Zimmerman is also an associate faculty member for the Social Innovation Generation at the University of Waterloo. Her primary research applies complexity science to management and leadership issues in organizations, especially health care and nonprofit organizations, experiencing high levels of uncertainty and turbulence. She has written articles, book chapters, and a co-authored book on the topic of complexity and management in health care, Edgeware: Complexity resources for Healthcare Leaders. Her latest co-authored book, Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed, is a Canadian best seller that has also been published in Japanese and Korean.