Evolving Novel Organizational Forms

Computational Organization Design

Volume

Papers from the 1994 AAAI Spring Symposium

Contents

Computer simulations of organizations may provide a technique for discovering novel organizational forms, for example, forms that rely on extensive use of information technology. In this paper, I suggest the use of genetic algorithms to evolve organizational forms. Use of a genetic algorithm raises two key issues: representation and evaluation. I suggest representing an organization as a collection of individuals, which are in turn collections of routines for actions. I illustrate this approach by identifying relevant routines in a simple model of a task processing organization; other kinds of organizations could be represented by using different routines.