A Systems View of Strategy – Complexity, Chaos Theory and Poised Strategy

Abstract

This book examines and critiques classical approaches to strategic analysis, whilst exploring alternative methods which utilise ecosystem and platform concepts, as well as chaos and complexity theories. The innovative study provides a critique of the neoclassical Newtonian school of strategy, and proves it to be largely inappropriate as a decision-making methodology in today's internet-based market. By developing a new biological hydrothermal vent model in which analogical comparisons are made with the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector, the chapters challenge existing paradigms of competitive advantage and analyse the extent to which the Internet can be considered to be an ecosystem in its own right. The Internet as a Technology-Based Eco-System offers a range of alternative models and analytical frameworks for the analysis of internet-based technology companies in the twenty-first century, creating a valuable tool for students and academics undertaking research in strategy, technology and electronic engineering. 1. The Relevance of the Rational, Classical Approach to strategy in the ICT Sector: The Strategy Process -- 2. The Relevance of the Rational, Classical Approach to Strategy in the ICT Sector: The Strategy Content Approach -- 3. A Systems View of Strategy: Complexity, Chaos Theory and Poised Strategy -- 4. Ecosystems Thinking and Modern Platform-Based Ecosystem Theory -- 5. The Development of the Hydrothermal Vent (HTV) Ecosystem Model -- 6. Summary and Conclusion: A Summary of the Contribution Made by the Hydrothermal Vent (HTV) Ecosystem Model in Providing a New Strategic Perspective.