Managing complex adaptive systems: A resource/agent qualitative modelling perspective

Rossen Kazakov, Susan Howick and Alec Morton

European Journal of Operational Research, 2021, vol. 290, issue 1, 386-400

Abstract: Complex adaptive systems are systems where those managing the system, the agents, interact with other competing agents and key resources available to the system. The behaviour of the agents and the resources are constantly changing over time thus resulting in complex systems of evolving problem configurations. Managing such a system can be very challenging, particularly when attempting to manage rather than simplify complexity. One particular problem is the need to take a comprehensive perspective of the complex system in order to manage it effectively. Resource structure and agent behaviour are interdependent and both interconnected components need to be considered in order to support optimal decision making. Due to the lack of an appropriate technique in the literature to achieve a comprehensive qualitative appreciation of resource/agent complex adaptive system behaviour, this paper describes the development of a novel qualitative modelling tool, a Resource/Agent Map, that aims to map and analyse both resources and agents interactive behaviour. We show how this modelling tool can help achieve a holistic appreciation of the resource/agent perspectives and generate scenario alternatives to inform policy decision making in respect to system management and regulation. A pharmaceutical example is used to demonstrate the modelling tool.

Keywords: Behavioural OR; Complex Adaptive Systems; System Dynamics; Agent based modelling; Problem Structuring Methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221720306986
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:290:y:2021:i:1:p:386-400

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2020.08.007

Access Statistics for this article

European Journal of Operational Research is currently edited by Roman Slowinski, Jesus Artalejo, Jean-Charles. Billaut, Robert Dyson and Lorenzo Peccati

More articles in European Journal of Operational Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().