You may be wondering why Superdemocracy — the art of corporate governance — is included in 21st-century Phi network magazine. The answer is that the 21st century is being built on “soft” sciences.

In computer technology, the hardware is the least of it nowadays. Software rules the technological roost and has since Bill Gates made Microsoft the most successful company in the world.

Software is deferred design, and so complex are the tasks computers perform now, much of the design is deferred to the user’s choice — a good example of Superdemocracy at work.

Similarly, in corporate governance and the adminstration of nation states, decision-making is becoming more complex in an increasingly technical world. Politicians and civil servants no longer have the skills and knowledge to take most modern decisions. They still do, of course, and make an unholy mess of almost everything they touch.

In Britain, we’re informed that a government-ordered computer system for the National Health Service is unlikely ever to work. Some £20 billion ($38bn) has been spent on it. Other expensive systems for the Farming and Environmental department and the Passport Office have all been flops.

Soft technology skills are vital in the 21st century if anything is to work. The art of government and corporate governance are prime examples. Superdemocracy is the supreme science that must be learned by our masters if we are to compete against the newly resurgent developing nations.

Of course, delegation has always been important to efficient working. But refined delegation to the the point of maximum competence is an art yet to be mastered by most administrators.