1989 - Present

Schulich School of Business

Teaching Area/s

Health Industry Management; Policy

Courses Taught

2003- Leadership and Complexity in Nonprofit Organizations International Healthcare Systems Understanding the Canadian Health Industry Management Skills 2003- Supervised Strategy Studies (equivalent to Masters' theses) for MBA students

Professional and Teaching Awards

2006 - Athena Award (Oakville) for leadership and mentorship of women 2006 - Nominated for Women of Distinction (GTA) 2003 - Named as Associate Fellow of the Complexity and Management research centre at the University of Hertfordshire, UK 1997-1999 - Finalist as Researcher of the year (1998) and Teacher of the year (1997,1998, 1999), Schulich School of Business 1991 - Outstanding Educator Award – MBA program – York University 1991 - Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Doctoral Fellow (lifetime award) 1988 - Best Doctoral Paper award – Administrative Science Association of Canada (policy)

 
WORK EXPERIENCE

• 2002 - Associate Professor, Strategy, Schulich School of Business, York University; Director, Health Industry Management Program
• 2001-2002 Associate Professor, Strategy, Faculty of Management, and Associate Member, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. (with tenure)
• 2000-2001 Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
• 1989-2000 Associate Professor, Accounting, Schulich School of Business, (tenured 1994)
• 1983-1985 Sessional Lecturer, Faculty of Administrative Studies, York University
• 1980-1982 Senior Chartered Accountant, Price Waterhouse, Toronto
  

• 2006- Vice-Chair, Quality Committee for the Board of Mount Sinai Hospital
• 2005- Member of the Advisory Board, Tides Canada Foundation
• 2004- Royal Canadian of Physicians and Surgeons, Member of the Health and Public Policy Committee
• 2003-2005 Canadian Institute of Health Research - Member of the Health Policy and Systems Management Research Review Committee
• 2003-2005 Board Member - Ontario Women's Health Council
• 2002-2005 Executive member of the Good Health Through Good Governance think tank chaired by Dr. Carolyn Bennett, MP
• 2000- Board Member – Scientific Board – Plexus Institute, a non-profit organization connecting health, organizations and complexity science
• 2000- Member of the Academic Council of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise, Washington
• since1992 Reviewer, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, The International Journal of Organisational Analysis, Financial Analysts Journal, American Anthropologist, SSHRC and NSERC Research Proposals, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference, Administrative Sciences annual doctoral dissertation award, Founding member of the Advisory Council for the Chaos Network
• 1993 Chairperson of the 1993 Chaos Network Conference
• 1998-99 Reviewer and discussant for the Kahanoff series of seminars on the Voluntary Sector in Canada, 1998 and 1999, Queen’s University
• 1992-1995 Member of the Criteria of Control Committee, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 1992-1995
• 1997- Member of the Advisory Board for Front and Centre, the publication of the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, since 1997
• 1996 Invited participant for the working seminar entitled "Furthering our Thinking About Complexity in Human Systems", London, U.K., Sept. 1996, (40 people - international)
• 1992 Invited participant for the workshop for Learning Organizations, London, Canada, June 1992 (50 people - international)
• 1992 Advisor- Auditor General of Canada on Management Control, 1992
• 1993 Chairperson, Sessions at International Strategic Management Society Conferences, 1992 and 1993
• 1987-89 Drafted the marking keys for the 1987 and 1988 national CA Uniform Final Examinations. Editor for the 1989 examinations.
  

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name
Brenda J. Zimmerman

Rank
Associate Professor, Policy

Status
Tenured

Education
1991 PhD, “Strategy, Chaos and Equilibrium,” Schulich School of Business, York University
1983 MBA, Schulich School of Business
1981 Chartered Accountant
1977 BSc, Zoology, University of Toronto

Employment History
2002 - Associate Professor, Strategy, Schulich School of Business, York University; Director, Health Industry Management Program
2001-2002 Associate Professor, Strategy, Faculty of Management, and Associate Member, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. (with tenure)
2000-2001 Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
1989-2000 Associate Professor, Accounting, Schulich School of Business, (tenured 1994)
1983-1985 Sessional Lecturer, Faculty of Administrative Studies, York University
1980-1982 Senior Chartered Accountant, Price Waterhouse, Toronto

Honours
2006 Athena Award (Oakville) for leadership and mentorship of women
2006 Nominated for Women of Distinction (GTA)
2003 Named as Associate Fellow of the Complexity and Management research centre at the University of Hertfordshire, UK
1997-1999 Finalist as Researcher of the year (1998) and Teacher of the year (1997,1998, 1999), Schulich School of Business
1991 Outstanding Educator Award – MBA program – York University
1991 Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Doctoral Fellow (lifetime award)
1988 Best Doctoral Paper award – Administrative Science Association of Canada (policy)

