Scott E. Page
Scott E. Page is a leading thinker in the field of complex systems and economic diversity. He is a professor at the University of Michigan, where he serves as the Leonid Hurwicz Colleague, a Lester C. McKee Professor of Complex Systems, Political Science, and Economics, and the director of the Center for the Study of Complex Systems. Page is a widely published author who has written more than 50 scholarly articles and seven books, most notably his work The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy.
Page’s books and articles seek to explore the dynamics of complex systems and the value that comes from leveraging different perspectives and insights—a concept he calls “economic diversity.” Through his work, he argues that teams, organizations, and societies should strive to gather a variety of different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences in order to gain a better understanding of the world. This approach, he argues, leads to an improved ability to solve complex problems and can increase economic growth in societies.
Page’s career began at Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a B.S. in Mathematics in 1981. He then pursued his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley where he worked with the Nobel Laureate Thomas Sargent. He then held various positions at Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Warwick, and the University of Michigan.
His first book, Complex Adaptive Systems: An Introduction to Computational Models of Social Life, was published in 2007. In it, Page apply models of complex systems to economics, sociology, and political science, exploring how different systems interact and the possibilities of understanding human behavior based on these interactions. His next book, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies, explored the power of diversity within the social realms and was listed among the best books of 2007 by the Washington Post.
Page is best known for his work The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy, which was published in 2017. In this book, Page argues that groups that employ individuals with different backgrounds and expertise are better able to solve complex problems and generate economic growth. He argues that economic and cultural diversity can be used to spur innovation and creates organizations that are better equipped to reproduce ideas, products, and services.
In addition to his books, Page has written multiple scholarly articles in journals such as The Journal of Political Economy, Management Science, and Econometrica. These articles explore various facets of complex systems and economic diversity, ranging from how social networks function to the emergence of markets from diverse populations. He also serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Economic Theory, Journal for Artificial Societies and Social Stimulation, and Organization Science.
Scott E. Page’s work is widely respected and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He has been awarded fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the Santa Fe Institute, and he has received the 1992 John M. McKay Outstanding Teacher Award and the Miller Outstanding Visiting Professor Award. His work has not only been recognized by his peers, but also by the media, with features in outlets such as The New York Times and NPR.
Scott E. Page is an eminent thinker in the field of complex systems and is a vocal advocate for the use of economic diversity to foster innovation and growth. His work has inspired people to think differently about the way teams, organizations, and societies should interact and has offered a new perspective on how to leverage different perspectives and insights to create better outcomes.
