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Consensus building in the planning process: Benefits from a “hard” modeling approach
Author(s) -
Winch Graham W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
system dynamics review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.491
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1099-1727
pISSN - 0883-7066
DOI - 10.1002/sdr.4260090305
Subject(s) - process (computing) , management science , key (lock) , computer science , process management , operations research , knowledge management , business , economics , engineering , computer security , operating system
This article examines the role that building and using a system dynamics model plays in developing consensus within management teams facing key strategic decisions: A shared view emerges within the team as individual views of the company, its industry, and the socioeconomic climate are articulated and compared. Examples are given based on two actual consulting assignments in which differing views concerning the competitive environment and the general business outlook initially pointed to quite different strategies. The emergence of consensus was considered a major benefit in addition to the forecasts and quantitative evaluations the model provided. In its analysis and examples, this article emphasizes both the “hard” benefits of forecasts and an objective framework for quantitative evaluations and the “soft” benefits of building consensus within management teams.