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March 2005 (Volume 83)
Quarterly Article
Trisha Greenhalgh
Sep 23, 2026
Sep 22, 2026
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I agree with Drs. Badgett and Pugh that complexity science is an excellent explanatory model for analyzing the spread of innovation in service organizations, for precisely the reasons they have outlined. Table 1 of our article lists “complexity studies” as one of 13 research traditions that contributed to our systematic review. But the other 12 traditions provided additional insights that enriched our overall model. Depending on the example being considered, any one (or more) of these traditions might provide a useful “lens” through which to analyze a situation, explain empirical findings, consider ways forward, and estimate the likely success of interventions. The “lens” of complex systems is, of course, particularly helpful when the example being considered lies to the far left of our Figure 2. It is less fit for this purpose in other (perhaps less common) circumstances.
Author(s): Trisha Greenhalgh
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Volume 83, Issue 1 (pages 178–179) DOI: 10.1111/j.0887-378X.2005.340_2.x Published in 2005