Methodology for Creating Empirically Supported Agent-Based Simulation with Survey Data for Studying Group Behavior of Construction Workers
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 141, Issue 1
Abstract
Construction workers’ attitudes and behaviors are one of the most important factors of a construction project’s performance. As the attention paid to the impact of social influences and norms on worker behavior grows, agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) emerges as a research tool for studying workers’ group behavior. With ABMS, researchers can uncover the underlying process of group behavior emerging from individuals’ interactions in an organization. However, validating agent-based simulation with real data is the greatest challenge in using ABMS for organizational behavior research. With this background in mind, the objective of this paper is to propose a methodology for creating an empirically supported agent-based model for studying workers’ behavior influenced by social norms. The proposed methodology suggests that empirical data collected by a questionnaire can be used for ABMS in three steps: (1) testing the agent behavior rules used in an agent-based model (i.e., testing the modeling assumptions), (2) demonstrating the model behavior’s qualitative agreement with real workers’ behavior (i.e., testing the simulation results against real data in a qualitative manner), and (3) creating a specific agent-based model with the model parameters that correspond to a specific empirical case. A specific agent-based model created in this way can then be seen as a scenario generator that corresponds to a specific reality and can be used to answer what if questions. Therefore, the model can be used to develop policies/interventions to improve workers’ behavior in a given situation. The proposed methodology is illustrated by a study on construction workers’ absenteeism that was conducted by the authors. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge of workforce management in construction; the proposed methodology provides a means of simulating workers’ group behavior and developing policies/interventions to improve worker behavior at the group level in construction.
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Acknowledgments
The work presented in this paper was supported financially by a National Science Foundation Award (SES 1127570). The authors also thank R. L. Riolo at the Center for the Study of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan for reading an early draft of this paper and providing valuable comments.
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 141 • Issue 1 • January 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2013
Accepted: Jul 1, 2014
Published online: Aug 20, 2014
Published in print: Jan 1, 2015
Discussion open until: Jan 20, 2015
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