Trans-complexity: a management fad or a mathematical construct

Abstract

Trans–complex organizations concept has been introduced in the management science, even becoming an object of study. In the global context, definitions, concepts, research and philosophical or practical proposals have emerged for the understanding of organizations from a trans-complex perspective. In this work, a critical position of trans-complexity is presented as a historical discovery that associates a new characterization of phenomena: for example, in exchange for trans–complex organizations, a trans-complex epistemic vision of social organizations is proposed. Thus, the trans-complexity is ratified not as a quality, but as a requirement of epistemic order of scientific research. From this perspective, that complex organization can be explained through elements such as uncertainty, chaos and self-organization, with an epistemological explanation of systems theory, decision theory and dynamic systems theory. This paper shows the trans-complexity more than a management fad, an analysis model or a management topic, as an element to be incorporated by researchers in the construction of theoretical frameworks and methodical designs of their researches in order to purpose significant contributions to science, and to the organization itself, based on such important mathematical theories.