Page 50 - The Complexity Perspective 20 02 18
P. 50

the content of the technology and the opportunities it creates may
                  change but the system-level solutions are typically built on predicting
                  how the context will be changed and understanding the financial

                  sourcing, power adjustments, and human behaviors that are required
                  to permit adaptation. The principles underlying these factors are quite
                  stable.



                        Adaptation is a Two-way Street: Co-Evolution

                  So far we have focused on the system embedded in a context having to

                  adapt to changes in the context. However, adaptation is a two-way
                  street. The embedded system is itself, an actor in the context. Its
                  actions change the context; example, Apple invents the iPod and the

                  music industry is forever changed forcing adaptation by others and
                  imposing a requirement on Apple into continuous functionality
                  improvement to counter competitive responses.  This reality of
                  interaction between the actor and context redefining the context and

                  forcing adaptation from other agents is permanent and self-generative;
                  it means that the context is never still. Each act by any actor creates a
                  change in the context and influences the subsequent actions of all

                  other actors. This is called co-evolution.


                  Monitoring Context

                  From a business perspective, this constant adaptation of

                  context explains the need for continuous monitoring of the context
                  and attempts by players to modify the context deliberately (called
                  strategy).  Monitoring the context, and predicting the complex effects

                  of one's own actions and the actions of others is both difficult to pull
                  off and expensive in time, attention, and funding. Also, there is a
                  natural tendency to focus on one's own activities and underplay the
                  actions of others, particularly those that are part of your enacted

                  context where it is easy to assume one is fully briefed.  Hence,
                  Research in Motion/Blackberry with a B2B mindset could be


                                                                                                       50
                  ©Business Games Works 2018                    (Version 1)
   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55