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According to the science of cybernetics, which deals with the topic of control in every kind of system (mechanical, electronic, biological, human, economic, and so on), there is a natural law that governs the capacity of a control system to work. It says that the control must be capable of generating as much "variety" as the situation to be controlled.

— Anthony Stafford Beer Management Science (1968)

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More quotes by Anthony Stafford Beer

A stochastic process is about the results of convolving probabilities-which is just what management is about, as well.

Management Science (1968)

The development of the Watt governor for steam engines, which adapted the power output of the engine automatically to the load by means of feedback, consolidated the first Industrial Revolution.

Management Science (1968)

The strategies that managers employ are at least as important as the facilities at their disposal.

Management Science (1968)

A slowly moving queue does not move uniformly. Rather, waves of motion pass down the queue. The frequency and amplitude of these waves is inversely related to the speed at which the queue is served.

Management Science (1968)

There is, then, a logical priority about the arrangements, and logic has nothing to do with time.

Management Science (1968)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Anthony Stafford Beer (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.