DAI-List Digest Wednesday, 27 November 1991 Issue Number 62 Topics: Paper available on Coordination Theory Call for Participation: Symposium on SIMULATING SOCIETIES Please send submissions to DAI-List@mcc.com. Send other requests, such as changes in your e-mail address, to DAI-List-Request@mcc.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Nov 91 16:14:16 From: Malone@Eagle.MIT.EDU (Thomas W. Malone) Subject: Paper available Here is the abstract of a technical report that might be of interest to readers of this list: TOWARD AN INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY OF COORDINATION Thomas W. Malone and Kevin Crowston (MIT Center for Coordination Science Technical Report No. 120, April 1991) This paper characterizes a new research area, called coordination theory, that focuses on the interdisciplinary study of coordination. Research in this area uses and extends ideas about coordination from disciplines such as computer science, organization theory, operations research, economics, linguistics, and psychology. In the framework presented here, coordination is analyzed in terms of actors performing interdependent activities that achieve goals. A variety of processes are analyzed from this perspective and commonalities across disciplines are identified. Processes analyzed include goal decomposition, resource allocation, synchronization, group decision-making, communication, and the perception of common objects. A major section of the paper summarizes recent applications of coordination theory in three different domains: (1) understanding the effects of information technology on human organizations and markets, (2) designing cooperative work tools, and (3) designing distributed and parallel processing computer systems. In the final section of the paper, elements of a research agenda in this new area are briefly outlined. Copies of the paper may be obtained by writing, e-mailing, or calling Alicia Page Center for Coordination Science (E53-330) MIT Cambridge, MA 02139 617/253-4927 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Doran J Date: Thu, 14 Nov 91 19:58:19 GMT Subject: Simulating Societies Symposium (second call) Second Call for Participation Symposium on SIMULATING SOCIETIES 2-3 April 1992 Guildford, Surrey, UK Although the value of simulating complex phenomena in order to come to a better understanding of their nature is well recognised, it is still rare for simulation to be used to understand social processes. This symposium is intended to review current ideas on simulating social processes, compare alternative approaches and suggest directions for future work. It is expected that about a dozen papers will be presented to the symposium and that revised versions will be published as a text on social simulation. We are now seeking proposals for the papers and for participation in the symposium. Papers on the following and related topics are invited: * Discussions of approaches to simulation of social processes such as those based on distributed artificial intelligence, non-linear systems, general purpose stochastic simulation systems etc. * Accounts of specific simulations of processes and phenomena, at macro or micro level. * Critical reviews of existing work that has involved the simulation of social processes. * Reviews of simulation work in archeology, economics, psychology, geography, etc. with lessons for the simulation of social processes. * Arguments for or against simulation as an approach to understanding complex social processes. 'Social process' may be interpreted widely to include, for example, the rise and fall of nation states, the behaviour of households, and social interaction. Participants' registration, accommodation and subsistence expenses during the meeting will be met by the University of Surrey Department of Sociology. The assistance of the Johnson Wax Foundation is gratefully acknowledged. Participants will need to find their own travel expenses. Proposals for papers are initially invited in the form of abstracts of no more than 300 words. Abstracts should be sent, along with a brief statement of research interests, by 30th November 1991. Authors of those selected will be invited to submit full papers by 15th February, 1992. Those interested in participating, but not wishing to present a paper, should send a letter including brief details of their research and the contribution they could make to the symposium, also by 30th November, 1991. The organisers of the Symposium are Jim Doran, Department of Computer Science, University of Essex, Nigel Seel, Bell Northern Research Ltd, and Nigel Gilbert, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey. The symposium is the latest in a series of Surrey Conferences on Sociological Theory and Method begun in 1981, which have explored growing points in the discipline. Most of the symposia have resulted in monographs; titles include Accounts and Action, Social Action and Artificial Intelligence, Longitudinal Data Analysis, Sequence Analysis, and Actions and Structure. The Surrey campus is located in Guildford, a cathedral city 30 miles southwest of London. It is within 20 miles of both London airports and 35 minutes by train from London's Waterloo station. Proposals should be sent by post, fax or email to: Prof Nigel Gilbert, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 5XH, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)483 509173 Fax: +44 (0)483 306290 Email: gng@soc.surrey.ac.uk