Agent-based Modeling and Simulation as an Alternative for the Study of Business Organizations
Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Estudiante de Ingeniería Industrial
email: kdcepedas@correo.udistrital.edu.co
Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Estudiante de Ingeniería Industrial
email: kdcepedas@correo.udistrital.edu.co
Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Doctor en Ciencias de la Dirección, profesor asociado
email: kdcepedas@correo.udistrital.edu.co
Introduction: The article arises from the research Agent-based modeling and simulation as an alternative for the study of business organizations, conducted during 2016 at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. The authors summarize the most outstanding literature published on the modeling and simulation of complex systems throughout history, particularly agent-based models, in order to form an opinion on their possible contributions to management research.
Method: We analyzed the information collected from scientific articles in ProQuest and Scopus databases from 1990 to date, including key concepts of modeling and simulation, based on agents described in some books.
Results: Traditional approaches, characterized by the use of statistics and classical mathematics, are not relevant to model organizations because of their deterministic and reductionist view. Therefore, an alternative approach is presented for the study of organizations that are found in the modeling and simulation techniques of the sciences of complexity, whose purpose is to study systems characterized by emerging behaviors.
Conclusions: Despite its low popularity, the implementation of these alternatives cannot only benefit organizations, but can also contribute to the creation of guidelines for greater appropriation of simulation models for organizations.
P. Allen, S. Maguire & B. McKelvey, The Sage Hand-book of Complexity and Management, Sage Publica-tions Ltd., Londres, 2011.
E. Mitleton-Kelly, Complex systems and evolution-ary perspectives on organisations. The application of complexity theory to organisations, London School of Economics, Londres, 2003.
J. R. Harrison, L. Zhiang, G. R. Carroll & K. M. Carley, “Simulation Modeling in Organizational and Man-agement Research”, Academy Of Management Re-view, vol. 32, n.º 4, pp. 1229-1245, 2007. Disponible en: doi: 10.5465/AMR.2007.26586485
C. Gershenson, “The Implications of Interactions for Science and Philosophy”, Foundations of Science, vol. 18, nº 4, pp. 781-790, 2011. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10699-012-9305-8
C. Maldonado & N. Gómez, El mundo de las ciencias de la complejidad. Una investigación sobre qué son, su desarrollo y posibilidades, Bogotá, Universidad del Rosario, 2011, pp. 48-74. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4543.5286
J. R. Harrison & G. R. Carroll, Culture and demography in organizations, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2006, pp. 166-167
L. E. Bohorquez & J. Posada, “Design of a Model of Emerging Joint Actions in Human Social Sys-tems based on the Interaction between Agents”, en Workshop on Engineering Applications: Internation-al Congress on Engineering (wea), Bogotá, oct. 28-30, 2015, pp. 1-6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/WEA.2015.7370140
N. Siggelkow & D. Levinthal, “Temporarily Divide to Conquer: Centralized, Decentralized, and Rein-tegrated Organizational Approaches to Exploration and Adaptation”, Organization Science, vol. 14, n.º6, pp. 650-669, 2003. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.14.6.650.24870
B. Kogut, J. Colomer & M. Belinky, “Structural equality at the top of the corporation: Mandated quotas for women directors”, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 35, nº 6, pp. 891-902, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smj.2123
N. Siggelkow & J. Rivkin, “Speed and Search: Design-ing Organizations for Turbulence and Complexity”, Organization Science, vol. 16, nº 2, pp. 101–122, 2005. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0116
A. Whitehead, Science and the Modern World View, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1925. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3060085
W. S. McCulloch & W. Pitts, “A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity”, Bulletin of mathematical biophysics, vol. 5, n.º 4, pp. 115-133, 1943. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02478259
N. Wiener, Cybernetics: Or, Control and Communi-cation in the Animal and the Machine, Cambridge, mit Press, 1961.
L. von Bertalanffy, General Systems Theory: Founda-tions, Development, Applications, New York, George Braziller, 1968.
J. Pollack, D. Adler & S. Sankaran, “Mapping the field of complexity theory: A computational approach to understanding changes in the field”, Emergence: Complexity and Organization, vol. 16, n.º 2, pp. 74-92, 2014
L. E. Bohórquez & A. Espinosa, “Theoretical ap-proaches to managing complexity in organizations: A comparative analysis”, Estudios Gerenciales, vol. 31, n.º 134, pp. 20-29, 2015. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.estger.2014.10.001
S. Beer, Brain of the firm, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1981.
S. Beer, The heart of enterprise, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1988.
R. Axelrod, The complexity of cooperation: Agent-based models of competition and collaboration, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1997. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0526(199801/02)3:3<46::AID-CPLX6>3.0.CO;2-K
B. Lichtenstein & B. McKelvey, “Complexity science and computational models of emergent order: What’s there? What’s missing?”, en Academy of Management Annual Meeting, New Orleans, la, 2004.
