The quality german business magazine "Brand eins" devoted the January 2006 number to complexity. For those of you that would still doubt about the tremendous impact of complexity on management, they give 8 ways to avoid complexity:
1. Do not do business
2. Reduce your activities to zero
3. Don't leave the house
4. Don't call
5. Don't talk to anybody
6. Stay in bed
7. Close your eyes
8. Stop breathing
Somewhat extreme, but it might help avoiding complexity. The "theme issue" gives especially a practitioners view on complexity. After a general introduction to complexity (with a interesting reference to jazz), an interview with Helmut Maucher (Honorary president of Nestle AG) quotes him as follows: I am not homesick for simple solutions, but I see many things just simpler. A next contribution discusses the paradox between the need for individual design in car manufacturing but equally the need for highly rational production processes. A network of subcontractors and suppliers seems to be an interesting concept. Complexity and bureaucracies, using politics as an example, is the following contribution. Are children able to deal with complexity and shouldn't we make them more familiar with it? The Bamberg Psychologist Dietrich Doner argues that when things become complex, no easy management method will help. And those that would like to manage, should be able to invent all the time.
Complexity in the medical field is dealt with, giving insight in the latest development in that area. The theme issue ends up with arguing in favour of multiple ways of investigation, leading to a diverse truth.
There is much more than this in the theme issue, and for those that read German, an absolute must.