Narrow Results

This paper considers minimizing total completion time in a two-stage flowshop scheduling problem with m identical parallel machines at Stage 1 and a batch processor at Stage 2. We prove that the problem when all jobs have same processing time at Stage 2 is NP – hard and gave a two-approximation algorithm in O(n³) time. In the case that all jobs have arbitrary processing time at Stage 1 and at Stage 2, we give an approximation algorithm after pointing out that in this case the problem is strongly NP – hard. Hundreds of instances of a numerical experiment show that the worst-case ratio of this approximation algorithm is nearing 2.

This paper studies two types of reverse 1-center problems under uniform linear cost function where edge lengths are allowed to reduce. In the first type, the aim is that the objective value is bounded by a prescribed fixed value $p$ at minimum cost. The aim of the other is to improve the objective value as much as possible within a given budget. An algorithm based on dynamic programming is proposed to solve the first problem in linear time. Then, this algorithm is applied as a subroutine to design an algorithm to solve the second type of the problem in $O(nlog(nK))$ time in which $K$ is a fixed number dependent on the problem parameters. Under the similarity assumption, this algorithm has a better complexity than the Nguyen algorithm (2013) with quadratic-time complexity. Some numerical experiments are conducted to validate this fact in practice.

Human and social capital developments are discussed in the context of increasing corporate IQ, defined as distributed intelligence (DI) in firms, as the basis of improved economic rent generation. A review of complexity science shows that adaptive tension dynamics (energy-differentials) may be used to foster adaptively efficacious DI appreciation. The optimal region for rapidly improving adaptive fitness occurs in the region in which emergent self-organization occurs—between the 1st and 2nd critical values of adaptive tension. Below the 1st value there is little change; above the 2nd value the system becomes chaotic and dysfunctional. Twelve "simple rules" drawn from complexity science are defined. These are available to rent-seeking CEOs wishing to create improved corporate IQ.

Most organizations experience the tension between producing and innovating. With increasing external pressures, e.g. driven by fast-paced technological innovation and connectivity in the 4th industrial revolution, the organizational tension and complexity is increasing rapidly. This poses challenges concerning how quality management (QM) will be carried out in the future. In order to handle higher complexity and organizational adaptability, QM need to master enabling leadership that creates adaptive spaces, bridging the entrepreneurial and operational systems in organizations. Guiding images such as metaphors have been suggested to support transformative change, but have only received limited research. This paper investigates the role of guiding images as facilitating tool for leading organizational adaptability and contribute to QM leadership practices in the 4th industrial revolution.

The paper studied three case organizations where management teams needed to facilitate organizational adaptability in complexity and used a generative image to support the leadership process. The researchers gained access to key meetings to study the processes through observations that were later analyzed with the use of storyboards.

The study shows how the enabling leadership processes can be facilitated by guiding images. The guiding images can be generated while managers experience tension and can help support the leadership processes of conflicting and connecting. Three types of guiding images were identified.

The paper contributes with practical knowledge about how to support the enabling leadership process with guiding images and contributes to QM by introducing complex adaptive leadership theory.

A major challenge for business information systems (BIS) design and management within healthcare units is the need to accommodate the complexity and changeability in terms of their clinical protocols, technology, business and administrative processes. Interoperability is the response to these demands, but there are many ways to achieve an “interoperable” information system. In this chapter we address the requirements of a healthcare interoperability framework to enhance enterprise architecture interoperability of healthcare organizations, while maintaining the organization's technical and operational environments, and installed technology. The healthcare interoperability framework is grounded on the combination of model driven architecture (MDA) and service-oriented architecture (SOA) technologies.

The main argument in this chapter is to advocate the role of chief information officer (CIO) in dealing with challenges posed by the need to achieve BIS grounded on interoperability at the different layers, and in developing and executing an interoperability strategy, which must be aligned with the health organization's business, administrative, and clinical processes. A case study of the Hospital de São Sebastião is described demonstrating the critical role of the CIO for the development of an interoperable platform.

This chapter highlights the impact and manageability of rapid, constantly/ continuously and unique changes taking place in humanity that are affecting the existence individuals, as well as all categories of human organizations. It has been observed that the traditional Newtonian mindset, and its associated reductionist hypothesis and design paradigm that have served humanity ‘well’ are manifesting their limits/constraints, vulnerability and disparities. The crux of the issue is escalating complexity density, incoherency, greater mismatch among current thinking, principles, values, structure, dynamic, and hierarchical dominance, limited predictability, and the overall changing ‘reality’.

