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The purpose of this paper is to advance supply chain network theory by applying theoretical and empirical developments in complex network literature to the context of supply chains as complex adaptive systems. The authors synthesize these advancements to gain an understanding of the network properties underlying efficient supply chains. To develop a suitable theory of supply chain networks, the authors look to mirror the properties of complex network models with real‐world supply chains.

The authors review complex network literature drawn from multiple disciplines in top scientific journals. From this interdisciplinary review a series of propositions are developed around supply chain complexity and adaptive phenomena.

This paper proposes that the structure of efficient supply chains follows a “scale‐free” network. This proposal emerges from arguments that the key properties of efficient supply chains are a short characteristic path length, a high clustering coefficient and a power law connectivity distribution.

The authors' discussion centres on applying advances found in recent complex network literature. Hence, the need is noted to empirically validate the series of propositions developed in this paper in a supply chain context.

If efficient supply chains resemble a scale‐free network, then managers can derive a number of implications. For example, supply chain resilience is derived by the presence of hub firms. To reduce the vulnerability of supply chains to cascading failures, it is recognized that managers could build in redundancy, undertake a multi‐sourcing strategy or intermediation between hub firms.

This paper advances supply chain network theory. It offers a novel understanding of supply chains as complex adaptive systems and, in particular, that efficient and resilient supply chain systems resemble a scale‐free network. In addition, it provides a series of propositions that allow modelling and empirical research to proceed.

The engineering education accreditation (EEA) is a principal quality assurance mechanism. However, at many education institutions, the most labor-intensive work of EEA process is accomplished manually. Without the support of computer and information technology, the EEA process leads to high labor intensity, low work efficiency and poor management level. The purpose of this paper is to build a complex network model and realize an information management system of talent training program for supporting the EEA process.

Based on polychromatic graph (PG), this paper builds a network model of talent training program for engineering specialty. The related information and data are organized and processed in this network model. From the bidirections of top-down and bottom-up, the user requirements are retrieved automatically in logic layer. Together with the specialty of mechanical engineering, the proposed PG-based network modeling method is applied and the corresponding information management system is realized.

The study results show that the PG-based network modeling method takes full advantages of the strong simulation ability of PG to model the complex network system and has some unique merits in formal expression of problem, efficient processing of information and lightweight realization of system. Further, the information management system of talent training program can reduce the tedious human labor and improve the management level of EEA process dramatically.

This paper proposes a PG-based network modeling method, in which the nodes and the edges can be painted by some unified colors to describe the different kinds of activities and the various types of interactions. Theoretically, this modeling method does not distinguish the activities, the interactions and their properties in graphic symbol and the problem size is diminished about a half. Furthermore, this paper provides an effective experience and idea to the education institutions for implementing the engineering education accreditation, increasing the education management efficiency and promoting the talent training quality.

Complex systems adapt to survive, but little comparative literature exists on various approaches. Adaptive complex systems are generic, this referring to propositions concerning their bounded instability, adaptability and viability. Two classes of adaptive complex system theories exist: hard and soft. Hard complexity theories include Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and Viability Theory, and softer theories, which we refer to as Viable Systems Theories (VSTs), that include Management Cybernetics at one extreme and Humanism at the other. This paper has a dual purpose distributed across two parts. In Part 1, the purpose of this paper is to identify the conditions for the complementarity of the two classes of theory. In Part 2, the purpose is to explore (in part using Agency Theory) the two classes of theory and their proposed complexity continuum.

A detailed analysis of the literature permits a distinction between hard and softer approaches towards modelling complex social systems. Hard theories are human-incommensurable, while soft ones are human-commensurable, therefore more closely related to the human condition. The characteristics that differentiate between hard and soft approaches are identified.

Hard theories are more restrictive than the softer theories. The latter can embrace degrees of “softness” and it is explained how hard and soft approaches can be mixed, sometimes creating Harmony.

There are very few explorations of the relationship between hard and soft approaches to complexity theory, and even fewer that draw in the notion of harmony.

The paper considers model‐based management and, based on it, proposes a heuristic‐based management. This paper aims to assert that heuristic‐based management, for complex systems, a process of free variation, of pairs of models and actions – called organisational strategies, maximizes the chances of improving the system's performance in open environments.

A conception of complex systems are introduced and characterized as open and self‐organising systems. Then, the proposal to heuristically use pairs of models and actions, called organisational strategies, to manage social systems based on evolutionary thought is supported. Subsequently, a computational experiment is proposed to show that, even in a simple framework, variation processes are required.

The paper shows that two processes may be required to preserve self‐organising systems. This finding indicates that variation and selection processes, related to evolutionary thought, are necessary for managers to deal with complex systems interacting with complex environments. Finally, it is shown that, even in simple computational environments, variation may be required.

The paper is the first part of an ongoing research agenda on the subject of heuristic‐based management and only refers to variation processes.

The paper links complex systems theories to evolutionary thought. It also relates principles of cybernetics to those of game theory. The proposal has been formalized based on these relations, and has been called heuristic‐based management. Principles first developed in information theory, organisational cybernetics, and evolutionary thought are used so that a complex system can be effective when interacting with a complex environment.

