You read and hear; organisations nowadays operate in a "complex environment". But what exactly is a "complex" business environment has recently challenged my own knowledge. Yet—complex business environment—is a phrase we used daily.
I ran a search query of the phrase on the databases of emerald insight, EBSCOhost and even Google. Of the hundreds of research papers and corporate reports/articles I read, a near 99% carried no meaning of "complex" environment. The very few that operationalised the concept, define a complex business environment as one besieged with unpredictable changes or an environment which is dynamic.
Yet, I'm far from being satisfied with such definitional constructs. For, unpredictability and dynamism do not translate to complexity. Likewise, unpredictable and shifting occurrences do not amount to a complex business environment. Resolving this query, I turned to the dictionary for the meaning of "complexity": interconnected parts; or difficult to analyse, understand or explain. Therefore, suggesting anything that defies analysis, understanding or explanation amounts to complexity.
Should I adhere to the above-construct of complexity, then environmental complexity isn't a new phenomenon. Surely, centuries ago, organisations and their managers witnessed situations that defied understanding and explanation. Yet throughout the second half of the 20th century, and especially in the 21st century, corporate executives and academics have presented business environmental complexity as a novel phenomenon. Maybe, today's environmental complexity surpasses yesterday's. Yet again, does the absence of explanation and understanding make the business environment complex?
You might also like these posts on this topic:
Corndel, CMI Training Provider of the Year 2024
Corndel collaborates with organisations to provide transformative skills programmes to employees at all levels
Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire, CMI HE Partner of the Year 2024
Hertfordshire Business School offers leadership and management apprenticeships through a variety of employer-driven pathways
Akshaya Thanasegaran, CMI International Student of the Year 2024
Despite grappling with self-doubt during her studies, Akshaya has taken on leadership roles in several subjects
Sunway University, CMI International HE Partner of the Year 2024
Sunway University takes a values-led approach that equips students for the real world of work – in Asia and beyond
Don’t miss out - get notified of new content
Sign-up to become a Friend of CMI to recieve our free newsletter for a regular round-up of our latest insight and guidance.
CMI members always see more. For the widest selection of content, including CPD tools and multimedia resources, check out how to get involved with CMI membership.
Blog
This is a space for people to stay up-to-date with all the latest knowledge, opinions and commentary on management and leadership topics from some industry leaders.
Members See More
CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits
Join The Community
CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.