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More than the sum of its parts: An agent-based model of team work

More than the sum of its parts: An agent-based model of team work
More than the sum of its parts: An agent-based model of team work
Studies have consistently shown that team behaviours differ from the sum of their parts, additionally reflecting complex interactions between team members and their environments. Computer simulation using agent-based modeling (ABM) explores how ‘micro’ behaviours affect ‘macro’ processes, and should therefore help elucidate such team behaviour. In ABM, behaviours are determined by bottom-up ‘rules’, enabling us to study how the individual parts affect the whole. Furthermore, time elapses during simulations, so relationships between variables feed back into each other, affecting the outputs. Such models therefore permit the incorporation of random elements which, when combined with this dynamism, enable unpredictable, realistic behaviours to emerge. Seemingly complex animal ‘team’ behaviours, such as foraging, have been simulated successfully, but the simulation of human behaviour and cognition remains in its infancy. Our research addresses this omission by using ABM to simulate team working processes within two large engineering organisations. The project seeks to integrate expertise in organisational psychology, engineering and computer science, to develop this capability and better understand organisations.
Hughes, Helen
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Robinson, Mark
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Crowder, Richard
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Sim, Yee Wai
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Hughes, Helen
7cbaf067-4403-4070-9cf0-12a8f65201aa
Robinson, Mark
0191ef40-12cc-4b4d-9bcd-5547087add95
Crowder, Richard
ddeb646d-cc9e-487b-bd84-e1726d3ac023
Sim, Yee Wai
9a3ed293-5ad7-405d-b553-b7aa8c3fb5cc

Hughes, Helen, Robinson, Mark, Crowder, Richard and Sim, Yee Wai (2009) More than the sum of its parts: An agent-based model of team work. The 14th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. 13 - 16 May 2009.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Other)

Abstract

Studies have consistently shown that team behaviours differ from the sum of their parts, additionally reflecting complex interactions between team members and their environments. Computer simulation using agent-based modeling (ABM) explores how ‘micro’ behaviours affect ‘macro’ processes, and should therefore help elucidate such team behaviour. In ABM, behaviours are determined by bottom-up ‘rules’, enabling us to study how the individual parts affect the whole. Furthermore, time elapses during simulations, so relationships between variables feed back into each other, affecting the outputs. Such models therefore permit the incorporation of random elements which, when combined with this dynamism, enable unpredictable, realistic behaviours to emerge. Seemingly complex animal ‘team’ behaviours, such as foraging, have been simulated successfully, but the simulation of human behaviour and cognition remains in its infancy. Our research addresses this omission by using ABM to simulate team working processes within two large engineering organisations. The project seeks to integrate expertise in organisational psychology, engineering and computer science, to develop this capability and better understand organisations.

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More information

Published date: May 2009
Additional Information: Event Dates: 13-16 May 2009
Venue - Dates: The 14th European Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2009-05-13 - 2009-05-16
Organisations: Agents, Interactions & Complexity

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 267376
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/267376
PURE UUID: 4c96a16c-80a4-46ca-82b4-18bac1e84099

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 May 2009 11:30
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 08:49

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Contributors

Author: Helen Hughes
Author: Mark Robinson
Author: Richard Crowder
Author: Yee Wai Sim

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