Analysis Tools for Path Dependent Patterns of Action

Overview

In critical areas such health care, energy, and environment, organizations get stuck in undesirable patterns of action. Some barriers to change are rooted in individual habits and beliefs, but in many situations, the problem is organizational, as patterns of action become routinized. "Path dependence" refers to the tendency for current actions to influence future actions. It is widely assumed that path dependence causes repetitive patterns of action to become "locked in" and resistant to change, like organizational habits. However, our preliminary research has identified conditions under which path dependence can lead to continuous change and learning.

This project will use data from workflow management systems and computer simulations to build a more refined theory of when patterns of action get locked in, when they remain open to change and the factors that make innovation and change possible. The proposed work will consider the inherent structure and variability of the patterns, as well as the effects of social networks and automation. The results will provide insight into fundamental issues of stability and change in organizations. In addition to scholarly publications and presentations, the proposed work will result in analytical software tools that other researchers can use to investigate changes in patterns of action over time. The project extends an on-going collaboration with the BI Norwegian School of Management, in Oslo, Norway.

We are currently building tools for longitudinal analysis of workflow event logs as networks of action. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant SES-1026932.

This page is under construction, because we are currently building tools for longitudinal analysis of workflow event logs as networks of action. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant SES-1026932