Computational Models of Human Organizational Dynamics
Abstract
Our technology is intended to support organizations as they gather information, build/refine models, and plan; flirther, it is intended to do so in situ (i.e., in support of ongoing operations). Users develop computational models of the physical and social situations they face, models that incorporate themselves; planning is the process of conducting experimental tests of alternative action programs for oneself via simulation of the overall physical and social system. But modeling is in service to effective action, not an end in itself. Hence we need a method to guide users so that they employ the organizational mapping, modeling, and analysis technologies most effectively given the particular context of use. We call the methodology we have developed "Planning by Analysis". Planning by Analysis is used to decide, how to distribute the attention of the organization among the tasks of planning, information-gathering, modeling, and behaving (executing plans). The method stipulates that users revise their models in an anomaly-directed way. In essence, the occurrence of anomalies, as well as their specific content, offers the data used to decide whether the organization should revise the kind and amount of attention it is paying to planning and execution versus to improving its understanding, in the hope of improved planning and action at a later time. A decision-analytic version of this method can be developed by formally expressing the tradeoff between the options of acting now according to the best current plan, versus improving understanding now and then planning and acting later (under superior understanding). Within the latter option there are sub-options in the form of different combinations of information-gathering and modeling actions. We also developed an information-operations variant of the non-combatant evacuation operation that we have developed to illustrate and test our technology. It introduces an important class of anomalies. Finally, we interview c
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 31, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA376562
Entities
People
- Gregg Courand
- Michael Fehling