A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE CONCEPT OF "WISE HUMANITY OF ORGANIZATION" IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPROACH

Bulgakov A.V.

Moscow City Pedagogical University
Russia, Moscow
e-mail: av_bulgakow@mail.ru

Introduction                                                                                        

The cognitive approach to organizational management is based on the results of numerous studies in the fields of economics, sociology, and psychology [1]. Academician I.V. Prangishvili highlights the particular effectiveness of cognitive modeling in managing weakly structured systems (individuals, groups, organizations, and the interaction systems between them, etc.). The main tool is the construction of cognitive maps—a subjective representation of a spatial picture of the world. The main elements of cognitive maps are the external and internal factors of the organization's existence and the cause-and-effect relationships between them. An example is the placement of the concept of "Wise Humanity of an Organization" into the space of management situations of D. Snowden's Cynefin [13-14].

In a series of articles and conference presentations from 2020 to 2023, we formulated and empirically substantiated the concept of the Wise Humanity of Organization (WHO), and published a monograph [3]. The research was conducted on samples of varying age, social, professional, and ethnic composition. The dynamics of the concept's development are quite obvious: theoretical substantiation of the WHO model, development of diagnostic tools, empirical research, generalization of results, and formulation of the concept's main provisions. The time has come to review the conducted research, incorporating relevant knowledge, theoretical and methodological contributions to the problem. We used the algorithm proposed by E.V. Lozinskaya for the analysis of cognitive literary criticism [8]. It is based on the principle of universalism of the cognitive approach, which assumes that the fundamental mechanisms of human thinking remain unchanged across different cultures and over a fairly long historical period. The main goal of the article is to demonstrate the potential of the WHO concept for overcoming the traps of reflexive management encountered in Russian organizations by correlating WHO indicators and the characteristics of management situations.

The concept of MChO is at the intersection of theories of humanity [2-3], intergroup adaptation in an organization [9], its reflexive management [5; 9; 10; 11], including various concepts of knowledge management [13], and wisdom/stupidity paradigms.

Definition «"reflexive control traps", It is most often used in military affairs as a stratagem in relation to the enemy [5], in forensics as a trap for conducting investigative actions [6], in politics as a system of confrontation between political systems and cultures [12], in training as an opportunity to activate thinking [9], in management as a tool for overcoming resistance to innovation [7], in conflictology as a scheme for resolving conflict relations [10], etc. The most common traps are: distraction, overload, paralysis of actions, exhaustion, deception, split, reassurance, intimidation, provocation, proposal, pressure, etc. [12].

Knowing traps facilitates their recognition, as reflexive control (RC) is defined as a method of conveying specially prepared information to a partner or adversary to incline them to "voluntarily" make a predetermined decision desired by the initiator of the action [5]. Reflexivity refers to the creation of a specific behavioral model in a system seeking control opportunities. RC exploits moral, psychological, and other factors, as well as the personal characteristics of decision makers.

Reflexive management [10] has various definitions, often contradictory in meaning and direction. Academician S. Yu. Glazyev [5] formulates RU in the context of the implementation of the SVO in Ukraine How "«"The imposition of a false image on the enemy with the aim of provoking them into making a decision that is disadvantageous to them. Any deceptive moves, provocations and intrigues, disguises, practical jokes, the creation of false objects (and generally lies in any context) are included in the arsenal of reflexive management methods. Highly moral and respectable, but at the same time naive and inexperienced in the intricacies of systemic confrontation and the stratagems of economic and political competition, leaders are especially susceptible to RM. Measuring partners and subordinates by themselves, they trust them, perceiving them as equally sincere, sincere, and respectable people" [9].

Despite the considerable political pathos, which is quite appropriate for a report at the Valdai Forum, S.Yu. Glazyev defines the essence of what is happening: Russia is forced to wage a struggle to save Humanity. The goals of the SVO must be immersed in this global context. The means for achieving this are proposed. These are the symbols of our Faith and the meanings of "the spiritual culture of humanity as a counterweight to the dark forces of Nazism, racism, and Satanism that drive the political leadership of Western countries."» [Ibid.].

The situation is exacerbated by the perennial methodological question of the feasibility and validity of transferring new psychological knowledge, methodology, and research techniques from one field to another. For example, from politics, education, teaching, or the military to economics. Business itself is now shifting to a new mode—one of "situational modeling," improvisation, and co-creation, while top management is becoming a generalist, working with the entire enterprise and creating unique tools for solving unexpected problems.

