Integrated Description and Qualitative Simulation Method for Group Behavior

This paper presents a qualitative simulation method for analyzing employee group behavior by integrating QSIM (Qualitative SIMulation) with basic causal reasoning. A description method for complex interactions between environment, management policy and group behaviour is designed. A qualitative simulation method including the simulation rules and a simulation engine is then proposed. The validation of the proposed method is tested, and an example is given of how this method can be applied to the development of management policy for the effective motivation of employees. Simulation results show that this method can be used to explain and predict changes in group behavior, and also to aid in decision making on employee group management.