[SIGCIS-Members] Cybernetics and Industry

[McMillan, William W]

Hi, Bjorn.

The work in systems analysis of Ben S. Graham, Sr., at Standard Register starting in the 1940s might be relevant.  Strong ties to Taylor and the Glibreths.  Graham explicitly employed cybernetic concepts and worked with the Gilbreths and W. E. Deming.

I can send you some info on this if you'd like.

- Bill

________________________________
From: Members [members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org] on behalf of Bjorn Westergard [bjornw at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2018 6:27 PM
To: members
Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] Cybernetics and Industry

Esteemed SIGCIS members,

Which are the indispensable histories (and/or shorter historical essays) of cybernetics that touch on its social context?

I'm particularly interested in the influence of self-styled cyberneticians on those playing a directive function in private enterprise (industrial/process engineers, managers, etc.) and vice versa.

This question was prompted by a (characteristically!) gnomic remark of Wiener's in The Human Use of Human Beings, in which he appears to be quite fluent in "Taylorist" idiom:

"The notion of programming in the factory had already become familiar through the work of Taylor and the Gilbreths on time study, and was ready to be transferred to the machine. This offered considerable difficulty of detail, but no great difficulty of principle." (p150)

Cheers,
Bjorn