Managing Emergence

This course will focus on a new perspective on cognitive and social

processes and on how insights form this approach can be used to

understand processes in social groups, organization and in management.

In organizations top-down processes correspond to traditional structure

of influence and commands. Bottom-up processes correspond to

spontaneous activities , they are not planned or managed and usually

they present problems for organizations. Now discoveries in social

sciences allow one to understand bottom up processes . This approach

based on understanding of how innovations happen, how social networks

function, how narratives shape social processes , how social influence

works how individuals synchronize their activities , why some individuals

are more lucky than others, how to use random events to one’s

advantage etc. provides a platform for new methods in leadership and

management. Students will learn the social psychological basis of this

approach and learn the methods of how to base management on the

bottom up, spontaneous processes in addition to managing top down

processes.

1. The nature of emergence in cognitive and social processes.

 Nowak, A., (2004) Dynamical minimalism: Why less is more in

psychology? Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8,2, pp.

183-193

2. Action and control

 Chapter 4: Mental dynamics in action in: Nowak, A., & Vallacher,

R. R. (1998). Dynamical social psychology. New York: Guilford

Press.

3. Stability and change of emotional, cognitive and social processes.

 Johnson S, Nowak A., (2002) Dynamical Patterns in bipolar

depression Personality and Social Psychology Review 6, 370-379

4. Innovations in organizations:

 D.A. Lane (2011) Complexity an innovation dynamics. In: C.

Antonelli (2011) Handbook of the economic complexity of

technological change.

5. Social entrepreneurship and social innovations.

 R. Praszkier (2014) Social entrepreneurs open closed words. In

Nowak at al. (2014) Human and Social Dynamics, from Mind to

Societies, Springer.

6. Social transitions.

 Nowak, A. & Vallacher, R. R. (2001). Societal transition: Toward a

dynamical model of social change. In W. Wosinska, R. Cialdini, &

D. Barrett (Ed.), The practice of social influence in multiple

cultures. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

7. Self-organization of social and organizational processes

 Pitt, J, Nowak A (2014),Collective awareness and the new

institution science In: The computer after me : Awareness and

Self-Awareness in Autonomic Systems

Students will understand the nature of top-down and bottom up

processes in social groups, societies and organizations. They will

understand the nature of emergence and how it can be studied. They will

know what are the basis of innovation, social entrepreneurship, , social

synchronization, narratives and social influence. They will know how

groups, societies and organization function as systems. The will learn he

basis of social networks, social simulations, narrative analysis and tools

used by the complex systems approach to study emergence and

spontaneous, bottom-up social processes.

1. Activity in class 20%

The value of this course comes from the active and meaningful

participation of all attendees. Each of us is responsible for the quality

of this course. Active and meaningful participation consists of:

reading assigned readings before class; creating and at least one good

discussion question based of the reading; participation in discussion;

creating an atmosphere where everyone can present their opinions;

Active participation in exercises and projects.

2. Single choice test 60%

3. Answers to short open questions 20%.

Attendance rules

Students can miss no more than 2 classes to pass the course