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Fall 2013

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 29, Number 1

The Competition Game

Robert E. Wright, Augustana College

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TheCompetitionGameRobertE.Wright*AugustanaCollegeTheJournalofPrivateEnterprise29(1),2013,141–146AbstractThe“CompetitionGame”isanin-classactivitydesignedtoprovideundergraduatestudentswithnon-technicalinsightsintothefunctioningofaprivateenterprisesystemfromtheperspectivesofbothworkersandbusinessowners.Lessonsincludethedifficultyofequalizingoutcomesintherealworld(evenwheninitialwealthendowmentsareequal),theimportanceofmeritocracy,andthebehaviorsofsuccessfulbusinessownersandemployees.Thisnotedescribesthegameanditsrules,offerstipsonhowtoincentivizestudentstoplayitrealistically,andprovidesdetailsonhowtocreateanExcelfilefortrackingactioninthemarket;forgeneratingrandominterestratesandtaxes;andforlookinguppricesandexpensesfromtables.JELCodes:A22,P1Keywords:Privateenterprise;Pedagogicalactivity;Competition;ExcelEveninrelativelyconservativeregionsoftheUnitedStates,liketheUpperMidwest,undergraduatesimbuedwithstatistviewsofpoliticaleconomyfindtheirwayintocollegeclassroomswithdistressingfrequency.Mostappeartobetheproductsofsomecombinationofliberalparents,youthfulnaivety,andpublicschoolcurriculathatarestrongly,ifnotintentionally,biasedinfavorofgovernmentaction.Manyviewlaborrelationsasamoralityplaypittingpoor,powerlessworkersagainstomnipotent,oppressiveemployers.Tohelpnon-economicsmajorstodevelopamorenuancedviewoftheeconomywithoutinvokinganyeconomictheorybeyondthedemandcurve,Idevelopedthe“CompetitionGame,”anin-classexercisethatcanbecompletedin75to90minutes.*Thankstomycolleague,laborhistorianMatthewPehl,forhelpingmetoteachwiththisgameandforcommentsmadebyaudiencemembersattheBreadandRosesCentennialSymposiumheldattheLawrenceHistoryCenterinLawrence,Massachusetts,onApril28,2012,whereIpresentedanearlierversionofthisarticle.Anyremainingerrors,however,aremyresponsibilityalone.141

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Metadata [hide]

Title	The Competition Game
Authors/Creators:	Robert E. Wright, Augustana College
Year:	2013
Volume:	29
Number:	1
Pages:	141 - 146
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Economic Education, Private Enterprise

Citation:
Wright, Robert E. / 2013. "The Competition Game." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 29(1): 141-146.