Systems, Resilience, and Organization: Analogies and Points of Contact with Hierarchy Theory

Aim of this paper is to provide preliminary elements for discussion about the implications of the Hierarchy Theory of Evolution on the design and evolution of artificial systems and socio-technical organizations. In order to achieve this goal, a number of analogies are drawn between the System of Leibniz; the socio-technical architecture known as Fractal Social Organization; resilience and related disciplines; and Hierarchy Theory. In so doing we hope to provide elements for reflection and, hopefully, enrich the discussion on the above topics with considerations pertaining to related fields and disciplines, including computer science, management science, cybernetics, social systems, and general systems theory.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of ANTIFRAGILE'17, 4th International Workshop on Computational Antifragility and Antifragile Engineerin

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EVOLUTION OF INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS LOGIC

In higher education, we face a decade in which institutional integrity and legitimacy is under fire. In the words of Charles Dickens, this is certainly \u27the worst of times\u27 both economically and ethically for our nation, as well as for our colleges and universities. While members of higher education call for student academic ethics reform, ethical infractions by institutional leaders and faculty permeate professional literature and news--student loan scandals, charges of plagiarism, and falsified research, are but a few. This study begins with the premise that perhaps our efforts toward reform should focus on a better holistic understanding of system dynamics. The research question driving this study is, \u27How does the interaction of agent work-related ethical beliefs and knowledge, perceived pressures, and institutional agents or entities influence the evolution of institutional ethics logic over time?\u27 Grounded theory methods provided the framework for this study; this research used a complexity leadership and network lens in which to examine a university\u27s ethics logic, as defined by participants. Complexity leadership proposes operating within a framework of mechanism-based theorizing (Uhl-Bien & Marion, in press). The Organizational Risk Analyzer (ORA) assisted coding and analysis of data, and DyNet, a modeling platform, assisted in manipulating data for an understanding of interrelated complexity mechanisms embedded in university ethics logic. Findings incorporate a faculty ethics logic model, as well as a model of dynamical processes of university ethics logic evolution. The evolution model recognizes that: * The leadership process shifts by leader function, context, or structure. * The process underlying network robustness reflects holistic shifts in relationships with the addition or removal of nodes and links, and represents different or new patterns of behavior * The process of agentic correlation shifts as nodal presence or relationships change * The process of information diffusion shifts as network context, structure, or content changes Theoretical, methodological, higher education implications conclude the study

A conceptual system design and managerial complexity competency model

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Complex adaptive systems are usually difficult to design and control. There are several particular methods for coping with complexity, but there is no general approach to build complex adaptive systems. The challenges of designing complex adaptive systems in a highly dynamic world drive the need for anticipatory capacity within engineering organizations, with a goal of enabling the design of systems that can cope with an unpredictable environment. This thesis explores this question of enhancing anticipatory capacity through the study of a complex adaptive system design methodology and complexity management competencies. A general introduction to challenges and issues in complex adaptive systems design is given, since a good understanding of the industrial context is considered necessary in order to avoid oversimplification of the problem, neglecting certain important factors and being unaware of important influences and relationships. In addition, a general introduction to complex thinking is given, since designing complex adaptive systems requires a non-classical thought, while practical notions of complexity theory and design are put forward. Building on these, the research proposes a Complex Systems Life-Cycle Understanding and Design (CXLUD) methodology to aid system architects and engineers in the design and control of complex adaptive systems. Starting from a creative anticipation construct - a loosening mechanism to allow for more options to be considered, the methodology proposes a conceptual framework and a series of stages to follow to find proper mechanisms that will promote elements to desired solutions by actively interacting among themselves. To illustrate the methodology, a financial systemic risks infrastructure systems architecture development case study is presented. The final part of this thesis develops a conceptual model to analyse managerial complexity competency model from a qualitative phenomenological study perspective. The model developed in this research is called Understanding-Perception-Action (UPA) managerial complexity competency model. The results of this competency model can be used to help ease project manager’s transition into complex adaptive projects, as well as serve as a foundation to launch qualitative and quantitative research into this area of project complexity management