Scholarly and Professional Activities
2006- Vice-Chair, Quality Committee for the Board of Mount Sinai Hospital
2005- Member of the Advisory Board, Tides Canada Foundation
2004- Royal Canadian of Physicians and Surgeons, Member of the Health and Public Policy Committee
2003-2005 Canadian Institute of Health Research - Member of the Health Policy and Systems Management Research Review Committee
2003-2005 Board Member - Ontario Women's Health Council
2002-2005 Executive member of the Good Health Through Good Governance think tank chaired by Dr. Carolyn Bennett, MP
2000- Board Member – Scientific Board – Plexus Institute, a non-profit organization connecting health, organizations and complexity science
2000- Member of the Academic Council of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise, Washington
since 1992 Reviewer, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, The International Journal of Organisational Analysis, Financial Analysts Journal, American Anthropologist, SSHRC and NSERC Research Proposals, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference, Administrative Sciences annual doctoral dissertation award, Founding member of the Advisory Council for the Chaos Network
1993 Chairperson of the 1993 Chaos Network Conference
1998-99 Reviewer and discussant for the Kahanoff series of seminars on the Voluntary Sector in Canada, 1998 and 1999, Queen’s University
1992-1995 Member of the Criteria of Control Committee, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 1992-1995
1997- Member of the Advisory Board for Front and Centre, the publication of the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, since 1997
1996 Invited participant for the working seminar entitled "Furthering our Thinking About Complexity in Human Systems", London, U.K., Sept. 1996, (40 people - international)
1992 Invited participant for the workshop for Learning Organizations, London, Canada, June 1992 (50 people - international)
1992 Advisor- Auditor General of Canada on Management Control, 1992
1993 Chairperson, Sessions at International Strategic Management Society Conferences, 1992 and 1993
1987-89 Drafted the marking keys for the 1987 and 1988 national CA Uniform Final Examinations. Editor for the 1989 examinations.

University Service and Administration

2006 Member of the organizing committee for the Convergent Medical Technology Conference – held at Schulich Nov 2006
2005 Member of the Organizing Committee for the Asthma and Economics Conference, June 12-15, 2005
2003- Director of the Health Industry Management Program
2004- Director of the HIV/AIDS MBA and internship project
2004-2006 Search Committee for Corporate Social Responsibility Chair
2004 Taught and facilitated Senior Administrators for York University on strategic planning
2003- Faculty liaison for student Health-Biotech Forum
2003-2004 MBA Committee
2002- Member of the York University, Health Research Committee
2002 Director, McGill University, International Masters in Practicing Management
2001 McGill University – co-founder of Health Consortium – a joint venture of the Faculties of Management and Medicine
1999-2000 Committee to revise MBA curriculum - re strategy studies - Schulich
1997-2000 BBA Committee
1996 PhD Committee
1995-1996 Director of the Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program
1995 Women's Alumni Day Committee
1994 MBA ad hoc committee to revise strategy studies
1994-1998 MBA Committee
1994 Women's Alumni Day Committee
1992-1993 Management Committee, FAS, elected faculty rep.
1991-1992 Search Committee for Dean of FES
1991 Women's Alumni Day Committee
1990-1991 25th Anniversary Committee for FAS (Schulich School of Business)
1989-1992 MBA Committee
1989-1990 Affirmative Action Representative
1987-1988 Search Committee for Dean of Schulich

Graduate Thesis Supervisions
York University – PhD
2006 David Weitzner
2005 Barry Colbert
1999 Raymond Dart
1998 Mark Schwartz
1994 Asaf Zohar

Other Universities - PhD
1998 Beth Franklin (Fielding Institute)
1997 Michael McElwee (Fielding Institute)
1997 Deborah Burke (Fielding Institute)

External Examiner for PhD (all of the following students studied complexity science – Univ. of Hertforshire – UK)
1998 Patricia Shaw
1999 Douglas Griffin
2000 Peter Fraser
2003 Michael Nolan
2003 John Tobin
2003 Bjorner Christensen

York University – Masters theses
2000 Yoji Nishizutsumi (MES)
1999 Caroline Colijin (MES)
Plus MBA masters’ projects – minimum 3 per year 1989-2000

Other Universities - Masters
2003 McGill students (12) – Karen Ormerod, Kathryn Hum-Anatopolous, Jerry DeMarco, Alanna Scott, Janet Napper, Stephen Kent, Michael Domijian, Buddy Stemple, Derek Prichett, Paulo Motta, Alain Brunelle, Glenn Rioux
2002 McGill students (6) – Denise Campbell, Elizabeth Dove, Peter Dudding, Lynn Zimmer, Scott Haldane, Pauline Mantha
2001 McGill students (5) – Steven Lurie, Penny Milton, Heather Drinkwalter, Helen Wagle, Daniel Khimasia
2000 Kelly Bruels (Royal Roads University)
1999 Eve Evans (Royal Roads University)

Graduate Courses Taught
York University, Schulich School of Business
2003- Leadership and Complexity in Nonprofit Organizations
International Healthcare Systems
Understanding the Canadian Health Industry

2003- Supervised Strategy Studies (equivalent to Masters' theses) for MBA students

McGill - Faculties of Management and Medicine (MD-MBA program)
2001, 2002 Health Challenge – management capstone course for MD-MBA

McGill – Faculty of Management
2002 nternational Masters in Practicing Management – director for McGill’s portion of the curriculum (program is a consortium of 5 schools)
2000-2001 Complexity and Leadership - for the International Masters in Practicing Management
2000-2002 Analytic Mindset – for the McGill-McConnell Masters in Voluntary Sector Leadership