S. Kauffman, Investigations, Oxford, Oxford Univer-sity Press, 2000.
S. Maguire, B. McKelvey, M. Laurent & N. Ôztas, “Complexity science and organization studies”, en The Sage Handbook of Organization Studies, S. Clegg, C. Hardy, T. Lawrence y N. Walter, Eds., Londres, Sage Publications, 2006, pp. 165-214. doi: http://dx-.doi.org/10.4135/9781848608030.n6
D. Helbing, “Globally networked risks and how to respond”, Nature, vol. 497, n.º 7447, pp. 51-59, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12047
D. J. Watts, Seis grados de separación: la ciencia de las redes en la era de acceso, Barcelona, Paidós, 2006.
I. Prigogine & I. Stengers, La nueva alianza: Metamorfosis de la ciencia, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 2002.
C. Emmeche, Vida simulada en el ordenador, Barcelona, Gedisa Editorial, 1998.
D. M. Kreps, A course in microeconomic theory, Princeton, nj, Princeton University Press, 1990. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mde.4090130112
N. Gilbert & K. Troitzsch, Simulación en las Ciencias Sociales, 2a. edición, España, McGraw-Hill, 2006.
R. Axelrod & M. Cohen, Harnessing Complexity, ee.uu., Basic Books, 2000.
R. Axelrod, “Advancing the Art of Simulation in the Social Sciences”, en Handbook of Research on Nature Inspired Computing for Economy and Management, J.P. Hershey, Ed., ee.uu.: Idea Group, 2005, p. 90-100. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0526(199711/12)3:2<16::AID-CPLX4>3.0.CO;2-K
R. Axtell, “Why agents?: on the varied motivations for agent computing in the social sciences”, en Wo r k-shop on Agent Simulation: Applications, Models, and To o l s, C. Macal y D. Sallach, Eds., Chicago, The Uni-versity of Chicago, 2000, pp. 3-24. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0526(199711/12)3:2<16:AID-CPLX4>3.0.CO;2-K
R. M. Burton, “Computational laboratories for or-ganization science: Questions, validity and docking”, Computational & Mathematical Organization Theo-ry, vol. 9, n.º 2, pp. 91-108, 2003. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:CMOT.0000022750.46976.3c
K. J. Cohen & R. M. Cyert, “Simulation of organi-zational behavior”, en Handbook of organizations, J. G. March, Ed., Chicago, Rand McNally, 1965, pp. 305-334.
M. W. Macy & R. Willer, “From factors to actors: Computational sociology and agent-based mod-eling”, Annual review of sociology, vol. 28, pp. 143-166, 2002. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.28.110601.141117
J. M. Epstein & R. Axtell, Growing artificial societies: Social science from the bottom up, Washington, dc,: Brookings Institution, 1996.
K. Kim & S. Cho, “A comprehensive overview of the applications of artificial life”, Artificial Life, vol. 12, n.º 1, pp. 153-182, 2006. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/106454606775186455
C. M. Macal & M. J. North, “Tutorial on agent-based modelling and simulation”, Journal of simulation, vol. 4, n.º 3, pp. 151-162, 2010. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/jos.2010.3
M. D. Cohen, J. G. March & J. P. Olsen, “A garbage can model of organizational choice”, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 17, pp. 1-25, 1972. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2392088
R. M. Cyert & J. G. March, “A behavioral theory of the firm”, en Organizational Behavior 2: Essential Theories of Process and Structure, J. Miner, Ed., Ar-monk, M.E. Sharpe, 1963, pp. 60-77.
R. M. Burton & B. Obel, “A computer simulation test of the M-form hypothesis”, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 25, pp. 457-466, 1980. doi: http://dx-.doi.org/10.2307/2392263
T. W. Malone, “Modeling coordination in orga-nizations and markets”, Management Science, vol. 33, n.º 10, pp. 1317-1332, 1986. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.33.10.1317
M. Masuch & P. LaPotin, “Beyond garbage cans: An AI model of organizational choice”, Administra-tive Science Quarterly, vol. 34, pp. 38-67, 1989. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2392985
J. F. Padgett, “Managing garbage can hierarchies”, Ad-ministrative Science Quarterly, vol. 25, pp. 583-604, 1980. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2392282
J. L. G. V. Medina, “Explicación, mecanismo y simu-lación: otra manera de hacer sociología”, Empiria: Revista de metodología de ciencias sociales, n.º 28, pp. 35-58, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/em-piria.28.2014.12120
N. Gilbert, “Simulation as a Research Strategy”, en Social Science Microsimulation, K. Troitzsch, U. Mueller, N. Gilbert & J. Doran, Eds., Berlín, Springer, 1996, pp. 448-454.
