Measuring synergy using entropy

Abstract

Synergy is phenomenon found everywhere in nature at all levels of organization in physics, chemistry, biology, social sciences, and the arts. The English Wikipedia defines Synergy as "the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term synergy comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία synergia from synergos, συνεργός, meaning working together". Synergy is an important concept that is difficult to define precisely and even more difficult to quantify. Entropy on the other hand has been used as a way to measure order or complexity. Here we explore the changes in entropy induced by diverse process described as synergistic. The paper uses seven examples reported in the literature to quantify synergy in different settings. The result shows that synergistic processes are associated to large decreases in entropy and slightly less large increases in work output of the system where they occur. Systems which suffer changes in entropy that are not associated to synergistic processes show a different pattern These results open the door to use entropy measures to identify and classify synergistic processes.

Business Synergy Merger Between Walt Disney Studios and Marvel Studios

“…The Synergy effect in business refers to when two or more businesses combine or merge together to create a greater shared value for all parties. The term "synergy" came from the ancient Greek word "synergia", meaning work together [5]. This term and its meanings were modified several times before being finally adopted into the business world by Abraham Maslow.…”