Turning to the constructive side of reflexivity is, in essence, the way out of its trap. We have such a source. Let's turn to the works of V.A. Lefebvre, one of the founders of the reflexivity concept in the USSR, Russia, and the USA. The author provides a positive, constructive definition of reflection within the framework of ambivalence: "...the ability of some systems to construct models of themselves and simultaneously see themselves constructing such models" [10]. Lefebvre introduced a number of concepts fundamental to the study of reflexivity: reflexive system, reflexive structure, rank of reflection, reflexive control, etc.

Further development of the ideas of reflexive management of V.E. Lefebvre is found in the works of V.E. Lepsky [9], who, on the basis of philosophical and methodological analysis, identifies the specifics of reflexivity in the management of various types of social systems (economics, politics, education, military sphere, information wars and confrontation, etc.). V.E. Lepsky connects domestic research in the field of reflexive management with Russian culture. V.E. Lepsky proposed three groups reflexive technologies: imitation of reflexive activity, reflexive control, reflexive programming. The scientist attributes the following basic invariant properties to subjects: purposefulness, reflexivity, communicativeness, sociality, and the ability to develop. The author introduces the concept of "active elements" (ACTELs). ACTELS are active elements possessing basic invariant characteristics of subjects, pseudo-subjects, implemented at the substrate level by natural or artificial intelligence, as well as their combinations. In our opinion, AKTEL, due to its ambivalence, can be presented as a tool for escaping the traps of the RU.

We believe it is entirely appropriate to use the term "actel" in the further development of the MChO concept. The key distinction between actel and the traditionally used concept of psychological mechanisms is its specific ambivalence and hybridity. Actel is simultaneously the subject with its own activity, acting simultaneously in real and virtual spaces. In actel, the attribution and subjectivity of a phenomenon, the essential and the active, are congruently combined. An analysis of the concept of psychological mechanism led to the conclusion that it is necessary to turn to the rarely used concepts in psychology of "the converter of the speed and trajectory of a developing psychological phenomenon, the degree of its freedom, speed, trajectory, and certainty of development." In turn, subjectivity as human activity, a person's mastery of their professional life, allows for the obtained results of empirically obtained data on psychological mechanisms to be brought closer to management practice, while knowledge of reflexive management, including overcoming reflexive errors, allows for a meaningful understanding of the relationship between actel and the management situation within the chosen measurement system. Among management concepts, we consider the complementary combination of the concept of MCH and the theory of knowledge management, organizational applications of the theory of complex systems as understood by D. Snowden to be acceptable [14].

The MCH can be visually represented as an ambivalent construct of wisdom and humanity, realized by actors in Cynefin situations in the context of its reflexive management of the organization (see Figure 1). The result of this multi-level interaction is an escape from the RU trap, characteristic of each type of situation. We will use the results of our study on the relationship between the psychological mechanisms of the MHA and Cynefin situations, considering that a psychological mechanism is an attribute of the phenomenon under study.

D. Snowden's typology of organizations is a typology of weakly structured situations based on a specific way of perceiving and understanding an organizational problem. There are five such management situations. Known (order) – situations of a simple order, obvious and unambiguous causes, completely definite and unchangeable consequences. Knowable (orderliness) – a domain of complex situations. The causes and consequences of the situation in the organization have been identified, and a conclusion has been reached: but the connections between them are tangled. Complexity – The field of complex nonlinear systems requires studying configurations that arise from the interaction of a large number of groups and situations. Chaos – an area where there is no connection between cause and effect. The situation is chaotic, turbulent, and defies analysis, creating an impression of "danger" and "discomfort.". Fifth Region –Disorder (uncertainty), A management situation in which group members simultaneously evaluate a problem as the most understandable, one for which they have experience solving it. However, in areas of uncertainty, members of the interacting groups do not agree.

Fig. 1. A model for escaping the traps of reflexive management based on knowledge of the active elements of the activities of the wise humanity of an organization (WHO) in the context of D. Snowden's Cynefin situations

 

Thus, one of the directions of exiting the reflexive trap is a holistic complex of multi-level actors of the MChO, which gives the organization direction and speed of movement from one life situation to another.

 

Studying management situations in the context of the wise humanity of the organization

Let's relate the concept of "actel" to management problem situations and the state of an organization in the context of the Cynefin platform (order, structure, complexity, chaos, and uncertainty). An organization's movement from one management situation to another is defined as any change in management parameters, the dynamics of the transition from one state of the organization itself to another, from one external and internal environment to another. An organization's movement is well-defined. It includes the beginning of the movement, stages, cycles, final and intermediate results, etc. Movement has degrees of freedom, speed, trajectories, and developmental certainty. The dynamics of actels are determined by the criteria of the potentials of the interacting groups of the organization: adaptive, organizational, and motivational.

