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238 R. Seri and D. Secchi

Fig. 11.1 NetLogo screenshot for the “Garbage Can” model by Fioretti and Lomi (2010)

when decisions are made by oversight and it is when solutions and opportunities
are available to participants but no problems are actually solved (Cohen et al. 1972).
Not all problems are solved automatically, just by having opportunities, participants,
and solutions available. In fact, all problems have difficulty levels, participants have
abilities, and solutions have a certain degree of efficiency. The problem is solved if
the match of the participant with an opportunity and a solution is greater than the
difficulty of the problem (Fioretti and Lomi 2010).
In the agent-based version of the model, there are three types of structure:
• Anarchy. There is no hierarchy so that abilities, efficiencies, and difficulties are
randomly distributed among agents.
• Hierarchy-competence. The hierarchical structure is such that abilities, efficien-
cies, and difficulties increase as one moves up the hierarchical ladder.
• Hierarchy-incompetence. The hierarchical structure is such that abilities, effi-
ciencies, and difficulties decrease as one moves up the hierarchical ladder.
Finally, the model implements two modes of (not) dealing with problems. One
is called buck passing, and it happens when one participant has the alternative
of passing the decision on a problem to another participant. The other mode is
postpone, and it refers to problems that are kept on hold by participants and
eventually solved at an unspecified future time.
For the purpose of this chapter, we calculate the ratio of decisions made by
resolution on those made by oversight in the three cases of anarchy, hierarchy with
competence, and hierarchy with incompetence.