Schulich School of Business, York University – all courses at graduate level

Between 1989-2000
Writing Teaching Cases (to PhD students)
Qualitative Research Methods (to PhD students)
Facilitation and Group Leadership
Introduction to the Voluntary Sector and Organizational Issues
Leadership and Complexity in Nonprofit Organizations
Management Skills
Management Accounting Systems
Accounting and Control Systems in Nonprofit Organizations.
Multidisciplinary Tutorials - general management topics.
Introduction to Financial Accounting

Independent studies:
Strategic Thinking
Health Care – Emerging Ideas from Complexity Science
Network concepts of Resources (Applying Complexity Science)
Evaluating and Measuring Systemic Change (for two PhD students)
Control in Nonprofit Organizations
Applied Studies of Control Systems
Complexity Theory and Organizations
Nonprofit Organization case studies
Evaluation of Nonprofit Organizations

Executive Courses – in Universities or for degree programs
York University, McGill University, Dartmouth University, University of Arizona, University of Alberta, American Hospital Association

Other Executive Courses-
Toronto Community Housing Corporation, North American YMCA CEOs and CVOs, Canadian Hearing Society, Veterans Affairs (health care division), Dupont, Alcan (in Zurich for international senior executives), Royal Bank, Oxfam, Canadian Cancer Society, Dofasco, Canadian Centre for International Cooperation, United Way, Conference Board, Canadian YMCA, American Hospital Association, and over two dozen hospitals in Canada and the US

Research Funding
Current Research Projects

May 2006- Gender and Culture in Academic Medicine
-major research project with Brandeis University. Five Medical Schools
in the USA are participating in a three part project to learn why women
and minorities are underrepresented in the senior ranks and an action
research project to change this over a five year period.

Jan 2005 - Coordination in Complex Health Care Cases: in collaboration with the Hospital for Sick Children. To study coordination challenges in complex paediatric cases and to apply complexity science and discourse analysis to reveal patterns and solutions. With Dr Anne Matlow as lead from Hospital for Sick Children and two doctoral candidates at Schulich and three doctors at HSC

Sept 2002– Social Innovation: To examine how and why social innovations work to address major social and health issues. With Frances Westley at McGill university and funded by Dupont Canada
-book to be published from the research by Random House, fall 2006
“Getting To Maybe: How to Change the World”

May 2003- The role of relationships in innovation in health care (applying complexity science ideas to organization level and systems level health care change)– examples from the UK, Canada and the US – with Paul Plsek

Selected Research Projects

1. Educational programs
2001 Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
To create the 2001 Fall River Forum:Perspectives on the Future of Health Care in Canada ($50 000)

2. Research programs
2000 VHA (Voluntary Hospital Association) – with Kevin Dooley
To study hospital mergers using insights from complexity science
and institutional theory.($50 000 US)
1998-99 VHA - with Curt Lindberg and Paul Plsek
Health care leadership during times of extreme uncertainty and volatility
($45 000 US)
1997-2000 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Ethnographic research on organization’s capacity to change
($37 500)
1998-1999 School of Public Policy Queen’s Univ. (through Kahanoff Foundation)
The effects of commercial activities on Canadian nonprofit
organizations and their stakeholders ($ 8 500)
1997-1998 Canadian Policy Research Network
The societal impact on charities undertaking business/commercial ventures ($16,000)

Publications
Books

Books and monographs

2006 "Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed", with Frances Westley and Michael Quinn Patton, Random-House, Toronto
2003 “It is time to It is Time to Differentiate Voluntary Sector Education”, for the Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations,
in partnership with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, available at www.vsi-isbc.ca
2002 “Complicated and Complex Systems: What Would Successful Reform Medicare Look Like?”, with Sholom Glouberman, published by the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, 2002, Discussion paper #8, monograph published as ISBN 0-662-32778-0
1998 Edgeware: Complexity Resources for Health Care Leaders, co-authored with Curt Lindberg and Paul Plsek, VHA Inc., Irving, Texas, (2nd printing in 2001)
1998 Charities Doing Commercial Ventures: Societal and Organizational Implications, co-authored with Raymond Dart, published by the Canadian Policy Research Network and Trillium Foundation, (8,000 copies distributed by end of 2001)