Vividly, order and linearity are not the only inherent attributes of humanity. Consequently, the significance, appropriateness and exploration of certain properties of complexity theory are introduced, partially to better identify, analyze, comprehend and manage the accelerating gaps of inconsistency — in particular, to nurture a new mindset. Arising from the new mindset, human organizations/systems are confirmed as intrinsic composite complex adaptive systems (composite CAS, nonlinear adaptive dynamical systems) comprising human beings/agents that are CAS. In this respect, leadership, governance, management, and strategic approaches adopted by all human organizations must be redefined.

Concurrently, a special focus on intelligence (and its associated consciousness), the first inherent strengths of all human agents, and its role as the key latent impetus/driver, is vital. This recognition indicates that a change in era is inevitable. Humanity is entering the new intelligence era — the core of the knowledge-intensive and complexity-centric period. Overall, an integrated intelligence/consciousness-centric, complexity-centric and network-centric approach is essential. It adopts a complexity-intelligence-centric path that focuses on the optimization of all intense intrinsic intelligence/consciousness sources (human thinking systems), better exploitation of the co-existence of order and complexity, and integration of networks in human organizations — (certain spaces of complexity must be better utilized, coherency of network of networks must be achieved, and preparation for punctuation point must be elevated).

The new holistic (multi-dimensional) strategy of the intelligent organization theory (IO theory) is the complexity-intelligence strategy, and the new mission focuses on the new intelligence advantage.

This chapter is an introduction to complexity theory (encompassing chaos — a subset of complexity), a nascent domain, although, it possesses a historical root. Some fundamental properties of chaos/complexity (including complexity mindset, nonlinearity, interconnectedness, interdependency, far-from-equilibrium, butterfly effect, determinism/in-determinism, unpredictability, bifurcation, deterministic chaotic dynamic, complex dynamic, complex adaptive dynamic, dissipation, basin of attraction, attractor, chaotic attractor, strange attractor, phase space, rugged landscape, red queen race, holism, self-organization, self-transcending constructions, scale invariance, historical dependency, constructionist hypothesis and emergence), and its development are briefly examined. In particular, the similarities (sensitive dependence on initial conditions, unpredictability) and differences between deterministic chaotic systems (DCS) and complex adaptive systems (CAS) are analyzed. The edge of emergence (2^nd critical value, a new concept) is also conceived to provide a more comprehensive explanation of the complex adaptive dynamic (CAD) and emergence. Subsequently, a simplified system spectrum is introduced to illustrate the attributes, and summarize the relationships of the various categories of common systems.

Next, the recognition that human organizations are nonlinear living systems (high finite dimensionality CAS) with adaptive and thinking agents is examined. This new comprehension indicates that a re-calibration in thinking is essential. In the human world, high levels of human intelligence/consciousness (the latent impetus that is fundamentally stability-centric) drives a redefined human adaptive and evolution dynamic encompassing better potentials of self-organization or self-transcending constructions, autocatalysis, circular causation, localized spaces/networks, hysteresis, futuristic, and emergent of new order (involving a multi-layer structure and dynamic) — vividly indicating that intelligence/consciousness-centric is extremely vital. Simultaneously, complexity associated properties/characteristics in human organizations must be better scrutinized and exploited — that is, establishing appropriate complexity-intelligence linkages is a significant necessity. In this respect, nurturing of the intelligence mindset and developing the associated paradigmatic shift is inevitable.

A distinct attempt (the basic strategic approach) of the new intelligence mindset is to organize around human intrinsic intelligence — intense intelligence-intelligence linkages that exploits human intelligence/consciousness sources individually and collectively by focusing on intelligence/consciousness-centricity, complexity-centricity, network-centricity, complexity-intelligence linkages, collective intelligence, org-consciousness, complex networks, spaces of complexity (better risk management <=> new opportunities <=> higher sustainability) and prepares for punctuation points (better crisis management <=> collectively more intelligent <=> higher resilience/sustainability) concurrently — illustrating the significance of self-organizing capability and emergence-intelligence capacity. The conceptual development introduced will serve as the basic foundation of the intelligent organization (IO) theory.

In this chapter, an introductory analysis of human intelligence and consciousness is executed to establish a conceptual foundation for the intelligent organization theory. Fundamentally, the new intelligence mindset and thinking, and intelligence paradigm focus on high intelligence/ consciousness-centricity. It concentrates on human intrinsic intelligence/ consciousness sources (its intense intelligence and consciousness — awareness and mindfulness), and stipulates that organizing around intelligence (a strategic component of the complexity-intelligence strategy) is the new strategic direction to be adopted by all human organizations in the present knowledge-intensive, fast changing, and not always predictable environment (limited predictability). In addition, the characteristics and variation in capabilities of intelligence and consciousness are further scrutinized using an intelligence spectrum (compared to other biological intelligence sources on this planet — encompassing proto-intelligence, basic life-intelligence, basic human intelligence and advanced human intelligence). In the intelligent organization theory, consciousness (awareness, mindfulness) only exists in the living/biological world, and mindfulness is confined to humanity.

