Call for Chapters: Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution

Editors

Lillian Moya, The Chicago School, United States

Call for Chapters

Proposals Submission Deadline: May 24, 2026
 Full Chapters Due: September 6, 2026
 Submission Date: September 6, 2026

Introduction

We are living in an era where the operating environments of global businesses are characterized by unprecedented complexity, volatility, and interconnectivity. For decades, organizational theory has been dominated by static, mechanistic models that view corporations as rigid machines to be controlled from the top down. When these organizations face disruption, they typically default to heavy-handed, programmatic change management. However, evidence increasingly shows that true resilience cannot be installed through temporary initiatives; it must be an inherent, continuous capability of the organizational system itself. Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution introduces and expands upon the Living Organization Framework (LOF). This framework marks a paradigm shift by integrating organizational behavior, complex adaptive systems, and evolutionary biology to reimagine businesses not as static machines, but as living, evolving organisms. This volume serves as both a theoretical expansion and a practical guide. Academically, it bridges a critical gap in classic Structural Contingency Theory (SCT). While traditional SCT relies heavily on size, strategy, and task uncertainty to dictate organizational structure, this book introduces "Context" as a formal, measurable contingency. We argue that internal context (an organization's shared purpose, behavioral DNA, and values) and external context (distinct national and cultural ecosystems) fundamentally dictate a system's capacity for adaptation. By expanding Lex Donaldson’s SARFIT (Structural Adaptation to Regain Fit) model, we demonstrate that highly fluid contexts mandate highly organic, decentralized "living" structures to achieve high performance. This book moves beyond abstract philosophy to offer empirically validated approaches, cross-cultural methodologies, and industry-specific case studies. We are seeking diverse, evidence-based contributions that explore how organizations can sense environmental shifts, organically adapt their structural DNA, and sustain evolutionary growth on a global scale.

Objective

Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution is designed to bridge the gap between abstract systems theory and rigid traditional management. It addresses the growing need for organizations to possess inherent, continuous adaptation capabilities rather than relying on episodic, top-down change management. Specifically, this book intends to accomplish the following objectives: Formalize the Living Organization Framework (LOF): To establish a comprehensive, evidence-based theoretical framework that integrates organizational behavior, complex adaptive systems, and evolutionary biology. It aims to provide practitioners and researchers with concrete constructs for organizational design, measurement methodologies, and implementation frameworks. Expand Structural Contingency Theory (SCT): To directly build upon the pioneering work of Lex Donaldson by introducing "Context" (both internal behavioral ecosystems and external national/cultural environments) as a measurable, formal contingency. The book seeks to prove that highly fluid, value-driven contexts mandate organic, decentralized structures to achieve a state of high-performing "fit." Provide Cross-Cultural Methodologies for Global Systems: To dismantle the "culture-free" assumption of classical organizational theories by demonstrating how different national cultures and societal trust levels require distinct structural systems to successfully operate as living organisms. Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Empirical Practice: To move beyond philosophical discussions of "organic" organizations by presenting rigorous, mixed-method research, longitudinal studies, and actionable case studies across diverse industries (including healthcare, technology, finance, and manufacturing). Contribution to Current Research This volume advances the current body of literature in several critical ways: Evolutionary Biology as a Literal Rather than Metaphorical Guide: While many modern texts use biological terms as mere buzzwords or loose metaphors for "agile" workplaces, this research seeks to establish a systematic, scientifically grounded methodology for organizational adaptation based on true evolutionary patterns and natural growth cycles. A New Dimension to Contingency Theory: By positioning internal and cultural "Context" as a hard contingency, this book offers a direct evolution of Donaldson's SARFIT (Structural Adaptation to Regain Fit) model. This provides a bridge between classical positivist management theories and modern, human-centric systems thinking. A Focus on Inherent Capability Over Intervention: Current research is heavily saturated with literature on "change management"—the act of forcing an organization to pivot. This book contributes to a smaller, vital branch of research focused on building inherently adaptive systems that sense environmental shifts and evolve naturally without requiring disruptive, top-down interventions.

