Text 2.  Cybernetics and Management

Cybernetics reveals numerous interesting and suggestive parallels between machine, brain and society. Interest in the new science was indeed spreading beyond engineers and physiologists to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists. In 1959 Stafford Beer published “Cybernetics and Management” and then, in 1961, J.W. Forrester’s “Industrial Dynamics” appeared. As a result the list of those interested began to include management scientists and managers. The names of Beer and Forrester continue to dominate management cybernetics to this day. Beer was the first to apply cybernetics to management in any comprehensive fashion (in his book “Cybernetics and Management”), defining management as the science and profession of control. He also offered a new definition of cybernetics as the “science of effective organization”. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s Beer was a prolific writer and an influential practitioner. It was during this period that his model of any viable system (the VSM) was developed. This could be used to diagnose the faults in any existing organizational system or to design new systems along sound cybernetic lines. Forrester invented system dynamics, which held out the promise that the behaviour of whole systems could be represented and understood through modelling the dynamic feedback processes going on within them. Forrester’s work found a great range of applications, from the study of industrial to urban to world dynamics. Using system dynamics models, decision makers can experiment with possible changes to variables to see what effect this has on overall system behaviour.

According to Beer, systems which are worthy of being suitable subjects of concern for cybernetics (as opposed to statistics, operational research, etc.) are likely to demonstrate the characteristics of extreme complexity, self-regulation and probabilism. Cybernetics provides a way of analyzing each of these characteristics and tools to enable managers to cope. Simplifying considerably (since in fact the cybernetic tools represent an interrelated response to the characteristics of cybernetic systems), extreme complexity can be dealt with using the black box technique, self-regulation can be appropriately managed using negative feedback and probabilism yields to the method of variety engineering. It is these three building blocks of cybernetic management, that we shall consider further.

 

Exercise 11. Answer the questions on text 2.

1. What does cybernetics reveal? 2. When did management scientists become interested in cybernetics? 3. Could you name the establishers and their works in management cybernetics? 4. What definition of cybernetics was offered by S. Beer? 5. What did S. Beer develop? 6. What did S.W. Forrester invent? 7. What is system dynamics? 8. What does cybernetics provide managers with?

 

Exercise 12. Translate into English.

Велика кількість запропонованих паралелей; мозок; поширюватись поміж політологів; давати визначення як науці; протягом 60-х та на початку 70-х років; широкий спектр застосувань; промислова динаміка; урбаністична модель; той, хто приймає рішення; експериментувати; керувати належним чином; конструктивні блоки/елементи.

 

Exercise 13. Match an occupation in column A and the field of science in column B.

A                                                B         

a) anthropologist	1. Someone whose job is to design, take care or repair equipment, machines, engines etc.
b) psychologist	2. Someone who studies people, their societies, cultures.
c) engineer	3. Someone who studies the way in which the bodies of living things work.
d) physiologist	4. Someone who studies mental process, the mind and how it influences people’s behaviour.
e) sociologist	5. Someone whose job is to manage part or all of a company or other organization, a person who is in charge of business affairs.
f) manager	6. Someone who studies societies and the behaviour of people in groups.

Exercise 14. Examine the “Nominative with the Infinitive” structures. Translate the sentences paying attention to the predicates.

1. Systems are likely to demonstrate the characteristics. 2. The building blocks of cybernetic management are certain to be complex. 3. Cybernetics is sure to provide a way of analyzing. 4. Decision makers are unlikely to experiment with it.

Exercise 15. Translate into English using “Nominative with the Infinitive”.

1. Імена Біра та Форестера неодмінно увійдуть в історію економічної кібернетики. 2. Малоймовірно, що це визначення буде змінено. 3. Напевно будуть спроектовані нові кібернетичні системи. 4. Управління життєздатною системою обов’язково буде вдосконалено. 5. Малоймовірно, що цей метод дає точні прогнози.

 

Exercise 16. Speak on Cybernetics and Management.

 

Exercise 17. Learn the following words and word combinations.

combined outcome	– сукупний результат
determinant	– детермінант, визначальний фактор
attribute	– характерна властивість, ознака
i.e.	– (лат. – id est) – тобто
to specify	– встановлювати, детально описувати
predetermined rules	– завчасно визначені правила
to guide the interaction	– управляти взаємодією
on the face of it	– на перший погляд
alarmingly	– небезпечно, з тривогою
proliferate	– швидко збільшуватись, розповсюджуватись
precise	– точний, визначений
transparent	– прозорий
cause	– причина; спричиняти
reductionist analysis	– аналіз зменшення
reassemble	– збирати знову
input manipulation	– управління вхідною інформацією
output classification	– класифікація вихідних даних
sequence	– наслідок
regularity	– закономірність, систематичність
protocol	– письмове підтвердження чогось, протокол
draw out	– виявляти, продовжувати
random variation	– випадкова зміна
as good as	– однаково що
conduct a program	– виконувати, проводити
overwhelm	– потрясати, приголомшувати
jump to conclusions	– перейти до висновків
such an extent	– в такій мірі
sophistication	– удосконалення
sufficient length of time	– достатній проміжок часу
break down	– розбивати ламати(ся)

 

Exercise 18 . Read, translate and give the gist of text 3.

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