Agoric computation: trust and cyber-physical systems

In the past two decades advances in miniaturisation and economies of scale have led to the emergence of billions of connected components that have provided both a spur and a blueprint for the development of smart products acting in specialised environments which are uniquely identifiable, localisable, and capable of autonomy. Adopting the computational perspective of multi-agent systems (MAS) as a technological abstraction married with the engineering perspective of cyber-physical systems (CPS) has provided fertile ground for designing, developing and deploying software applications in smart automated context such as manufacturing, power grids, avionics, healthcare and logistics, capable of being decentralised, intelligent, reconfigurable, modular, flexible, robust, adaptive and responsive. Current agent technologies are, however, ill suited for information-based environments, making it difficult to formalise and implement multiagent systems based on inherently dynamical functional concepts such as trust and reliability, which present special challenges when scaling from small to large systems of agents. To overcome such challenges, it is useful to adopt a unified approach which we term agoric computation, integrating logical, mathematical and programming concepts towards the development of agent-based solutions based on recursive, compositional principles, where smaller systems feed via directed information flows into larger hierarchical systems that define their global environment. Considering information as an integral part of the environment naturally defines a web of operations where components of a systems are wired in some way and each set of inputs and outputs are allowed to carry some value. These operations are stateless abstractions and procedures that act on some stateful cells that cumulate partial information, and it is possible to compose such abstractions into higher-level ones, using a publish-and-subscribe interaction model that keeps track of update messages between abstractions and values in the data. In this thesis we review the logical and mathematical basis of such abstractions and take steps towards the software implementation of agoric modelling as a framework for simulation and verification of the reliability of increasingly complex systems, and report on experimental results related to a few select applications, such as stigmergic interaction in mobile robotics, integrating raw data into agent perceptions, trust and trustworthiness in orchestrated open systems, computing the epistemic cost of trust when reasoning in networks of agents seeded with contradictory information, and trust models for distributed ledgers in the Internet of Things (IoT); and provide a roadmap for future developments of our research

Personality Expression in Body Motion Dynamics:Enactive, Embodied and Complex Systems Perspectives

We explored personality expression through body motion using enactive/complex systems perspectives. We invited 105 adults (aged 18-33, 70% women) to talk for 15-minutes about three self-referencing topics (introduction, bodily perception/sensory life, socio-emotional life). A video frame-by-frame differentiation method provided time-series to perform Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA), extracting four measures (Determinism/Entropy/Laminarity/MeanLine). Multilevel models linked Big-Five traits (IPIP-NEO-120) to embodied dynamics. Neuroticism predicted lower determinism and fluctuating dynamics when talking about bodily perception/sensory life and socioemotional life; less complexity and stability when talking about socioemotional life, and post-task negative affect. Extraversion predicted regular/deterministic dynamics when talking about bodily perception/sensory life. Conscientiousness predicted less deterministic and more variability. Agreeableness predicted low post-task negative affect. The results are discussed integrating enactive/complexity, and personality perspectives

Subjectivity and complexity of facial attractiveness

The origin and meaning of facial beauty represent a longstanding puzzle. Despite the profuse literature devoted to facial attractiveness, its very nature, its determinants and the nature of inter-person differences remain controversial issues. Here we tackle such questions proposing a novel experimental approach in which human subjects, instead of rating natural faces, are allowed to efficiently explore the face-space and 'sculpt' their favorite variation of a reference facial image. The results reveal that different subjects prefer distinguishable regions of the face-space, highlighting the essential subjectivity of the phenomenon.The different sculpted facial vectors exhibit strong correlations among pairs of facial distances, characterising the underlying universality and complexity of the cognitive processes, and the relative relevance and robustness of the different facial distances.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary information: 26 pages, 13 figure

