Hamid R. Darabi

The Role of Competition and Collaboration in Influencing the Level of Autonomy and Belonging in System of Systems

Prior to this research, autonomy and belonging were perceived as two independent and distinguishing characteristics of system of systems. The objective of this paper is to explore the interdependency of autonomy and belonging, and the role of competition and collaboration among constituent elements to influence the level of autonomy and belonging. The definition of autonomy and belonging are restated using the multiattribute utility theory. Using this theory, competitions and collaborations are modeled as redistributing resources (or values, norms, etc.) to influence the level of autonomy and belonging. The proposed mathematical model is applied in a system of systems of swarm robots to present its applicability and validity. The result shows the impact of competition and collaboration among constituent elements of a system of systems on autonomy and belonging in that system of systems. The proposed mathematical conceptualization is applicable in understanding, engineering, and governing wide-spread system of systems.

Governance mechanism pillars for systems of systems

Traditional management frameworks that have been applied to governance of systems are no longer effective in the context of systems of systems. To provide an effective governance framework for a system of systems, it is necessary to understand the governance mechanism in its entirety, including its fundamental components, or pillars. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework to analyze the pillars of governance in systems of systems. This framework enables the researchers to study the complexity in the dynamics of interactions. It also provides a tool for modelers to simulate the interactions. Moreover, the framework is intended to facilitate governance of systems of systems for practitioners. Five proposed pillars of the governance mechanism are: (1) purpose integration, (2) belonging regulation, (3) incentivizing device, (4) interactions protocol, and (5) principles dissemination & perception distortion. A simulated model of supply chain demonstrates these five pillars in action within the system of systems context.

A framework for decision making in extended enterprises: The FAA NextGen case

Decision making in an extended enterprise is a highly complex task. One of the major causes of complexity of decision making in an extended enterprise is numerous stakeholders with different interests and different backgrounds. In this paper we use the process of decision making for a single decision maker and extend it to multi-agent decision making problem in order to develop a framework for decision making in an extended enterprise. In the first step we extract the interests of each agent, and then we use graph theory to make a representation of shared values. This model enables us to analyze the problem of decision making in an extended enterprise with a new set of tools. An example of FAA NextGen project is provided to show the application of this model.

Governance of enterprise transformation: Case study of the FAA NextGen project

In network industries, functional effectiveness of the whole system is dependent on the collaborative effort of all players. However, governing these multitudes of organizations is a complex and challenging task. The objective of this paper is to implement five governance mechanism pillars in system of systems to understand and facilitate this task. The first step is to separate three layers of complexity in network industries. The second step is to present the role of each governance mechanism pillar in governing these complex networks. We applied this approach to the FAA NextGen project, which is the enterprise transformation process of the United States Air Transportation Network.

Modelling competition and collaboration in the airline industry using agent-based simulation

In network industries such as the airline industry competitions and collaborations between organisations shape the dynamics of the market significantly. The conditions under which firms choose to collaborate instead of competing are of particular importance in understanding the effects of regulatory actions within such industries. In this paper, an agent-based simulation and modelling approach is used to study the dynamics of competition and collaboration among airlines in the USA under different regulatory conditions and corporate strategic choices. The analysis is limited to a single competitive domestic flight corridor (New York City to Los Angeles). The results of the set of developed models show that both individual corporate strategies and government policies can have a significant impact on competition and collaboration dynamics of the system.

A mathematical model for formulating interdependence of autonomy and belonging in systems of systems

Among different proposed characteristics of a system of systems, autonomy and belonging are widely accepted as definitive. Since these two characteristics were perceived as independent from one another, their underlying relationship has not been explicitly explored by scholars. This paper proposes that autonomy and belonging are interdependent characteristics according to the purpose of a system of systems and its constituent elements. The coherence between the purposes of the constituent elements and the system of systems defines the level of belonging, and the independence of these purposes is conceptualized as autonomy. The mathematical formulation of this interdependence is presented to analyze the correlation between these two characteristics.

Governing Competition and Collaboration in Network Industries Using Agent-Based Modeling: A Case-Study of US Air Transportation Network

Network industries include a multitude of organizations and companies delivering valuable services and products for modern life. Surprisingly, the impact of the structural complexity of their underlying physical infrastructure on the behavior of these organizations has not been explored yet. The aim of this paper is to study the role of an initial network structure on the throughput of these complex systems, and to provide evidence for the value of using agent-based modeling (ABM) in governing competition and collaboration in network industries. A two-stage multiround game provides the mathematical foundation to examine the behavior of players in the complex interconnected structure of a network industry. The United States Air Transportation Network is used as the case study. The real data on the different elements of the system are embedded into an agent-based model to provide a descriptive model of behaviors within it. The outcome of the model shows path dependence in the system and highlights the impact of initial network conditions on the market. Moreover, this model provides evidence on the usefulness of ABM for understanding the interrelationships between economic behavior and the physical structure of the system.

A case study of smart energy systems and behavioural aspects of social systems: systems thinking approach

Energy consumption habits strictly depend on technology, as well as individual and social attitudes. In this paper, we investigate the important factors in changing energy consumption behaviour. To that end, we provide a high level systemic framework to integrate relevant theories of social behaviour and implement them in the context of energy consumption. A survey is designed to demonstrate the usability of this framework. The results of this survey support the hypothesis that education and technology have a positive impact on energy-saving behaviour. However, our findings regarding the role of social aspects of individuals were not conclusive.

Enterprise systems governance using transactional cost analysis: An agent-based framework

Extended Enterprise is a set of inter-connected organizations that acts collaboratively to produce a product or deliver a service that is beyond the reach of each one of them. Using the system theory, we define the act of collaboration as a sub-system of extended enterprise entitled enterprise systems governance. In this paper, we use transactional cost analysis in order to build an analytical tool to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of governance strategies that can be used in such a system. The analysis is based on agent-based modeling method, and we will apply the method to Federal Aviation Administration NextGen Project.