complexity

The fast-paced changes of today's world have put new conditions and challenges in front of higher education, and in order to deal with these conditions and challenges, expanding the entrepreneurship capabilities of universities seems necessary and inevitable. The research population is all educational experts, postgraduates, students and researchers working in Isfahan University of Technology, of which 851 people were selected as a sample. The data collection method is Stephen Robbins' standard questionnaire regarding organizational structure and a questionnaire adapted from the questionnaire of Alan Gap Entrepreneur University The normal distribution of the data was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and in order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics including Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression were used Investigations showed that formality and concentration have a significant negative relationship with university entrepreneurship. The results of multiple regression show that the higher the law and regulations, complexity and formality,thelesstheuniversity's entrepreneurship and there is no significant relationship between university concentration and entrepreneurship.

Organizational transformation has been a specialized subject of study by management researchers for more than three decades, various general, specific and thematic models have been developed for it. The aim of this research is design a model to increase the probability of organizational transformation success by considering the role of the innovation ecosystem as factor of organizational transformation success or failure and, in other words, the organization's locking into its innovation ecosystem, considering the analysis of actors, conflicts of interest, and power relations in the ecosystem. For this purpose, a comprehensive organizational transformation model was selected by meta-synthesis of eighty common models and based on the opinions of experts in the complex innovation ecosystem. After evaluating the causes of failure of industrial organization transformation programs in the past and modifying the model to eliminate failure points, the effects of the ecosystem on the model were extracted and finally the requirements related to the ecosystem were applied to the base model. This research is descriptive-evaluative and developmental and was conducted with the strategy of surveying the opinions of experts in the target ecosystem. Qualitative data analysis of the research was conducted with content analysis. Finally, an eight-step organizational transformation model with 55 sub-activities and 5 basic activities has been designed. According to the experts' point of view, to reduce the possibility of organizational transformation failure, the importance of the steps has been determined, and in some cases, parallelization of activities has been used to overcome the disadvantages of common transformation models.

This research aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the status of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) studies in management and its applications. The present research was conducted using the bibliometric method. The required data were extracted from Scopus (1,120 articles) and Web of Science (345 articles) using the keyword VUCA, and after refinement, 1,139 articles were selected for final analysis. The analyses included examining publication trends, identifying leading authors and institutions, keyword co-occurrence analysis, scientific mapping, and citation network analysis. The results showed that scientific publications in the field of VUCA increased from 1 article in 2008 to 244 articles in 2023. Among 3,105 identified keywords, concepts such as leadership and organizational agility (each with 64 citations), innovation (53.5 citations), and digital transformation (46.4 citations) had the most impact. The co-occurrence analysis led to 7 main clusters, with foresight and business development (25% of articles), leadership and strategy (21%), and technology (17%) being the most significant clusters. Success in the VUCA environment requires adopting a comprehensive and multidimensional approach that includes intelligent use of advanced technologies, developing dynamic organizational capabilities, strengthening the culture of creativity and innovation, and nurturing forward-thinking leaders. Companies that can effectively integrate these elements will not only be able to manage VUCA challenges but can also use these conditions for innovation and increasing organizational effectiveness.

The ripple effect, which refers to disturbances with a low probability of occurrence but a high impact, has been able to have many negative effects on the supply chain of Iran's food industry. Considering the strategic importance of the food industry, it is necessary to investigate the causal conditions of this effect.

Design/methodology/approach: 

This study has been performed in two phases with a mixed approach. The qualitative phase was conducted to identify the causes of the ripple effect and the quantitative phase was conducted to model and analyze the scenario. The participants in the qualitative phase were industrial experts, and judgmental sampling was used to collect data. The sample included 15 respondents, and the data analysis method was thematic analysis. The statistical population of the quantitative phase included industrial experts and university professors, and judgmental sampling was used to collect data. The sample included 10 respondents, and the data analysis method was fuzzy cognitive mapping. To analyze the scenarios, two categories of backward and forward scenarios have been designed. FCMapper software has been used to design the scenarios.

The results of the thematic analysis indicated 56 causes, which were grouped into 14 sub-categories: “business planning”, “production problems”, “financial problems of the organization”, “logistical problems”, “supply chain management”, “supplier problems”, “human disasters”, “natural disasters”, “legislative issues and law enforcement”, “political crises”, “macroeconomic issues”, “the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the business environment’, “infrastructure problems”, and “problems of production of complementary industries”. Finally, the sub-categories were grouped in four main categories: "business-level problems", "supply chain-level problems", "natural and unnatural disasters", and "macro problems of the country". The results of the second phase indicated that "political crises", "macroeconomic issues", and "complexity and uncertainty of the business environment" had the highest degree of influence. The results of the analysis of the scenarios implied the significance of "complexity and uncertainty of the business environment", "macroeconomic issues", and "political crises".

