via Frontiers | Guiding the Self-Organization of Cyber-Physical Systems | Robotics and AI
Guiding the Self-Organization of Cyber-Physical Systems
Self-organization offers a promising approach for designing adaptive systems. Given the inherent complexity of most cyber-physical systems, adaptivity is desired, as predictability is limited. Here I summarize different concepts and approaches that can facilitate self-organization in cyber-physical systems, and thus be exploited for design. Then I mention real-world examples of systems where self-organization has managed to provide solutions that outperform classical approaches, in particular related to urban mobility. Finally, I identify when a centralized, distributed, or self-organizing control is more appropriate.
via Beyond hierarchy: A complexity management perspective
Beyond hierarchy: A complexity management perspective
Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to current research on complexity management by re-visiting Beer’s paradigm on control and self-organization and explaining its usefulness to support non-hierarchical organizations and networks and its complementarities to new development in complexity sciences. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explains the current crisis of hierarchical structures and then summarises new proposals on non-hierarchical organizations from the perspective of complexity sciences. It then summarises Beer’s provenance of control and, in particular, the ideas of requisite variety and meta-systemic management. It explains how these ideas transform the way of approaching management and presents examples of real-life businesses transformed by following this approach. Findings – The analysis highlights limitations in current management theory and practice that can be overcome by embracing the paradigm of control suggested by some of the pioneer cybernetitians. It shows that the model has unprecedented powers to describe and analyse the network characteristics of contemporary social organizations from the perspective of effective management and lays down a new and democratic paradigm of control. Research limitations/implications – This paper concentrates on explaining the main arguments of meta-systemic management suggested originally by Beer and exploring its implications for managing complex networked organizations; more applied research would be convenient to experiment the suggested model. Originality/value – This study hopefully has shown that core ideas from the tradition of cybernetics add
Overview also at https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/03684920710746995/full/html
Readable and dowloadable (in a slightly weird system) at https://vdocuments.mx/beyond-hierarchy-a-complexity-management-perspective.html