scholarly journals Bounded Rationality and the Search for Organizational Architecture: An Evolutionary Perspective on the Design of Organizations and Their Evolvability

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-437
Author(s):  
Sendil K. Ethiraj ◽  
Daniel Levinthal
Keyword(s):  
Computational Model ◽  
Organization Theory ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Organizational Adaptation ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
First Order ◽  
Successful Design ◽  
Order Change ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Organizational Architecture

We employ a computational model of organizational adaptation to answer three research questions: (1) How does the architecture or structure of complexity affect the feasibility and usefulness of boundedly rational design efforts? (2) Do efforts to adapt organizational forms complicate or complement the effectiveness of first-order change efforts? and (3) To what extent does the rate of environmental change nullify the usefulness of design efforts? We employ a computational model of organizational adaptation to examine these questions. Our results, in identifying the boundary conditions around successful design efforts, suggest that the underlying architecture of complexity of organizations, particularly the presence of hierarchy, is a critical determinant of the feasibility and effectiveness of design efforts. We also find that design efforts are generally complementary to efforts at local performance improvement and identify specific contingencies that determine the extent of complementarity. We discuss the implications of our findings for organization theory and design and the literature on modularity in products and organizations.

scholarly journals The challenge of transformation: Breaking the barriers

2003 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. P. Esterhuyse
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Second Order ◽  
First Order ◽  
Order Change ◽  
Second Order Change

One of the most commonly used concepts in post-apartheid South Africa is undoubtedly the concept ‘transformation’. In order to strip this concept of its ‘bewitchments’ (Nietzsche; Wittgenstein) a conceptual analysis is made of the meaning and usage of the term. In view of the distinction between first order change and second order change, the need for transformation (ethical and strategic), the resistance against transformation (systemic and individual) and the execution and management of transformation is discussed.

scholarly journals Fatalistic first-order computation, free will delusion and conscious experience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Conscious Experience ◽  
Physical Object ◽  
Deterministic Algorithm ◽  
Second Order ◽  
The Real ◽  
First Order ◽  
Order Change ◽  
Second Order Change ◽  
Physical Laws

The first-order change is the change of the state of a physical object (or pattern) which is governed by the physical laws (or rules). The second-order change is the change of the state of a physical object (or pattern) which breaks the physical laws (or rules), so it is impossible in real world. In Conway’s Game of Life, within a pattern (pattern-A), a deterministic algorithm (algorithm-A) is used to solve a problem of the real world. (Actually, this problem will be automatically solved by the first-order change.) Inside algorithm-A, a model (model-AW) is created to represent the real world, and a second-order change can be applied to model-AW. If algorithm-A realized itself to be a deterministic algorithm inside a pattern, and realized that a second-order change is impossible to the real world, while a second-order change is possible to its model of the real world (model-AW), then algorithm-A can distinguish the real world and its model (model-AW) conceptually through this difference. The physical interactions among any number of elementary particles are governed by physical laws. If the time in our universe is discrete, our universe is a stochastic cellular automaton, and each generation is computed out based on the precedent generation and updating rules; let us call this computation the first-order computation. Conscious experience and the feeling of free will, are the results of the first-order computation; they have no impact to the first-order computation. Due to the completely subjective nature of the conscious experience, it’s impossible to reach any agreement on the nature of the conscious experience between any two individuals.

Computational Modeling of Muscle Regeneration and Adaptation to Advance Muscle Tissue Regeneration Strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 202 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 250-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle S. Martin ◽  
Kelley M. Virgilio ◽  
Shayn M. Peirce ◽  
Silvia S. Blemker
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Computational Modeling ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Muscle Regeneration ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Severe Injuries ◽  
Ability To Regenerate ◽  
Satellite Stem Cells

Skeletal muscle has an exceptional ability to regenerate and adapt following injury. Tissue engineering approaches (e.g. cell therapy, scaffolds, and pharmaceutics) aimed at enhancing or promoting muscle regeneration from severe injuries are a promising and active field of research. Computational models are beginning to advance the field by providing insight into regeneration mechanisms and therapies. In this paper, we summarize the contributions computational models have made to understanding muscle remodeling and the functional implications thereof. Next, we describe a new agent-based computational model of skeletal muscle inflammation and regeneration following acute muscle injury. Our computational model simulates the recruitment and cellular behaviors of key inflammatory cells (e.g. neutrophils and M1 and M2 macrophages) and their interactions with native muscle cells (muscle fibers, satellite stem cells, and fibroblasts) that result in the clearance of necrotic tissue and muscle fiber regeneration. We demonstrate the ability of the model to track key regeneration metrics during both unencumbered regeneration and in the case of impaired macrophage function. We also use the model to simulate regeneration enhancement when muscle is primed with inflammatory cells prior to injury, which is a putative therapeutic intervention that has not yet been investigated experimentally. Computational modeling of muscle regeneration, pursued in combination with experimental analyses, provides a quantitative framework for evaluating and predicting muscle regeneration and enables the rational design of therapeutic strategies for muscle recovery.

The Effects of Organizational Restructuring on Frames of Reference and Cooperation

1988 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Bartunek ◽  
Frank J. Franzak
Keyword(s):  
Second Order ◽  
Frames Of Reference ◽  
Organizational Restructuring ◽  
First Order ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Restructuring Process ◽  
Order Change ◽  
Second Order Change ◽  
Types Of Change

Organizational researchers have distinguished between first order change (improvements within already acceptedframeworks) and second order change (discontinuous shifts in frameworks). These types of change, when assessed quantitatively, have been labeled "alpha" and "'gamma" change. The study reported in this paper investigated an organizational restructuring attempt to achieve a first order (alpha) increase in cooperation and a second order (gamma) change in organization members' understanding of factors associated with importance in the organization. The restructuring process studied was an internal merger in a religious order. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that both types of change occurred.

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