Cybernetics, among its more general definitions, is about effective governance of dynamic probabilistic systems. First order cybernetics is concerned with [software] processes governing behavior of such systems. Second order cybernetics is concerned with [software] process defining the context, including observers and actors, within which behaviors of these systems unfold. Together, they define an important branch of the emerging field of software cybernetics, a branch concerned with the theory of software-mediated governance systems and its supporting theories of enterprise command and control (EC2). This paper outlines key elements of an EC2 theory.
Jay S. Bayne