On cognitive machines in organizations

This thesis is about organizations, cognitive machines and the environment. It relies on the premise that cognitive machines can improve the cognitive abilities of the organization; and it also relies on the proposition that an increase in organization cognition reduces the relative levels of uncertainty and complexity of the environment of the organization. Concerning its contributions, this thesis: (i) Plays an important part by choosing selected technologies of machines and connecting them with the disciplines of cognition and organization theory. (ii) Introduces premises and propositions about organization cognition, cognitive machines and the participation of these machines in organizations. (iii) Presents a methodology of organization design in order to support the choice of strategies that increase the degree of organization cognition. (iv) Presents the design of a framework of cognitive machines. It also introduces analysis of such machines through theories of bounded rationality, economic decision-making and conflict resolution. From the results of the analysis it advocates that such machines can solve or reduce intra-individual and group dysfunctional conflicts which arise from decision-making processes in the organization, and thus they can improve the cognitive abilities of the organization. (v) And provides an industrial case within NEC which comprises practices of organizational learning. This thesis substantially contributes introducing artificial intelligence, processes and structure of future smart factories and human-machine-centric manufacturing organizations

Uma Visão da Empresa Baseada em Habilidades: Contextos Estratégicos e Contingenciais

This paper extends the corporation-based metaphor of the tree by proposing that cognition is the core ability which contributes to nourishing the development of core competencies in the organization. From such an extension, this paper takes a raises the following question: What is the role of cognition in the organization that is in the pursuit of core competencies and sustainable competitive advantage? This paper answers this problem by presenting two perspectives that contribute toward introducing the field of organizational cognition into the domains of the resource-based view and contingency. First, it proposes an ability-based view of the organization through analogies which are most associated with the concepts of the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities of the firm. Second, it proposes a contingency-based view of organizational cognition which is most developed through causal relations and also deductive and inductive reasoning. Grounded in these perspectives, this study sustains the thesis that cognition is a source of controlling environmental uncertainty and, complementarily, cognition contributes toward creating and sustaining the organization’s competitive advantage

A THEORY OF ORGANIZATIONAL COGNITION:PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS

Organizations and the environment change over time. Not only change their structures and processes of functioning, but also the perspectives that researchers have about them over periods of time. Hence, scientists need to review theories of organizations in order to formulate new solutions to the problems of the present. It is in such a direction of thinking that this paper contributes by introducing new concepts, principles and propositions towards a theory of organizational cognition. It put forwards new perspectives about the organization and the environment, and also about the relations between them through the concept of cognition. From these backgrounds, this research also contributes by presenting the concepts of organizational intelligence and autonomy, hierarchic levels of cognition in organizational systems, along with cognitive definitions and complex models for the organization and the environment

Ability-based view in action: a software corporation study

This research investigates antecedents, developments and consequences of dynamic capabilities in an organization. It contributes by searching theoretical and empirical answers to the questions: (a) What are the antecedents which can provide an organization with dynamic and ordinary capabilities?; (b) How do these antecedents contribute to create capabilities in an organization?; (c) How do they affect an organization's competitive advantage?; (d) Can we assess and measure the antecedents and consequences to an organization? From a first (theoretical) perspective, this paper searches answers to the first, second and third questions by reviewing concepts of an ability-based view of organizations that involves the abilities of cognition, intelligence, autonomy, learning and knowledge management, and which contributes to explain the dynamic behavior of the firm in the pursuit of competitive advantage. From a second (empirical) perspective, this paper reinforces and delivers findings to the second, third and fourth questions by presenting a case study that evidences the ability-based view in action in a software corporation, where it contributes by investigating: (a) the development of organizational capabilities; (b) the effects of the new capabilities on the organization; and (c) the assessment and measurement of the abilities and consequences