ORGMEM: A Computer Simulation Program of Transactive Memory Systems

Yuqing (ching) Ren
Advisor: Kathleen M. Carley

Abstract:

ORGMEM is a multi-agent simulation program that imitates the interpersonal communication, information processing, and decision-making processes in organizations. As a computing program built from scratch, it incorporates several advanced techniques from a diversity of fields. First of all, it takes a network perspective. In ORGMEM, groups are represented as six relational matrixes by applying the PCANSS model (Krackhardt & Carley, 1998). As a result, not only crucial elements like personnel, resources, and tasks are taken into account, but also the interrelations among those key elements. Secondly, groups are modeled as multi-agent systems. The heterogeneity among agents makes the program a more realistic and attractive model. Thirdly, ORGMEM is implemented using JAVA – an object-oriented programming language. The object-oriented language (a.k.a. OOL) technique facilitates the modeling, programming, modification, and maintenance processes, thus increases the reliability and flexibility of the system.

In ORGMEM, agents are intelligent, adaptive, and heterogeneous. In other words, each agent has access to some knowledge (intelligence), is able to conduct specific number of tasks, and can learn from each other (adaptation). Agents are heterogeneous in terms of their characteristics, such as human vs. non-human agents, and the activities that they are able to carry out. As socially connected agents, each of them also has a transactive memory about who talks to whom, who knows what, and who does what in the group. During the operation process, each agent is able to conduct a variety of activities, such as communicating knowledge, searching for resources, and making decisions. Over time, organization receives a series of tasks. Agents work on subtasks assigned by the program, make decisions by combining personal knowledge and information from the subordinates, communicate both technical knowledge and social knowledge, and learn from each other. As a result, the group communication structure regarding who talks to whom, the skill structure regarding who knows what, and the transitive memory change over time. Figure 1 shows a big picture about how the program works.

This ORGMEM simulation program is designed to study how communication influences transactive memory and how the existence of transactive memory impacts group performance. An information processing perspective is taken. Virtual experiments are run to address the following questions:

• How does the existence of TM influence the time elapse that groups take to finish the tasks? Does it increase or decrease the time needed to finish group tasks?

• How does the existence of TM influence the group’s decision quality? Does it improve or impair the accuracy of group decision-making?

• How does TM interact with the characteristics of organizational structure, such as size, workload, or expertise distribution in affecting the group’s timing and accuracy?

• How does the nature of communication (reason for communicating and complexity of what is communicated) affect TM and the group’s timing and accuracy?

This work was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research ONR N00014-97-1-0037, ONR 1681-1-1001944 and by the National Science Foundation NSF KDI  IIS-9980109 2.