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Agent‐based modelling and simulation: The potential contribution to organizational psychology
Author(s) -
Hughes Helen P. N.,
Clegg Chris W.,
Robinson Mark A.,
Crowder Richard M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of occupational and organizational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0963-1798
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.2012.02053.x
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , field (mathematics) , identification (biology) , psychology , management science , organizational behavior , engineering ethics , data science , knowledge management , computer science , social psychology , engineering , artificial intelligence , ecology , pure mathematics , biology , mathematics
Agent‐based modelling and simulation (ABMS) has been used by researchers from a variety of disciplines to study a range of phenomena. At present, ABMS is vastly underutilized in organizational psychology, yet we believe it offers a range of potential benefits that are currently not well catered for by existing tools. In this paper, we introduce ABMS and explain how it differs from current approaches. We illustrate the potential advantages of the approach through a range of examples and through the identification of opportunities in the field of organizational psychology. We also highlight potential limitations of the ABMS approach, and discuss the circumstances under which it may make a worthwhile contribution. Practitioner Points This paper outlines ABMS and explains how it adds to the existing toolset of the organizational psychologist. Practitioners will find ABMS and this paper particularly useful:• When they are working in high‐risk environments, where getting it wrong is costly. • Where there are practical or ethical difficulties in conducting real‐world research. • Where they want to develop and test more holistic interpretations of complex systems and problems. • Where they wish to examine feedback loops and/or the impact of time on behaviour.