Computational Modeling and Human Values: A Comparative Study of Corporate, Academic, and Government Research Labs

This paper investigates the relationship between human values and computational modeling through mixed-method field research at three organizations (corporate, academic, and government research labs). This research builds on research on the role of values in information technology design from science and technology studies, information ethics, and human-computer interaction. Surveys and interviews were used to identify statistically significant differences among modelers in the three organizations both in terms of their self-assessment of their values and in the frequency of value occurrences within specific organizational contexts. Interviews also provided qualitative data that explain the statistically significant differences. Results included a higher value placed on creativity and lower values placed on conformity-related values among researchers in the academic lab. This paper demonstrates that there are statistically significant differences among the values of the modelers employed within the three organizations. Future research involving more sites can generalize the relationship between values and organization type.