Modelling and Simulation for Social Systems

Initiative aims and objectives 

The aim of M&S3 is to understand how management policies are designed and decisions taken.

Our objectives are to:

• carry out applied and theoretical research in the fields of simulation modelling, games and gamification
  
• increase the levels of awareness of good modelling practice within public, third sector and industry settings
  
• influence how current (executives and managers) and future (students) problem owners frame thinking around management policy development and decision making.
  

M&S3 comprises two emerging themes:

1) Simulation and Modelling for Policy Evaluation and Decision Analysis, where models are built to test alternative assumptions about the world and their robustness. Applications can include problem domains where the outcomes of different interventions merit explanation.

The modelling approaches include, inter alia, system dynamics, agent based modelling, discrete event simulation, socioeconomic, econometrics, stochastic frontier analysis, and data envelopment analysis. Modelling applications would include, among other things, financial, economic, demographic, social and economic policy evaluation, and supply chain management.

2) Simulation Gaming and Gamification for Learning and Insight, where simulation games or gaming principles are used to help people learn about policy development and/or decision making within social systems. This strand of research is pedagogic (students) and andragogic (executives and managers) and seeks to measure levels of generative learning that immersive simulations can bring about.

The gaming approaches include, inter alia, system dynamics flight simulators, agent based modelling, spreadsheet based models, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Modelling applications include, among other things, economics, strategic awareness, entrepreneurship, soft skills development, and auction and latecomer strategy.

Entrepreneurial Intent of NEETS: a European Study

You A.C.E.! (Active Citizen in Europe) is a transnational project funded by the EU Erasmus+ Youth Key Action 2 programme. It seeks to develop the knowledge, basic and transversal skills, competences and attitudes of young people who are not in employment, training or education (NEETS) through using non-formal education methods. The University of Plymouth was one of the 5 European partners to work on the project.

As part of project research was undertaken with young people in Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the UK and Poland. The research aimed to find out what young people who are not currently in education, training or employment think about entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and active citizenship and how they might best learn about opportunities in these fields.

An online survey was administered to 1,643 young people across the 5 nations to explore issues such as attitudes to entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and active citizenship; attractiveness of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, active citizenship and employment; experience of work and entrepreneurship; self-reported entrepreneurial abilities and preferred approaches to learning.

Findings indicated that in all countries, participants considered themselves to be active citizens. There was reasonable awareness of general entrepreneurship but a lack of understanding of social entrepreneurship. Financial and economic literacy were consistent needs across all countries with learning approaches were very diverse.

The findings were part of a training needs analysis which informed the design of a non-formal education programme targeted to NEETS which was trialled with 40 young people from across Europe. The final non-formal education programme is available as a free resource for NEETs, trainers and educators to use to promote understanding of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and active citizenship (see http://youace.eu/).

M&S3 welcomes Professor Graham Winch as a new member

Graham is presently Professor Emeritus with the Plymouth Business School. Following spells in industry and pursuing his own PhD research, his lecturing career began with ten years at the Durham University Business School. He subsequently came to Plymouth, first serving as Associate Dean and then as Research Professor. He also built a successful complementary consulting career, including holding the post of Vice President of a Boston USA based strategy modelling consultancy firm, serving a number of world class clients, especially in the global petrochemical industry. 

Always interested in the research and publishing processes, he founded the journal Dynamica and served as Executive Editor of System Dynamics Review, and has assessed proposals and evaluated project outcomes for both UK and Irish university research funding bodies. Graham has a long history of supporting early career researchers and doctoral students and is keen to advise on getting research going and overcoming research challenges.

Plymouth academics help organise Online Systems Dynamics Conference 

System dynamics modelling is a growing area of social research within Plymouth Business School, with two PhDs in the field being recently awarded in the areas of education policy and economics. A further three postgraduate researchers are currently using the approach to model decision rules within supply chain management at the University of Plymouth. System Dynamics affords researchers the opportunity to evaluate new policy rules applied to systems exhibiting challenging dynamic behaviours while offering many insights across interacting structures, both in business and beyond.

European survey reveals needs of young people around starting businesses

The University of Plymouth has just published research with European partners from Greece, Italy, Lithuania and Poland which shows that young people need help spotting opportunities and mobilizing resources if they are to start successful businesses. The study also found that, despite lack of understanding of social enterprise, there was strong interest in ethical business start-ups. From a survey of over 1,500 young people aged 18 to 34 across the five countries the research found that financial literacy, valuing ideas and creating ethical and sustainable models of business were also areas for development for young people. Other findings include discovering that young people preferred to learn using creative and artistic approaches but were put off by formal classroom teaching. Online and e-learning was more favoured in the UK than in the other countries.

University of Plymouth Research Fellow, Gareth Hart, said: “This was a significant piece of research and the findings show that unemployed young people have an appetite for starting businesses but that they need targeted support."

“It is also refreshing to find out that young people are interested in ethical and sustainable business models, something that the University of Plymouth is keen to promote.”

The research was delivered by the YOU A.C.E programme, and looked into needs of young people not currently working or in education. The research is funded by Erasmus+ and a full copy of the report can be found here.

HKU Space-University of Plymouth deliver a world class performance

GLO-BUS is a strategy simulation game where groups of students compete head to head over time as companies that develop, distribute and sell wearable cameras and camera drones. Students take on the roles of directors and are responsible for charting a strategic course for their company. They have to operationalise their company strategy through decision making to attempt to secure a superior market position and higher profitability over companies in this industry (played by other student groups).

HKU Space students studying for the University of Plymouth BSc (Hons) Business Management module on Strategic Management: Theory and Practice participated in this exercise and were scored by the simulation game on a number of performance variables. By the end of the game, the following group of students: Queenie Tsang Wing Yin, Kimberly Shum Tse Sang, Ann Wu Yuet Sheung, Icy Leung Yuk Ping and Harrot Yin Chi Man simulated company was able to outperform 335 teams from 32 colleges/universities participating in the game worldwide as joint 1st in performance.

The overall aim is to give disadvantaged young people new skills, through non-formal education and training that will mean they can improve their lives and their communities through entrepreneurship, particularly social entrepreneurship. The project will also see research carried out into the attitudes of young people who may find it harder to access education or employment. These could include people with learning difficulties or disabilities, as well as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Dr Jonathan Moizer, Associate Professor in Business Operations & Strategy and the University’s project lead said: 

“We are delighted to welcome partners from the EU to our great city to find out more about some of the work going on in Plymouth, particularly around social enterprise development."

Dr Moizer, a former trustee of Gwellheans, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity based in Redruth, Cornwall added: 

“The project will bring young people from the UK together with those from the other countries to experience some intense training.

“We also need to find six mentors, ideally younger people who have been there and done it, so we can do a video story on each of them to help motivate others.”

The 22-month project will run until autumn 2019. Anyone who might be prepared to act as a mentor can contact the University of Plymouth team through Jonathan Moizer.