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  • Publication
    Identifying and Conceptualizing Methods for Mastering Complexity – A Complexity Drivers-Based Approach
    (Universität St. Gallen, 2021)
    'Constantly increasing complexity represents a challenge for manufacturing companies. The drivers of this complexity are manifold and influence the entire company. Current solutions for mastering complexity are numerous; the methods focus mainly on mastering market, product, and process complexity. Many companies have difficulties in identifying suitable methods to control this complexity. In the specialist literature on this topic, methods are described as generally applicable. In more recent publications, this general applicability has been questioned, and the necessity of deriving methods based on the specific challenges of the individual company is emphasized. Current approaches, however, neglect an integral perspective on the enterprise to identify methods for mastering complexity. The research in this dissertation deals with the deficits identified in the literature and analyzes influencing factors in manufacturing companies for identifying and conceptualizing methods for mastering complexity. The dissertation is divided into theoretical, quantitative, empirical, and conceptual sections. Methods for mastering complexity from research and practice are classified, evaluated, and selected. The relationship of these methods to complexity drivers in the manufacturing industry is investigated in a quantitative study and includes five case studies in the manufacturing industry. Based on these five case studies from the manufacturing industry, influencing factors for identifying and conceptualizing methods for mastering complexity are explored and identified. This dissertation aims to develop a process model to support manufacturing companies in identifying and conceptualizing methods for mastering complexity. To achieve this aim, it takes the perspective of the contingency and socio-technical systems theory.'