W. S. Kim, “Effects of a trust mechanism on complex adaptive supply networks: An agent-based social simulation study”, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 12, n.º 3, pp. 1-4, 2009. Dis-ponible en: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/12/3/4.html
E. Bonabeau, “Agent-based modeling: Methods and techniques for simulating human systems”, en Pro-ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 99, suppl. 3, pp. 7280-7287, 2002. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.082080899
N. Gilbert, “Computational social science: Agent-based social simulation”, Centre for Research on So-cial Simulation, 2007. Disponible en: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1610/1/fulltext.pdf
C. Nikolai & G. Madey, “Tools of the trade: A survey of various agent based modeling platforms”, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 12, n.º 2, pp. 1-2, 2009. Disponible en: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/12/2/2.html
N. Gilbert & K. Troitzsch, Simulation for the social scientist, Berkshire, McGraw-Hill Education, 2005, pp. 172-197. Disponible en: http://www.modares.ac.ir/uploads/Agr.Oth.Lib.16.pdf
C. Sansores & J. Pavón, “Simulación social basada en agentes. Inteligencia artificial”, Revista Iberoamerica-na de Inteligencia Artificial, vol. 9 n.º 25, pp. 71-78, 2005. Disponible en: http://oai.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=92592509
C. Macal & M. J. North, “Agent-based modeling and simulation”, en Winter simulation conference, Or-lando, fl, ieee, 2009, pp. 86-98. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/WSC.2009.5429318
M. J. North & C. M. Macal, Managing business com-plexity: discovering strategic solutions with agent-based modeling and simulation, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
S. Bandini, S. Manzoni & G. Vizzari, “Agent based modeling and simulation: an informatics perspec-t i v e ”, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simu-lation, vol. 12, n.º 4, pp. 1-4, 2009. Disponible en: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/12/4/4.html
G. Weisbuch & S. T. Ryckebusch, Complex sys-tems dynamics: An introduction to automa-ta networks. Reading, ee.uu., Addison-Wesley/Addison Wesley Longman, 1991. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4822990
J. H. Holland, Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity, ee.uu., Perseus Books, 1995.
C. G. Langton, Artificial life: An Overview, Redwood City, ca, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1989. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1743(199701/02)14:1<78::AID-SRES139>3.0.CO;2-0
G. D. M. Serugendo, M. P. Gleizes & A. Karageorgos, “Self- organisation and emergence in mas: An over-view”, Informatica, vol. 30, n.º 1, pp. 45-54, 2006.
W. B. Arthur, S. N. Durlauf & D. A. Lane (Eds.), The Economy as an Evolving Complex System ii, SFI Stu-dies in the Sciences of Complexity, Reading, ee.uu., Addison-Wesley, 1997.
M. J. North, C. M. Macal, J. S. Aubin, P. Thimmapu-ram, M. Bragen, J. Hahn et al., “Multiscale agent‐ba-sed consumer market modeling”, Complexity, vol. 15, n.º 5, pp. 37-47, 2010. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplx.20304
C. M. Macal, “Emergent structures from trust rela-tionships in supply chains”, en Proceedings of Agent 2004: Conference on Social Dynamics: Interaction, Reflexivity and Emergence, C. Macal, D. Sallach & M. North, Eds., Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, 2004, pp. 743-760.
L. Yin, “Assessing Indirect Spatial Effects of Moun-tain Tourism Development: an Application of Agent-based Spatial Modeling”, Tourism and Regio-nal Science, vol. 37, n.º 3, pp. 257-265, 2007.
