Docking the Virtual Design Team and ORGAHEAD

Computational models of organizations are implemented using a diverse array of representations and operational processes. While the consequences of choosing one design over another on the model's results is not clear at the forefront, a systematic analysis can help uncover these consequences. As an example, we "dock" (Axtel et al., 1996) the Virtual Design Team (VDT) and ORGAHEAD, two distinct, but similar models. Docking is a term coined by Axtell et al. to describe the process by which two models are made to give equivalent results.

The process of docking, regardless of equivalence outcome, is an extremely fruitful part of the endeavor. The docking process lays bare the similarities and differences between the two models, making it easier for others to see how the models relate. Future modelers will have gained insight into the effects of various computational features. In addition, by uncovering the operational and representation differences we can understand the extent to which each affects model outcomes. In this sense, the docking process serves as a sensitivity analysis of model features on model outcomes.