Cognitive Centres: technology for designing the future Methodology and implementation experience
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.
cognition modelling cybernetics communication general management russia decision support systems