The New Hire: Teaching Behavioral Dynamics in Management

System dynamics is conspicuous by its absence in the major management education journals. At the same time, there are calls for better handling of complexity and new theory generation; areas where system dynamics can make a major contribution. This paper presents a simulation within a learning environment aimed at reinforcing organizational behavior concepts, especially emphasizing the interconnectedness of these concepts. While the intent is not to teach system dynamics, the simulation provides an opportunity to introduce system concepts. This paper concludes by suggesting a strategy for entry into the management education journals involving a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to evaluate alternative techniques. Introduction Business students, especially those in management, are presented with many theories of the behavioral aspects of managing an organization. These topics typically include perception, motivation, stress, group dynamics, and leadership. However, much of the literature in management education is devoid of the term “system dynamics”. For example, no articles were found relating to system dynamics in either the Journal of Management Education or the new Academy of Management Learning and Education journal. A few years ago, one of the authors submitted a flight simulator exercise to the Journal of Management Education. It was not sent out for review since it was felt that the readership would not be interested in flight simulators. Interestingly, at about the same time in this journal, the editor, in a series of editorials, had called for a reorientation of management education to address the changing nature of organizations, specifically mentioning the ability of managers to deal with the increasing complexity found in today’s organizations (Bilimoria 2000). Two years earlier the same editor had called for better, newer, and more relevant theories of organizational behavior (Bilimoria 1998). The irony is striking since system dynamics is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools for dealing with complexity and is, at the same time, a powerful tool for theory generation. And yet system dynamics is conspicuous by its absence in key management education journals. We see these calls for handling complexity and generating theory as an opportunity for system dynamics. In a recent article, Repenning (2003) describes the difficulty that system dynamics has had in breaking into other fields, specifically mentioning organizational theory. He provides cogent advice for those attempting to do so and reiterates its importance to the field of system dynamics. In the same article, he refers to the central role of management education: Management education defines and sustains many, if not most, of the rules of the game in modern business. Consequently, there are few institutions that offer a better platform for changing the way managers think and act. Without a strong hold in this process, system dynamics will continue to face an uphill battle. (323)