Chapters in Books
2007 “Nursing and Health Policy: A Complexity Inspired Approach to Viewing the Role of Nurses in Impacting National and International Issues”, with San Ng, in Lindberg et al, (Ed) Complexity and Clinical Nurse Leadership, forthcoming
2004 "Complicated and Complex Systems: What Would Successful Reform of Medicare Look Like?" with Sholom Glouberman, in P-G Forest, T. McIntosh, and G. Marchildon (eds) Health Care Services and the Process of Change, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp.21-53
2003 "Generative Relationships: STAR", with Bryan Hayday, in G. Eoyang (ed) Voices from the Field, Minneapolis: HSDI Press, pp. 197-214
2003 "Health care organizations as complex adaptive systems” with James Begun and Kevin Dooley. In Stephen Mick (Ed.), Advances in health care organization theory. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing: San Francisco, pp. 253-288
1999 “After government cuts: Insights from two Ontario case Studies of ‘Enterprising Nonprofits,’” with Raymond Dart, The Nonprofit Sector in Canada, Keith Banting (Ed.), Queen’s-McGill Press, pp. 107-148
1999 “Of patterns, theories and strategic processes,” Readings in Organization Science, 565-573. In M.P. Cunha and C.A. Marques (Eds.), Lisbon, Portugal: ISPA (Reprint (and translation into English) from the refereed journal Comportamento Organizacional e Gestao, 1998).
1998 "Improving performance through coevolution with the environment". In D. Ripley (Ed.), Performance interventions: The process, systems and total organization level (pp. 455- 477). Washington: ISPI.
1996 "Message In a Hologram", in Accounting Literature: Research for Users, edited by Dan Thornton; Prentice-Hall, Toronto, 1996, pp. 110-113
1996 "Costs and the Collective Good", co-authored with Thomas H. Beechy, reprinted in Accounting Literature: Research for Users, edited by Dan Thornton; Prentice-Hall, Toronto, 1996, pp. 126-131
1993 "The Inherent Drive Towards Chaos", in Strategic Processes: Change, Learning and Cooperation, edited by Peter Lorange, Bala Chakravarthy, Johan Roos, and Andrew Van-de Ven; by Basil Blackwell Inc., London, England, 1993, pp. 393-413
1992 "Le Organizzazioni "sempreverdi" sono Caotiche?", in Competizione Multidimensionale: Quale azienda globale?, edited by M. Bussolo and S. Zara, Isedi; Torino, Italy, pp. 195-210

Refereed Full Journal Papers
Refereed Journal Articles

2006 “How can the principles of complexity science be applied to improve the coordination of care for complex pediatric patients”, with Anne Matlow et al, in a British Medical Journal publication Quality and Safety in Health Care, 2006: 15; 75-88
2003 ”Merger as Marriage: Communication Issues in Post-Merger Integration”, with Kevin Dooley, in Health Care Management Review, 28(1): 57-69, 2003
2002 “Mergers versus Emergers: Structural Change in Health Care Systems”, with Kevin Dooley, Emergence, 3(4): pp. 65-82
1999 “A board’s journey into complexity science: Lessons from (and for) staff and board members,” with Bryan Hayday, Group Decision Making and Negotiation, 8 (4): 281-303.
1999 "Complexity science: A route through hard times and uncertainty". Health Forum Journal, 42 (2): 42-46
1995 "Message In a Hologram", CAmagazine, 128 (5): 51-54
1994 "From Life Cycle to Ecocycle: A New Perspective on the Growth, Maturity, Destruction and Renewal of Complex Systems", co-authored with David Hurst, Journal of Management Inquiry, 3 (4); 339-354
1993 "Chaos and Nonequilibrium: The Flip Side of Strategic Processes", Organization Development Journal, 11 (1): 31-38
1993 "Breaking the Boundaries: The Fracal Organization", co-authored with David Hurst, Journal of Management Inquiry, 2 (4): 334-355
1993 "Fractals: A Lens to View Organization Change, Learning and Leadership", co-authored with David Hurst, The Chaos Network, Feature Article, 5(1): 1-4
1993 "Vision: Seeing or Believing", The Chaos Network, 5 (3): 7-8
1993 "Chaos and Equilibrium," co-authored with Morar Murray-Hayes and Allan Hayes, Practice of Ministry in Canada, 10 (4): 6-17
1992 "Putting the Cart Before the Horse: Accounting Standards for NPOs Without a Conceptual Framework", co-authored with Thomas H. Beechy, The Philanthropist, IX (3): 33-41
1992 "Costs and the Collective Good", co-authored with Thomas H. Beechy, CAmagazine, 125 (11): 44-49

Professional Publications

2003 with Gareth Morgan. Complexity and change module for the New Mindsets Program. This electronic “book” with learning modules released for general use in 2003.
1997 "Complexity and Health Care," for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
1996 "Crisis and Renewal: thoughts and criticisms", a book review of David
Hurst’s book "Crisis and Renewal", Business Quarterly, Spring, 1996, pg.33
1994 "Guidance on Criteria of Control," Exposure Draft from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants' Criteria Control Committee, August 1994 (served as member of committee since its inception in 1992).
1993 "Imaginization? Let's Get Serious", a book review of Gareth Morgan's Imaginization, The Chaos Network, 5 (4): 12-13

Other publications:

