Did you find yourself “blaming” the position next to you for your problems?

The Beer Game-Systems Thinking

Week 2: Discussion Board

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As you read over the Beer Game in P. Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline, think of yourself as one of the four positions: retailer, wholesaler, distributor, and factory. After you are done reading, answer these questions:

1. What position are you?
2. Did you feel yourself “at the effect” of forces in the system from time to time? (i.e. relatively helpless in the face of huge incoming orders or excess inventories)
3. Did you find yourself “blaming” the position next to you for your problems?
4. What do you think the customers were doing?
5. Is this an example of external events causing problems or the underlying structure of the system causing the problems?
6. How do we deal more effectively with underlying structures?