arXiv subjects

S. F. M. van Vlijmen

Publications and source records attributed to S. F. M. van Vlijmen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Some hypotheses on how chatbots work in problem-solution-driven conversations: Large Language Models as confirmation of the Innovation Illusion

We discuss the nature of chatbots as conversation partners in problem-solving conversations. What can chatbots do and what can't they do? Our analysis draws on insights from Aggregation Dynamics, Cognitive Linguistics, Neuropsychology and Psychology. We establish that chatbots are multifaceted and composite systems. Our argument focuses on basic chatbots in the hope of thereby making statements about the core functionality of more advanced chatbots. Basic chatbots are assumed to consist of a Large Language Model (LLM) with a simple interface. The main results of our analysis are: a description of human imagination, understanding and thinking based on so-called metaphorical problem propagations; that the texts in text datasets used for training LLMs have specific characteristics and that these texts only partially imitate human thinking and understanding; that the LLM training process encodes artificial metaphorical problem propagations into an LLM from these text datasets. Our conclusions are that a basic chatbot cannot be a thinking partner capable of matching the cognitive flexibility of humans, and that further development of LLMs will not lead to this either. But chatbots exist, they are being used on a massive scale, by both individuals and organisations. It is therefore socially and politically important to understand them. Our article aims to contribute to the discussion on the functioning, benefits and drawbacks of chatbots. Cognitive Linguistics shows how the use of metaphor is an expression of our thinking. Aggregation Dynamics, is an attempt at a comprehensive systems theory. We believe that the concept of metaphorical problem propagation could provide an interesting addition for both. Chatbots a solution? For what?

cs.AI↗

arXiv2011

Stratified Outsourcing Theory

The terminology of sourcing, outsourcing and insourcing is developed in detail on the basis of the preliminary definitions of outsourcing and insourcing and related activities and competences as given in our three previous papers on business mereology, on the concept of a sourcement, and on outsourcing competence respectively. Besides providing more a detailed semantic analysis we will introduce, explain, and illustrate a number of additional concepts including: principal unit of a sourcement, theme of a sourcement, current sourcement, (un)stable sourcement, and sourcement transformation. A three level terminology is designed: (i) factual level: operational facts that hold for sourcements including histories thereof, (ii) business level: roles and objectives of various parts of the factual level description, thus explaining each partner's business process and business objectives, (iii) contract level: specification of intended facts and intended business models as found at the business level. Orthogonal to these three conceptual levels, are four temporal aspects: history, now (actuality), transformation, and transition. A detailed description of the well-known range of sourcement transformations is given.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2011

Outsourcing Competence

The topic of this paper, competences needed for outsourcing, is organized by first providing a generic competence scheme, which is subsequently instantiated to the area of sourcing and outsourcing. Sourcing and outsourcing are positioned as different areas of activity, neither one of which is subsumed under the other one. It is argued that competences relevant for outsourcing are mainly community based rather than evidence based. Subjective ability and objective ability are distinguished as categories, together making up ability, which are distinct but not necessarily disjoint from competence. Conjectural ability is introduced as a form of subjective ability. A person's competence profile includes competences as well as abilities, including subjective ones. Competence assessment and acquisition as well as the impact of assessed competence on practical work is described. The analysis of competence and ability thus developed is used as standpoint from which to extract a specification of an audience for a theory of outsourcing, yet to be written. Moreover, it allows to formulate requirements for and in preparation of the development of an outsourcing theory. Formulating these requirements is done under the assumption that a person's awareness of a theory of outsourcing is expected to strengthen that person's outsourcing competence profile.

cs.OH↗

arXiv2011

Introducing Sourcements

Sourcing processes are discussed at a high abstraction level. A dedicated terminology is developed concerning general aspects of sourcing. The term sourcement is coined to denote a building block for sourcing. No- tions of allocation, functional architecture and allocational architecture, equilibrium, and configuration are discussed. Limitations of the concept of outsourcing are outlined. This theoretical work is meant to serve as a point of departure for the subsequent development of a detailed theory of sourcing and sourcing transformations, which can be a tool for dealing with practical applica- tions.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2010

Business Mereology: Imaginative Definitions of Insourcing and Outsourcing Transformations

Outsourcing, the passing on of tasks by organizations to other organizations, often including the personnel and means to perform these tasks, has become an important IT-business strategy over the past decades. We investigate imaginative definitions for outsourcing relations and outsourcing transformations. Abstract models of an extreme and unrealistic simplicity are considered in order to investigate possible definitions of outsourcing. Rather than covering all relevant practical cases an imaginative definition of a concept provides obvious cases of its instantiation from which more refined or liberal definitions may be derived. A definition of outsourcing induces to a complementary definition of insourcing. Outsourcing and insourcing have more complex variations in which multiple parties are involved. All of these terms both refer to state transformations and to state descriptions pertaining to the state obtained after such transformations. We make an attempt to disambiguate the terminology in that respect and we make an attempt to characterize the general concept of sourcing which captures some representative cases. Because mereology is the most general theory of parthood relations we coin business mereology as the general theory in business studies which concerns the full variety of sourcing relations and transformations.

cs.SE↗