International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

A cybernetic insight and methodology of management" particularly dominated by the machine analogy" (M.C. JACKSON, 1992, p.103).

JACKSON explains: "The starting point for the management cybernetic model of the organization is the input-transformation-output schema. This is used to describe the basic operational activities of the enterprise. The goal or purpose of the enterprise is, in management cybernetics, invariably determined outside the system (as with a first-order feedback arrangement). Then, if the operations are to succeed in bringing about the goal, they must, because of inevitable disturbances, be regulated in some way. This regulation is effected by management. Management cybernetics attempts to equip managers with a number of tools that should enable them to regulate operations. Chief among these are the black box technique and the use of feedback to induce self-regulation into organizations. The latter is often supplemented by strategic control, based on feedforward information, and external control. Management cybernetics makes little use of the more complex, observer- dependent notion of variety" (Ibid).

This is the point. Management cybernetics is basically a product of the so-called 1st cybernetics, still basically mechanistic in its outlook. As observed by JACKSON such models "clearly lend themselves to autocratic usage by those who possess power".

However, this type of management should not be confused with S. BEER Viable System Model, much more inspired by von FOERSTER's et al Cybernetics of 2nd order, the "cybernetics of observing systems".