An agent-based model of entrepreneurship

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham D. Newell ◽  
Matthew J. Holian
Keyword(s):  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Market Process ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Product Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Entrepreneurial Alertness ◽  
Entrepreneurship Theory ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an agent-based model that highlights the role of entrepreneurship in the market process. Design/methodology/approach The authors explore the effect of entrepreneurial alertness and transaction costs on two normative standards: the speed of price equilibration and the level of product diversity. Findings Both higher alertness and lower transaction costs lead to faster equilibration, as expected. High alertness contributes to high product diversity, also as expected. However, and counter-intuitively, lower transaction costs actually leads to lower levels of product diversity, as markets equilibrate before entrepreneurs can discover many new products. Originality/value The analysis provides new insight into entrepreneurship theory and policy.

scholarly journals Exploring the effectiveness of a COVID-19 contact tracing app using an agent-based model

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Almagor ◽  
Stefano Picascia
Keyword(s):  
High Rate ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
User Rate

AbstractA contact-tracing strategy has been deemed necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 following the relaxation of lockdown measures. Using an agent-based model, we explore one of the technology-based strategies proposed, a contact-tracing smartphone app. The model simulates the spread of COVID-19 in a population of agents on an urban scale. Agents are heterogeneous in their characteristics and are linked in a multi-layered network representing the social structure—including households, friendships, employment and schools. We explore the interplay of various adoption rates of the contact-tracing app, different levels of testing capacity, and behavioural factors to assess the impact on the epidemic. Results suggest that a contact tracing app can contribute substantially to reducing infection rates in the population when accompanied by a sufficient testing capacity or when the testing policy prioritises symptomatic cases. As user rate increases, prevalence of infection decreases. With that, when symptomatic cases are not prioritised for testing, a high rate of app users can generate an extensive increase in the demand for testing, which, if not met with adequate supply, may render the app counterproductive. This points to the crucial role of an efficient testing policy and the necessity to upscale testing capacity.

What makes court-referred mediation effective?

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Galin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Refusal To Participate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

The mediating role of fairness on the effectiveness of strategic performance measurement systems

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Baird ◽  
Sophia Xia Su ◽  
Nuraddeen Nuhu
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis study examines the mediating role of the fairness of performance appraisal on the association between the extent of use of strategic performance measurement systems (SPMSs) with SPMS effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using an online survey distributed to 656 Australian middle and lower level managers.FindingsThe findings reveal that informational fairness mediates the association between SPMSs (link to value drivers and the use of multidimensional performance measures) with performance-related outcomes; procedural fairness mediates the association between SPMSs (link to strategy and the use of multidimensional performance measures) with staff-related outcomes and distributive fairness mediates the association between the use of SPMSs (all three types) with both performance and staff-related outcomes.Originality/valueThe study provides a unique insight into the importance of fairness (the distributive, informational and procedural fairness of the performance appraisal system) in mediating the associations between the extent of use of SPMSs and SPMS effectiveness. The findings contribute to the human resource management (HRM) “black box” literature by providing an insight into the behavioural mechanism through which a specific human resource management practice (i.e. the SPMS) influences organisational performance.

The effects of reward system on bank credit losses – an agent-based model

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 908-924
Author(s):  
Sara Jonsson
Keyword(s):  
Reward System ◽  
Bank Credit ◽  
Reward Systems ◽  
Risk Modeling ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Credit Risk Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Loan Officer ◽  
Credit Losses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the design of loan officer reward systems affects bank credit losses caused by commercial clients. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses an agent-based model to investigate how the design of reward systems affects bank credit losses. Two different systems are compared: competitive and a cooperative. The model is designed according to the theoretically derived assumption that a cooperative reward system will make agents more likely to share knowledge with each other in the processes of granting and monitoring credit. Findings – The results show that a cooperative reward system have potential to reduce bank credit losses. The reduction of errors in evaluating company’s probability of default thus mitigates variations induced by variations in industry, region, and firm-specific returns. Practical implications – The findings imply that reward system design should be considered in credit risk management. Further, managerial issues (e.g. reward systems) should be considered in risk modeling. Originality/value – The results presented in this paper provide evidence to the value of considering the downside (e.g. loss) when designing reward systems in banks.