2007 “What hospitals can do to fight the next SARS-like crisis” with Moshe Farjoun, Globe and Mail, Jan 12, pg. A15
2004 "Doubletakes: Social Innovation in a Complex World", National Post Magazine, Nov 5
1996 "Chaos theory - clue to solving unity crisis," Ottawa Citizen, Jan. 29, 1996, Pg. A7.
1993 "Strategic Control: Managing Change or Managing Changeability", Proceedings, The Chaos Network, 1993 Conference, St. Paul, pp. 55-60
1993 "Chaos Theory as a Lens to Understand Change and Stability in Nonprofit Organizations", Proceedings, ARNOVA Annual Conference, Toronto, October 1993, pp. 301-316
1993 "Standardizing Accounting for NPOs: Is the Current Approach Substandard?", with Thomas Beechy, Proceedings, ARNOVA Annual Conference, Toronto, October 1993, pp. 363-369
1992 "The Management of Boredom", Proceedings, The Chaos Network, June 1992 Conference, Santa Cruz, California, pp. 62-67
1991 "Of Patterns, Theories and Strategic Management", Proceedings, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, 1991 Conference, Niagara Falls, Canada
1990 "Does Chaos Create Information?: Viewing Strategic Processes Through a Chaos Theory Lens", Proceedings, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, 1990 Conference, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
1988 "Chaos in Strategic Change Research", Proceedings, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, 1988 Conference, Halifax, Canada

Refereed Conference Proceedings
Papers/Lectures/Seminars Presented at Conferences/Universities and Organizations

