The use of simulation and gaming in information systems research

TY - JOUR

T1 - The use of simulation and gaming in information systems research

AU - Mock, Theodore I.

AU - Vasarhelyi, Miklos A.

AU - Fellingham, John C.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 1974 E-flow IEEE. All rights reserved.

PY - 1974/1/1

Y1 - 1974/1/1

N2 - Research in management information systems and in information, communication or intelligence systems in general has grown significantly within the past decade. Yet although significant work is evident at both the theoretical level with the development of information economics and statistical decision theory and at the technical level as is evidenced by the development of complex on-line networks and advanced information storage and retrieval systems, little research which has focused upon information systems has utilized gaming and simulation techniques. Such techniques have been used by the authors in a series of related studies into information systems and decision processes. The paper contains two major experimental studies. The first is a series of information economics experiments where discreet event simulation is utilized to estimate the ex ante value of more timely information in a fifteen period decision process which contains four random environmental variables. The ex ante value and the information value which is realizable given the actual decision environment are then used as a standard with which to compare actual, realized information values obtained in controlled experiments. The empirical results obtained include evidence with respect to the value of more timely information, the value of detailed budgetary feedback and the impact of these information differences on learning rates. The second main study described in this paper considers gaming used to analyze an on-llne directive planning system. In this context it is not possible to estimate information value, but experimental data with respect to user attitudes, type and degree of information utilization and the impact of decision approach is obtained.

AB - Research in management information systems and in information, communication or intelligence systems in general has grown significantly within the past decade. Yet although significant work is evident at both the theoretical level with the development of information economics and statistical decision theory and at the technical level as is evidenced by the development of complex on-line networks and advanced information storage and retrieval systems, little research which has focused upon information systems has utilized gaming and simulation techniques. Such techniques have been used by the authors in a series of related studies into information systems and decision processes. The paper contains two major experimental studies. The first is a series of information economics experiments where discreet event simulation is utilized to estimate the ex ante value of more timely information in a fifteen period decision process which contains four random environmental variables. The ex ante value and the information value which is realizable given the actual decision environment are then used as a standard with which to compare actual, realized information values obtained in controlled experiments. The empirical results obtained include evidence with respect to the value of more timely information, the value of detailed budgetary feedback and the impact of these information differences on learning rates. The second main study described in this paper considers gaming used to analyze an on-llne directive planning system. In this context it is not possible to estimate information value, but experimental data with respect to user attitudes, type and degree of information utilization and the impact of decision approach is obtained.

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U2 - 10.1145/800290.811340

DO - 10.1145/800290.811340

M3 - Conference article

SN - 0891-7736

VL - 2

SP - 745

JO - Proceedings - Winter Simulation Conference

JF - Proceedings - Winter Simulation Conference

T2 - 7th Conference on Winter Simulation, WSC 1974

Y2 - 14 January 1974

ER -