Decision and Control: The meaning of Operational Research and Management Cybernetics

Front cover
Front flap: Contents
Halftitle
Full title
Colophon
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Part 1: The Nature of Operational Research
1. An Initial Posture
1. How to Neutralize a Revolution
2. Science and Decision
3. The Manager and Science
4. The Degradation of Science
2. On Fixing Belief
1. The Method of Tenacity
2. The Method of Authority
3. The Method of Apriority
4. The Method of Science
3. Some Dangerous Precedents
1. A History of Contemporary Relevance
2. The Strategic Issue
3. A Famous Tactical OR Problem
4. The Wedged Bear
1. The First Tightness: Stereotyped Scientists
2. The Second Tightness: Stereotyped Problems
3. The Third Tightness: Stereotyped Science
4. The Fourth Tightness: Stereotyped Solutions
5. The Fifth Tightness: Stereotyped Pay-off
6. The Sixth Tightness: Stereotyped Success
5. The New Look
1. Whichsoever and Whysoever
2. A Modern Industrial OR Problem
3. Final Appearance of the Wedged Bear
4. Humpty Dumpty Rides Again
Part 2: The Activity of Operational Research
6. About Models
1. 'Too Many Variables'
2. Experiments with Experience
3. Some Terms Explained
4. The Homomorphic Model
7. Models in Aspic
1. Reflections on Models
2. Applications: An Early Operational Model
3. Applications: A Recent Operational Model
4. Applications: A Formal Homomorphic Model
8. The Formal Languages
1. The Formal Language of Quantity
2. The Formal Language of Probability
3. The Formal Language of Quality
9. A Walk in the Ramified System
1. The Building-Block of Planned Chance
2. Controlled Dispersion
3. Controlled Convergence
4. Controlled Hierarchy
10. Apollo's Gift
1. The Archetectonics of Planned Chance
2. Decision Theory
(a) Geometric approach
(b) Statistical approach
(c) Algebraic approach
3. Against Scientific Impetuosity
(a) The mathematical difficulty—and value theory
(b) The methodological difficulty—homomorphs again
(c) The pragmatic difficulty—better versus best
4. Heuristic Forecasting
Part 3: The Relevance of Cybernetics
11. About Systems
1. The Rudiments of System
2. The Proliferation of Variety
(a) A collection of dissimilars
(b) A collection of partial-similars
(c) An assemblage of dissimilars
(d) A systematic assemblage of dissimilars
(e) A dynamic system
(f) The logarithmic measure
3. Introducing Cybernetics
4. The Paramouncy of Self-Regulation
12. Coping with Complexity
1. The Relatively Isolated System
2. The Laws of Variety
3. Environmental Disturbance
4. The Variety Sponge
13. Controlling Operations
1. Implicit Control
2. A Cybernetic Critique of Orthodox Practice
3. Creating a Cybernetic Model
4. Some Practical Points
(a) Creating a black box control unit
(b) The effort involved
(c) Production control
(d) Costing
(e) Management control
14. Self-Organizing Systems
1. Structure and Maturity: The Ecosystem
2. The Nature of Self-Organization
3. Learning to be what One is
4. Adaptation and Evolution: The Teleology of Development
15. Controlling Enterprises
1. Laissez-faire and Direction
2. The Cybernetic Solution
3. The Structure of Institutional Information
4. The Structure of Institutional Organization
Part 4: Outcomes
16. The Outcome for Industry
1. OR and the Firm
2. Modelling the Total System
3. Resolving the Sub-system
4. The Question of Structure
17. Information and Automation
1. Reorienting Towards Management
2. Reorienting Towards the Computer
3. Reorienting Towards Automation
4. The Art of the Possible
18. The Outcome for Covernment
1. The Law and the Profits
2. The State and Polystability
3. Systemic Studies of National Problems
4. Control of a Decision
19. The Outcome for Management Science
1. The Organization of Management Science
2. Education and Training for Management Science
3. The Place of Management Science in the Enterprise
4. Training the Manger to Use Management Science
20. On Practicability
1. Quis Custodiet Custodes?
2. Finding a Metric
3. The Measure of Value Judgment
4. A Philosophical Model
Index
Back flap: About the Author
Back cover: What the Reviews Have Said