A Complex Adaptive System Approach on Logistics - Implications of adopting a complexity perspective

Författare

Fredrik Nilsson

Summary, in English

The quest of developing the logistics discipline, with a more theoretical foundation, is

something several authors have emphasized and called for. Today one could argue

that most of the research on logistics has a strong connection to the positivistic

paradigm where there is a great emphasis on prediction, rationality and control in the

solutions produced. In order to challenge the common assumptions and develop the

logistics discipline, the process of knowledge creation i.e. the epistemological

considerations, are central. Since a paradigm consists of metatheoretical assumptions

i.e. ontology and epistemology, the paradigmatic question is the key in order to

change the frame of reference of the logistics discipline.

The overall purpose of this licentiate thesis is to propose a paradigmatic view and a

pragmatic approach based on the science of complexity that contribute to the further

development of the logistics discipline.

Two main methods have been used; one focusing on my main research method,

which is my study of literature related to the field, and the other on the empirically

oriented case studies that have been conducted

The paradigmatic view proposed in this thesis is based on insights gained from the

science of complexity. Assumptions made concerning how to approach and transfer

knowledge attained from our perceived reality, drive the choices of methods when

conducting research and have, of course, great influence on the results obtained and

presented from any research process. Adopting a complexity perspective means

taking a step away from the common positivistic influenced view, which dominates

the logistics discipline, and approaching the phenomena of interest with a different set

of assumptions and prerequisites in the research process. This set of assumptions is in

line with the complex adaptive system (CAS) platform developed in the thesis. The

CAS platform is the foundation for the proposed pragmatic approach. The first

properties of the proposed platform i.e. the CAS feature covering internal properties,

are of central importance in order to grasp fully the complexity of a studied system

and to understand where it is derived from. The proposed pragmatic approach means

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taking into consideration the smallest elements of, and agents relevant to, the study

being conducted.

From this internal approach the mindset of the researcher or practitioner is of great

importance in the event of what such an approach might reveal about the problem

being studied. In order to capture emergent phenomena and identify self-organization

on different levels of description, we need a perception of the context as being “gray”;

that is not considering the context as something which is static or stable, nor as

something totally disoriented and uncontrollable.

The metaphorical description of a fitness landscape where coevolution and

continuous changes caused by the actions performed by agents inside and outside the

perceived system under study, could be beneficial in the research process. This is the

case since too many reductions of various factors could result in “far-from-reality”

based solutions.

The fundamental aspects of the pragmatic approach are a bottom-up perspective,

where the smallest elements relevant to a certain logistics problem are considered, the

system built up from this and, of course, an alignment with the paradigmatic view

based on the science of complexity.

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