Complex Adaptive Systems Theory in the Context of Business Process Management

Abstract

Organizations require agility adaptiveness and flexibility to survive and to deal with complexity in business ecosystems and business processes are recognized as cornerstones of successful organizations. Paradigms underlying existing business process management (BPM) methods and solutions have been questioned for their ability to capture the complexity of business dynamics. The basic trust of this research is to search for an alternative approach to better understand underpinnings of business process management. In this paper we contend that Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory can be an alternative approach to better examine underpinnings of the very notion of business process. In this regard we articulate the basic principles of CAS in the business process management context. It is this articulation that paves the way to establish an appropriate account for BPM. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.