title: Toward a Theory of Emergence: The Role of Social Influence in Emergent Self-Organisation
Creators: name: Yezdani, Omer
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Emergent self-organisation
subject: Theory of emergence
subject: Role of social influence
subject: Social influence
subject: Energetic transfer

description: The creation of perpetual novelty has long puzzled organisational theorists, scientists and philosophers. Over the last 100 years, numerous strands of inquiry have woven together to form a superstructure of ideas, concepts and principles known as complexity theory, to understand the spontaneous emergence or order. The study of complex systems has given rise to many empirical advances, including a deeper understanding of time, evolution, and the organisation of living systems. Despite being surrounded by complexity, the real-world application in organisational theory appears to have gained only few of its potential benefits. Furthermore, prior studies have failed to produce a theory for emergent self-organisation, its anchor-point phenomenon. After many years of direct theory to phenomena translations, this study reveals their tenuous link to root theory and numerous gaps in the existing body of knowledge to translate central ideas of complexity to applied social science. In organisations faced with considerable uncertainty and responsibility for the control of immense resources, it is surprising to find an emergent, iterative approach is ingrained within key strategic activities. In an uncertain global climate, a better understanding of the capacity to adapt without explicit plans or centralised coordination could not be more timely or important. Human social systems and the mechanics of their organisation is one of the most pervasive topics of applied social science, leadership and management, and has relevance to almost all economic, political and social research that concerns dynamic interaction between people. Drawing on pragmatic foundations, this study explores how complex organisations adapt through emergent self-organisation, with a focus on the role of social influence between agents. The study argues that social influence is a principal mechanism for energetic transfer in complex human social systems. The study examines two primary research questions, concerning: the function, and process of emergence in human social systems. Furthermore, the role emergence plays in adapting to new or acute pressures, and the general process for such a mechanism. An interview driven, multiple case study approach is used to observe the interactions and behaviours of agents within complex systems. Data collection and analysis is without parallel in both cases, comprised of 47 interviews and over 3.2 million transcribed words. Case one focuses on the operation of Wivenhoe Dam during the Brisbane Floods Crisis of 2011, Case two examines the actions of seven investment firms at the epicentre of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis in late 2008. The case study approach has yielded rich analysis and findings, applicable to similar firms in times of turbulence. Findings reveal a distinctly emergent process of decision making in structured organisations, and a surprising method of post hoc strategy labelling, where structural inertia has perverse impacts on risk intensification, irreversibility and the amplification of small change. Analysis extrapolates the mechanics of amplification associated with the use of structured investment products, collateralisation and bundling of risky assets, generating increased risk velocity and the erosion of strategic choice. Findings deliver a practical application of downward causation, and many recursive theoretical developments, with regard to autonomy, information coupling, sustainability and immunity of emergent, self-organising forms and the role of information and people in groups. Findings shed a number of new insights into the anatomy of crisis that unfolded in both cases, and areas for potential improvement in the practical application of theory and research outcomes. Over 40 unique contributions to the body of knowledge are noted. The findings of this study have several important implications, to aid a more comprehensive understanding of the latent potential for emergent self-organisation in human social organisation. The study develops and proposes further sophistication and robustness in methods to continue research into complex phenomena within the field of applied social science research. The study explores warning signals, systemic risk factors, and their relationship to leadership, management and corporate strategy. While the findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge, further research is proposed through a research extension agenda. Following the extensive review of literature and presentation of findings, the study concludes a theory of emergence is in a nascent state, and is not yet fully developed, refined or tested. This study makes a contribution toward a theory of emergence, in particular to better understand the function and process of influence in complex human social systems.