Title: Modelling and simulating retail management practices: a first approach

Authors: Peer-Olaf Siebers, Uwe Aickelin, Helen Celia, Chris W. Clegg

Addresses: School of Computer Science, Intelligent Modelling and Analysis Group (IMA), University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK. ' School of Computer Science, Intelligent Modelling and Analysis Group (IMA), University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK. ' Centre for Organisational Strategy, Learning and Change, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. ' Centre for Organisational Strategy, Learning and Change, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

Abstract: Management practices play a vital role in determining the success or failure of retail organisations. There has been a significant amount of modelling and simulation of operational management practices. However, people management practices including training, empowerment, and teamwork have often been neglected despite evidence to suggest that they crucially impact upon an organization|s performance. In this paper we focus on simulating various in-store scenarios grounded in empirical case studies with a leading UK retailer. Ultimately, we want to determine if agent-based modelling and simulation can assist in the assessment of the impact of people management practices on customer satisfaction and sales.

Keywords: ABMS; agent-based modelling; agent-based simulation; retail management; management practices; shopping behaviour; UK; United Kingdom; people management; customer satisfaction; sales; agent-based systems; multi-agent systems; MAS; training; empowerment; teamwork.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPM.2009.031096

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, 2009 Vol.5 No.3, pp.215 - 232

Published online: 20 Jan 2010 *

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