Research implications:

 Since inventory plays a significant role in dealing with the ripple effect, and inventory in the food industry is perishable, it is necessary to investigate how to balance the amount of buffer and perishable inventory. Another important issue in the supply chain of the food industry is the lack of advanced technologies and sufficient information on the areas under cultivation, the amount of harvest, and the amount of surplus or shortage of products in different parts, which strengthens the ripple effect. Studying the obstacles, challenges and key success factors of using advanced technologies in the supply chain of the food industry can help solve this problem.

Practical implications: 

According to the findings, it is suggested to include long-term factors, price flexibility, and support clauses in the contract with suppliers. For foreign products, it is recommended to contract with companies that have active agencies inside the country. The purchase of critical layers of the supply chain (vertical integration) is recommended to reduce risk. Contingency plans are necessary to deal with the ripple effect, while environmental and political issues must be monitored carefully to develop suitable contingency plans. As a result, it is necessary to form management teams in the food industry to investigate environmental and political issues and communicate with people with political influence to receive news faster.

Originality/value:

 Considering the problems that the supply chain of Iran's food industry has with the occurrence of a ripple effect, in this research the reasons for such an effect were investigated for the first time. Modelling and scenario analysis of the causes of the ripple effect was also performed for the first time.

With the research on the country's mega projects, one of the main failure factors in their project management can be sought. Modern aircraft design and construction projects are complex projects known as megaprojects. This research presents a model for managing complex megaprojects in this industry.

This research is a type of combined research (qualitative-quantitative), and for this purpose, while interviewing aviation experts, the features of aerial mega projects are identified and coded by MAXQDA2020 software, and then the indicators identified in a questionnaire from experts related to the project. Using SMARTPLS3 software, classification and ranking of components and indicators were performed.

In this regard, the designed model has two dimensions, features and management of the megaproject, and 10 main components and 40 indicators were classified and ranked. Finally, the most crucial main component was strategy management.Originality/Value: In this study, considering the importance of aerial projects and the fact that the country has moved towards the design and construction of native birds and several projects in this field have been defined and completed, the characteristics of complex mega projects in the aircraft design and construction industry are determined, and has designed an appropriate model for evaluating the management of complex megaprojects in the aircraft design and construction industry for the first time.

With the researches done on the megaprojects of the country, one of the main factors of failure can be sought in their project management. Modern aircraft design and construction projects are complex projects known as megaprojects. In this research, a model for managing complex megaprojects in this industry is presented.

This research is a type of combined research (qualitative-quantitative) and for this purpose, while interviewing aviation experts, the features of aerial megaprojects are identified and coded by MAXQDA2020 software and then the indicators identified in a questionnaire from experts related to the project. Using SMARTPLS3 software, classification and ranking of components and indicators were performed.

In this regard, the designed model has two dimensions as features and management of the megaproject and 10 main components and 40 indicators were classified and ranked. Finally, the most important main component was strategy management.

Originality/Value:

 In this study, considering the importance of aerial projects and the fact that the country has moved towards the design and construction of native birds and several projects in this field have been defined and completed, the characteristics of complex megaprojects in the aircraft design and construction industry are determined. And has designed for the first time an appropriate model for evaluating the management of complex megaprojects in the aircraft design and construction industry.

