The New Science of Management: Chaos and Quantum Theory and Method

• Published in: Journal of public administration research and theory 1996-01, Vol.6 (1), p.75-89
• Main Author: Overman, E. Sam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chaos theory; Determinism; From the Trinity Symposium on Public Management Research; Government budgets; Management; Methodology; Overman; Physics; Public administration; Public management; Quantum field theory; Quantum mechanics; Quantum theory; Research methods; Social sciences
• ISSN: 1053-1858; 1477-9803
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024304

Are traditional social science methods incapable of dealing with the complex and indeterminant problems facing public management today? It is not so much the wedding of scientific logic and method to management theory and practice that is problematic as it is the outdated models of scientific inquiry that slow our progress. The new sciences of chaos and quantum theory offer valuable metaphors and methods that can challenge the public management research agenda into the next century. Chaos administration evokes the image of self-organization, dissipative structures, and dynamic complexity. The methods of chaos presented here are nonlinear differential equations and nonlinear time-series analysis with phase diagrams. Quantum administration provides a new logic of complementarity, constructivism, and participatory collusion in organizations and management. The quantum methods outlined and applied are Heisenberg's principle of indeterminism and Born's rules of probabilistic interpretation. The metaphors and methods of chaos and quantum theory are applied to familiar management issues such as performance appraisal and budgeting.