Does System Dynamics Facilitate Learning in Resource Management?: a Study Based on a Laboratory Experiment

Firms could be analyzed as systems composed ofresources that determine their performance. Theresources are utilized and accumulated over timeaccording to the decisions continuously made bymanagers. Since decisions are based on managers¿¿¿mental models, deficiencies in these models alongwith the inability to infer dynamic behavior mayaffect success or failure. Thus, learning about thedynamics embedded in the firms should be promoted inorder to enhance people¿¿¿s understanding of how theinteractions between the most basic elements generatethe behavior of the resource levels over time. Thismight help them formulate better mental models and, therefore, make better decisions that ensure thefirm¿¿¿s sustainability. System Dynamics is expected to have the potential tofacilitate this process of learning. A laboratoryexperiment is conducted in order to test whether abrief SD-based teaching session in ResourceManagement may lead university students to improvetheir grasp of the dynamics of the relationshipbetween resource stocks and their in- and outflows. Moreover, this exploratory research attempts todescribe how SD concepts, tools and techniques affectthe outcomes.