Emergent learning behaviour in a simulated organization faced with tasks requiring team effort

Abstract

We conceptualize organizational learning as a result of the collective learning behaviour of knowledge agents in an organization. Each agent provides a range of attributes that may be required to perform organizational tasks. We devised a computational model consisting of three processes to simulate an organization's response to performing repeated tasks: (1) Expert Selection Process for selecting the winner knowledge agent or lead agent; (2) Plan Formation Process for deciding what additional attributes are needed, but not possessed by the winner expert agent, and iteratively selecting further agents with the needed attributes until the task can be accomplished by the combined attributes of the ‘coalition of agents’ so formed; and (3) Capital Modification Process for rewarding participating agents according to the success of their combined organizational performance. We observed the simulated results for different combinations of three levels of task difficulty (requiring, respectively, 5, 10 and, 15 different attributes, each at a sufficient level in the coalition or team to complete the task), and three levels of selection, during plan formation, for knowledge agent performance (the extent to which selection favours knowledge agents with much capital or large strength versus knowledge agents without much capital or large strength). The simulated organization exhibited aspects of both single loop and double loop learning, in repeatedly performing the same task, and ‘learning to perform the task’ with the smallest possible team.

Keywords:

• simulated organizational learning
• coalition
• knowledge market
• multiple-step learning tasks
• single-loop learning
• double-loop learning

Acknowledgements

We express our deep appreciation for the truly insightful, helpful, and thorough reviews, which have helped refine and improve dramatically the quality and readability of this manuscript.