In a complex system, a very small cause may have a tremendous effect, so any small change in the beginning state of a system may change the system outcome tremendously. This extreme sensitivity to initial conditions is sometimes called the butterfly effect because the flap of a butterfly wing in Hong Kong may result in a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Because of the complexity of chaotic systems, it is very difficult to observe and experiment with them in nature. For that reason, many scientists use the computer to create models of complex systems. These models simulate the behavior of the real complex systems.
Scientists can then use the simulation to manipulate and observe the behavior of the complex system.
A few organizational researchers are seeking to model organizational systems using a variety of mathematical techniques. These models will help us understand and adapt to the infinite number of possible futures that await us. An attractor represents the dynamic tendencies of a system. A point attractor describes the fact that a system moves to a single value. A periodic attractor describes the fact that a system moves from one value to another at regular time intervals.