This paper investigates the necessity of structures to control processes. Although structures help to understand the complexity of a system, a rigid confinement to structures may prevent new developments from happening. The various possibilities for controlling processes are elaborated. It is shown that the possibilities for controlling depend on the following characteristics of the system components: (1) the intelligence of the components; and (2) the nature and frequency of interactions between the various components. The possibilities for applying control strategies are shown using the example of traffic control in a network. As this process can be characterised as self-organising, the possibilities for applying control strategies are limited to three options: (i) supporting the self-organising character of the system; (ii) curtailing the intelligence and complexity of the system; and (iii) modification of the ambitions towards control.
Abstract