Target Audience

Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution is designed for a diverse, high-level audience operating at the intersection of organizational theory, systems thinking, and strategic management. This book will benefit those moving away from rigid, mechanistic corporate structures toward dynamic, living systems capable of autonomous, continuous adaptation. The primary audiences who will benefit most from this research include: 1. Researchers and Academics Organizational Theorists: Scholars studying Structural Contingency Theory, Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), and the evolution of organizational design will find this a vital extension of Lex Donaldson's work. Management Scientists: Researchers looking for empirical, mixed-method evidence and longitudinal studies regarding how organizations successfully transition from mechanistic to organic structures. Cross-Cultural & International Business Scholars: Academics interested in how national culture, trust levels, and power distance dictate the success or failure of decentralized, autonomous organizational designs. 2. International and Organizational Psychologists Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychologists: Professionals and researchers focusing on the intersection of human behavior and complex workplace systems. This book provides them with empirical frameworks to measure and optimize organizational health, behavioral design, and natural adaptation patterns. International Psychologists & Cross-Cultural Consultants: Psychologists focusing on global systems who examine how cognitive, behavioral, and cultural variations across different nations impact group dynamics, leadership, and systemic trust in decentralized environments. 3. Graduate and Executive Education Students MBA and Executive MBA Candidates: Students seeking advanced, evidence-based frameworks that go beyond traditional change management to build resilient, future-proof business systems. Ph.D. and Master's Students: Those specializing in Organizational Development (OD), Organizational Behavior (OB), and Systems Theory who require a foundational text on modern evolutionary business design. 4. Organizational Practitioners and Consultants Organizational Development (OD) Professionals: Practitioners looking for validated, actionable measurement methodologies and implementation frameworks to assess and improve organizational health. Agile Coaches and Systems Change Consultants: Professionals who need a structured, theoretically grounded framework to justify and guide decentralization and self-management initiatives. 5. Corporate Executives and Strategic Leaders C-Suite Leaders and Board Members: Executives operating in highly volatile, complex global markets who need to design their companies to naturally sense and respond to environmental shifts without requiring destructive, top-down interventions. Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and Chief Culture Officers: Leaders focused on aligning internal behavioral DNA, shared purpose, and values to serve as the stabilizing "context" for autonomous teams.

Recommended Topics

Foundational Concepts & Theory Expansion Living Systems Theory: Application of biological models (homeostasis, cellular structure, symbiosis) to modern organizational contexts. Structural Contingency Theory (SCT) Evolution: Introducing "Context" (internal behavioral dynamics and external cultural ecosystems) as a measurable, formal contingency. Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS): Navigating high-velocity business environments through systemic agility. Evolutionary Patterns: Mapping natural life cycles, growth patterns, and evolution in organizational development. Core Framework Components Organizational DNA: Defining the coded values, principles, and shared purpose that drive structural adaptation. Environmental Sensing: Developing systemic mechanisms for organizations to rapidly detect and respond to external market shifts. Behavioral Design Principles: Architecting flat, decentralized environments that foster autonomous execution and psychological safety. Cultural Evolution Patterns: Strategies for steering and mapping organic cultural shifts within the corporate ecosystem. Practical Applications & Methodologies Implementation Frameworks: Step-by-step methodologies for transitioning legacy mechanistic structures into adaptive, living systems. Measurement Systems: Designing holistic KPIs and predictive models to measure organizational health, vitality, and systemic fit. Evolutionary Leadership: New management paradigms required to steward self-organizing, autonomous teams. Technology & AI Integration: Leveraging network platforms and advanced technology to support decentralized, living business operations. Cross-Cultural & Global Systems Cross-Cultural Adaptation Patterns: Examining how varying national dimensions (such as power distance and collectivism) dictate the structural design of an organization. Global System Dynamics: Governing multinational "living" corporations across diverse geographic and regulatory landscapes. Predictive Modeling for Misfits: Anticipating cultural and environmental friction points before they result in performance loss. Industry Applications & Case Studies Healthcare Organization Evolution: Adapting to complex care networks and regulatory shifts. Technology Company Agility: Case studies on hyper-growth and fluid continuous adaptation. Financial Institution Transformation: Balancing rigid compliance with organic, customer-centric pivots. Manufacturing System Development: Finding the balance between traditional mechanistic efficiency and adaptive operations. Service Organization Redesign: Structuring front-line autonomy to drive customer satisfaction.

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before May 24, 2026, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by June 7, 2026 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by September 6, 2026, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Building Adaptive Business Systems for Organizational Evolution. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the "Information Science Reference", "Medical Information Science Reference", "Business Science Reference", and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2027.

Indexing Information for Prospective Authors

IGI Global Scientific Publishing meets the criteria for inclusion in major indexing services such as Scopus; however, it is important to note that all indexing decisions are made independently by these services. IGI Global Scientific Publishing books are selectively indexed by the indexing organization after publication. Indexing cannot be guaranteed for any book prior to publication, and the indexing organization has complete control over the final selection and timeline.

Important Dates

May 24, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
June 7, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
September 6, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
November 8, 2026: Review Results Returned
December 20, 2026: Final Acceptance Notification
January 3, 2027: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

Lillian Moya, Ph.D. International Psychologist
Graduate Faculty Grand Canyon University
Founder The Ellipsis (https://theellipsis.net)
Primary: lily@lillianmoya.com
Secondary: lillian.e.moya@gmail.com
Academic Affiliation: lillian.moya@my.gcu.edu
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