The swift expansion of intricate projects in the global construction industry has prompted numerous investigations in the last twenty years, highlighting the significance of comprehending project intricacy for the triumph of construction project management. Identifying, assessing, and ranking procedures in response to risk is a crucial yet currently difficult aspect of project management to handle intricate projects at every phase of their existence effectively. Project managers have consistently focused on complexity and its linked hazards since it is a significant factor in project cost and time delays. This study explores the correlation between project complexity and modeling its outcomes' risks.
The study employed a deductive, positivistic methodology. The literature review examined the history and definition of complex projects. The risk factors were identified based on the underlying causes of the project's complexity. To achieve the best possible outcome in financial terms, a comprehensive model was proposed that considered the type of project contract with different risk response activities. The model was then tested by analyzing the risks associated with a sample project, and cost-response index graphs were generated for each risk individually and aggregated.
This research aimed to examine the current state and developments in project complexity research and to provide valuable insights for scholars and practitioners. The study's findings indicated that risks do not impact all projects equally. It was found that the actual effects of a risk event depend not only on the event itself but also on the management actions taken to address the contingency and their timing. These factors can influence the severity of the problems caused by the event and its ripple effects throughout the project organization.
According to the results of this field study, risks do not uniformly affect all projects. The actual impact of a risk event is contingent not only on the nature of the event itself but also on the managerial response to the contingency and its timing. These factors can influence the severity of problems caused by the event and the cascading effects within the project organization. While no single set of guidelines can guarantee project success, it is essential to recognize that the process is not random. A better understanding of the organizational dynamics that affect project performance and the factors contributing to risks in complex projects is a crucial precondition for creating a cross-functional solid team capable of managing risks before they negatively impact project outcomes. Therefore, this study can represent the first attempt to investigate the relationship between project complexity, risk consequences, and financial goals in complex construction projects. Among the various criteria contributing to complexity, the project's content, organization, and external environment were identified as the most significant risk generators in complex construction projects.

Today, it is essential for companies to create a memorable and positive experience for customers in the VUCA environment. The purpose of this research is to design a model of the actual online shopping experience of digital goods customers in VUCA conditions. This research is a basic and applied study in terms of its purpose. In terms of the method, this cross-sectional study is qualitative exploratory and descriptive using an inductive approach and the phenomenological method. The statistical population consisted of 10 digital goods customers in Tehran, who bought digital goods during the period of December 2022 to March 2022 and were sampled in a purposeful and judgmental way. The validity of the interview was approved by face validity. To check the validity of the coding process, the method of continuous engagement and participation with research members and triangulation was used. Regarding the reliability of the interviews, the test-retest reliability method was used, which was 73.26%. In this research, 144 compiled meanings and then 53 sub-themes were categorized in line with the final clustering in the four main themes of VUCA including volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The results showed that frequent changes in prices, exchange rates, and other factors can cause doubts and tension for customers and lead to negative experiences. By implementing price stability, providing complete information, and other ways of working, the online shopping experience of Digikala customers can be improved.

Chaos-order organization is a complex and dynamic combination of several elements that create the overall entity, and its behavior is unpredictable (chaotic), but also has a pattern (orderly). Organizations that operate in current conditions have experienced competitive and turbulent environments, and in order to maintain their lives, they have to find the characteristics of chaos-order organization. Organizational learning is one of these methods, which is a set of mechanisms and processes used within the organization to realize learning.

The current research is a descriptive-survey research of an applied type, which was carried out with the aim of measuring the effect of the components of the chaos order organization on the organizational learning ability of employees in knowledge-based organizations. The scope of the study is the employees of the Mobile Communications Organization of Tehran and the number of the statistical sample is 85 people. Data collection has been done through a questionnaire. Data analysis has also been done using the method of structural equations and Lisrel software.

The findings show that about 81% of the changes in organizational learning ability can be explained by the components of the chaos-order organization in the workplace.

The obtained results show that the components of innovation acceptance, rigid structure and uncertainty of chaos order organization are effective on organizational learning ability. A chaos-order environment has facilitators that enhance learning and maximize learning in the organization.

Despite passing half a century of continuous sympathetic welfare oriented policy making efforts by Iranian politicians and policy makers, there are still important problems in the economic, industrial and social fields, which have become more complicated and accumulated. The result is a kind of passivity and grounding the governance capacities and capabilities which can be explained by term "compound complexity". The purpose of this article is to provide an effective framework for understanding policy issues and problems, by employing concept of compound complexity, which helps policy analysts and government officials to find root causes of policy failures and unintended consequences in earlier stages. In addition, a common understanding of the main conflicts can be obtained by deciphering the compound complexity, leading to more effective and constructive stakeholders’ agreement. Furthermore, it prevents silent death of policies before losing opportunities and wasting time. At the end, three approaches (1) transformation in the arrangement of political forces, (2) institutional innovation and (3) platform-based information technology are presented to get out of the compound complexity trap.

Appropriate organizational structure is considered as a prerequisite for achieving organizational goals. For this purpose, and considering the changes in social relations and the new needs of stakeholders in the present era, organizations at certain intervals to review their structures and seek to align the structures with organizational goals and missions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the organizational structure of police stations and checkpoints on crime prevention.

