Abstract
The complexity of systems now under consideration (be they biological, physical, chemical, social, etc), together with the technicalities of experimentation in the real-world and the non-linear nature of system dynamics, means that computational modelling is indispensible in the pursuit of furthering our understanding of complex systems. Agent-based modelling and simulation is rapidly increasing in its popularity, in part due to the increased appreciation of the paradigm by the non-computer science community, but also due to the increase in the usability, sophistication and number of modelling frameworks that use the approach. The Flexible Large-scale Agent-based Modelling Environment (FLAME) is a relatively recent addition to the list. FLAME was designed and developed from the outset to deal with massive simulations, and to ensure that the simulation code is portable across different scales of computing and across different operating systems. In this study, we report our experiences when using FLAME to model the development and propagation of conflict within large multi-partner enterprise system implementations, which acts as an example of a complex dynamical social system. We believe FLAME is an excellent choice for experienced modellers, who will be able to fully harness the capabilities that it has to offer, and also be competent in diagnosing and solving any limitations that are encountered. Conversely, because FLAME requires considerable development of instrumentation tools, along with development of statistical analysis scripts, we believe that it is not suitable for the novice modeller, who may be better suited to using a graphical user interface driven framework until their experience with modelling and competence in programming increases.
Highlights
Over the past two decades, the use of computational approaches to investigate social systems, including organizational and behavioural research has progressed from mere quantitative data analysis to one that complements 5 traditional social science techniques through the use of advanced techniques in modelling and simulation
In order for these ABMs to be successful in performing their role as scientific instruments that act as credible abstrac710 tions of complex social systems, it is crucial that the preferred modelling and simulation framework is able: to realistically represent system structure and dynamics; is modular, so that the ABM can be incrementally updated with new functionality, without the need to re-engineer the entire model; can expand with reference to the hierarchical-scale of the real-world system, e.g., 715 individual team members, to discrete project teams, to the programme-wide network as a whole; and is amenable to a thorough validation and verification process, including stringent statistical analysis of simulation output data
The discussion has focused on the strengths and weaknesses that we identified when using Flexible Large-scale Agent-based Modelling Environment (FLAME) to model the development and propagation of conflict within the social network of large multi-partner enterprise system implementations
Summary
Over the past two decades, the use of computational approaches to investigate social systems, including organizational and behavioural research has progressed from mere quantitative data analysis to one that complements 5 traditional social science techniques through the use of advanced techniques in modelling and simulation. Simulation-based experimental results from 15 a well engineered model are directly related to the level of abstraction and assumptions made during model design and development This provides a firm basis for testing hypotheses on the mechanisms behind social behaviours and dynamics than traditional approaches such as participant observations or action research, where the unseen variables/factors can introduce additional 20 complexity and uncertainty, which limits our ability to translate interpretations of observational/qualitative results to the real-world system. Within this study we have used FLAME to model the development and propagation of conflict within a large multipartner enterprise system implementation This manuscript provides an account of our experiences in using FLAME, 55 with particular reference to a number of it’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to: ABM design; ABM development; constraints due to its underlying technical architecture; and performance. The manuscript is structured as follows: section 2 provides an overview of the major concepts that contribute to the theory behind our study; section 3 discusses the case study; section 4 provides an account of our user experiences when using FLAME to model the case study; section 5 is the discussion section; and section 6 provides our conclusions
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