Temporal Languages for Simulation and Analysis of the Dynamics within an Organisation

Schut

Cooperative Information Agents VII

2003

Self Cite

For an information-agent-based system to support virtual (Internet-supported) organisations, changes in environmental conditions often demand changes in organisational behaviour, i.e., organisational changes. As organisational behaviour relates to organisational structure, rethinking the structure of an organisation as environmental conditions demand so, renders such an organisation imperatively flexible and adaptive. This paper presents a formal modelling approach for such organisational dynamics. The contributions of the reported research are (1) a formal model as a basis for simulation (2) formal specifications of dynamic properties of organisational behaviour at different aggregation levels, (3) logical interlevel relationships between these properties, (4) a prototype implementation, and (5) simulation and checking results.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organisational Change: Deliberation and Modification

Schut

Cooperative Information Agents VII

2003

Self Cite

“…The methodology presented in this paper is supported by a number of software tools. For example, an editor to specify dynamic properties according to the TTL format [4], a tool for simulation of executable LEADSTO models [5,22], a model checker that verifies interlevel relations between dynamic properties at different aggregation levels [28], and a verification tool that checks whether dynamic properties hold in a given trace [4]. Obviously, for each of these tools various alternatives exist in the literature.…”

Section: Other Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the organisation modelling approaches that have been developed within the agent systems area is the Agent-Group-Role (AGR) approach, introduced in [11], extended with operational semantics in [12], and with a modelling approach for dynamic properties in [20]. A related dynamic modelling framework for specification, analysis and simulation of AGRorganisation models, and supported by a software environment is described in [22]. This dynamic modelling environment allows to:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main goal of this paper is to explore to what extent the AGR approach and the corresponding modelling framework by [22] can be useful for the analysis of complex biological processes from an organisation modelling perspective. To this end, first in Section 2 Ferber and Gutknecht's [11] AGR approach is introduced, with an emphasis on organisational structure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

On the use of organisation modelling techniques to address biological organisation

Bosse

2007

MGS

Self Cite

This paper explores how the dynamics of complex biological processes can be modelled and simulated as an organisation of multiple agents. This modelling perspective identifies organisational structure occurring in complex decentralised processes and handles complexity of the analysis of the dynamics by structuring these dynamics according to an organisational structure. More specifically, dynamic properties at different levels of aggregation in the organisational structure are identified, and related to each other according to the organisational structure. The applicability of this organisational modelling approach to address complexity in biological context is illustrated by two case studies: the organisation of intracellular processes and the organisation of the circulatory system.

“…The group dynamic properties, including the intragroup role interaction properties, and the organisation properties should emerge in the execution, and testing for them can validate the model. In order to make an executable organisation model the dynamical properties need to be chosen from the set of executable dynamical properties EXEDYNPROP ⊆ DYNPROP, for example Executable Temporal Logic [1], or the 'leads to' format presented in [17].…”

Section: Dp(f) Overall Progress Notificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relating Structure and Dynamics in Organisation Models

Multi-Agent-Based Simulation II

2003

Self Cite

To understand how an organisational structure relates to dynamics is an interesting fundamental challenge in the area of social modelling. Specifications of organisational structure usually have a diagrammatic form that abstracts from more detailed dynamics. Dynamic properties of agent systems, on the other hand, are often specified in the form of a set of logical formulae in some temporal language. This paper addresses the question how these two perspectives can be combined in one framework. It is shown how for different aggregation levels within an organisation structure, sets of dynamic properties can be specified. Organisational structure provides a structure of interlevel relationships between these multiple sets of dynamic properties. Thus organisational structure relates to specification of the dynamics of organisational behaviour. As an illustration, for Ferber and Gutknecht's AGR organisation modelling approach it is shown how a foundation can be obtained for integrated specification of both structure and dynamic properties of an organisation.