A Multi-Agent Model-Based Evolutionary Model of Port Service Value Network and Decision Preferences

• Published in: Sustainability Vol. 14; no. 6; p. 3565
• Main Authors: Zhou, Yu, Shi, Shanshan, Wang, Shaohua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Airships; Business networks (Social groups); Collaboration; Competition; Competitive advantage; Consumer behavior; Cooperation; Customer services; Decision-making; Evolution; Multi-agent systems; Ports; Preferences; Profitability; Simulation; Sustainability; Value chain; Value creation; China
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su14063565

The rise of value networks in the new economic era and the emergence of a common competitive advantage pose enormous challenges to the value-added approach of enterprises based on traditional value chains. Based on the customer-centered concept, the complementary effect of agents, and other competition characteristics of the value network, this paper constructs a multi-agent-based value network evolution model. The influencing mechanism of customer preference on the number of value network entities and overall income is discussed through simulation analysis. The research shows that the influence of customer preference on the evolution and steady-state of the overall value of the value network is not significant. Customer preference plays a decisive role in the number of service subjects and the evolution of attributes. In different situations, the influence of customer preference on the number of subjects is significantly different. This means that customer power preference in the value network of port services is much higher than other preferences. The research results provide a decision-making basis for enterprises to break through the shackles of traditional value-added concepts, actively seek value network optimization schemes, and achieve timely responses to customer preferences.