Explanation of Mallen's doctoral thesis, March 2023
George Mallen worked at the Royal College of Art from 1971 to 1983 in the Department of Design Research. His PhD was awarded by the CNAA in July 1976. Mallen had begun his studies under Richard Goodman at Brighton College of Technology and completed them at the RCA under Professor Bruce Archer. The work described in the thesis, modelling information use by police detectives, was undertaken by Gordon Pask's company System Research Ltd for the Police Scientific Development Branch of the UK Home Office. The ideas in the thesis fed directly into Mallen's work for the Department of Design Research, initially focused on modelling decision-making in building-design, but later expanding into the pioneering application of computing to all aspects of design and fine art. In 1968, George Mallen together with Alan Sutcliffe and John Lansdown, founded the Computer Arts Society to promote these ideas to the wider world.

Original abstract
The development of a series of laboratory simulation models of the crime investigation department (CID) in a typical English police force is described. The models, based on field studies of the functioning of real CID organisations, were designed to test aspects of the performance of such systems under varying conditions of input load and internal structure. A series of experiments with the models is described and conclusions presented based on both quantitative analysis and qualitative judgement of the models' performance. The structure and behaviour of a computer model based on the laboratory models is also described.

The methodology adopted is related to other organisational simulation studies and it is concluded that such models have roles to play in three areas relating to the functioning of organisations:
1) as education and training aids
2) as management and planning aids
3) as organisational design and evaluation aids

The concept of the "validity" of such models is discussed and related to the purposes for which they are designed. Finally it is argued through analogies with neurophysiology and psychology that the evolution of organisational modelling technology is a necessary and important component in regulating the interaction between complex organisations and their environments.

This thesis has been digitised as part of a project to preserve and make available the RCA Library's historic print thesis collection. This thesis is shared with the authors permission.