Can tools help unify organization theory? Perspectives on the state
of computational modeling
Computational & Mathematical Organization Theory, 13 (1):
89--111 (2007)DOI: 10.1007/s10588-006-9000-9
Аннотация
Scholars engaged in the study of work group and organizational behavior
are increasingly calling for the use of integrated methods in conducting
research, including the wider adoption of computational models for
generating and testing new theory. Our reviewof the state of modern
computational modeling incorporating social structures reveals steady
increases in the incorporation of dynamic, adaptive, and realistic
behaviors of agents in network settings, yet exposes gaps that must
be addressed in the next generation of organizational simulation
systems. We compare 28 models according to more than two hundred
evaluation criteria, ranging from simple representations of agent
demographic and performance characteristics, to more richly defined
instantiations of behavioral attributes, interaction with non-agent
entities, model flexibility, communication channels, simulation types,
knowledge, transactive memory, task complexity, and resource networks.
Our survey assesses trends across the wide set of criteria, discusses
practical applications, and proposes an agenda for future research
and development.
