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Open research questions in Complex Systems and Decision Making

27 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,600 Complex Systems and Decision Making papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • When stagnation, overload, or fragile coordination processes remain insufficiently recognised, innovation efforts risk becoming counterproductive by reinforcing symbolic adoption, cynicism, or organisational fragmentation rather than strengthening learning capacity within primary processes.

    “Are we ready to innovate?” Diagnosing organisational conditions for educational innovation: A systems perspective on adaptive capacity in Higher Education · 2026 · DOI

  • This clas- sification is not intended to replace other PSM, but to expand the methodological repertoire in contexts where language is insufficient or politically blocked. Evidence gap and tension with traditional academic paradigms The available evidence on SOC largely comes from professional reports and case studies; longitudinal, comparative, and systematic evaluation designs remain scarce.

    Systemic Organizational Constellations (SOC) as a Soft Methodology for Complexity Reduction and Change: Epistemological and Theoretical Foundations · 2026 · DOI

  • We observe that these criticisms are warranted to the extent that they refer to notions of resilience that are mismatched with the reality of health systems as CAS.

    From bouncing back, to nurturing emergence: reframing the concept of resilience in health systems strengthening · 2017 · DOI

  • At the same time, while the framework is extremely successful with regard to citations and has been applied in various contexts that often differ remarkably from those for which the framework was originally developed, a systematic theoretical debate about the Multiple Streams Framework is still lacking.

    Theoretically refining the multiple streams framework: An introduction · 2015 · DOI

  • We argue that while some mainstream strategy approaches have taken important strides toward addressing advanced turbulence, many others remain tethered to the neoclassical origins of the strategy discipline and are insufficiently responsive to the new landscape of strategy that now characterizes many industries.

    Contrasting Perspectives of Strategy Making: Applications in ‘Hyper’ Environments · 2006 · DOI

  • Practical implications It is proposed that complexity theory offers a neat metaphor for considering aspects of change, but that there is insufficient evidence to impel managers to dispose of forecasting techniques based on the flawed assumption that all change will be emergent and fundamentally unpredictable.

    Complexity theory for organisational futures studies · 2005 · DOI

  • Despite the potential of complexity science, in practice, its use often remains limited to a few specialised domains and has not become part and parcel of the mainstream policy debate.

    The soft underbelly of complexity science adoption in policymaking: towards addressing frequently overlooked non-technical challenges · 2024 · DOI

  • This article offers a sympathetic critique, suggests ideas for a nuanced multilevel agency conceptualization, and proposes a research agenda to close the gaps in understanding how system-level agency affects the course and outcomes of path development.

    System-level agency and its many shades: path development in a multidimensional innovation system · 2023 · DOI

  • A complex systems approach is positioned as a means to align underexplored elements of existing theory with appropriate interaction dominant theoretical models, research methods, and equation-based analytic techniques.

    Complex Systems Research in Educational Psychology: Aligning Theory and Method · 2018 · DOI

  • This article presents a synthetic set of guidelines for the choice of methods for exploring the future, paying attention to the very important fact that the rules of effective methodical conduction, due to its complexity, are often not clearly defined.

    THE PROCESS OF SELECTION OF THE MAIN RESEARCH METHODS IN FORESIGHT FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES · 2015 · DOI

  • Second, the concept network stresses the context of policy making, buta coherent theoretical framework on how this coextisformed and changed is lacking.

    Analyzing and Managing Policy Processes in Complex Networks · 1996 · DOI

  • The mode of dealing with conflicting evidence that is customary in science is as follows: "Under conditions C and assuming the validity of hypothesis H, effect E must occur.

    Dilemmas in a general theory of planning · 1973 · DOI

  • Unfortunately, there is no way at present to ascertain with confidence the intelleetive demands of a task, for a relevant taxonomy for group tasks is lacking.

    Long-term groups and complex problem solving · 1971 · DOI

  • For there are great gaps in the knowledge of science applied to the management of human societies that cannot be mended entirely by the an- alytic outlook, but must be filled by the pragmatic, “functional” disciplines.

    The Technological Obsolescence of Planning Practice · 1961 · DOI

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27 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,600 Complex Systems and Decision Making papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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