Artificial Intelligence and System Dynamics in Business and Management

April 3 at 11 am NY | 4 pm London | 11 pm Beijing | Time Converter

This webinar presents the dynamic interplay between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and System Dynamics (SD) in business and management. As AI’s role in solving complex challenges and redefining system interactions grows, it becomes imperative to examine its synergistic relationship with System Dynamics.

This session unveils the results of a thorough literature review, employing integrated bibliometric and topic modeling techniques to probe the extent and nature of AI and SD’s convergence in business and management. Our study focused on a pivotal research question: “To what extent and in which direction is the literature on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and System Dynamics (SD) converging within the business and management landscape?”

Highlights of our findings:

1. In-depth bibliometric analysis: uncovered the intersections of academic discussions on System Dynamics and AI, charting the evolution and patterns of their convergence.
2. Advanced topic modeling discoveries: delved into the intricacies of AI and System Dynamics integration, as revealed by cutting-edge topic modeling, offering a granular view of this convergence.
3. Dual convergence pathways: assessed the nuances of “soft convergence,” where AI enhances System Dynamics with a focus on social dynamics, against the backdrop of “hard convergence,” where AI is a catalyst in reengineering system design and interdependencies.
4. Emerging trends and strategic implications: presented a reflection on why soft convergence currently dominates the business landscape and how hard convergence could emerge as a groundbreaking approach in System Dynamics research and application.

The webinar welcomes scholars, researchers, and industry practitioners. This session seeks to provide insights and forward-thinking perspectives on the intersection of these two fields.

About the Presenters

Francesca Iandolo, PhD, is a Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Management at Sapienza University of Rome. She graduated with her master’s degree in accounting with honours and holds a PhD in Management with a dissertation thesis on Viable Systems Approach (vSa), value creation, and sustainability. Her research interests concern the application of systems theories to corporate sustainability and the role of technology diffusion within digital platforms. Francesca serves as a Representative of the Researchers in the Department Board of Management and the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Economics at Sapienza University of Rome. Additionally, she is the Academic Coordinator for Mobility at the Faculty of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome. She participated in several national and international conferences as a track proponent and chair and published in national and international journals. She is a chartered accountant and junior consultant for private companies.

Giuliano Maielli’s research spans the fields of business history and organization studies. His work focuses upon technological and organizational innovation through the analytical lens of “design hierarchies”, with a particular interest in path-dependence and path-creation as socio-organizational phenomena. Giuliano has published peer-reviewed academic papers on these topics, while his current research revolves around platform innovation dynamics, the internet of things and industry 4.0.

Stefano Armenia is a Tenure-track Lecturer (Ricercatore TDB) in Business Organizations and in the Analysis of Dynamical Systems at the Università Telematica degli Studi in Florence., where he teaches “Business Organizations” and “Marketing communication techniques”. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering, Industrial Automation & Control Systems, a Ph.D. in Business Engineering and a Master in Management and Business Administration. He is member of the System Dynamics International Society (SDS) since 2002, President of the System Dynamics Italian Chapter (SYDIC – the Italian Network of the SDS) since 2011 and member of the SDS Policy Council from 2014 to 2022, where he also acted as VP Chapters & SIGs. From 2014 to 2017 he has also been the IT & Communication Officer of the European Academy of Management. In 2021 he has obtained the national scientific status as associate professor in Business Organizations (ASN 2021, SSD: SECS-P/10, 3 out of 3 median indicators) His professional background includes extensive knowledge of main funding programs at national (Italian) and International level with a specific experience on research programs. Among his previous roles, he has acted as Bid Manager, Project Manager and Professional Consultant in several fields, both in the Public Administration and Industrial environments. In his research work, he deals with the analysis of complex systems dynamics in many fields: cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, logistics and sustainable transportation, finance, technological innovation, policy modelling and assessment of impacts of innovation and new technologies (Digital Transformation) on organizational processes and on society. From 2014 to 2020 he has been co-editor in chief of the Kybernetes Journal (Emerald-Insights) and currently is Associate or Guest editor in several other scientific journals in the field of system dynamics (IJASS, IJMABS). He is an author of several papers in top-ranked journals and has been involved in various initiatives dealing with sustainable development and Climate Change (he has led the Climate Action Exercise in several previous occasions, both at public and private level). He has been involved in different researches dealing with sustainable development and other environmental issues (i.e. Carbon Capture & Sequestration, Urban Sustainable Development, etc.) as well as with the translation of sustainability best sellers (i.e.: “Thinking in Systems” by Donella Meadows).

Pietro Vito, PhD in Management, is a researcher in Economics and Business Management at the Sapienza University of Rome. His research interests cover the methodological aspects of business management from a systemic and vital perspective, as well as thematic aspects related to sustainability, environmental protection, intellectual capital, and artificial intelligence.