From: David Ozag
dozag84@hotmail.com
Jean-Claude and others, I also like to use the paper airplane exercise to
introduce the basic components of project management-identifying a need,
identifying alternatives, evaluating the alternative, implementing the
alternatives and follow-up.
I use the exercise this way. I explain that due to competitive pressures, a
company (Red Barron, Inc.) has decided to change the design of the proforma
jet they sell to corporate customers. For the first part of the exercise, I
break the teams into groups. I give those supplies like, glue, pens,
staplers, tape, papers, markers etc. I mention that they are free to use
whatever of the supplies they want. I instruct the teams that they have 20
minutes to come up with a design for their team and at the end of the 20
minutes, they will have to make a short presentation to the class and
explain the features of the their plane. After the presentations, the class
votes on the best design and I award prizes. Also, this is a great time to
process some of the socio-techno issues of working in teams, discussing how
they approached designing their plane. Typically, during this stage of the
process, the team has not really formed. I usually see each person working
on his/her design and then, at the end, the team comes together to pick one
to represent the group. At that point, all, not a lot of discussion about
the features of the plane are discussed, but usually the plane selected is
from the person who is most assertive. We discuss why these things occur.
In the second phase, another 20 minutes, teams must mass produce their
planes. That is, they must produce as many exact replicates of their
original plane as they can. At the end of the mass production phase, we
spend sometime discussing the duality and paradox of efficiency and
effectiveness and again why the team did not spend time in the first phase
thinking about and discussing the "costs" associated with using particular
resources. Having done this exercise many times, I recycle the supplies. Sop
during this phase of the exercise, I team could very well run out of a
supply--such as tape or a marker stops working. If that is the case, teams
need to negotiate with other teams to acquire assets. They even have the
liberty of "selling" human resources among the teams. Also, at the end of
this phase, we discuss the pros and cons of the production processes used by
each team. Finally, to stress the importance of quality control,
particularly with this product, teams trade their airplanes with other
teams. I give the other team the original plane and the competitors make the
decision as to how many exact replicates were produced. Prizes are awarded.
The third and final stage is the big "fly off." At this point, we talk
about "vision" and how developing a vision from the beginning could have
alleviates some of the dysfunctionality the group experienced. The
overriding decision for each team should have been--does the thing fly? We
hold two rounds, with the two planes that go the furthest in the first round
advancing to the finals. Prizes are awarded to the winners and the winning
plane is retrieved and forever displayed in the hall of fame, which is in my
office.
David Ozag
East Carolina University
2312 Bate
Greenville, NC 27858
252-328-6549
-----Original Message-----
From: Management Education and Development Discussion
[mailto:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of Jean-Claude Provost
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 10:48 AM
To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Can you recommend an exercise / game / simulation on
organizational design or change?
Similar simulation , producing "flying Frisbees", first applying a classic
assembly line workflow,... Followed by a debriefing and the opportunity to
redesign the work design (usually more team-based, socio-technical) and to
redo the simulation based on the new work design.
I could email you the guidelines if you are interested.
Jean-Claude Provost
McGill University
-----Original Message-----
From: Management Education and Development Discussion
[mailto:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of deborah nixon
Sent: March 16, 2004 8:32 PM
To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Can you recommend an exercise / game / simulation on
organizational design or change?
Dear Anne: Just finished one today which I do every term. It always
provokes great discussion, is complex and the students have fun. It's
simple to prepare and involves a simulation of a take-over. The org
manufactures paper airplanes- always fun for them.
I can fax you the material- only 4 pages.
deborah
Deborah Nixon
University of Toronto/Ryerson University
704 Windermere Ave
Toronto Ont M6S 3M1
Ph: 416-763-6985
Fax: 416-763-3361
-----Original Message-----
From: Management Education and Development Discussion
[mailto:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of Charles Wankel
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 12:14 PM
To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Can you recommend an exercise / game / simulation on organizational
design or change?
From: Anne Tsui
Anne.Tsui@asu.edu
I have a teaching question and hope you can help. I am looking for an
exercise/game/simulation on organizational design or change (for
executive/senior manager MBA students). Do you know of any? I would
appreciate any suggestion you can offer.
Thanks.
Anne
Anne.Tsui@asu.edu