Automated user-machine interaction is gaining attraction in many applications and services. However, implementing and offering smart automated user-machine interaction services still present technical challenges. According to at least one example embodiment, a dialogue manager is configured to handle multiple dialogue applications independent of the language, the input modalities, or output modalities used. The dialogue manager employs generic semantic representation of user-input data. At a step of a dialogue, the dialogue manager determines whether the user-input data is indicative of a new request or a refinement request based on the generic semantic representation and at least one of a maintained state of the dialogue, general knowledge data representing one or more concepts, and data representing history of the dialogue. The dialogue manager then responds to determined user-request with multi-facet output data to a client dialogue application indicating action(s) to be performed.