{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T20:52:30Z","timestamp":1782507150662,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3\/4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,3]],"date-time":"2011-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1304380800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to reflect on results of recent research about the self\u2010organisation (SO) of communities that aim to regenerate and\/or improve their sustainability, also to reflect upon methodological and epistemological issues related to the application of complexity approaches to support SO in communities and in general, social enterprises.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper summarises recent research findings on SO and self\u2010transformation in communities using a combination of complexity approaches. It describes the methodological framework used to conduct action research about the self\u2010transformation and learning of a European eco\u2010community and reflects about the approaches used and lessons learned.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>This research confirms the complementarity between two approaches to complexity management: the viable systems model from S. Beer, a pioneering approach to managing complexity in institutions, and complex adaptive systems, a more recent approach to deal with SO in organisations. Mapping the organisational dynamics and the structural changes decided by the community members shows interesting insights about emergence and SO. This is a state\u2010of\u2010the\u2010art research on multi\u2010methodological approaches to support complexity management in organisations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>As in many action research projects, early findings are limited to one particular organisation. Nevertheless, the theoretical frameworks of the broader research are useful for a wide variety of organisations, both in terms of guiding organisational transformations and supporting networking management of networks collaborating to create more sustainable evolutionary pathways.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/03684921111133737","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,7,25]],"date-time":"2011-07-25T10:04:07Z","timestamp":1311588247000},"page":"536-558","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Complexity approaches to self\u2010organisation: a case study from an Irish eco\u2010village"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"40","author":[{"given":"A.","family":"Espinosa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"P.P.","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"E.","family":"Arcaute","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"K.","family":"Christensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Arcaute, E., Christensen, K., Sendova\u2010Franks, A., Dahl, T. and Espinosa, A. (2009), \u201cDivision of labour in ant colonies in terms of attractive fields\u201d, Ecological Complexity, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 396\u2010402.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecocom.2008.10.001"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Axelrod, R. (1997), The Complexity of Cooperation, Agent Based Models of Competition and Cooperation, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.","DOI":"10.1515\/9781400822300"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b4","unstructured":"Bar\u2010Yam, Y. (2000), \u201cComplexity rising, from human beings to human civilization: a complexity profile\u201d, available at: http:\/\/necsi.org\/Civilization.html (accessed 12 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b5","unstructured":"Beer, S. (1979), Heart of the Enterprise, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b6","unstructured":"Beer, S. (1981), Brain of the Firm, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b7","unstructured":"Beer, S. (1985), Diagnosing the System for Organisation, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b8","unstructured":"Beer, S. (1994), Beyond Dispute: The Invention of Team Syntegrity, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b9","unstructured":"Brown, J. and Isaacs, D. (1994), \u201cMerging the best of two words. The core processes of organizations as communities\u201d, in Senge, P., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R. and Smith, B. (Eds), The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools Building a Learning Organization, available at: www.theworldcafe.com\/articles\/mergingbest.pdf (accessed 12 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Browning, L.D., Beyer, J.M. and Shetler, J.C. (1995), \u201cBuilding cooperation in a competitive industry\u201d, The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 38 No. 1, pp. 113\u201051.","DOI":"10.2307\/256730"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b11","unstructured":"Cardoso, P. (2009), \u201cFacilitation self\u2010organisation in non\u2010hierarchical communities: a methodology for regeneration programs\u201d, in Clarckson, G. (Ed.), Business and Organizational Survival and Sustainability, The Northern Leadership Academy Fellows 2009, Leeds University Business School, Leeds."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b12","unstructured":"Cardoso, P.P. (2011), \u201cFacilitating self\u2010organisation in non\u2010hierarchical communities. A methodology for regeneration programs\u201d, PhD thesis, Hull University Business School, Hull (submitted November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b13","unstructured":"Cheliotis, G. (2010), Social network analysis (SNA): including a tutorial on concepts and methods, Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore, available at: www.slideshare.net\/gcheliotis\/social\u2010network\u2010analysis\u20103273045 (accessed 20 July 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b14","unstructured":"Espejo, R., Schuhmann, W., Schwaninger, M. and Billelo, U. (1996), Organisational Transformation and Learning, Wiley, Chichester."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Espinosa, A. and Porter, T. (2011), \u201cSustainability, complexity and learning: insights from complex systems approaches\u201d, The Learning Organisation, Vol. 18 No. 1, Invited Paper (special issue).","DOI":"10.1108\/09696471111096000"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Espinosa, A. and Walker, J. (2011) in Jensen, H. (Ed.), A Complexity Approach to Sustainability: Theory and Application, Series on Complexity Science, Imperial College Press, London.","DOI":"10.1142\/p699"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b39","unstructured":"Haldane, A. and Bond, P. (2004), \u201cThe use of KALIF in the development of complex, emotioning, innovating, and polytechnical communities\u201d, Learning Futures Ltd. available at: http:\/\/scholar.google.co.uk\/scholar?start=10&q=Haldane+and+Bond+%282004%29&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&as_vis=1 (accessed 20th November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b17","unstructured":"Kelleher, M., Van Heijst, G., Kruizinga, E., Haldane, A. and Van Der Wal, C. (2001), KALIF: To Share is to Multiply, CIBIT, Utrecht."