The Modern Organization as Ecosystem
Complexity theory maintains that there is order to the behavior of complex systems so that these systems-including organizations-are more likely to resemble ecosystems rather than machines. As a result, a seemingly small change in one part of the organization may lead to radical change in the overall organization (Complexity Theory, 2011).
In some cases, the change may be a new competitor entering the market with innovations that render existing products obsolete or too expensive. In other cases, new technologies that exist outside the organization may have a transformational effect inside the organization. Cell phones that include cameras could prove challenging to camera manufacturers, and Eastman Kodak was (and is) seriously challenged by the introduction of digital photography (Christensen & Anthony, 2007). In both of these cases, this is a change to the external environment, and the companies need to adapt much as an ecosystem adapts to a change in the environment. Some companies will adapt and survive, others will fail.
Organizations can also be changed by hiring new people who bring new skills and talents to the company. Certainly this is true at the senior management level where CEOs and senior executives can influence corporate culture in a top-down organization, but it can also be true at lower levels of the organization where individuals may introduce innovations in products, services or communications that transform the organization. 3M experienced this when an employee took a "failed" adhesive and transformed it into what eventually became the Post-It Note (Roberto & Roberto, 2011). In this way, the organization adapted to the organic change and produced a new product, much as an ecosystem might change to accommodate a new plant or animal species.
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