2007 "Getting to Maybe - Linking across the Sectors", Executive Directions, Mar 15, Calgary
2007 "Lessons for Funders from Social Innovation", United Way Calgary, Mar 16, Calgary
2007 "Social Innovation - Lessons fro Students", McMaster University, Poverty and Homelessness Service Learning Course, guest lecture, Mar 12, Hamilton
2007 “Panarchy and homelessness”, for Toronto Homelessness Project, Tamarack Institute, Feb 20, Toronto
2007 “Getting to Maybe – Implications for Social Sector Leaders”, Osgoode, for the NMLP alumni and associates, Feb 19, Toronto
2006 “Making the Talents Parable Real”, Oakville Prayer Breakfast, Dec 6, Oakville
2006 “Social Change and Community Building: Getting to Maybe”, Mohawk College, Nov 14, Hamilton
2006 “Getting to Maybe”, Sustainability Network, Oct 18, Toronto
2006 “Complexity and Patient Safety – Going Beyond the Complicated”, American Hospital Association, Patient Safety Fellowship, Oct, Tucson
2006 “Cultural Competence: Using Appreciative Inquiry”, American Hospital Association, Patient Safety Fellowship, Oct, Tucson
2006 “AIDS is Our Business: Mobilizing Business Schools to Improve the Corporate Sector Impact on HIV/AIDS”, International AIDS conference, poster presentation, Aug 2006, Toronto
2006 “Increasing the Role of Business in HIV/AIDS:Case Study of a Canadian MBA Partnership”, International AIDS conference, poster presentation, Aug 2006, Toronto
2006 “Role of Business and Business Schools to Deliver Results Through Partnerships”,International AIDS conference, panel sponsored by Merck Frosst, Aug 16
2006 “Leadership Seminar for CEO’s/ED’s”, Canadian Mental Health Association, June 8-9, Toronto
2006 “Decision Making and Uncertainty: Lessons Learned from Complexity Science”, Canadian Medial Association Leadership in Medicine, Physician Managers Institute, May 29, Ottawa
2006 “Complexity and the Changing Role of CEOs” – to the YMCA CEO meeting of the largest YMCAs in North America, La Jolla, California, April 20, 2006
2006 “Uncertainty and Its Impact on Health Care Leadership”, Dartmouth Medical School, April 8, Dartmouth, NH
2006 “Emerging Ideas for Leadership”, VIA Rail Canada, CEO and top 50 executives, May 28, Montreal
2005 “Designing Patient-Centred Innovations that stick”, Trillium Health Centre Annual Conference, Sept 21, 2005, Toronto
2005 “Systemic Change in Health Care Delivery: Closing the Asthma Care Gap”, Asthma & Health Economics Conference, June 14, 2005, Schulich School of Business, Toronto
2005 "Competing Discourses and Destructuration in Health Care: Implications for Coordination and Quality of Patient Care", with Kelly Thomson and Michael Valente, Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Annual Conference, Toronto, May 28, 2005
2005 “Spread of Innovation is not (merely) replication”, VHA Annual Leadership Conference for CEOs of Hospitals, May 18, 2005, Atlanta, USA
2005 “Linking Complexity Science and Microsystem Strategies”, Dartmouth Medical School, May 3, 2005, Hanover, NH, USA
2005 “The Spread of Innovation: Avoiding the Seduction of the Merely Complicated,” Marvin Dunn Memorial Lecture, Keynote address, Association of Graduate Medical Education, Annual Conference, Mar 5, 2005, Kissimee, Florida (1000 people in audience)
2005 "Microsystems and their link to Complexity for Hospitals", Trillium Health Centre, Jan 24, Toronto
2004 "Microsystems and Complexity in the NICU", Vermont-Oxford Collaborative AGM, Dec 12, 2004, Washington
2004 "Clinical Leadership in a Complex World", keynote at Canadian Medical Association Medical Women Conference, Dec 4, 2004, Toronto
2004 “Complexity Theory and Its Impact on Risk: Going to the Edge,” American Society of Health Risk Managers, Keynote address, October, 17, 2004, Orlando, Florida (2500 people in audience)
2004 “Exploring Relationships and Trust in Clinical Microsystems,” Dartmouth Medical School Fall Invitational International Conference, Oct 5, 2004,Vermont
2004 “Learning from and for Complexity”, Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute Annual General Meeting, keynote address, Aug 19,2004, Michigan
2004 "Ecocycle and Governance", Women's College Hospital Board, Oct 2, 2004, Toronto
2004 "Microsystems and Quality", Trillium Health Centre Annual Conference, Sept 22, 2004, Toronto
2004 "Complexity and Health Care", Sutter Health Systems Annual Conference, May 27, 2004, Sacramento, California
2004 "Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity", Judy Project, University of Toronto, April 28, 2004, Toronto
2004 "Public Health from a Complexity Perspective," Dartmouth Medical College - School of Public Health, April 14, 2004, Hanover, NH
2004 "Complexity Science Applications for Microsystems", with Paul Plsek, Dartmouth Medical College, April 13, 2004, Hanover, NH
2003 "Knowledge Translation and Complexity", Keynote address at Canadian Pediatric Society Conference and Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres, with Dean of Medicine (Dalhousie) Noni MacDonald, June 18, 2003, Calgary
2003 "Networks and Complexity: Implications for Child and Maternal Health", Child Health Network, Toronto, May 29, 2003
2003 "Complexity Principles in Action", with Paul Plsek, Dartmouth University and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, April 23, 2003
2003 "Complexity and Leadership" at the University of Toronto, Judy Program for Executive Women, King City, April 9, 2003
2003 "Health Care Policy: View from a Complexity Perspective" with Monique Begin and Carolyn Bennett, at the Mayo Clinic/Plexus Conference, Mar 21-23, Rochester, Minn.
2002 "Applied Complexity", for the Executive Leadership Program, Alcan, Zurich, Dec 5, 2002
2002 "Complexity - applications for Healthy Communities Leaders," American Hospital Association, Healthy Communities Fellowship, Tucson, Oct 22, 2002
2002 "Patient Safety: Lessons from Complexity", American Hospital Association, Patient Safety Fellowship, Tucson, Oct 21, 2002
2002 "Complexity and Voluntary Sector Leadership", Metro 30 YMCA North American Annual Conference, keynote address, Burlington, Ont, Oct 2002
2002 “Complexity Theory in the Context of Network Development,” at the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres Annual Conference, July 9, Toronto, Ontario.
2002 with Sholom Glouberman, David Crombie and Patricia McCarney ,“Research and Funding Implications of an Urban Health Network,” with Learned Society Annual Conference,SociologicalDivision, May 30, Toronto, Ontario.
2002 “Complicated and Complex Systems:What Would Successful Reform of Medicare Look Like?” presented at the Institute for the Study of Canada’s conference on Health Care, Feb 14-16, Montreal
