Question: A. PURPOSE The purpose of this simulation is to provide a situation where you will need to influence others and to observe how information affects team decision-making. During and after the simulation, you are encouraged to become aware of the processes you use in your attempts to influence and relate with others. You will also be given an opportunity to design an OD program. You will experience:
• How task information is shared.
• How problem-solving strategies influence results.
• How collaboration and competition affect team problem-solving.
B. PROCEDURES
Step 1. All participants should read the Brentwood Division Background Information. Form groups of seven to act out the executive committee role-play. (Roles should be selected prior to the class meeting.) Additional class members will serve as practitioners, but ideally there should be no more than three practitioners per team. Each player should read only his or her role and the background information.
1. Brentwood General Manager
2. Director of Marketing
3. Director of Production
4. Director of Human Resources Development
5. Director of Engineering
6. OD Practitioner Team (two or three)
Step 2. Executive committee meeting.Your team is to use the information to arrive at a decision. Practitioner teams and the executive committee meet in an executive meeting. The meeting is scheduled to last 30 minutes. The practitioners use the Team Profile Form to help them analyze the organization. The decisions facing the committee are:
1. What should be the basic goal-efficiency or effectiveness, short-term profit or long-term market share?
2. What should the decision be on pricing policy-to stay with the policy or to become more flexible?
3. How should people be retained-by increasing salaries, by bonuses, or in other ways?
Step 3.After the executive meeting, the OD practitioner team completes the diagnosis and formulates an OD program to present to the executive committee for its consideration. While the practitioners are designing the OD program, the executive committee of Brentwood should discuss questions to ask the practitioners and determine the criterion for rating the proposal. Time suggested for Step 3: 10 minutes.
Step 4. The practitioners present the diagnosis and OD program to their respective companies.Then each company with its practitioners jointly develops an OD program. Time suggested for Step 4: 15 minutes. Step 5. At the conclusion of the role-play, the team discusses and critiques the team process and the practitioner style. Did the practitioner team:
1. Establish a relationship?
2. Take over the problem and the meeting?
3. Focus on feelings? 4. Encourage the client to be specific?
4. Allow the client to talk?
5. Lead and direct conversation?
6. Show indications of judging the client?
7. Take sides?