Managing Groups and Teams: Coevolutionary gaming and group decision making

Background

Read the article referenced below from the Harvard Business Review about a simulation technique used by the Department of Defense to facilitate strategic planning. The author points out how this same technique can be used by a number of businesses as well.

Required Reading

This article can be found in the EBSCOHost collection, Academic Search Complete database.

Cares, Jeff; Miskel, Jim. (2007). Take Your Third Move First. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 85 Issue 3, 20-21.

Assignment

Write a 4- to 5-page paper with an introduction, conclusion, section headings, and references that answers the following questions:

1. How can coevolutionary gaming facilitate group decision making?
2. What are its limitations?

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:

• Define the problem: Explain how this strategic planning tool can be used to improve decision making. Be specific and use terminology and concepts from the background readings.
• Analyze the cause: Discuss how coevolutionary gaming would affect communication processes using the Johari window, and/or how it can impact group decision biases such as risky/cautious shift and groupthink.
• Propose a solution: Describe a situation in which coevolutionary gaming might impede decision making.

Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:

• Precision - Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
• Breadth - Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
• Depth - Does the paper address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background readings and other background resources as references?
• Critical thinking - Is the subject thought about critically, i.e., accurately, logically, relevantly, and precisely?
• Clarity - Is the writing clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
• Organization - Is the paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?
• Referencing (citations and references) - Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are the references from the background readings and assignment present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography present and referred to via citation?

Tips and Suggestions

Please note the following tips and suggestions:

• Include a cover page and reference page in addition to the 4–5 pages of analysis described above.
• You are expected to demonstrate that you have read, understood, and can apply the required background readings for this module in your answer to this case. Be sure to read the required readings carefully, and use the theories and arguments you learn from them to support your analysis.
• Include headings for all papers longer than two pages (basically all papers).
• Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and include citations for information that you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for well-written papers. (If you are unsure of what those guidelines are, see The Elements of a Well Written Paper).

Submit your analysis by the end of this module.