Abstract
Games and simulations are increasingly used as tools by group researchers and team development specialists, but many involve undesirable trade-offs. TINSEL TOWNis a business simulation designed to be engaging, moderately complex, easy to administer, quickly and objectively scored, and iterative in nature. Groups of four act as the top management team of a fictionalmovie studio, with each member representing a different function within the company. The team’s collective task is to maximize the studio’s profit over three simulated years (i.e., decision periods) by choosing screenplays to produce and setting marketing levels for each film based on a limited budget. Each member has access to some common information provided to all members as well as some unique role-specific information. The simulation models the distributed expertise often found in organizational decision-making teams and expands the options available to those interested in understanding and improving team decision-making effectiveness.
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