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore new complex venture approaches needed because the classical twentieth century system engineering model does not accommodate the complexities of twenty‐first century ventures, especially those with significant knowledge management components.

Design/methodology/approach

A complexity literature review was performed to identify the attributes of complex ventures. Then the fundamental differences in defining, developing, and implementing complicated traditional systems and complex ventures were explored. The resultant complex venture model builds on the insights derived from chaos and complexity theories; observations of several acquisition successes and failures; and doctoral research on agile enterprise decision support.

Findings

Successful traditional systems engineering complicated systems models' built‐in assumptions do not scale to the needed twenty‐first century complex solutions. It is necessary to develop a complex venture model that guides the engineering solutions that: describe complex ventures as flows of intelligence, energy and matter provide value in a dynamic co‐evolving context; provide leadership, not control, with clear and consistent venture‐wide vision that guides empowered individual agent decision making; institute tiered situationally‐aware decision making in both time and place; address factors (material and non‐material) contributing to solution success; provide for rapidly changing context and the co‐evolutionary ventures, including unexpected users, uses, and implementations.

Originality/value

A complex venture conceptual model informs the architecting and systems engineering acquisition practices for this new solution category.

Keywords

Citation

Vandergriff, L.J. (2007), "Complex venture acquisition: going beyond the traditional systems engineering paradigm", VINE, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 262-274. https://doi.org/10.1108/03055720710825591

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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