The research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey based on the data collection method. The statistical population of the present study consists of all commanders and staff with bachelor's degrees and above in the police stations of Greater Tehran, numbering 638 people. From this number, using Cochran's formula and considering the error of 0.04, 271 people were selected as a statistical sample. Simple was distributed among the sample population. The validity of the research instrument was evaluated and confirmed by the face validity and reliability of the research instrument from Cronbach's alpha coefficient. SPSS software was used to analyze the data.

The test results of research hypotheses using univariate regression correlation coefficient showed; The dimensions of the independent research variable are; Specialize فعال activity (r = 0.310); Standardization of activities (r = 0.276); Coordinate activity (r = 0.288); Decentralization of decision making (r = 0.342); The size of the work unit (r = 0.259) as well as the independent variable "organizational structure of police stations and checkpoints" (r = 0.288) have a significant effect on crime prevention.

Flexible, dynamic and coordinated organizational structure with environmental changes can be effective in advancing goals and fulfilling organizational missions.

Today, the need for organizations to pay attention to improving the performance and satisfaction of stakeholders, especially in service organizations such as the police, is a very important principle. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of organizational structure dimensions on police performance. Research

The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of type and quantitative in terms of implementation method. In order to collect data, the tools of organizational performance questionnaire "Achieve" Hersey and Goldsmith (2002) were used and the statistical population is 60 police officers of Neishabour police command, in full. For inferential analysis of the data, measurement tools, partial least squares, first-order factor loads, Cronbach's alpha, mean variance index, cross-validity subscription index, Fornell index and Larker index were used.

Based on structural equations; Complexity with beta coefficient of 0.437 is in the first priority, therefore it has the most relation with organizational performance, followed by formality with beta coefficient of 0.368 in the second rank and focus with beta coefficient of 0.27 in the third and final rank.

The test results show that organizational structure and its components have a significant effect on organizational performance.

Today organizations are more complex than in the past, and managers need to acquire new and important competencies to help organizations achieve their goals. The purpose of this study is to provide a model of managers' competencies in complex organizations, which is applied research. In the first stage of the first phase, types of complexities were identified and three types of structural, technological, and environmental complexities were considered as the basis for evaluating the complexity of the organization. In the stage of identifying the complex organization, a 21-item questionnaire was distributed in the municipality, which was selected by performing a one-sample t-test of the complex organization. Then, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts, and the initial model of managers' competencies suitable for any complexity was obtained. In the next step, based on the initial model, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 5 experts by the Delphi method and the modified model was obtained. In the second phase of the study, which aimed to validate the modified model, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 15 experts, and by calculating the relative content validity coefficient, the final model of managers' competence was developed for each type of complexity.

The purpose of this study is to design supply chains' upstream structure evaluation model in the automotive industry with spectral clustering based on the theory of complex adaptive systems. In this research, a method for evaluating the intersectionalities related to the structural complexity (horizontal, vertical, and spatial) of supply chains by considering the functional characteristics of its components based on the resilience paradigm is presented. In this regard, a set of algebraic calculations and computational algorithms have been adapted to evaluate the structural design from the perspective of complex components. In the structural design evaluation model through spectral clustering, it is possible to enter information about supply chains in terms of interactions between components in the form of a network as a comprehensive model called similarity graph. According to the field findings, supply chain characteristics in terms of complexity can have interaction with component processing performance. This means that according to the concept of entanglement, the lack of a favorable environmental structure in supply chains can also negatively affect the resilience performance of its components. Findings from the perspective of achieving a supply chain evaluation model as an integrated whole have provided a suitable practical tool for evaluation and pathology of supply chains from the perspective of risk management.

Fast changes, competition, informed and intelligent customers and increasing innovations, bring about challenges and serious uncertainties which organizations deal with in their progress in the future. This requires special attention to the issue of knowledge management and its adaptation to future conditions. Proposing no vision for the excellence of future of knowledge management in organizations, knowledge management development measures, as well as the inability to solve problems, will not benefit future knowledge needs.    futures studies and knowledge management are both intended to identify the complexity and dynamism resulting from the internal and external environment of organizations, and address the knowledge needs of managers to make decisions in such environments. We can understand the significant role of futures study in knowledge management through a brief consideration. Knowledge management affects futures studt greatly.    This study is an attempt to investigate the relation and role of futures studies and knowledge management in an organization. The researchers conducted a case study using in-depth interviews with experts (including employees, administrators, and faculty members of a military higher education center) to find out how futures study is related to the maturity of knowledge management. The innovative point in this research related to the combination of futures study research methods to the process of organizational knowledge management model. In this manner, interviews, questionnaires and literature review techniques have been employed to collect data. The logic of framework analysis and focus group on the future challenges of knowledge management of the organization under study have been used as analysis tools.     An analysis of the futures study methods on the basis of functional foundations, a model for futures study development based on organizational knowledge management is proposed as a research result.

