NPL 273  Introduction to Nonprofit Leadership

The Game of Xs and Ys

Win all you can!

 

That is the object of this game—“Win all you can!” 

 

Go to the Discussion Board for this assignment and find the group to which you’ve been assigned.  The rewards in this game go to the group, not to each of you as individuals. 

 

The idea is that your groups are all involved in delivering the same services to your community.  There are only so many volunteers in the community, only so much in charitable donations, etc.  Each round is one year, and you are trying to decide whether or not to go with a charity golf tournament each year.  If you are the only one to do it (if you are the only “X”), then you get lots of publicity and raise lots of funds, but if everyone does it (if everyone goes “X”), then there are too many tournaments and everybody ends up spending more volunteer time and money than they game.  On the other hand, if you are the only one to decide to pass this year (if you are the only “Y”), you end up looking like you’re not doing anything and you lose money and volunteers.  But if everyone chooses to pass (if everyone goes “Y”), then you have all saved those resources that can be used for other things.  So, what do you do?

 

Here are the rules:

 

  1. The game will go for a total of 9 rounds (one round each day).  On each round, individual groups will select either “X” or “Y.”  The decision is made by the group, and no discussion between groups is allowed (except as noted below). 
  2. The decision about whether the group chooses X or Y may be based on any reasoning or logic, but a review of the point scoring system below is recommended (remember, you are trying to “win all you can”). 
  3. Each group will e-mail their choice to me (tony@mnsu.edu ) by 9 AM each day.  I will tally the results and post them back to each group via the Discussion Board.
  4. After the first 3 rounds, there will be a 30-minute period for open discussion by all groups together (in the Chat room—beginning at noon).  Open discussion will be permitted again after the seventh round. 
  5. “Winnings” are doubled for the 6th round and tripled for the 9th round.
  6. After the 9th round, you will post to the Discussion Board your perceptions of what happened, why it happened, and what you learned from it.

 

Good luck!

 

SCORING

If there are

That group scores

 

 

1 X

25

2X

10

3X

5

4X

-10

 

 

1Y

-25

2Y

-10

3Y

-5

4Y

10

 

 

MSU

© 2003 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 15 May 2006