2002 "Informed Choices Philosophy", Canadian Hearing Society Board and Senior Staff retreat, June 2002
2002 "Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity", Dartmouth University and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, June 4, 2002
2002 "Leadership in Practice"", Dartmouth University and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, May 7, 2002
2002 OD Partnerships Network Conference
"Complicated versus Complex Health Reform"
Invited leader of a Canadian team to a workshop in Germany on integrated care – comparisons between Canada, US, UK, Germany and Australia, Berlin, April 2002
2002 Canadian Centre for International Cooperation
"Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity" Ottawa, March 7, 2002
2002 VHA - Health Improvement Learning Forum, "Creative Destruction", Miami, Jan 2002
2001 "Complexity, Simplicity and Leadership", opening keynote for the York-Maytree Management Program, Nov. 7, 2001
2001 VHA- Health Improvement Learning Forum, "Generative Relationships", Houston, May 2001
2001 Lead facilitator for think tank on the future of health care in Canada, sponsored by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, report published at www.dmrf.ca, under title “2001 Fall River Forum” – June 6-8, 2001
2001 “Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity”, St. Joseph’s Health Care System, London, Ontario, June 25, 2001
2001 Keynote address at the 2001 annual Leadership Conference, "Lessons from other Jurisdictions", Providence Health Care System, Coeur D’Alene, May 25, 2001
2001 "Complexity in a National Organization", Executive Staff Forum and National Staff Retreat for the Canadian Cancer Society in Mississauga on Jan 21-22, 2001
2000 “Introduction to Complexity Science for Future Health Care Managers”, University of Minnesota, Masters in Health Administration, April 14, 2000
2000 “Clinicians and Management: New Ideas for Health Care Management”, University of Arizona Medical School, May 4, 2000
2000 "Paradox in Health Care Leadership", 2000 VHA On the Verge Conference in Chicago – Oct 20, 2000
2000 "Board Leadership and Complexity",VHA Empire States Annual Conference/Board meeting, Aug 31st 2000 at Niagara-on-the-Lake
2000 "Education - new concepts and approaches to reform" Keynote address, CASA and CEA senior education administrators annual conference, Quebec City, Aug 4, 2000
2000 "Executives and Min. Specs." Orillia Memorial Soldiers’ Hospital Annual Conference, June 21-22, 2000
2000 "Complexity Theory for Executive Board members" Veterans Affairs – Health Care Annual Conference, Seattle, June 15, 2000
2000 "Can Creative Destruction work?", Keynote address at the 2000 annual Leadership Conference, Providence Health Care System, Coeur D’Alene, May 24 , 2000
2000 “Hospital Mergers or Emergers”, with Kevin Dooley, at the VHA Annual Leadership Conference, Dallas, April 17.
2000 “Health Care – Insights from Complexity”, Quality Health Care Network, Conference Board of Canada, Ottawa, Feb 3, 2000
1999 “Managing in Complex Times”, keynote address for the Ontario Principals Conference, Simcoe Board of Education, Collingwood, Ont, Oct 6, 1999
1999 “Complexity in Public Health”, keynote address for the Maternal and Newborn Health Conference, Best Start, Toronto, Sept 27, 1999
1999 “Fresh Thinking on Health Care System Formation”, with Kevin Dooley, Santa Fe New Mexico, Sept 24, 1999
1999 “Generative Relationships and other Complex Approaches”, VHA Leadership Group, Santa Fe, Sept 16-18, 1999
1999 "Complexity in health care", for Mountain States VHA Leadership Conference, Salt Lake City, July 29-30, 1999
1999 “Arts in a Pluralist Society” University of Toronto, June 22, 1999
1999 “Complexity in the Nonprofit Sector”, ONESTEP Annual Conference, keynote address, Toronto, June 23, 1999
1999 "Commerical Ventures in the Charitable Sector", ONESTEP Annual Conference, Toronto, June 24, 1999
1999 “Health Care: Managing the Complex”, Memorial Hospital Annual Conference, South Bend Indiana, May 25, 1999
1998 “Charities Doing Commercial Ventures”, plenary session at the ARNOVA conference, Seattle, December, 1998
1998 “Complexity in the Public Service: Using Generative Relationships”, Ontario Ministry of Finance, October 1998, Toronto
1998 “Capitalizing on Chaos: Women’s College Hospital as a Complex Adaptive System,” presentation at a retreat for board members and senior hospital administrators, April 1, 1998, Toronto
1998 “Complexity Science: An Introduction for University Administrators”, CASE Conference, Feb.3, 1998, Toronto
1997 “Using Institutional Theory to Explain Nonprofit Organizations: A Sociological View of The Sectoral Division of Labour”, with Raymond Dart, the ARNOVA Conference, December 6.
1997 “Control, Complexity and Chaos”, CMA Conference, July 25, 1997, St.John’s Newfoundland
1997 "Complexity and Universities", Keynote address at the annual conference of Senior Women's Academic Administrators conference, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, May 2, 1997
1997 "An Introduction to Complexity," sponsored by the Voluntary Hospital Association - East Coast, New Jersey, March 19, 1997
1997 "Complexity and the Public Sector", Department of Public Health Conference, Hamilton, Ontario, Feb 14, 1997
1997 "Complexity: a primer for physicians and hospital administrators," The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centres Conference, Florida, Feb 6, 1997
1996 "From Reality to Opportunity", Keynote address at the Ontario Public Health Administration Annual Conference, Toronto, November 15, 1996
1996 "In This World of Chaos, Can You Really Manage Anything?", Keynote address at Annual Conference of World Presidents Organization (jointly sponsored with Young Presidents Association and the Public Policy Forum), Ottawa, November 12, 1996
1996 "Ecocyles and Organizations", Keynote Presentation at the Annual Conference of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Mississauga, November, 19, 1996
1996 "Complex Adaptive Systems - Lessons for Nonprofit Organizations", Family Services Institute, Toronto, November 29, 1996
1996 "From Crisis to Renewal: Lesson from Chaos and Complexity Theories," Keynote address at the Annual General Meeting of the Victoria Order of Nurses, Toronto, June 13, 1996
1996 "Chaos and Complexity: Lessons for Nonprofit Management", Keynote address at the Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs 10th Annual Conference "Investing in Community", Toronto, June 7, 1996
