Students find this exercise fun and involving. It clearly demonstrates how structuring a group task affects group output. To perform well, a group must: 

1. Effectively divide the work among members in a way that maximizes output while maintaining acceptable quality. 

2. Accurately estimate the number of planes the group can produce in 10 minutes (accuracy  

1.will substantially increase in the second and third rounds). Often the group that most accurately estimates the group's capability in the first round wins the competition (given a reasonably capable group). To make a profit, a group must bid at least 19 planes per 10-minute round (and all planes are acceptable). 

3.  Maintain tight quality control (the inspector's responsibility). Poorly produced planes guarantee financial losses (given the hefty $25,000 penalty per defective plane).Here are two variations on ways to inspect each group's planes: 

a.  As facilitator, you inspect each group's planes by selecting one plane (the worst one) from each respective group. Before the exercise begins, inform the group that this single test will determine the quality of the planes produced by the group. If the single plane does not fly a specified distance, the group for that round will be penalized a substantial amount (e.g., $50,000, $75,000, etc.). In informing the group about the inspection test, don't tell them how far the plane must fly to pass the test. If they object, note that this missing information represents uncertainty with which managers must often contend in decision making. At the end of the first round, place a strip of tape on the floor at the front of the room; pace off about 15 feet and mark the finish line with a piece of tape. The planes must fly 15 feet and cross the finish line to pass the test. As the test pilot, you fly the planes. If you're new to testing paper planes, tell the class you have the right to claim pilot error on a poor test and retest the plane. 

b.  Conduct your quality testing using the #1 approach; however, rotate the group inspectors such that inspector from group 1 will select the plane from group 2 to test; inspector form group 2 will select the plane from group 3 to test and so on. 

In a major variation of the exercise, you can have the students design their plane as part of the exercise. This variation is most effective using the # 1 or #2 variation of plane testing and in conducting one 20-minute round in the exercise. Expect some very interesting designs (many of which won't fly). Also expect some groups with the fancier designs to be the low producers. They'll have spent too much time designing the plane and more time producing the fancier design than will the group with the simpler designs. 

Some questions to ask the groups: 

1.  How did your group structure the group task? What organizational problems did you encounter? 

2. (Focusing on the best and worst performing groups): Did the organization of the group differ between these two groups?