Service Science and Automation Laws

The purpose of this chapter is to define a scope of service science and service automation in service economy based on ideal generic service systems originally developed by the author. There are two goals of this study: 1) to develop generic service categories and their generic systems, and 2) to define a scope of service science based upon the presented generic models of service systems, which determine the required support from emerging system science. The research methodology is based on the architectural modeling according the paradigm of enterprise-wide systems (Targowski, 2003). The architectural system approach is based on the philosophy of the system approach (Klir, 1985), and management cybernetics (Beer, 1981) which provide comprehensive and cohesive solutions to the problems of systems design, thus eliminating the fuziveness of the “application portfolio” and the “information archipelago” (McFarlan, 1981; Targowski, 1990). The mission of the architectural system approach is to find the ultimate synthesis of the whole system structure that involves appropriate logic, appropriate technological accommodation, operational quality, a positive user involvement, and co-existence with nature (Targowski, 1990). In its nature, the architectural system approach is of deductive rather than inductive nature. It looks for the ideal model of a solution, which in practice is far away from its perfect level. The difference between the architectural system approach and the engineering approach is in the level of abstraction. The architectural models are more conceptual whereas engineering outcomes are more technical and specific. The architectural system approach is the response to the complexity of expected outcomes. Prior to spending a few million dollars for a new information system, one must provide its information architecture and the business and social implications associated with it (Targowski, 2003). In this sense, this study will define service systems’ architectures.

(B) Liberating the Past from the Future

The purpose of this chapter is to define intrinsic values of information-communication processes in human development. The development of civilization depends upon the accumulation of wisdom, knowledge and cultural and infrastructural gain. Man is prouder of his heritage than of that which he can eventually achieve in the future. The future is often the threat of the imminent unknown, something that can destroy our stability, qualifications and position within society. On the other hand, the “future” is also the hope of the desperate for a better life.

Civilization Market Integration

The purpose of this chapter is to define the dynamics of the economic infrastructure, which supports any civilization and defines the modus operandi of the world civilization in the 21st century and third millennium. This chapter especially addresses the economic roles of two countries/civilizations: Will the Chinese economy, as many suggest, continue its strong economic advance under its system of “authoritarian capitalism” and surpass in size that of the United States and its economically integrated partners (currently NAFTA), or will China convulse and stagnate? This chapter explores the scenario that the United States will see its destiny at the heart of a free trade area of the Atlantic with an economy significantly greater than China’s and with an even larger population. China will remain the dominant Asian economy, but it will do so independently, not as part of a regional economic union. The future of capitalism is also addressed. What kind of capitalism or other economic system must be applied in order to keep the world population within the threshold of the Ecosystem? The answer to this question will determine the future of civilization.

The Electronic Global Village

The purpose of this chapter is to define the architecture of information-communication systems which play key roles in the development of the Electronic Global Village (EGV) as the metaphoric mechanism for the implementation of the Information Wave.

Information and Organization

The purpose of this chapter is to define information, mainly in terms of cognition units, and also to find out its other perspectives and images. Once we understand information, it becomes possible to define its role in an organization, particularly at the level of information systems. The issue of how more complex information systems may advance an organization to higher levels of structure (configuration) will be investigated. Modern complex organization is still very recent, about 50 years old, but can already be perceived to have some evolutionary phases. Finally, the transformation from the industrial to the informated model of an enterprise is described and both models are compared, with some conclusions about meaning for civilization’s well-being.

Will Wisdom Save the Human Project?

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate whether we humans are wise enough to save our civilization from threats of internal conflicts and natural (even cosmic) disasters. Humans have gained wisdom through life experience and philosophical investigations for the last 2,600 years. In this investigation, we would like to find out whether philosophy can be helpful in finding the wisest strategic solution, which would sustain civilization forever. If the current state of philosophy cannot do it, it will be necessary to offer a new philosophy which could undertake this task, particularly in these times when other social sciences are aware of our civilization crisis and have influenced the formation of many research foundations and centers which aim at the more harmonious development of civilization.

The Information Architecture of the Universe

For years, the construction of the universe has occupied the best minds of theologians and scientists. The first modern breakthrough was made by Copernicus about 500 years ago. Later, in the 20th century, contributions were made with the bold theories developed by Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Roger Penrose, Stephen Hawking, and others. Science continues to discover the great mystery of the universe and life. But the more we know about this subject, the worse our outlook may be on the fate of humankind. The magnitude of the universe and our own smallness are in such contrast that it seems we are in a hopeless situation, even if you take into account only life’s perspective on the earth. However, the study of the universe may bring some unexpected surprises and humankind may after all have a future, particularly if we decipher the mystery by whom and how the universe was developed. This study has assumed the position of considering intelligent design in the origin of the universe, but with the addition of proposing that any existence of intelligent design would suggest corollary problems that must be scientifically testable.

