Page 31 - The Complexity Perspective 20 02 18

that macro and micro differences, in this case,
included different mental constructs and even
how to write and can be profound. In common

with many others, the writer discovered that
cross-level studies can add years to the
attainment of a doctorate!!

Interactions of agents at different levels seek to resolve the interests of

that level, so at the lowest human level, the family, parents seek to
have the family unit survive and bring up children imposing
(downward causation) structure on their offspring. At a higher
communal level, this interaction brings about the emergence of

political organization and culture, which is created by "the people" but
also imposes restrictions on the people in the interests of social
cohesion (or the interests of a corrupted power elite).

These multi-level characteristics of the human context evolve over

generations and like systems, the higher level always exerts control
(downward causation) over the lower levels. This is the tension of
power politics influenced by ideology (the beliefs of the group in power)
and the impact of institutional bureaucracy on the lives of individuals

through regulation and in some cases rent-seeking (see Institutional
Theory).

Many writers claim that the integrative levels themselves Emerge. We
believe a simpler way of thinking is to see the levels in a context as
an inherent structure and that it is the 'clothes' society dresses the

levels in that are the product of Emergence. Hence, 'country' is a
macro level phenomenon of a context, the particular form of
government (dictatorship, republic, democracy) embraced by the

country is an emergent phenomenon often (path) dependent on prior
societal choices.

A bounded system (e.g., a firm) embedded in a multilevel context must
address all levels of integration; individuals to sell to them, families as
a concern of employees, communities to deal with such things as local

31
©Business Games Works 2018 (Version 1)