Cognitive Centres: technology for designing the future: Methodology and implementation experience

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and conceptualize the topic of Cognitive Centres. It emphasizes the importance of complexity management and cognitive technologies in management practice.

Design/methodology/approach

It elaborates the relevance of different types of models for management: Stafford Beer's operations room, viable system model, subject‐object and subject‐subject management models, expert‐based mathematical modelling and computational experiment, organizational‐activity games theory and cybernetic (Viplan) methodology.

Findings

The paper suggests models and approaches for strategic management. It shows the inadequacy of a subject‐object management model for industrial or regional governance. It integrates a communicative management approach, complexity management methods, the USSR's Gosplan experience of long‐term planning, the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics experience of modelling extremely complex systems and modern cognitive and information technologies into the concept of a Cognitive Centre.

Practical implications

Cognitive Centres can enhance the adaptation and viability of a large network of small organizations: public enterprises, business and not‐for‐profit regional industries. The paper describes two cases of practical implementation.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to research on management models that integrates cybernetics, cognitive technologies and computational experiments.

Citation

Ototsky, P. and Manenkov, S. (2011), "Cognitive Centres: technology for designing the future: Methodology and implementation experience", Kybernetes, Vol. 40 No. 3/4, pp. 528-535. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684921111133728