040163 UE Experimental Methods II: Agent Based Modelling in Organisations (MA) (2020W)

Agent Based Modelling, and Computational Methods in general, can provide valuable insights into the functioning of organisations. In academic research, simulations have long been used as a complementary tool besides traditional empirical work and laboratory experiments to produce propositions for empirical validation, model real-world scenarios and generate artificial datasets.

This class builds on and extends concepts and topics from Experimental Methods I: Agent Based Modelling in Organisations. Accordingly, the successful completion of Experimental Methods I is a prerequisite for attending this course. Students will draw on knowledge gained in the first course and are expected to be able to follow more advanced discussions building on these contents.

The classes will mainly focus on two aspects: a) understanding established types of computational models used in organizational studies in more detail and b) hands-on work with Python code. The idea is to get a solid overview of the most important model types, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and for which questions they can be usefully employed. Furthermore, students will continue to work on their proficiency with respect to Python, a widely-used programming language.