Author: Assoc. Prof. Xhimi HYSA, Dr. Shefqet SUPARAKU
Affiliation: POLIS University
Abstract
The terms “manager” and “management” are frequently used in the daily communication. Given the universality trait of management, then every type of organization needs managers and man- agement. Principles of management have remained solid over time, and over all organization- al types. Fundamentals are fundamentals; what changes is the organizational mission, strategy, structure, and culture. The latter make the specific vocabulary of a defined organization. Thus, if principles have remained unchanged, what has changed is how managers respond to environ- mental dynamics and complexity in face of uncertainty. While technology, in one side has been showing itself as problem solver, on the other side has created new complexity conditions to deal with. This makes present and future more intriguing, while extends an invitation to managers to reflect through new lens. The importance of management is historically related to the territory. Not only, but the first organizational position where the term “manager” found a place was the city. Thus, the denomination “city manager” brings the institution of management back to the city walls. This paper makes an effort to harmonize together history, present, and future of city man- agement from an interdisciplinary perspective. It aims to reconcile the good management practic- es of the city by reviving the past as a timeframe of Chronos and Aion, exploiting the opportunities of the present from a Cairos time perspective, and imagining the future as a miscellaneous time Chronos-Aion-Cairos. This study considers the city as a viable system (i.e., a living territory) and a service system, able to survive and reproduce itself by being a service provider to its citizens. All these exchanges happen in complex feedback loops as facilitated by artificial intelligence and virtual reality. This metaverse perspective makes the case for “city-verse” and the emergent figure of “city-verse manager”.
Reference:
Allam, Z., Sharifi, A., Bibri, S. E., Jones, D. S., & Krogstie, J. (2022). The Metaverse as a Vir- tual Form of Smart Cities: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Urban Futures. Smart Cities, 5(3), 771–801. MDPI AG. http://dx.doi. org/10.3390/smartcities5030040
Ashby, W. R. (1956). An Introduction to Cybernetics. London: Chapman & Hall Ltd.
Barile, S. (2009). Management Sistemico Vitale: Decidere in contesti complessi. Torino: Giappi- chelli.
Barile, S., & Polese, F. (2010). Smart service systems and viable service systems: Applying systems theory to service science. Service Science, 2(1-2), 21-40.
Barile, S., Bassano, C., Calabrese, M., Confetto, M., Di Nauta, P., Piciocchi, P., Polese, F., Saviano, M., Siano., Siglioccolo, M., & Vollero, A. (2011). Contributions to Theoretical and Practical Advances in Management: A Viable Systems Approach (VSA). Avellino: International Printing Editore.
Beer, S. (1985). Diagnosing the System for Organizations. Chichester: Wiley.
Drucker, P. F. (1974). Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York: Harper & Row. Drucker, P. F. (1999). Management challenges for the 21st century. New York: Harper Business. Fayol, H. (1916). Industrial and General Administration. Paris: Dunod.
Golinelli, G.M. (2010). Viable Systems Approach (VSA): Governing Business Dynamics. Padova: Kluwer (Cedam).
Hysa, X. (2018). Managing group dynamics with the Viable Systems Approach: A study on con- sonance, group cohesiveness, and positive conformity. Beau Bassin: Scholar’s Press.
James, H. (1914). The City Manager Plan, the Latest in American City Government. American Political Science Review, 8(4), 602-613. doi:10.2307/1945258
Kacani, A. (2023). Durrësi Urban: para dhe pas pavarësisë kombëtare. Tiranë: Botimet Nacional. Kavurmaci, E. A., & Eraydin, Z. (2022). CITYBOOK. Ankara: TED University.
Kemec, A. (2022). From reality to virtuality: Re-discussing cities with the concept of the metaverse. International Journal of Management and Accounting, 4(1), 12-20.
Kirwan, C.G., Dobrev, S.V. (2022). “Cities as Convergent Autopoietic Systems”. In: Pardalos, P.M., Rassia, S.T., Tsokas, A. (eds) Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Optimization Tools for Smart Cities. Springer Optimization and Its Applications, vol 186. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84459-2_1
Maturana, H.R., Varela, F.J (1980). Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living. Dordrecht: Reidel Publishing Company.
Mintzberg, H. (2014). Manager l’essentiel : ce que font vraiment les managers ... et ce qu’ils pour- raient faire mieux. Paris: Vuibert.
