The efficiency of individual optimization in the conditions of competitive growth

The paper aims to discuss statistical properties of the multi-agent based model of competitive growth. Each of the agents is described by growth (or decay) rule of its virtual "mass" with the rate affected by the interaction with other agents. The interaction depends on the strategy vector and mutual distance between agents and both are subjected to the agent's individual optimization process. Steady-state simulations yield phase diagrams with the high and low competition phases (HCP and LCP, respectively) separated by critical point. Particular focus has been made on the indicators of the power-law behavior of the mass distributions with respect to the critical regime. In this regime the study has revealed remarkable anomaly in the optimization efficiency

The Spanish Banks in face of the Corporate Social Responsibility Standards : previous analysis of the financial crisis

Transparency of information in the field of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is common to various standards. In recent years there has been a proliferation of standards and models for the formalization of CSR strategies. The objective is to assess the degree of implementation of standards of normalization. The analysis was conducted with data from the year 2008, coinciding with the first signs of the financial crisis, serving as a reference point to analyze the effect of the crisis. The field work was conducted using a survey answered by 57 Spanish credit institutions. We found a low degree of implementation of standards. The GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and the ISO 14001 stood out. In view of the orientation of credit institutions towards the market, Banks have incorporated much more elaborated and comprehensive quality standards than other credit institutions, such as the implementation of the standard AS 1000 that is equivalent to the joint implementation of the ISO 14000 and 9000

An Application of Hierarchical Structure Model for Trip Mode Choice Forecasting in China

Trip mode split is the result of interrelated and mutually independent factors, such as city scale, urban form, economic level, trip distance, and travel time. In order to analyze the formation of traffic structure, it is necessary to make a comprehensive study on the mechanism of these factors and obtain the basic causal relationship of them. Based on this, by using the hierarchical structure model in system engineering, this paper firstly clarifies the logical relationship of different factors. Then, the existing trip survey data of several cities is used to establish the mathematical relationship of various factors of the structure model. Finally, the mode choice forecasting method is proposed based on the structure model of influencing factors. The case study result of six cities shows small bias, indicating that the proposed method is of great practical value. Policy makers can use the results to discover the trip structure feature and grasp the direction of transportation development policy

Agent-based computational modelling of social risk responses

A characteristic aspect of risks in a complex, modern society is the nature and degree of the public response – sometimes significantly at variance with objective assessments of risk. A large part of the risk management task involves anticipating, explaining and reacting to this response. One of the main approaches we have for analysing the emergent public response, the social amplification of risk framework, has been the subject of little modelling. The purpose of this paper is to explore how social risk amplification can be represented and simulated. The importance of heterogeneity among risk perceivers, and the role of their social networks in shaping risk perceptions, makes it natural to take an agent-based approach. We look in particular at how to model some central aspects of many risk events: the way actors come to observe other actors more than external events in forming their risk perceptions; the way in which behaviour both follows risk perception and shapes it; and the way risk communications are fashioned in the light of responses to previous communications. We show how such aspects can be represented by availability cascades, but also how this creates further problems of how to represent the contrasting effects of informational and reputational elements, and the differentiation of private and public risk beliefs. Simulation of the resulting model shows how certain qualitative aspects of risk response time series found empirically – such as endogenously-produced peaks in risk concern – can be explained by this model

Modelling a social dilemma of mode choice based on commuters’ expectations and social learning

This study attempts to apply an agent-based approach to modelling a social dilemma of travel mode choice considering psychological and sociological aspects. A traveller is modelled to have expectations, which shows the traveller’s beliefs about the influence of other group members on his action, as decision-making rules. Social interaction using a group-based interaction is hypothesized to be important. We apply an imitation game based on social learning mechanisms to the model. Two kinds of mechanism are used: payoff-biased and conformist transmission. The model reveals the conditions that make cooperation as a possible outcome are optimistic bandwagon expectations, group-based interactions, and strong conformist transmission

Modelling a social dilemma of mode choice based on commuters' expectations and social learning

This study attempts to apply an agent-based approach to modelling a social dilemma of travel mode choice considering psychological and sociological aspects. A traveller is modelled to have expectations, which shows the traveller's beliefs about the influence of other group members on his action, as decision-making rules. Social interaction using a group-based interaction is hypothesized to be important. We apply an imitation game based on social learning mechanisms to the model. Two kinds of mechanism are used: payoff-biased and conformist transmission. The model reveals the conditions that make cooperation as a possible outcome are optimistic bandwagon expectations, group-based interactions, and strong conformist transmissions.Travel behaviour Mode choice Social dilemma Beliefs and expectations Agent-based approach