This study focuses the lens of complex systems science (CSS)
on the widely varying experiences of interventionary change in
organizations. Two very different types of organizations are studied.
Instances of attempted Total Quality Management-type change at both
the organizational and project levels in each firm are analyzed, with
one attempt successful, the other not. The complex adaptive system
model of CSS, and two of its lower level constructs: attractors and
patching, are applied metaphorically to analyze the change
experiences of the two organizations. The analysis emphasizes the essential role of communicative interaction in the natural dynamics of
social change. The CSS focus offers new analytical insights into the
unpredictable nature of organizational change processes, and suggests
the potential aid such insights might offer. Implications for theory and
practice in the application of complex systems science to
organizational theory, with am emphasis on communication, are
discussed, and areas for further research are suggested.Communication Studie