The complexities of the oil industry, combined project-based organizations’ complexities, have led the traditional planning of HR being failed. The success of these organizations is based on integrative human resource planning. To this end, the purpose of this study was to determine the factors and components of human resource planning in oil and gas project-based organizations and providing an integrative framework using a qualitative approach. According to the used exploratory approach, in this research, theoretical sampling method has been used. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 oil industry experts. Finally, based on the obtained components, an integrated human resource planning framework has been presented in oil and gas project-based organizations that includes simultaneous planning of the HR’s ten subsystems including:  Organization Design, Recruitment and Selection, HR Development, Promotion and Succession, Retention, Total Reward, Performance Management, Communication, Knowledge Management and, Safety and Health.

Using adaptable and intelligent strategies in knowledge management processes allows organizations to succeed and compete in a challenging environment. Knowledge sharing is one of the most important components of knowledge management. Sharing means to share data, information, and experiences. In other words, through the process of sharing, the knowledge is distributed to all activities, and even beyond, outside the organization. The study employs an applied correlational research method and the study population consists of the employees of iran Islamic Republic News Agency in tehran. A sample of 50 participants is selected using cluster and simple random sampling. The findings of the research indicate that the strategic transfer and the expert transfer of knowledge are respectively the most and the least significant components of knowledge sharing. Moreover, complexity and centralization are respectively the most and the least significant components of organizational structure. Correlation analysis shows that there is a significant relationship between the components of formalization, centralization, complexity and knowledge sharing. The results of regression analysis show that organizational structure determines 41% of knowledge sharing variance. In this study, the organizational centralization is mostly an explanatory component. The analysis results of structural equation modeling with LISREL indicates a good fit for the model of the relationship between two variables of organizational structure and knowledge sharing.

We live in a very complex world where we face complex phenomena such as social norms and new technologies. To deal with such phenomena, social scientists often use reductionism approach where they reduce them to some lower-lever variables and model the relationships among them through a scheme of equations. This approach that is called equation based modeling (EBM) has some basic weaknesses in modeling real complex systems so that assumptions such as unbounded rationality and perfect information are strongly emphasized while adaptability and evolutionary nature of all engaged agents along with network effects go unaddressed. In tackling deficiencies of reductionism, the complex adaptive system (CAS) framework has been proven very influential in the past two decades. In contrast to reductionism, under CAS framework, complex phenomena are studied in an organic manner where their agents are supposed to be both boundedly rational and adaptive. As the most powerful methodology for CAS modeling, agent-based modeling (ABM) has gained a growing popularity among academics and practitioners. ABMs show how agents’ simple behavioral rules and their local interactions at micro-scale can generate surprisingly complex patterns at macro-scale. Despite a growing number of ABM publications, those researchers unfamiliar with it have to study a number of works to understand (1) why and what of ABM, (2) its differences with EBM (3) its main functionalities in scientific studies and (4) some of its applications in management science. So, this paper’s major contribution is to help researchers particularly those unfamiliar with ABM to get insights regarding its philosophy and use and gain a big picture of it.

Centralization, formalization and complexity are considered as the most important dimensions of the process of making analysis of the structure of an organization. Therefore, a thorough analysis and examination of these dimensions can play an important role in creating an organizational structure and the effective management of an organization. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze the dimensions of the structure of the cultural art center of the Islamic Propagation Office of Qom Seminary, a center which is intended to contribute, through art work, to effective and inclusive propagation.
The center's responsibility is stimulating educational activities, holding formal conferences, holding meetings with art critics, making use of art in propagation and presenting strategies for using art in religious propagation. A standard questionnaire was used to identify the structural dimensions, including concentration, formalization and complexity as the structural dimensions and mechanical or organic dimension of the cultural art center. The research results indicate that the cultural- art center shows a tendency towards becoming an organic structure. Moreover, the analysis of the structure of the center shows that the center is an institution with moderate centralization, upper intermediate formalization and a lower intermediate complexity.