Title: Leadership issues in governance of complex systems

Authors: Dave Walters

Addresses: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA

Abstract: Complex systems are characterised by many autonomous and diverse interrelated components, tightly coupled through many interconnections; irreducible; exhibiting emergence; as well as being inseparable from their environment and context. These characteristics also describe modern enterprises whose landscapes are fraught with difficulties stemming from excess complexity, emergence, and uncertainty. System control and guidance are provided by metasystems, which are the sets of interrelated functions that govern the systems or enterprises. Governance provides control, communications, integration and coordination functions for a complex system, and includes the establishment and execution of policies and procedures that help ensure viability of the system. In this article, the role of leadership in establishing and ensuring execution of complex systems governance functions will be explored from a systems theory perspective.

Keywords: complexity; leadership; complex systems; complex system governance; systems theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSE.2016.076121

International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2016 Vol.7 No.1/2/3, pp.130 - 142

Received: 03 Jan 2015
Accepted: 02 Apr 2015

Published online: 26 Apr 2016 *

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