Heuristicbased management I variation

• Published in: Kybernetes Vol. 39; no. 9/10; pp. 1513 - 1528
• Main Authors: Lammoglia, Nelson L., Olaya, Camilo, Villalobos, Jorge, Caldern, Juan P., Valdivia, Juan A., Zarama, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Emerald Group Publishing Limited 19.10.2010
• Subjects: Corporate strategy; Cybernetics; Modelling; Problem solving
• ISSN: 0368-492X
• DOI: 10.1108/03684921011081141

Purpose The paper considers modelbased management and, based on it, proposes a heuristicbased management. This paper aims to assert that heuristicbased management, for complex systems, a process of free variation, of pairs of models and actions called organisational strategies, maximizes the chances of improving the system's performance in open environments. Designmethodologyapproach A conception of complex systems are introduced and characterized as open and selforganising systems. Then, the proposal to heuristically use pairs of models and actions, called organisational strategies, to manage social systems based on evolutionary thought is supported. Subsequently, a computational experiment is proposed to show that, even in a simple framework, variation processes are required. Findings The paper shows that two processes may be required to preserve selforganising systems. This finding indicates that variation and selection processes, related to evolutionary thought, are necessary for managers to deal with complex systems interacting with complex environments. Finally, it is shown that, even in simple computational environments, variation may be required. Research limitationsimplications The paper is the first part of an ongoing research agenda on the subject of heuristicbased management and only refers to variation processes. Originalityvalue The paper links complex systems theories to evolutionary thought. It also relates principles of cybernetics to those of game theory. The proposal has been formalized based on these relations, and has been called heuristicbased management. Principles first developed in information theory, organisational cybernetics, and evolutionary thought are used so that a complex system can be effective when interacting with a complex environment.