Case Study

The change over time of an organization and the emergence of new structures and processes are subject to evolutionary dynamics that, in some cases, resemble the phenomena of historical biology, such as the functional co-optation and “spandrels” described by Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. Complex historical phenomena, such as the Neolithic transition, the rise of ironworking, and the Enlightenment, speak to us of continuity and discontinuity; they present patterns and exceptions and, ultimately, help us expand the methodological tools with which we observe our own era and situation, albeit with due attention to the specific characteristics of the here and now.
To govern change, it is always useful to observe how it occurs even without governance—from necessary premises to unexpected consequences—and how it takes place in other eras or situations.
In this section, you will find proposals for open reflection that do not constitute fixed theses, but rather form a thematic set of multidisciplinary inputs—spanning science, history, and management—designed to train the ability to envision scenarios and to navigate complexity from diverse perspectives.