Vennix, Jac A. M., "Building Consensus in Strategic Decision-Making: Insights from the process Group Model-Building", 1994
ua435
System dynamics is increasingly employed asa method to foster team learning in strategic decision making groups. Althoughonly a full brown computer simulation model can reveal the dynamics of thesystem, in group model building the client organization is frequently satisfiedwith the construction of a conceptual (qualitative) model. In this paper a caseis described in a Dutch government agency. Since people from differentdepartments held strongly opposite viewpoints on the strategy, the agency haddiscussed its strategic problem for more than a year, but had obviously notbeen able to reach consensus. The group model-building process was successfulin integrating opposite points of view, as well as in fostering consensus andcreating commitment. Careful evaluation of the case shows that three factorsmight have been responsible for this: the role of systemic thinking,improvement of the quality of communication and finally the role of thefacilitator.