TY - JOUR
T1 - Employing complexity
T2 - complexification management for locked issues
AU - Joosse, Hans
AU - Teisman, Geert
PY - 2020/1/7
Y1 - 2020/1/7
N2 - In line with wicked problem literature, we argue that public management based on ordering societal issues to make them controllable and solvable (simplification) can be initially attractive, but in the long-term ineffective. We elaborate on an alternative management mode of increasing the complexity of both the problem and the approach to deal with the problem (complexification). Based on an in-depth case-study about transforming Utrecht Central Station (the Netherlands), we present complexification as a management strategy to revitalize processes that got locked by simplification management. Path-dependency shows up as a weakness of simplification, and path-creation as a strength of complexification.
AB - In line with wicked problem literature, we argue that public management based on ordering societal issues to make them controllable and solvable (simplification) can be initially attractive, but in the long-term ineffective. We elaborate on an alternative management mode of increasing the complexity of both the problem and the approach to deal with the problem (complexification). Based on an in-depth case-study about transforming Utrecht Central Station (the Netherlands), we present complexification as a management strategy to revitalize processes that got locked by simplification management. Path-dependency shows up as a weakness of simplification, and path-creation as a strength of complexification.
UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14719037.2019.1708435
U2 - 10.1080/14719037.2019.1708435
DO - 10.1080/14719037.2019.1708435
M3 - Article
SN - 1471-9045
VL - 23
SP - 834
EP - 864
JO - Public Management Review (online)
JF - Public Management Review (online)
IS - 6
ER -