Projecting Entropy of University Culture Dissemination Using the Axelrod Model

"Objective - This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of university culture dissemination by introducing cultural entropy as an objective metric and by modeling its evolution under agent interactions in social networks. The analysis served as an empirically calibrated test of the dynamics of culture dissemination using a simulation framework. Methodology/Technique - Employees from five university divisions participated in an organizational culture survey. This survey was used to create individual cultural profiles. A modified Axelrod model was adopted to simulate the spread of cultural values in an agent-based environment. Furthermore, division-level cultural profiles were mapped using entropy. Forward projections were also used to assess entropy reduction and reveal polarization patterns. Findings - The estimated university-wide cultural entropy was 1.52, indicating significant dispersion in cultural values. Simulations showed that two divisions could experience rapid reductions in entropy, suggesting faster cultural balance. Meanwhile, three divisions showed continued high entropy or slow improvement. Polarization analysis identified that certain standard cultural values became more dominant. Some were weakened since cultural unification progressed unevenly across divisions. Novelty - This research showed novelty in three ways, namely (i) the use of an Axelrod-based model calibrated with higher-education survey data. (ii) Introduction of cultural entropy as a simple metric for tracking dissemination at the university and division level. (iii) The use of real survey results to set up an agent-based model that connects actual culture to simulated interactions. Type of Paper - Empirical"