Title: Complex system governance: moving diverse theory to practice

Authors: Behnido Y. Calida

Addresses: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 3500 Transportation Research Plaza, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA

Abstract: This paper presents a scholarly development of a system-based approach for analysing governance in complex systems. The primary purpose is to point out the present lack of understanding of governance in complex systems. The main contribution is a set of systems-based ideas representing governance that will continue to remain relevant in spite of emergent problems and increased complexity. This paper discusses some of the promising explanatory and normative conceptual notions of 'governance' and argues for a set of criteria by which these various accounts can be evaluated. Each of these broad categories is presented after which they will be used as a basis to constructively evaluate existing governance theories, models and frameworks. Finally, the paper hints on a systemically developed 'governance' paradigm that is internally aligned with the earlier mentioned criteria aimed to assist in developing a wider and more consistent 'governance' research agenda.

Keywords: complex system governance; system of systems engineering; SoSE; complexity; complex systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSE.2016.076125

International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2016 Vol.7 No.1/2/3, pp.22 - 42

Received: 08 May 2015
Accepted: 22 Jul 2015
Published online: 26 Apr 2016 *

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