Abstract
Complex systems seem to be all around us and the world, economies and businesses apparently become more complex every day. This is especially true for phenomena in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology research. This introductory chapter elaborates our understanding of complexity and explores the interdependencies in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology research with regard to complexity. When studying complexity it is essential to apply research methods that consider the non-linearity, dynamics and interrelatedness inherent in complexity. However, appropriate methods are frequently neglected or not yet established among the plethora of available research methods. This volume adds to the visibility of the application of emergent and neglected methods in the context of complexity in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology research. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of the contributions in this book.
“Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.” Alan J. Perlis (1982)
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Notes
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As per September 2015.
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23 of the 233 articles published since 2005 which address the interface of entrepreneurship and complexity have cited McKelvey (2004).
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Berger, E.S.C., Kuckertz, A. (2016). The Challenge of Dealing with Complexity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Research: An Introduction. In: Berger, E., Kuckertz, A. (eds) Complexity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Research. FGF Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27108-8_1
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