Multi-agent simulation of group behavior in E-Government policy decision

To research complex group behavior in E-Government policy decision, this study proposes a multi-agent qualitative simulation approach using EGGBM (E-Government Group Behavior Model). Causal reasoning is employed to analyze it from the perspective of system. Then, a multi-agent simulation decision system based on Java-Repast is developed. Moreover, three validation experiments are designed to prove that EGGBM can exactly represent the actual situation. At last, an example of application is given to show that this method can help policy-makers choose appropriate policies to improve the level of accepting information technology (LAIT) of groups. It is shown that this approach could be a new attempt for the research of group behavior in governmental organization.