To determine the relationship between the structure of the MChO actors and the type of management situations of the platform Cynefin in organizations we will put forward a number of assumptions:

1) Attributively, the MCO actors can be differentiated based on the potentials of the interacting groups: adaptive, organizational, and motivational. The contribution of the MCO actors is quantitatively determined as their realization in transmitting and transforming the organization's movement – according to the number of degrees of freedom in terms of the algebra of events, trajectory, and velocity.

2) The dominant element of the ICO is somewhat dependent on the Cynefin platform's management situation type. Knowing the dominant element of the ICO will facilitate forecasting organizational development trends and substantiating HR recommendations.

Results and discussion

To determine the management situation of enterprises, it is advisable to conduct a procedure for expert assessment of the development of organizations using the Cynefin platform or the I.M. Lebedev questionnaire [13]. Let us illustrate this with data from a study of 6 organizations with a total of 216 employees [4].

The degree of freedom of action of the MChO actel

Actels arise from the interaction of at least two groups within an organization, for example, a group of managers and a group of subordinate employees. Applying some of the principles of Boolean algebra, we classify the organization by 1) the simultaneous involvement of the actels of the MChO of both interacting groups (AB); 2) the simultaneous functioning of the actels of the MChO of at least one of the groups (A + B); 3) the simultaneous action of the actels of the MChO of one group, provided that they are not used by the other group (A/B). These levels were calculated based on the concepts of Boolean algebra about the probability of the event Ω – the use of the actels of the MChO between groups with different statuses A and B (see Venn diagrams).

Direction of action of the IChO's actors

The direction of the IMO's activities corresponds to very specific situations in the development of the Cynefin platform organization.

 

In the "Order" situation« Cause-and-effect relationships are clear to the manager. The strengths and weaknesses, as well as the internal potential of the organization, are clearly visible, as is the range of external and internal development factors. For management, it is sufficient to: 1) write clear instructions reflecting optimal working methods; 2) train and supervise personnel; 3) maintain a clear hierarchy of interactions. The manager's work algorithm is to identify, classify the management situation, and act. The dominant factor in the MCO is the motivational potential of groups; it determines the direction and course of the organization's development. Here, measures can be implemented to change (improve) the personnel motivation system.

In the "Orderliness" situation« A manager faces a fundamental challenge: choosing the optimal solution from several possible correct solutions. Therefore, the manager's action algorithm is to identify, analyze, and act. Particular attention is paid to specific knowledge and skills during analysis. A standard solution is ineffective here; a creative approach is required. The organizational potential of groups, meaningfully linked to the organizational identity of employees of all statuses, serves as the core of the management situation. In such a situation, a psychologist acts as a facilitator, proposing a program of activities to develop organizational culture and fill it with missing elements.

In the "Complexity" situation« – a typical management situation in Russian business – causes and effects are uncertain. The multiple interacting elements of the situation are in a complex, nonlinear relationship. There are no standard solutions.

Retrospective analysis of an organization's past development is of no help in predicting the future. The manager's algorithm is to first experiment ("introduce" a trial solution), evaluate the result, determine its effectiveness, operate, "introduce" it again, and so on. The organizational psychologist here is not only a consultant-facilitator, but a professional experimenter, a bearer of new knowledge. The dominant factor in the MChO in a complex management situation is the adaptive potential of the interacting groups, their state of group maladaptation, combined with the high professional motivation of the management group.

In D. Snowden's theory, the connection between cause and effect in a "Chaos" situation is not determined. However, "Chaos" situations receive considerable attention in scientific and practical organizational psychology. For example, this is how consultants at Ecopsy Consulting present the results of their analysis of a modern organization [Ibid.] in the context of reflexive management categories. They conducted a study (surveys, testing, observation, case studies) of professional interactions between employees and managers. Such interactions account for between 73% and 85% of interactions in an organization (A.V. Bulgakov, T.N. Magera, A.Yu. Naumov, V.M. Lebedev, and others). A general trend in modern organizations has been confirmed: not every employee quickly and without hesitation answers who their boss is, as they constantly receive assignments from several managers. The reason is the horizontal connections between departments in companies, which are becoming stronger and more vibrant than within departments, and teams are increasingly being formed at the intersection of functions. It was discovered that at least three organizational structures coexist simultaneously within this company. The very existence of these three structures isn't always obvious to managers and employees. The situation defies analysis and management. It's chaotic. Leaders' behavior is thoughtless, governing based on personal experience and personality traits. Some tighten the screws, while others let the situation slide. Most importantly, there's a lack of understanding that the time when everyone takes orders from a single leader is over. Overall, there's a lack of communicative reflection within management.

