European Chaos/Complexity in Organisations Network (ECCON) Chaos and Complexity in Organisations Invited Seminar EUROPEAN NETWORK ON CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY RESEARCH AND MANAGAMENT PRACTICE Ernst Sillem Hoeve, Lage Vuursche, The Netherlands October 19-20 th, 2001 Organised by Chaosforum.com Program Convenor: Dr. Frans M. van Eijnatten Eindhoven University of Technology E-mail: F.M.v.Eijnatten@tm.tue.nl Conference Secretariat Overmars Organisatie Adviseurs Churchilllaan 11 3527 GV UTRECHT PO - Box 3282 3502 GG UTRECHT Voice: +31 30 296 53 35 Fax: +31 30 296 55 70 Website: http://www.overmars.nl E-mail: info@overmars.nl Chaosforum.com Website: http://www.chaosforum.com E-mail: info@chaosforum.com
2 European Chaos/Complexity in Organisations Network (ECCON) Chaos and Complexity in Organisations Members ECCON Network General Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Frans M. van Eijnatten ECCON network scientific coordinator, webmaster Chaosforum, Utrecht, The Netherlands Jaap Peters ECCON network business coordinator, webmaster Main Nodes of the Network National Institute of Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden Peter Docherty/Tomas Backström ECCON node to Swedish complexity network Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom Peter Totterdill ECCON node to UK Work and Organisation Network Delft Technical University, The Netherlands Dorien J. DeTombe ECCON node to Euro Working Group 21 Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Frans M. van Eijnatten ECCON node to Dutch Chaosforum Network Individual Members Aston Business School, Birmingham, United Kingdom Dian-Marie Hosking - Eidgenössiches Technische Hochschule, Zürich, Switzerland Scott Little/Toni Wäfler - Nyenrode University, Breukelen, The Netherlands Rob Wetzels - Catholic University Brabant, Tilburg, The Netherlands Sjoerd Romme
3 Founding Meeting European Chaos/Complexity in Organisations Network (ECCON) "Transcending Boundaries in Organisations with Chaos and Complexity" Conference Proceedings Founding Meeting ECCON Dr. Frans M. van Eijnatten (Ed.) 19 October 2001 Ernst Sillem Hoeve, Lage Vuursche, The Netherlands Chaosforum.com & European Chaos and Complexity in Organisations Network (ECCON) Introduction The conference "Transcending Boundaries in Organisations with Chaos and Complexity" is a joint initiative of Chaosforum.com and the European Chaos and Complexity in Organisations Network (ECCON). Chaosforum.com is a Dutch network for dialogue and inter-vision that brings together academics, managers and consultants who are fascinated by Chaos and Complexity thinking. ECCON is an emerging European network on Chaos and Complexity Research and Management Practice that aims to connect social scientists of various academic disciplines, who wish to develop, execute and review research that is exploring the Chaos and Complexity lenses. The Conference celebrates the founding meeting of ECCON, and is hosted by the e-network Chaosforum.com in the Netherlands. In a beautiful conference resort located in the woods in the heart of the country, the ECCON researchers will be invited to share their knowledge with each other, and to dialogue with prominent Dutch managers and consultants about the desirability and feasibility of pronounced organisational transformation. Design of the Conference The design of the conference is aimed at informal dialogue. Participation is only by invitation, and the total number of participants is not to exceed a maximum of 50 persons, equally divided among three stakeholders' groups: Academics, managers and consultants. Each person has been carefully selected on the basis of past contributions to, or performance in his/her field.
4 The conference design is specifying two basic interaction arenas: The first day is set up as a fish bowl. Academics, managers and consultants have their own individual meetings and self-design their process on the fly. However, it is possible for respective individuals to visit each other's meetings as observers, without prior announcement, The second day is set up as a series of group dialogues. Academics, managers and consultants dialogue with each other about problems, solutions, concepts, and tools. Experienced dilemmas and contradictions will be explored in further detail, to gain deeper insights as a group. The idea to bring together academics, managers and consultants is to develop synergy, and to enable emergence. The conference is aimed at mobilising energy and creating opportunities for action research inspired by the Chaos and Complexity lenses. Goals The founding meeting of the ECCON network is scheduled for Friday, 19 October. The purpose of it is: 1) To actually start the European Chaos and Complexity in Organisations Network, 2) To discuss possibilities to work together, 3) To discuss each other's papers. In creating the program we have tried to honour these three purposes: A) Becoming a Network We have created a program in which there is ample time reserved for "becoming a network". As an expert in network organising, Lieke Hoogerwerf will observe the network during the morning session. After lunch she will present her frame of reference, called a playing field for network organising, and will analyse the quantitative and qualitative data that came out of her observations. These evaluations may guide us in our work in the afternoon session. B) A First Common Activity During the day, we will discuss the possibilities to produce a special issue or a couple of articles for a journal (probably "Emergence"), or an edited book. Form this point of departure we will have a look at our work, and our talents to review each others work, and see how we can gain from it. C) Discussion of Our Work I suggest to prepare a few statements about your work, and bring these in in the conversations throughout the day. We may exchange positions, views, and ambitions, rather than engage in mere paper presentations.
5 Program The program for Friday 19 October 2001 is as follows: 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast with all participants 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Opening of the Conference Transcending Boundaries I Organisations with Chaos and Complexity 9:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.: Start ECCON seminar Introduction by Frans M. van Eijnatten: ECCON, a network-in-creation 9:40 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: Members introduction/acquaintance 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.: Coffee Break 10:15 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.: Discussion on the basis of the papers. Theme: How can we prepare for a joint publication in a journal (possibly Emergence) 12:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Lunch 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Plenary conference session - Update 1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.: Continuation of the ECCON seminar: How is ECCON created? Survey-feedback by Lieke Hoogerwerf 1:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.: Continuation of discussion on the basis of the papers. Theme: How can we prepare for a joint publication in a journal (possibly Emergence) 4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Tea Break 4:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.: Preparation for tomorrow: How to connect with the worlds of managers and consultants 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Drinks and Diner 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.: Collective Activity Experiencing the individual rhythm in the universal beat, facilitated by Victor Müller As said before, our ECCON meeting will be part of a bigger conference, which aim it is to dialogue about "Chaos and Complexity in Organisations" by managers, consultants and scientists. The challenge for Saturday 20 October will be how we can relate as scientists to networks of managers and consultants, and how we can contribute to a joint movement of these three networks. All Further Information European Chaos/Complexity in Organisations Conference Secretariat: Network (ECCON) Overmars Consultancy Dr. Frans M. van Eijnatten Miss. Rixt Baas Eindhoven University of Technology Churchilllaan 11 Faculty of Technology Management 3527 GV Utrecht (NL) Pav. U10/T&A, P.O. - Box 513 P.O. - Box 3282 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands) 3502 GG Utrecht Voice: +31 40 247 24 69 Voice: +31 30 296 53 35 Fax: +31 40 243 71 61 Fax: +31 30 296 55 70 E-mail: F.M.v.Eijnatten@tm.tue.nl E-mail: info@overmars.nl