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Purpose – To analyze the emergence of new organizational forms in the Danish welfare sector.

Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on Niklas Luhmann and Gunther Teubner, the research analyzes governmental documents, policy programs, action plans, and strategic documents.

Findings – A partnering structure has emerged with a new politics of voluntarism, complex forms of integration and new imaginary distinctions between voluntariness and public care. This can usefully be conceptualized as aspects of the stabilization of a “third-order system.” The research identified a number of different managerial strategies for involvement in the system.

Practical and social implications – Social welfare has become a mix of public and civil society values and norms, and extensive resources have been invested from both governmental and nongovernmental sides to build up shared competences for the new forms of partnering-based organization. However, to act according to the new principles of partnering, at the strategic and managerial level, the voluntary organizations have to behave in a schizophrenic manner – as both individual organizations and cooperational partners within the system.

Research implications – The concept of “third-order system” is especially useful in analyzing mixed forms of management in the welfare sector.

Originality – Different forms of radical organizational analysis are combined to develop a notion of “third-order system” in the welfare sector.

The purpose of this paper is to design a third-order linear active disturbance rejection controller (LADRC) to improve the response characteristics and robustness of the electrohydraulic servo system.

The LADRC was designed by replacing the nonlinear functions in each part of ADRC with linear functions or linear combinations, and the parameters of each part of the LADRC were connected with their bandwidth through the pole configuration method to reduce the required tuning parameters, and used an improved grey wolf optimizer to tune the LADRC parameters.

The anti-interference control simulation and experiment on the LADRC, ADRC and proportion integration differentiation (PID) were carried out to test the robustness, anti-interference ability and superiority of the designed LADRC. The simulation and experiment results showed that the LADRC control and anti-interference control had excellent performance, and because of its simple structure and fewer parameters, LADRC was easier to implement and had a better control effect and anti-interference.

For the problems of parameter perturbation, unknown interference and inaccurate model in the electrohydraulic position servo system, the designed third-order LADRC has good tracking accuracy and anti-interference, has few parameters and is conducive to promotion.

Damage induced during drilling of polymer matrix composites depends upon torque during drilling. Modeling of torque with feed rate and its control becomes imminent for damage free drilling of composite laminates. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to construct a transfer function between drilling torque and feed rate based upon experiments. Thereafter, the torque is controlled by using PID controller.

This paper presents step-by-step procedure to capture complex drilling dynamics of polymer matrix composites in a mathematical model. A glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite laminate is drilled at constant feed rate during experimentation. The corresponding time response of torque is recorded. First order, second order and third order transfer functions between torque and feed rate are identified using system identification toolbox of Matlab®. These transfer functions are then converted into state-space models. Experimental verification is performed on GFRP composite laminate. PID controller is designed using Simulink® to track a given reference torque during drilling of polymer matrix composite. The controller is then validated using different reference torque trajectories.

Good match is observed between torque response from state-space models and experiments. Error analysis based on integral absolute error and integral squared error on experimental and simulated response show that third-order system represents the complex drilling dynamics in a better way than first and second-order systems. PID controller effectively tracks given reference trajectories.

Third-order model between torque and feed rate for drilling of composites not available in literature has been presented. PID controller has previously been applied successfully for drilling of conventional materials, this paper extends implementation of PID torque control for drilling of composites.

I begin with a summary of the theory of autopoiesis, which is a condensed version of an account in an earlier paper (Beeson, 2001). That paper also presents an earlier version of part of the argument in the current chapter.

Knowledge management aims to increase an organization's competitive advantage through the collective management of its employees' knowledge. In the past, knowledge management was very technologically oriented, with a focus on data mining, software, and artificial intelligence, but in recent years there has been a move toward incorporating social aspects. As knowledge management evolved into its second era, the focus shifted to defining knowledge, developing frameworks, and implementing content management systems. The current knowledge management era (third) appears to be more integrated with an organization's philosophy, goals, and day-to-day activities, and is also the “softest” with regards to a people-oriented approach (Metaxiotis, Ergazakis, & Psarras, 2005; Wiig, 2002). As knowledge management moves further into the third era, no theoretical foundation exists. As will be seen, knowledge is an unmanageable, nontransferable entity that cannot exist outside a person's brain (Abou-Zeid, 2007). As such it is not possible to define the concept of knowledge, nor even desirable, and this is in direct contrast to first generation knowledge management, which aimed to accurately define the concept of knowledge (Metaxiotis et al., 2005). The focus on frameworks (Holsapple & Joshi, 1997), systems (Hasan & Gould, 2003), and technology (Liao, 2003) that dominated second-generation knowledge management is also not compatible with the current understanding of knowledge (Abou-Zeid, 2007), suggesting that systems cannot directly manage knowledge.

Anticipating behaviour and responding to the needs of complexity and problematic issues requires modelling to facilitate analysis and diagnosis. Using arguments of anticipation as an imperative for inquiry, the purpose of this paper is to introduce generic modelling for living systems theory, and assigns the number of generic constructs to orders of simplex modelling. An nth simplex order rests in an nth order simplex cybernetic space. A general modelling theory of higher orders of simplexity is given, where each higher order responds to every generic construct involved, the properties of which determining the rules of the complex system being that is represented. Higher orders of simplexity also explain greater degrees of complexity relatively simply, and give rise to the development of new paradigms that are better able to explain perceived complex phenomena.