A. Chandrasekaran, K. Linderman, F. J. Sting & M. J. Benner, “Managing R&D Project Shifts in High‐Tech Organizations: A Multi‐Method Study”, Pro-duction and Operations Management, vol. 25, n.º 3, pp. 390-416, 2016. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/poms.12410
N. Altay & R. Pal, “Information diffusion among agents: implications for humanitarian operations”, Production and Operations Management, vol. 23, n.o 6, pp. 1015-1027, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/poms.12102
K. D. Miller, B. T. Pentland & S. Choi, “Dynamics of performing and remembering organizational routi-nes”, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 49, n.º 8, pp. 1536-1558, 2012. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2012.01062.x
P. L. Bylund, “Signifying Williamson’s Contribution to the Transaction Cost Approach: An Agent‐Ba-sed Simulation of Coasean Transaction Costs and Specialization”, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 52, n.º 1, pp. 148-174, 2015. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joms.12110
V. A. Aggarwal, N. Siggelkow & H. Singh, “Govern-ing collaborative activity: interdependence and the impact of coordination and exploration”, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 32, n.º 7, pp. 705-730, 2011. doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.1002/smj.900
M. Wheeler, S. Bullock, E. Di Paolo, J. Noble, M. Bedau & P. Husbands, “The view from elsewhere: perspectives on alife modelling”, Artificial Life, vol. 8, n.º 1, pp. 87-100, 2002. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/106454602753694783
K. Mainzer, Thinking in complexity: The computation-al dynamics of matter, mind and making, 5a edición, Berlín, Springer-Verlag, 2007. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-05364-5
Mason[Página de Internet]. Disponible en: http://cs.gmu.edu/~eclab/projects/ mason/
Swarm [Página de Internet]. Disponible en http://www.swarm.org/
Repast [Página de Internet]. Disponible en https://repast.github.io/
Netlogo [Página de Internet]. Disponible en http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/
oris [Página de Internet]. Disponible en http://www.enib.fr/~harrouet/oris.html
Anylogic [Página de Internet]. Disponible en http://www.anylogic.com/features/
Starlogo [Página de Internet]. Disponible en http://education.mit.edu/ portfolio_page/starlogonova/
J. Posada, Diseño de una simulación basada en agen-tes para la auto-organización empresarial, tesis de Maestría en Ingeniería Industrial, Univ. Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá, Colombia, 2016.
W. C.Tsai, “Application of Complexity Science Per-spective on New Business Development: A Case Study of visa Organization”, Journal of International Management Studies, vol. 9, n.º 2, pp. 152-163, 2014.
S. Billinger, N. Stieglitz & T. R. Schumacher, “Search on rugged landscapes: An experimental study”, Or-ganization Science, vol. 25, n.º 1, pp. 93-108, 2013. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2013.0829
H. Pagels, Los sueños de la razón: El ordenador y los nuevos horizontes de las ciencias de la complejidad, Barcelona, Gedisa, 1991.
R. Cameron & S. Sankaran, “Mixed methods re-search design: Well Beyond the Notion of Triangulation”, en Novel Approaches to Organizational Project Management Research, N. Drouin, R. Müller & S. Sankaran, Eds., Copenhague, Copenhagen Business School Press dk, 2013, pp. 383-401.
M. C. Jackson, “Towards coherent pluralism in man-agement science”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 50, nº 1, pp. 12-22, 1999. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3010384
U. Wilensky, “Netlogo ants model”, Center for con-nected learning and computer-based modeling, Evanston, ee.uu., Northwestern University, 1997. Disponible en: http://ccl. northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/Ants.
U. Wilensky & K. Reisman, “Thinking like a wolf, a sheep, or a firefly: Learning biology through con-structing and testing computational theories-an embodied modeling approach”, Cognition and in-struction, vol. 24, n.º 2, pp. 171-209, 2006. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci2402_1
D. Weyns & T. Holvoet, “Model for simultaneous ac-tions in situated multi-agent systems”, en Multiagent System Technologies, M. Schillo, M. Klusch, J. Müller & H. Tianfield, Eds., Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2003, pp. 105-118.
Copyright (c) 2017 Ingeniaría Solidaria
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Cession of rights and ethical commitment
As the author of the article, I declare that is an original unpublished work exclusively created by me, that it has not been submitted for simultaneous evaluation by another publication and that there is no impediment of any kind for concession of the rights provided for in this contract.
In this sense, I am committed to await the result of the evaluation by the journal Ingeniería Solidaría before considering its submission to another medium; in case the response by that publication is positive, additionally, I am committed to respond for any action involving claims, plagiarism or any other kind of claim that could be made by third parties.
At the same time, as the author or co-author, I declare that I am completely in agreement with the conditions presented in this work and that I cede all patrimonial rights, in other words, regarding reproduction, public communication, distribution, dissemination, transformation, making it available and all forms of exploitation of the work using any medium or procedure, during the term of the legal protection of the work and in every country in the world, to the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia Press.