The Challenge of Adaptive Capability in Public Organizations

Complex Adaptive Team Systems (CATS): Scaling of a Team Leadership Development Model

“…Take for example the concept of wicked problems. Aagaard [31] identified wicked problems developing through turbulent environments with continually changing expectations and solutions. These constant fluctuations present problems with ever-changing variables being derived based on the current environmental conditions, as environmental conditions change so to do the variables.…”

“…These cyclical dynamics could be viewed as a form of emergence that reformulates a problem organically as environmental conditions fluctuate. Addressing wicked problems requires organizations and institutions to become more adaptive in their problem-solving methodologies [31]. Wicked problems have been viewed as being influenced by CAS where institutions, "such as nations, oil companies, and utilities are important actors" [32].…”

“…Organizations are complex systems made up of interdependent agents [11,29] with overlapping functions. These complex systems can often be identified as networks, projects, hierarchies [31], teams, task forces, and departments to name only a few. Anderson et al [16] identified entrepreneurship as being a complex system in which individual entrepreneurship efforts aggregate into the macroeconomy, with each micro process being unique, self-organizing, and different from the next.…”

“…Complex adaptive systems are responsive systems consisting of multiple agents that "cannot be created, designed or controlled by individual actors. But the system can be influenced, nurtured and exploited by a group of actors" [31]. This responsive aspect refers to the ability of the agents to act freely [16], interdependently [31], to learn and adapt [3,29], and are linked dynamically [14].…”

“…But the system can be influenced, nurtured and exploited by a group of actors" [31]. This responsive aspect refers to the ability of the agents to act freely [16], interdependently [31], to learn and adapt [3,29], and are linked dynamically [14]. Agents within CAS interact in response to internal and external threats, producing both complex and adaptive behavior patterns [11].…”