This is Part 3 of three linked papers. Using principles that arise from Schwarz’s living systems set within a framework provided by cultural agency theory, and with a rationale provided by Rosen’s and Dubois’ concepts of anticipation, the papers develop a general modelling theory of simplex orders. They show that with the development of new higher orders, paradigm shifts can occur that become responsible for new ways of seeing and resolving stubborn problematic issues. Part 1 established the fundamentals for a theory of modelling associated with cybernetic orders. Using this, in this Part 2 the authors established the principles of cybernetic orders using simplex modelling. This included a general theory of generic modelling. In this Part 3 the authors extend this, developing a fourth order simplex model, and exploring the potential for higher orders using recursive techniques through cultural agency theory. The authors also explore various forms of emergence.

Cultural agency theory can be used to generate higher simplex through principles of recursion, and hence to create a potential for the generation of families of new paradigms. The idea of conceptual emergence is also tied to the rise of new paradigms.

The use of higher order simplex models to represent complex situations provides the ability to condense explanation concerning the development of particular system behaviours, and hence simplify the way in which the authors analyse, diagnose and anticipate behaviour in complex situations. Illustration is also given showing how the theory can explain the emergence of new paradigms.

Cultural agency can be used to structure problem issues that may otherwise be problematic, within both a top-down and bottom-up approach. It may also be used to assist in establishing behavioural anticipation given an appropriate modelling approach. It may also be used to improve and compress explanation of complex situations.

A new theory of simplex orders arises from the new concept of generic modelling, illustrating cybernetic order. This permits the possibility of improved analysis and diagnosis of problematic situations belonging to complex situations through the use of higher order simplex models, and facilitates improvement in behavioural anticipation.

A switching depth controller based on a variable buoyancy system (VBS) is proposed to improve the performance of small autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). First, the requirements of VBS for small AUVs are analyzed. Second, a modular VBS with high extensibility and easy integration is proposed based on the concepts of generality and interchangeability. Subsequently, a depth-switching controller is proposed based on the modular VBS, which combines the best features of the linear active disturbance rejection controller and the nonlinear active disturbance rejection controller.

The controller design and endurance of tiny AUVs are challenging because of their low environmental adaptation, limited energy resources and nonlinear dynamics. Traditional and single linear controllers cannot solve these problems efficiently. Although the VBS can improve the endurance of AUVs, the current VBS is not extensible for small AUVs in terms of the differences in individuals and operating environments.

The switching controller’s performance was examined using simulation with water flow and external disturbances, and the controller’s performance was compared in pool experiments. The results show that switching controllers have greater effectiveness, disturbance rejection capability and robustness even in the face of various disturbances.

A high degree of standardization and integration of VBS significantly enhances the performance of small AUVs. This will help expand the market for small AUV applications.

This solution improves the extensibility of the VBS, making it easier to integrate into different models of small AUVs. The device enhances the endurance and maneuverability of the small AUVs by adjusting buoyancy and center of gravity for low-power hovering and pitch angle control.

A novel fault-tolerant control (FTC) method is proposed to assure the stability of the remote-operated vehicle (ROV) by considering the thruster failure-induced model perturbations. The stability of the ROV with failures is guaranteed and optimized with the determined model perturbation set. The effectiveness of the double-boundary interval fault-tolerant control (DBIFTC) is verified through the experiments and proves that the stability is well maintained, which demonstrates a decent performance.

This paper studies a control problem for a multi-vector propulsion ROV by using the DBIFTC method in the presence of thruster failure and external disturbances. The ROV kinematics and dynamical models with multi-vector-arranged thruster failure are investigated and formulated for control system design.

In this paper, the authors address the FTC problem of ROV with multi-vector thrusters and propose a DBIFTC scheme. The advantage is that as the kinematic system model of ROV is preanalyzed and identified, the DBIFTC becomes more effective. The mathematical stability of the system under the proposed control scheme can be guaranteed.

The ROV model used in this paper is based on the system identification of experimental data. Although this model has real experimental value and physical significance, the accuracy can be further improved.

Cable-controlled underwater ROVs are widely used in military missions and scientific research because of their flexibility, sufficient load capacity and real-time information transmission characteristics. The DBIFTC method proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the problem of underwater vehicle under propeller failure or external disturbance and save unnecessary cost.

The DBIFTC method proposed in this paper can ensure the attitude stability of ROV or other underwater equipment operating in the event of propeller failure or external disturbance. In this way, the robot can better perform undersea work and tasks.

The kinematics and failure mechanisms of the ROV with multi-vector propulsion system are investigated and established. An optimized DBIFTC scheme is investigated to stabilize ROV yaw attitude under the thruster failure condition. The feasibility and effectiveness of the DBIFTC is experimentally validated.

Spatial integration and industrial clustering have become an important feature of the culture tourism business. When the core elements in both the culture industry and tourism industry are integrated, a model based on system science is constructed that combines the resources and capacity of the two entities to envisage the ways of creating integrated products and services from the two sectors. Guided by the system science, this study proposes a culture tourism system revealing the clustering and hierarchical structure of the industrial elements. The system contains two subsystems: internal system and external system. The agglomeration model of the system includes 26 indices and the PEF methods, which involved the Parallelogram Law, Entropy-weight Method, and Fuzzy Membership Function. Finally, this study deploys an empirical study involving all provincial territories (N=31) in mainland China. It analyzes the variability and degree of balanced development of the system. In addition, through the resultant data this research adds a typology of culture tourism system along with policy recommendations.

A class of flux‐splitting explicit second‐order finite difference schemes is set up. An ‘optimal’ scheme is defined for 1‐D flows and applied to 2‐D flows with CFL being able to reach 2. The results obtained show that this ‘optimal’ scheme is well adapted to the unsteady flows.