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An Agent-based Simulation Study for Exploring Organizational Adaptation

Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

Bin Hu

Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China bin_hu{at}mail.hust.edu.cn

Yu Zhang

Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA

Catherine Spence

Intel Corporation, USA

Steven B. Hall

Lockheed Martin, USA

Kathleen M. Carley

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Agile enterprises with different organizational structures manifest different organizational behaviors when responding to environmental changes. In this paper, we use a computational model to examine organizational adaptation on four dimensions: Agility, Robustness, Resilience, and Survivability. We analyze the dynamics of organizational adaptation by a simulation study on the interaction between tasks and organization in a sales enterprise. The `what if' analyses in different scenarios show that more flexible communication between employees and less hierarchy level with the suitable centralization can improve organizational adaptation. The developed simulation model supports the exploration of the parametric space that defines alternative organizing processes for the optimal strategy given the specified environmental dynamics.

Key Words: organizational adaptation • agility • robustness • resilience • survivability • simulation

SIMULATION, Vol. 85, No. 6, 397-413 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0037549709105267


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