From the prespective of a "classical engineer" and an amatuer modeler of knowledge currently employed in management, I would like to contribute the following real-world (sort-of) conversation that occurred recently between myself (M) and one of my staff (W):

W:  ...So does that mean that I am reporting to J?

M:  No, it means that I need you to communicate with J.

W:   So does that mean that I must ask J's permission before I ...?

M (to self):  {How can I communicate effectively with W?  I will try using to my knowledge modelling technique to distinguish among STIMULATION, CONTROL, MEASUREMENT and REFERENCE message INTENTS.}

M (To W, after drawing a diagram consisting of three adjacent octagons):

The three octagons that I have drawn represent you, J and myself.  Each side of each octagon represents a portal through which messages, represented by RECTANGLES, may pass. The octagons' portals allow communication of messages to pass depending on the actual (OUT) or perceived (IN) INTENT of a particular message, e.g., STIMULATION, CONTROL, MEASUREMENT or REFERENCE. (The portals are labeled SI, SO, CI, CO, MI, MO, RI, RO.)

If you were reporting to J, J would be communicating CONTROLLING messages to you.  She does not have this authority.

If you were asking permission, you would be communicating STIMULATING messages to J and waiting for J to communicate CONTROLLING messages in response (STIMULUS(W)OUT->STIMULUS(J)IN|...| STIMULUS(J)OUT -> CONTROL(W)IN path)*..

I want you to exercise your own discretion without waiting for J to respond.  (Note the discontinuity in intentionality in the path described.)
.
I have requested MEASUREMENT messages from J (STIMULUS(M)OUT->STIMULUS(J)IN|...|MEASUREMENT(J)OUT->MEASUREMENT(M)IN)  that must be based in part on REFERENCE messages from you.  Therefore, you must communicate REFERENCE messages to J (CONTROL(M)OUT->CONTROL(W)IN).

Do you now understand?

*"(X)" indicates the messenger, "->" denotes a message path, "|...|" denotes internal preparation of a message, CAPITALIZED words come from the modelling vocabulary