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• Werner Aeschbach
• Martin Ammon
• Julia Bauer
• Laura Cattaneo
• Fred Davies
• Maarten DeKieviet
• Tommi Eronen
• Reinhard Genzel
• Karsten Koeneke
• Kai Schmitz
• Jan-Markus Schwindt
• Henning Soller
• Roberto Trotta

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Entropy Phenomena in Software Projects and Large Organizations

Abstract:

Large Systems in industry - like organizations, projects or technologies - are characterized by different degrees of disorder. In the best case, they solve well-defined problems using rational, well-structured processes. In the worst case, they form "organized anarchies" that are described by the "Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice". I will discuss the dynamics of disorder in large (software and other) projects and explore possibilities to get a better understanding of these dynamics - at least qualitatively - using thermodynamic concepts like entropy, heat, pressure and phase transitions.