The Future of Civilization

The purpose of this chapter is the investigation whether human civilization has much of a future on the Earth. This investigation is partially based upon research by members of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (Krakow), conducted in 1998-2002. The discoveries and applications of technology which led to our civilization are impressive. Archaeology and history teach us about it. However, in the Age of information-communication technology, it is apparent that technology may no longer merely support civilization but conquer it. In the past, civilization’s progress was slow. Centuries elapsed with no events meaningful to modern questions. Nowadays, civilization faces an impact from technology so tremendous as to disturb the fragile equilibrium between humans and the ecosystem. This raises many questions in respect of the future of civilization and its ability to survive despite many threats. Therefore, it is worthy to reflect on its future and duration. Can or even must it vanish due to the inevitable end of the solar system? In the short run, let us look at current problems of civilization, a very complex system composed of three components (Figure 17-1): • Human entities • Culture • Infrastructure The development of human civilization, as defined in this study1, has been proceeding as long as humans have lived in organized societies in favorable environments. According to accepted estimates, hominids began to live in the Earth about 6-5 million years ago. The development of more skillful mankind began about 200,000- 150,000 years ago, when modern man, Homo sapiens, was living in South-Eastern Africa2. From this location, Homo sapiens began to move to: South-Western Asia (50,000 years ago), Australia (50,000), Europe (40,000), New Guinea (40,000), Siberia (25,000), and North America (12,000) (Burenhult, 2003a). Modern men began to be more social first as hunter-gatherers, then when the Ice Age ended (-10,000) as farmers and town-dwellers (-9,000). Recorded historic civilization is about 6,000 years old (Burenhult, 2003b) and is associated with the rise of Mesopotamian civilization (includes Sumerian and Semitic people) (4,000 B.C.), followed by Egyptian (3,100 B.C.), Indus (2,500 B.C.), Sinic (1,500 B.C.), and so forth. At the beginning of the 21st century, humans (applying electronic information-communication tools based on unlimited memories and on friendly graphic user interfaces that require huge memories and processing speed) improve their symbols processing capability as humans were 60,000 years ago, when language was formed and decided about human socialization and organization through the rapid development of brain/mind as Homo verbalis2. The next leap took place in about 4,000 B.C. when Homo scriba applied INFOCO- 2 (manuscripts). Nowadays, we deal with the information-communication revolution or INFOCO revolution (Homo electronicus), which is the next challenge for civilization. It leads to the faster development of knowledge and wisdom; on the other hand, it may support projects which may first conquer and later destroy civilization. Does civilization, as a short cosmologic instance, have any chance of survival? Let us reflect on this possibility in the next sections.

Asymmetric Communication

This chapter defines a framework for the crosscultural communication process, including efficiency and cost. The framework provides some directions for dialogue among civilizations, which is one of the main routes toward creation of the universal civilization. A developed architectural design of the cross-cultural communication process is based on a universal system approach that not only considers the complexities of the various cultural hierarchies and their corresponding communication climates, but also compares and quantifies the cultural-specific attributes with the intention of increasing efficiency levels in crosscultural communication. The attributes for two selected cultures (Western-West and Egyptian) are estimated in a normative way using expert opinions, measuring on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 as the best value. Quantifying cultural richness (R), cultural efficiency (?), modified cultural differences (DMC, and cultural ability (B) reflects how a given culture’s strength can overcome cultural differences and enhance its competitive advantage (V). Two components of the culture factor cost, explicit (CE) and implicit (CI), are defined, examined and quantified for the purposes not only of controlling the cost of doing business across cultures, but also to determine the amount of investment needed to overcome cultural differences in a global economy. In this new millennium, global organizations will increasingly focus on the critical value of the cross-cultural communication process, its efficiency, its competence, its cost of doing business. In order to successfully communicate crossculturally, knowledge and understanding of such cultural factors as values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors should be acquired. Because culture is a powerful force that strongly influences communication behavior, culture and communication are inseparably linked. Worldwide, in the last 20 years, countries have experienced a phenomenal growth in international trade and foreign direct investment. Similarly, they have discovered the importance of crosscultural communication. As a result, practitioners and scholars are paying attention to the fact that cultural dimensions influence management practices (Hofstede, 1980; Child, 1981; Triandis, 1982; Adler, 1983; Laurent, 1983; Maruyama, 1984). In recent years, empirical work in the crosscultural arena has focused on the role of culture on employee behavior in communicating within business organizations (Tayeb, 1988). But current 346 Asymmetric Communication work on cross-cultural business communication has paid little attention to either (a) how to adapt these seminal works on general communication to the needs of intercultural business or (b) how to create new models more relevant to cross-cultural business exchanges (Limaye & Victor, 1991, p. 283). There are many focused empirical studies on cross-cultural communication between two specific cultures (e.g., Wong & Hildebrandt, 1983; Halpern, 1983; Victor, 1987; Eiler & Victor, 1988; Varner, 1988; Victor & Danak, 1990), but such results must be arguable when extrapolated across multiple cultures. The prevailing western classical linear and process models of communication (Shannon & Weaver, 1949; Berlo, 1960) neglect the complexity of cross-cultural communication. Targowski and Bowman (1988) developed a layer-based pragmatic communication process model which covered more variables than any previous model and indirectly addressed the role of cultural factors among their layer-based variables. In a similar manner, the channel ratio model for intercultural communication developed by Haworth and Savage (1989) has also failed to account completely for the multiple communication variables in cross-cultural environments. So far, there is no adequate model that can explain the cross-cultural communication process and efficiency, let alone estimate the cost of doing business with other cultures worldwide.

Information Societies

The purpose of this chapter is to define the evolution and key indicators of the information society that is being triggered by the Information Wave of the last 25 years. Several types of the information society from the point of view of information-communication technology (ICT) will be reviewed and their developmental paths will be defined. The fast development of the global economy based on information-communication technology (ICT) is supported by the information society, because without this technology it would be rather impossible to perceive information society. Depending on the different levels of a given country’s development, the information society has different levels of complexity and influence on the global economy and vice versa. Hence, it is important to recognize the information society’s different trends of development and their solutions and internal and external consequences. A question appears whether the information society is a new tool of thought or a new way of life. The answer to this question is provided in this chapter.