Abstract for: Experimental Comparison of System Dynamics versus Traditional Facilitation

This paper reports on an experiment comparing the relative effectiveness of standard group facilitation techniques with system dynamics facilitation techniques in a real world stakeholder participation process. The experiment tested the hypothesis that the system dynamics approach would lead to: (1) better decisions; (2) greater participant focus on relevant materials; and (3) higher procedural satisfaction. The system dynamics approach yielded better decisions but lower procedural satisfaction among participants.