Gaming-simulation of the functioning of economic systems

This article attempts to provide a structure-functional analysis of economic activity and propositions based on this analysis about applications of gaming-simulation for an institutionalist study of the functioning of economic systems. Modern institutionalism in contrast to neoclassical economics, which is to a great extent mathematicized, does not actually use any quantitative methods and models. Simulation games represent such models that can be designed and promote the implementation of research in the spirit of neoinstitutional economics. In this sense, gaming-simulation may be considered as institutional modeling. In this work we shall, first be concerned with a ‘static’ structure of economic activity deriving from the three-level scheme by Parsons. Next, a ‘dynamic’ structure of economic activity will be analyzed in terms of the concept of limited rationality by Simon. In the final section, we characterize the methods of reflection of different components of economic systems in gaming simulation models, as well as ways of implementing the research on such models.