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kilduff, M. and Tsai, W. (2003), Social Networks and Organisations, Sage, London.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781849209915"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Latane, B. (1981), \u201cThe psychology of social impact\u201d, American Psychologists, Vol. 36, pp. 343\u201056.","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.36.4.343"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b23","unstructured":"McMillan, E. (2004), Complexity, Organisations and Change, Routledge, Abingdon."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b24","unstructured":"Mitleton\u2010Kelly, E. (2003), Complex Systems and Evolutionary Perspectives on Organisations. The Application of Complexity Theory to Organisations, Pergamon, London."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b22","unstructured":"Moobela, C. (2004), \u201cExploring the potential of complexity theory in urban regeneration processes\u201d, PhD thesis, Sheffield Hallam Universisity, Sheffield Hallam."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b25","unstructured":"Newman, M.E.J. (2010), Networks: An Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ortiz\u2010Arroyo, D. and Hussain, D. (2008), \u201cAn information theory approach to identify sets of key players\u201d, in Ortiz\u2010Arroyo, D., Larsen, H., Zeng, D., Hicks, D. and Wagner, G. (Eds), Intelligence and Security in Informatics Proceedings: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Esbjerg, Denmark, Vol. 5376, pp. 15\u201026.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-540-89900-6_5"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ostrom, E. (1995), \u201cSelf\u2010organisation and social capital\u201d, Industrial and Corporate Change, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 131\u201059.","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/4.1.131"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b28","unstructured":"Owen, H. (1991), \u201cOpen space for emerging order\u201d, available at: www.openspaceworld.com\/brief_history.htm (accessed 10 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b29","unstructured":"Paucar\u2010Caceres, A. and Espinosa, A. (2010), \u201cManagement science methodologies in environmental management and sustainability: discourses and applications\u201d, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Earlyview available at: www.palgrave\u2010journals.com\/jors\/journal\/vaop\/ncurrent\/full\/jors2010110a.html."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b30","unstructured":"PQASSO (2004), PQASSO, IN SERVICES, C.E. Jackie Scutt (Ed.) Scottish Social Enterprise Academy (SFEDI Endorsement), New Econmic Foundation, available at: www.proveandimprove.org\/new\/tools\/PQASSO.php#Section5 (accessed 10 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b32","unstructured":"Richardson, K. (2008), \u201cManaging complex organisations: complexity thinking and the science and art of management\u201d, Emergence, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 13\u201026."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b33","unstructured":"Rihani, S. (2002), Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice, Zed Books, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Romme, A.G.L. (1995), \u201cThe sociocratic model of organizing\u201d, Journal of Strategic Change, Vol. 4, pp. 209\u201015.","DOI":"10.1002\/jsc.4240040404"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b35","unstructured":"Schwaninger, M. (2006), Intelligent Organizations. Powerful Models for Systemic Management, Springer, Berlin."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b31","unstructured":"(The) SIGMA Project (1999), The Sigma Project, IN PROJECT, T.S. (Ed.), Department of Trade and Industry, London, available at: www.projectsigma.co.uk\/ (accessed 10 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b36","unstructured":"Takeuchi, H. and Nonaka, I. (1986), \u201cThe new product development game\u201d, Harvard Business Review, available at: www.navegapolis.net\/content\/view\/674\/62\/ (accessed 10 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b37","unstructured":"Visible Communities (1999), Ed. London, Community Matters. available at: http:\/\/visiblecommunities.org.uk\/index.php?page=5 (accessed 10 November 2010)."},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_b38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wasserman, S. and Faust, K. (1994), Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511815478"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_frd1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Anderson, P. (1999), \u201cComplexity theory and organization science\u201d, Organization Science, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 216\u201032.","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.10.3.216"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_frd2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Latane, B. and Bourgeois, M. (1996), \u201cExperimental evidence for dynamic social impact: the emergence of subcultures in electronic groups\u201d, Journal of Communication, Vol. 46 No. 4, pp. 35\u201047.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-2466.1996.tb01503.x"},{"key":"key2022021820265216800_frd3","unstructured":"Sacks, J. (2002), The Money Trail, New Economy Foundation, London, available at: www.neweconomics.org\/publications?keys=LM3&tid=All (accessed 10 Novemeber 2010)."}],"container-title":["Kybernetes"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/03684921111133737","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/03684921111133737\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/03684921111133737\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:27:13Z","timestamp":1753399633000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/k\/article\/40\/3-4\/536-558\/268667"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Raul","family":"Espejo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,3]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3\/4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/03684921111133737"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/03684921111133737","relation":{},"ISSN":["0368-492X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0368-492X","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,3]]}}}