The main objective of the research work was to identify the dimensions of complexity and study the relationship between these defined dimensions in the industrial automation sector. To achieve these objectives in the study, there was assumed the following major hypothesis: With the increasing role of dynamic cross-section of the complexity there is growing importance of relationship dimension for competitive advantage. In the study there were diagnosed four dimensions of complexity. Existence of the relationship between these four identified dimensions of complexity occurred by the use of the Fisher’s exact test, which is a variant of the test of independence ��2. Furthermore, there were calculated V-Cramer factors to estimate the intensity of the above-mentioned relationship between analyzed dimensions. The research discovered that the three out of four dimensions such as the number of elements, variety of elements and uncertainty depend on the last dimension of complexity which is the relationship between elements. In the turbulent environment there is a growing importance of the relationship dimension. It forms competitive advantage and is a key condition of success in creating a new type of modern enterprise strategy that occurs within complexity management in the industrial automation sector.

The awareness of the growing importance of the complexity in creating a new type of a modern enterprise strategy and in introducing changes within planning, control and organizational structures contributed to undertaking studies on relationships occurring between the complexity of a modern enterprise and its flexibility in the sector of industrial automation, as well as filling the gap relating to the cognitive impact of poor complexity management on the flexibility of the company. The main objective of the research work is to check whether there is an important relationship between the complexity of the business and its flexibility in the industrial automation sector. Quantification of the relationship between these two quantities – the complexity and flexibility – happened by the use of the Multidimensional Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Perceptual Maps. The study which has been carried out indicated that the flexibility and complexity functions in the enterprise management rise, however, the knowledge of these issues is highly insufficient. The research discovered that the obstacles which hamper striking a balance between the flexibility and complexity in their advanced stages exert a devastating impact on the quality of the process management. Reducing the flexibility at its higher levels generates a context in which the market risk is enhanced. Companies characterised by improper flexibility management bear higher workforce costs and their processes of decision-making last longer. Methodical and systematized study of flexibility and complexity will decrease the destructive influence of the interaction between these two categories.