Mental models of management

Abstract

One of the approaches to creating mental models that allow managers to quickly make decisions in complex multi-valued situations is considered. A stratified description of an economic object is used as a means of consistently deepening the detailing of management considerations, as well as a morphological system analysis to clarify the composition of the components, elements and subsystems of an economic object, identify and analyze the interrelations of components, analyze the integrity of the management system, as well as separate its managed and unmanaged features. An original tabular form of representation of such models is proposed, in which elements of five types are defined: a subsystem of the corresponding level; the purpose of the subsystem; the purpose of the study of the subsystem; interrelationships between subsystems; relationships that ensure the movement of the material flow in the economic object. Each element has its own identification number and a textual description of the subsystem, which facilitates the use of models in computer information systems. The model of the first level serves to isolate the object of study from the external environment. In the model of the second level, an external addition of the management control object was made. The third level model displays activity functions for an economic entity and management functions for management. It is noted that already at the fourth level of the study, which represents the tasks solved by functional components, the number of model elements increases significantly. Accordingly, the perception of the model as a mental model is difficult. However, the study of models of the fourth and fifth levels allows managers to better understand the principles of process management of economic objects. The proposed mental models can be used as a basis that provides a systematic approach to the study of problems of managing economic objects at different levels, from a structural unit of an enterprise to a large association or industry.