Agent-based modelling of helping behaviour diffusion in project teams as an evolutionary process

Abstract

ABSTRACT While behavioural diffusion is highly significant in behaviouristics, the relevant management studies remain limited, particularly for the extra-role of helping behaviour in project-based organisation. The helping behaviour diffusion mechanism could profoundly impact teamwork and project teams’ performance improvement. Therefore, this research aims to promote helping behaviour in project teams by exploring helping behavioural diffusion based on dynamic behavioural analyses and simulations. This research set up the Agent-based Modelling to simulate the helping behaviour diffusion, and considered influential factors, including team task characteristics, team size, and incentive system. Then, this research conducted simulation experiments in Netlogo and found that an increase in task dependence and cooperative spillover effect can promote the spread of helping behaviour, while an increase in team size, profit-sharing coefficient, and individual fixed income could inhibit such diffusion. The research provides new insights into cultivating a mutual helping culture within project teams.