The Complexity of Corruption: Nature and Ethical Suggestions

Corruption is a well-established research topic which increasingly attracts interest, as attested by a growing body of literature. Nevertheless, disagreements persist not only about how to curve it, but even about its definition, causes and consequences. Such a lack of consensus reflects the complexity of the problem, a feature which is often cited but rarely analyzed. This paper aims to fill that gap. In particular, we first address the nature of corruption’s complexity by offering and analyzing an inventory of “generators of complexity” compiled from the available literature. Secondly, our paper draws from the key conclusions of that analysis to shed some light on the complex role played by corporations on corruption. Finally, we suggest that ethical aspects have to be considered in order to clarify many complex dilemmas around corruption and illuminate the corporate role in both domestic and foreign business activity.

Does facial physiognomy in the context of anoccupational safety and health message predict outcomes?

Physiognomy, the practice of looking to another person’s outward facial appearance to unmask the inner character of that person, has had a diverse historical impact within art, medicine, theology, anthropology, law, criminology, political history, psychology, psychiatry, and popular culture, since it was conceptualised in Greece during the 5th and 4th centuries B.C (Physiognomy, 1999-2009, 2009a). Aristotle, the prominent Greek philosopher, penned many chapters on physiognomic properties and touched upon strength/weakness, genius/stupidity, and other trait characteristics and their opposites in so far as such characteristics were associated with facial form (Physiognomy, 2006, 2009b). In more modern times, facial recognition and evaluation of faces is seen as a function of evolution that has significance with regard to approach/avoidance behaviour (Oosterhof & Todorov, 2008). These authors found that evaluation of emotionally neutral faces can be explained by judgements of two traits, facial trustworthiness and facial dominance, and that these traits can be related to the facial expressions for happy and angry, respectively. Evidence from advertising, psychological, and neurobiological experiments show that facial physiognomy, the concept that a person’s character can be revealed from their facial features, influences cognitive and emotional judgements. The belief is that people possess the ability to read the character of another person from facial expressions and facial appearance. People make trait judgements based on facial physiognomy (Highfield, Wiseman, & Jenkins, 2009). The exploration of facial physiognomy is an ever increasing endeavour, particularly when people make social judgements to infer another person’s ability to harm or the ability to cause harm (Oosterhof & Toderov, 2009; Oosterhof & Todorov, 2008). In this mixed method study, computer software was used to morph the facial physiognomy of an endorser, actor, model or spokesperson as shown in the context of an occupational safety and health promotional message. This study endeavoured to establish to what extent facial presentation, and the evaluation thereof, influences the effectiveness of health promotional images. Five versions of facial physiognomy were explored along trustworthy/untrustworthy and dominant/passive dimensions. The advertising believability scale was utilised as a primary measure of advertisement validity (Beltramini, 1988). For comparison purposes Ohanian’s (1990) source-credibility scale for evaluating endorser attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise was also utilised as a measuring instrument. Endorser dominance was measured with the perceived dominance scale (Manusov, 2005). Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews to analyse the process of endorser selection. Transcribed interviews were coded and thematically analysed. These data were considered particularly useful to inform the creative strategy of marketing professionals in the development of visual domain advertising. Quantitative data was collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire designed to measure recall of a safety message, agreement with the message, the likelihood of practicing the behaviours presented in the message, and belief of the information presented in the message. Quantitative data were analysed utilising descriptive statistics, advanced parametric statistics, tables, figures and graphs. Data from both qualitative and quantitative sources were compared and interpreted as a whole; juxtaposed against underlying theory. This study contributes new knowledge to occupational safety and health promotion by examining endorser facial graphics in creative artwork and gauging messages effectiveness in light of the facial representation. The research has utility for academics, advertising, marketing, health promotion, and occupational safety and health practitioners involved in the development of promotional materials through evidence-based practices, endorser selection, image enhancement, and advertising awareness. An original and significant contribution will be made to the occupational safety and health literature