The purpose of this paper is to present a reflection that can contribute to the discussion of the possibility, or not, of measuring the complexity of any given system.

The reflection takes place considering three aspects: the first one, of an etymological character, with the purpose to specify the semantics of complexity. The second, epistemological, refers to the forms of complexity measuring in different domains. And the third, of an ontological character, refers to the essential in the complexity of reality, which contains to the observer who observes and that is observes himself.

It is proposed to reserve the word complex to refer to systems that are treated as an undecomposed and irreducible totality and the act of measuring does not take place; while the expression complicated may be used when the act of reduction takes place by measuring the system.

The statement made claims to be revised, criticized, questioned, confronted … , with the aim to enrich it and accept it, or else to reject it and discard it.

There is some degree of originality, with respect to other works, that deals with the measurement of complexity, but which does not refer to the distinction that it is possible to establish between complexity and complication, with its epistemological implications and in particular with the challenge of its quantification.

The definition of complexity is discussed, both in general and, mostly, in relation to organisations and information systems. Considering the subjective nature of complexity, complexity is defined as the effort (as it is perceived) that is required to understand and cope with something, but several other definitions and characterisations are also considered. Complexity is related to variety and information. The infological relation is reversed, and it is argued that there is a certain connection between information loss and the complexity of an information system. It is also argued that organisations and information systems can benefit from being simple, even if that would mean a decrease in variety. There seems to be a (somewhat obscure) connection between the limitations of our short‐term memory and what we perceive as complex. It is desirable to empirically verify the characterisations of complexity that previous researchers have made.

Standard financial risk management practices proved unable to provide an adequate understanding and a timely warning of the financial crisis. In particular, the theoretical foundations of risk management and the statistical calibration of risk models are called into question. Policy makers and practitioners respond by looking for new analytical approaches and tools to identify and address new sources of financial risk. Financial markets satisfy reasonable criteria of being considered complex adaptive systems, characterized by complex financial instruments and complex interactions among market actors. Policy makers and practitioners need to take both a micro and macro view of financial risk, identify proper transparency requirements on complex instruments, develop dynamic models of information generation that best approximate observed financial outcomes, and identify and address the causes and consequences of systemic risk. Complexity analysis can make a useful contribution. However, the methodological suitability of complexity theory for financial systems and by extension for risk management is still debatable. Alternative models drawn from the natural sciences and evolutionary theory are proposed.

This paper introduces a systems‐based framework to facilitate structured analysis of complex issues. The framework was created out of a management development effort with the primary emphasis on development of systems problem‐solving skills through analysis of complex operational issues. Drawing from systems science, the strength of the approach rests inthe holistic analysis of structure, relationships, and emergent dynamics of problematic situations. The fundamental systems principles underpinning the approach are developed to provide an essential “systems background” as a foundation for the framework. The utility of the framework is discussed with respect toresults from an application in an organizational setting. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications and limitations of the framework for development of systemic thinking and complex problem analysis.

The complexity of the construction standards affects the relevance between the system internal elements. Therefore, research on the systematic effect can make the construction activities get the optimum benefit. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

The research reveals the complex adaptive characteristic of the standard system by using system science theory, analyzes the emergent property mechanism of construction standard system, and provides the mathematical form of the system.

Finally, according to the complex characteristic of standard system, the structure modeling method of complex system is given. This paper provides a new method and theory bases for the construction standard system establishment.

Dynamic, open and non-linear can be considered as the core characteristics of construction standard system in structure, environment and behavior aspects, and that means the standard system is a typical complex system.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a way of asking about organizational conceptions. Some years ago, Edgar Morin proposed the paradigm of complexity as the one that opposes to and contains both the mechanicist and the systemic paradigms, which he calls simplifiers. Based on these paradigms, some of their principles, as well as their influence in organizational thinking are studied here, looking for the establishment of a set of considerations to be taken into account when treating an organizational conception as complex.

Ten paradigmatic principles were compared from the mechanicism, systemic and complexity viewpoints, considering how they were used in the organizational discourse.

As a result, complex organizational conceptions consider the subject as active conscience in the world. In the same way, they establish dialogic relations among: the universal and the particular, temporal reversibility and irreversibility, the parts and the whole, linear and circular causality, order and disorder, organization and environment, observer and organization, and autonomy and dependence, through the use of the complex logic that allows adopting a meta‐point of view to articulate the contradictions and paying attention to the result of the dialogic processes pointed out.

The paper focuses especially on the dialogic principle, leaving the need to approach both the recursion and hologramatic principles, according to that proposed by Edgar Morin.

The paper establishes some references which should contribute to the understanding of complex organizations, as human activity systems, beyond the objectivism of the so‐called “complex systems”.

In this paper, a way of asking about organizational conceptions is proposed, with the aim of knowing the degree of satisfaction of paradigmatic requirements of complexity; so that, it allows knowing if what is being called complex – the organizations – is being treated in a complex way in turn.