Complexity is a challenge not only for public organisations and management, but for management teaching as well. It is not easy to teach students how to understand the challenges of decision-making, for instance, when it is almost impossible to predict the long-term consequences.

Public management research and education is much criticized for its lack of practical relevance (see for instance Meer & Ringeling 2007; Virtanen & Stenvall 2010). Researchers in complexity sciences have been very critical of the dominant discourse in management science and teaching – based on the view that there is no comprehensive, reliable scientific evidence base for the current dominant management prescriptions. The basis of the criticism is that human action is nonlinear.

For this reason we do need to rethink the nature of organizations and the roles managers and leaders occupy within them. This infers that management teaching should be more pragmatic and that the essential purpose in management education is to teach how organizations really work in practice.

The seminar will discuss these issues, amongst others, and provide an opportunity for dialogue and debate on the subject.

Dr Jari Stenvall, Professor in Administrative Sciences from the University of Lapland in Finland will be presenting this seminar as part of the CR&DALL Seminar Series. Professor Stenvall has done, evaluated and conducted several assessments and research projects related to public administration reforms and applied public information technology. His research has included topics like change management, trust, organizational reforms, service innovations, and the use of information technology in organizations. Professor Stenvall’s scientific production contains numerous national and international publications. Professor Stenvall has lectured at the Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania and the Queen’s University, Belfast, in the United Kingdom and was a Research Professor of at the University of Tampere in Finland

While the CR&DALL Seminar Series is free and open to all, we do ask that you register in order to allow us to plan accommodation and refreshments. Places are available on a first-come-first-served basis. If you intend to come along to the Seminar please e-mail us at [email protected] and provide your name, institution/department (if appropriate) and a daytime contact telephone number (in case of cancellation).

Thank you.