Improvisation – An emergence theory perspective

The paper addresses the occurrence of improvisation and intuition within dynamic business environments from an emergence theory perspective. As argued, the dynamics of the so-called red queen principle forces competition towards the verge of the manageable, making improvised and intuitive action and decision-making not a shortcoming but a necessity in a successful business context. Particularly, the paper discusses how we may interpret the highly rationalistic acts and outcomes of planning and plans in such chaotic and uncertain contexts. We draw upon a longitudinal study of large industrial project deliveries incorporating more than 25 such deliveries.