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Home > QFINANCE Dictionary > Definition of complex adaptive system

Definition of

complex adaptive system

General Management

self-regulating system without controls a system that overrides conventional human controls because those controls will subdue inevitable change and development within that system. Complex adaptive systems are a product of the application of chaos theory and complexity theory to the world of organizations. It has been suggested that organizations that are subject to too much control are at risk of failure. Bureaucracy and the top-down approach to management have been cited as examples of extreme control. However, if a bureaucracy is left to adapt naturally, it could become capable of self-organization and of creating new methods of operating.

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Definitions of ’complex adaptive system’ and meaning of ’complex adaptive system’ are from the book publication, QFINANCE – The Ultimate Resource, © 2009 Bloomsbury Information Ltd. Find definitions for ’complex adaptive system’ and other financial terms with our online QFINANCE Financial Dictionary.

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