A Simulation Development Tool for Evaluating Coordination Strategies in Organizations

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We are developing a prototype of a simulation development tool to aid administrators in the process of redesigning organizational structures. The purpose of the system is to help organization designers to more precisely model their hypothetical designs, and, by simulation, to predict key facets of the overall behavior of their proposed organizational structures. The tool will help them to evaluate the restructured organization’s potential for improved efficiency, or spot potential weaknesses in the system during peak loads. With this tool, organizational models are built using a library of simulation components characterizing commonly used coordination structures and communications mechanisms. Our hypothesis is that the structuring of the design tool around a model construction library of coordination mechanisms will allow designers to readily compose existing and proposed organizational structures to effectively evaluate their options.