Working across layers causes chaos. However, the situation where a task is passed from one employee's immediate supervisor to another is the norm for this Russian company, as it is for many others, especially large ones. Employee surveys have shown that the average manager issues instructions to 30-40 people. In such a network of mutual instructions, no one can say who is truly the one giving the orders.

Managers are no less challenged than employees. No one clearly understands the organization's structure, although everyone is convinced that a certain structure exists. Management is in a state of uncertainty, and this lack of understanding leads to the decision to launch a transformation project with the goal of restoring a rigid structure and classical management.

The habit of managing based on direct subordination and compliance leads managers to become confused when an employee assigned to them on the payroll receives most of their tasks from others and communicates primarily with people in other departments. It was found that the share of openness (openness is communication outside the department) is 70%. These are employees' work contacts that occur outside their department. This situation is normal in today's world, but it's unclear how to manage under such conditions. Conclusion: classic approaches no longer work.

Research in recent years (L. Aksenovskaya, T. Bazarov, A. Bulgakov, A. Kidinov, V. Stroh, and others) shows that even in the most autocratic companies, where managers do not possess the qualities of "antifragility" (N. Talib), and where business transformation is proceeding at such a speed that no manager can withstand the stress and burn out. There is only one alternative: the manager needs to become a mentor for his subordinates, a person who is the bearer of methodology and expert knowledge, and also deeply understands the problems of his team and is engaged in its development, becoming «"A sage with a human face"»

The situation of "Uncertainty" is both somewhat more complex and simpler. It's not chaos, but rather the flickering of a given situation, as D. Snowden described it. The positive aspect here is the very potential of the situation, where a suitable rational kernel can be selected from among the diversity, for example, the elements of the International Organization of Organizations (IHO), capable of evoking a targeted and controlled response to management decisions.

The sequence of switching on the MChO elements to escape the reflexive control trap.

Substantively, such an algorithm can be represented as follows. The triggering actel of the MChO is the maladaptive group states of the interacting groups (or at least the maladaptive state of one of them). The actel enters into the further development of the situation organizational identification. The actel of organizational identification functions ambivalently. It manifests itself in the forms of inversion and mediation. The actel of the MChO conditionally "continues" the process. motivational potential of groups. The motivational potential of groups plays the role of a regulator of the MCH. Differences in the motivational potentials of interacting groups can cause a resonance effect, whereby, by overcoming difficulties caused by the influence of external social factors, the resulting psychological energy of the groups (or one of the groups) is channeled constructively.

Conclusion

A review of a series of original studies aimed at substantiating the concept of ACTE as a cognitive tool for overcoming the pitfalls of reflexive organizational management revealed its essence—an ambivalent connection between the attributive and subjective aspects of the wise humaneness of an organization. Psychological mechanisms constitute the attributive side of the WISDOM; the relationship between WISDOM indicators and the characteristics of management situations constitutes the subjective (substantive) side. Thus, the WISDOM concept allows for the construction of a cognitive map of organizational management through a set of WISDOM actels, aligned with D. Snowden's Cynefin framework.

The study revealed an inverse relationship: simpler management situations correspond to higher-level or dominant IMO actels. Management situations correspond to dominant IMO actels: "Order" – motivation, "Orderliness" – organizational identification, "Complexity" – adaptation. A congruent combination of the concepts of wisdom, humanity, and the Cynefin platform allows for a way out of the traps of RU.

The obtained results are presented in Table 1. The direction of subsequent research is to determine the harmony of the content of the attributive and subjective components of the actels of reflexive management situations, and to build a justified system of measures to optimize the organization in the format of cognitive maps.

Table 1

 

Correlation of management situations of D. Snowden's Cynefin, identified Actels of reflexive management and reflexive Traps

Management situation Cynefin D. Snowden	Aktels	Traps
Order	Motivation	distraction, overload, split, calming
Orderliness	Organizational identification	paralysis of action, exhaustion, deception
Complexity	Adaptation	offer, pressure
Chaos	Not defined	intimidation, provocation
Uncertainty	Corresponds to the dominant view of management entities	All forms of traps

The results of the article can be used as a method for diagnosing an organization.

Literature

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