1996 "The Art and Science of Managing Changeability: Lessons from Chaos and Complexity Theories," Distinguished speaker for the Memorial University Biennial Interdisciplinary Conference "Order and Chaos", Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, May 24, 1996
1996 "Chaos, Renewal and Managing Changeability", Keynote address, York University, Nonprofit Management and Leadership Alumni Reunion, Toronto, April 22, 1996
1996 "Managing Changeability: Chaos and Complexity Theories", Keynote address, Ontario Prevention Congress, Ottawa, April 11, 1996
1996 "Out of control: Interpreting COCO for Nonprofit Organizations", Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the United Way of Greater Toronto, Toronto, Feb. 11,
1996 "From Lifecycle to Ecocycle", Senior management team of Greater Toronto Area - United Way, Mississauga, Jan. 22, 1996
1996 "Complexity Theory and Organizational Change", Women's MBA Alumni Association, Toronto, Jan. 17, 1996
1996 "Chaos, Complexity and Change", Aurora, York Region District Health Council (and members of the community), Jan 12, 1996
1995 "Complexity and Systems Change", Social service and children's agencies, Thunder Bay, Dec. 20, 1995
1995 "Chaos Theory and Organizational Renewal", York Support Services and York Region District Health Council, Newmarket, Nov. 16, 1995
1995 "Renewal, Chaos and Complexity", Executive Directors of the Ontario Association of Children's Mental Health Centres, Sault St. Marie, Nov. 1, 1995
1995 "Chaos and Complexity: Managing for Changeability", Canadian Charities Council, Toronto, Oct 25, 1995
1995 "Managing Changeability",Royal Bank Futures Group conference, Toronto, Feb 16, 1995
1994 "Complexity, Systems and the Criteria of Control", to the University of Toronto's Masters in Accounting class - December 1994
1994 "Managing Changeability: Innovation Through Chaos Theory", Indiana University Affiliates, Indianapolis, October 1994
1994 "Managing for Unknowable Futures: Creating Resilient Organizations", Keynote address in the "Exploring Chaos as a New Frontier for Management" conference, Toronto, November 1994
1994 "What is Chaos Management and How Can You Use It?", luncheon speaker for the Summer Institute of the United Way of Greater Toronto, York University, July 1994 (broadcast in a program called "Focus" for an educational program on CJRT)
1994 Self-Organization Conferences, with Meg Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers presented material on chaos theory, self-organization and complexity topics and co-facilitated Dialogues with executives. Salt Lake City, Utah, April 1993, November 1993 and July 1994
1994 "Workaholism versus Work-holism", Women's Alumni Day, York Univ., June 1994
1994 "Managing Change-ability", CEO Back to the Campus Day, York Univ., May 1994
1994 "Changing Systems", panel with Hon. Russel King, Dr. Gerald Egan, Hon. Francis Lankin, at Ontario's Prevention Congress, Toronto, April 1994
1994 "Chaos, Strategy and Organization Change Research", presented to the York FAS Alumni Club, January 1994
1993 "From Life Cycle to Ecocycle", co-authored with David Hurst, International Strategic Management Society Conference, Chicago, September 1993
1993 "Chaos Theory: Applications to Studies of Organization Change", guest scholar for multidisciplinary seminar for doctoral students at School of Business, Indiana University, October 1993
1993 "Using Chaos Theory to Create a Culture for Change", Indiana University, presented to business executives and professors in Bloomington, Indiana, Oct. 1993
1993 "The Accountant's Reality", presented to the Ontario Arts Council Conference, September 1993
1993 "Chaos Theory: The Implications for Managing and Organizing", with Ralph Stacey, invited symposium, Lake Louise, Alberta, June 1993
1993 "Creating a Culture for Change", keynote address to the Ontario Premier's Council of Health Well-being and Social Justice conference, Toronto, April 1993
1993 "Creating Change in Nonprofit Organizations", keynote address to the Annual General Meeting of the North York Inter-Agency and Community Council, Toronto, June 1993
1993 "Chaos Theory in Organizations: The Return of The Repressed Feminine", Women's Alumni Day, York University, April 1993
1993 "Chaos and Transformational Leadership", presented to alumni of York's Voluntary Sector Management Program, February 1993
1992 "The Fractal Organization", co-authored with David Hurst, International Strategic Management Society Conference, London, October 1992
1992 "Breaking the Boundaries: The Fractal Organization", presented to business executives and professors in Lisbon, Portugal, June 1992
1992 "Chaos in Strategic Management", Office of the Auditor General, Ottawa, Canada, March 1992
1992 "Does Control Inhibit Innovation?", Office of the Auditor General, Ottawa, Canada, March 1992
1992 "The Inherent Drive Towards Chaos", and "Chaos in Strategic Management", to PhD and MBA students at the Instituto Superior de Ciencas do Trabalho e da Empresa, Lisbon, Portugal, June 1992
1992 "Qualitative Research Methods for Organizational Studies," to faculty members and PhD students at the Instituto Superior de Ciencas do Trabalho e da Empresa, Lisbon, Portugal, June 1992
1992 "Chaos and Organization Change", to the University of Toronto's executive MBA class, November 1992
1992 "Chaos in the Social Services," to the University of Toronto's School of Social Work, January 1992
1991 "Preparing Financial Statements for Cultural Grants", Municipal Building, Town of Oakville, October 1991
1991 "Chaos in Management", The Molson Companies Board of Directors' Meeting, Cambridge, Ontario, August 1991
1991 "Chaos in Strategic Management", CEO Back to Campus Day, Glendon Campus, York University, May 1991
1991 "Are Green Organizations Chaotic", International Strategic Management Society Conference, Toronto, October 1991
1991 "The Inherent Drive Toward Chaos", Strategic Processes: State of the Art Research Issues Conference, Oslo, Norway, June 1991
1990 "Nonequilibrium: The Flipside of Strategic Processes", International Strategic Management Society Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, September 1990
1988 "Chaos Theory : Some Accounting Implications", Social and Behavioral Accounting Conference, Kingston, Canada, July 1988

Radio shows

2007 Guest for one hour on CBC Fresh Air show – 8-9 am on Jan 7, to discuss the book “Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed”
2006 House Guest on CBC – Here and Now show – 4-6 pm on Oct 13, to discuss the book
“Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed.”