Investment opportunities for student housing in Europe

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 578-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick French ◽  
Geetha Bhat ◽  
Gurpreet Matharu ◽  
Filipe Ortigão Guimarães ◽  
David Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Student Housing ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Investment Opportunities ◽  
Property Markets ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into how the demographic of international and home students in the major university cities in three European countries (France, Spain and Germany) offers investors an opportunity to provide students housing. This paper looks at how a mobile and demanding student clientele now demands, well priced, good quality and purpose built accommodation during their studies at University. This offers a good property investment opportunity. Design/methodology/approach This practice briefing is an overview of the demand factors that are creating opportunities in France, Spain and Germany. Findings This paper analyses the link between the under provision of purpose built student housing and an opportunity to develop a long-term cash flow producing investment asset. Practical implications The role of the property developers and investors is to successfully identify trends and demands and provide the assets that meet the market requirements. This paper looks at the meeting point in three major European countries for this latent and, currently, poorly served demand. Originality/value This provides guidance on how investment opportunities develop in non-traditional property markets.

scholarly journals “Practicing care in qualitative organizational research: moral responsibility and legitimacy in a study of immigration management”

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Okkonen ◽  
Tuomo Takala ◽  
Emma Bell
Keyword(s):  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Reception Centre ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Practice Care ◽  
Immigration Management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the reciprocal relations between the caregiving imparted by immigration centre managers and the role of the researcher in responding to the care that is given by managerial caregivers. To enable this, we draw on a feminist theory of care ethics that considers individuals as relationally interdependent.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis draws on a semi-structured interview study involving 20 Finnish immigration reception centre managers.FindingsInsight is generated by reflecting on moments of care that arise between research participants and the researcher in a study of immigration centre management. We emphasise the importance of mature care, receptivity and engrossment in building caring relationships with research participants by acknowledging the care they give to others. Our findings draw attention to the moral and epistemological responsibility to practice care in organizational research.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the relationality between practicing care in immigration centre management and doing qualitative organizational research, both of which rely on mature care, receptivity and engrossment in order to meet the other morally. We draw attention to the moral responsibility to care which characterises researcher–researched relationships and emphasise the importance of challenging methodological discourses that problematise or dismiss care in qualitative organizational research.

Learning by failure vs learning by habits

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 524-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorella Cannavacciuolo ◽  
Luca Iandoli ◽  
Cristina Ponsiglione ◽  
Giuseppe Zollo
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
System Level ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Business Transactions ◽  
Virtual Lab ◽  
Start Up

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of collaboration networks in entrepreneurial clusters as determined by the way entrepreneurs exchange knowledge and learn through business transactions needed to implement temporary supply chains in networks of co-located firms. Design/methodology/approach A socio-computational approach is adopted to model business transactions and supply chain formation in Marshallian industrial districts (IDs). An agent-based model is presented and used as a virtual lab to test the hypotheses between the firms’ behaviour and the emergence of structural properties at the system level. Findings The simulation findings and their validation based on the comparison with a real world cluster show that the topological properties of the emerging network are influenced by the learning strategies and decision-making criteria firms use when choosing partners. With reference to the specific case of Marshallian IDs it is shown that inertial learning based on history and past collaboration represents in the long term a major impediment for the emergence of hubs and of a network topology that is more conducive to innovation and growth. Research limitations/implications The paper offers an alternative view of entrepreneurial learning (EL) as opposed to the dominant view in which learning occurs as a result of exceptional circumstances (e.g. failure). The results presented in this work show that adaptive, situated, and day-by-day learning has a profound impact on the performance of entrepreneurial clusters. These results are encouraging to motivate additional research in areas such as in modelling learning or in the application of the proposed approach to the analysis of other types of entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as start-up networks and makers’ communities. Practical implications Agent-based model can support policymakers in identifying situated factors that can be leveraged to produce changes at the macro-level through the identification of suitable incentives and social networks re-engineering. Originality/value The paper presents a novel perspective on EL and offers evidence that micro-learning strategies adopted and developed in routine business transactions do have an impact on firms’ performances (survival and growth) as well as on systemic performances related to the creation and diffusion of innovation in firms networks.

Peruvian small and medium-sized enterprises and COVID-19: Time for a new start!

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Durst ◽  
Mariano Martin Genaro Palacios Acuache ◽  
Guido Bruns
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The People ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Crises of any type have become an integral part of business activity and responses to them could make the difference between survival and failure. This applies in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a starting point, this study aims to investigate how Peruvian SMEs have been coping with COVID-19 so far. Based on that a conceptual framework is proposed which highlights the practice of SMEs trying to deal with a new type of crisis. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an exploratory qualitative research design involving 25 semi-structured interviews conducted in Peruvian SMEs. Findings The findings demonstrate how the Peruvian firms studied to adapt to the new situation and initiate responses to increasing the chance of survival. Furthermore, the role of the companies’ decision-makers, as well as the role of crisis management and other related approaches in the companies are shown. Research limitations/implications The paper expands the underdeveloped body of knowledge regarding crisis management in Latin America in general and crisis management in SMEs by providing insight into how Peruvian SMEs perceive and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications The findings presented in this paper have implications for both managers and managerial staff of SMEs but also for the people in charge of the curricula at universities and other teaching-focused institutes. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study of crisis management on the impacts of COVID-19 with a dedicated focus on SMEs from Latin America. It provides fresh insight into current reactions to the Pandemic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document