Purpose – The purpose of this research is to make evident the inadequateness of concepts and language based on industrial knowledge still used in current practices by managers to cope with problems of the post‐industrial societies characterised by non‐linear process of emergence and...

Purpose – This article aims to outline the scope of this Special Issue and of the six papers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper outlines the concepts and approaches within the knowledge domain which are the focus of the present issue and themes of the papers. Findings – The paper...

In this article, the author briefly summarise the characteristics of the science of complexity or post- Bertalanffy General Systems. The author discusses the shift from considering systems as acquiring properties due to their explicit or supposed design, to self-organised, emergent systems....

Purpose – The aim of this contribution is to describe a new complexity‐science‐based approach for improving safety, quality and efficiency and the way it was implemented by TenarisDalmine. Design/methodology/approach – This methodology is called “a safety‐building community”. It...

Purpose – The aim of this contribution is to describe a new methodology for designing strategic plans and how it was implemented by ATM, a public transportation agency based in Milan, Italy. Design/methodology/approach – This methodology is founded on a new system theory, called “quantum...

Purpose – Management practices and education are presently in a stage of reappraisal and a growing number of scholars and experts are suggesting that managers should be taught and adopt the approach and methodologies of designers. The purpose of this paper is to imagine the impact of this move...