Authors: Bob Marks; Fabian Held; Ian Wilkinson; Louise Young
Business relations and networks play a central role in the way business and economic systems are organised and function. But their dynamics and evolution have received limited research attention with research focusing more on comparative static, cross section surveys. In order to develop appropriate research based management and policy advice we need a better understanding of how business relations and networks form and evolve. One way to do this is through the development of agent-based simulation models of business relations and networks that allow researchers to systematically explore the nature and impact of different factors on the structure, behaviour and performance that are beyond traditional closed form mathematical solution and which would be impossible in the field. We identify the main mechanisms driving the evolution of business relations and networks and review models from various disciplines that attempt to represent these. This provides the basis for developing a generic simulation platform called the Business Network Agent-Based Modeling System (BNAS).
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Publish Year: 2011
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