Subsequently, intelligence/consciousness management and its associated dynamics that are critical activities of intelligent human organization (iCAS) are more deeply examined with respect to complexity-centricity (encompassing attributes such as stability-centricity, autopoiesis, symbiosis, self-centric, network-centric, org-centric, independency, interdependency, intelligence-intelligence linkage, engagement, self-organization/ self-transcending constructions, local space, complex networks, constructionist hypothesis and emergence). Concurrently, the urgency and impact for nurturing the new intelligence mindset and intelligence paradigm is also discussed. In a situation with escalating complexity density, this paradigmatic shift in mindset and thinking in leadership, governance and management of human organizations is highly significant for higher functionality and coherency — to all human interacting agents (both leaders and followers), as well as the organizations themselves.

Another component of the complexity-intelligence strategy examined is the nurturing of an intelligent biotic and complex adaptive macro-structure that will serve all human organizations better (towards higher coherency, synergy and structural capacity). The analysis clearly indicates the necessity of systemic transformation or structural reform that is more coherent with intelligence/consciousness, and information processing and knowledge acquisition capability. In this case, a greater operational/ practical utility and higher structural capacity can be achieved with the presence of the intelligent biotic macro-structure and agent-agent/ system micro-structure (principle of locality) that concurrently supports the intelligent complex adaptive dynamic (iCAD) better — a finer synchrony between structure and dynamic — higher intelligence advantage.

The five earlier chapters introduced the basic foundation (co-existence of order and complexity, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, complexity <=> presence of in-determinism and unpredictability, necessities to change, the intelligence paradigmatic shift, structural reform, complex adaptive systems and dynamic, and some other fundamental and critical properties/characteristics involved) of the complexity theory and intelligent organization (IO) theory. This chapter introduces the global/holistic complexity-intelligence strategy (with two macro-paths) of the IO theory (although, some sub-strategies/models have been mentioned or partially analyzed in earlier chapters). The new strategy attempts to provide more comprehensive linkages and coverage on some specialized aspects indicating that human organizations must be led and managed differently in the current context because of high complexity density. In this chapter, three sub-strategies of the holistic complexity-intelligence strategy that is vital for nurturing highly intelligent human organizations (iCAS) are examined. They are namely, organizing around intelligence, nurturing an intelligent biotic macro-structure, and the integrated deliberate and emergent strategy.

The intelligence/conscious-centricity aspect begins with a deeper analysis on human level intelligence and consciousness, complexity, collective intelligence, org-consciousness and their associated dynamics relative to that of some other biological species (swarm intelligence), as well as other physical complex adaptive systems (CAS) characteristics. It has been observed that human interconnectivity, interdependency, selforganizing communications, truthful engagement, complex networks, collective intelligence, orgmindfulness, orgmind, and emergence can be significantly dissimilar. The four different perspectives of organizing around intelligence are examined.

Next, the intelligent biotic macro-structure (introduced earlier in Chapters 3 to 4) that resembles a highly intelligent biological being, and is more effective at exploiting information processing and knowledge accumulation, and a smarter evolver are more deeply scrutinized. There exists a high synchrony between organizing around intelligence and the presence of a biotic macro-structure. Thus, the advantages and significance for intelligent human organizations to possess such an inherent biotic macro-structure to better exploit certain biological and complexity associated characteristics and dynamics (including intelligence-intelligence linkage, complexity-centricity, complexity-intelligence linkage, more efficient natural decision-making node, information processing capability, learning and adaptation, knowledge acquisition and creation, organizational neural network, artificial node, and structural and dynamical coherency) to compete more effectively and efficiently in the current ‘raplexity’ context is also illustrated. In addition, the uniqueness and roles of artificial information systems (artificial nodes) is further examined.

Finally, the integrated deliberate and emergent strategy is scrutinized with respect to its significant association with the co-existence of order (deliberate planning, determinism, completeness and predictability) and complexity (continuous nurturing processes, in-determinism, unpredictability, unknown unknowns, risk management, new opportunity, crisis management, self-transcending constructions, futuristic and emergence) — in particular, highlighting the criticality of the deliberate and emergent auto-switch (better ambidexterity). Currently, the holistic integrated smarter evolver and emergent strategist approach is absent in most human organizations.