Research and Development
Founded by clinical psychologist Dr. J. Clayton Lafferty and directed by organizational culture expert Dr. Robert A. Cooke, Human Synergistics International is a pioneer in the field of measurement for organizational and individual development. Our products have been used by both the business community to promote change and in research and development efforts by the academic community to better understand the causes and outcomes of behavior within organizations. The resources below provide more information on the history, research, and reliability and validity behind the Subarctic Survival Situation™.
Development
Research and Publications
Is improving leadership really as simple as maximizing extroversion? Empirical evidence is actually far more mixed than the HBS curriculum might lead one to believe. For example, in one team-building exercise at HBS [Harvard Business School], students engage in a role-playing game called the Subarctic Survival Situation.
Why a simulation?
- ‘Because wisdom cannot be told.’
- Action/involvement is vital to how people learn. (We learn by doing.)
The most memorable example of the power of teamwork in solving problems was from an exercise I participated in over 16 years ago. It was such a compelling lesson about teams solving problems, I still have the exercise booklet. The exercise is from a company called Human Synergistics and was a ‘Subarctic Survival Situation’.
I would recommend this experiment highly. It does a great job of showing how to improve team work and communication. It is also a great way to get to know your team better!
Lesson: If you don’t have the expertise, figure out who does; if you do have the expertise, say so. Communicate or die.
Rob Walker, Rosenbluth Rodeo, Fast Company
To be honest, I also thought the Subarctic Exercise was quite instructive…
I have found that the sub-arctic survival simulation is fun and naturally encourages student participation. Students learn that in order to ‘survive,’ they must cooperate and support one another, that the collective is greater than the individual, and that teamwork is necessary for enhancing their success in their academic and professional careers.
Mark Tufenkjian, Survival Simulations, Success 101
Human Synergistics International thanks trainers, practitioners, consultants, and educators across the globe for making our team-building simulations the most widely used and acclaimed in the world.
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- Other locations: Please contact your nearest HS affiliate office
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Team-Building Simulations from Human Synergistics
The Subarctic Survival Situation is one of our most popular group problem-solving survival exercises. Developed by Dr. J. Clayton Lafferty and his colleagues, the simulation places participants in an isolated area of northern Canada where their plane has just crash landed and challenges them to rank, first individually and then as a team, 15 salvaged items in order of their importance to their survival.
Human Synergistics’ team-building simulations provide a unique opportunity to quickly and objectively measure whether your teams are achieving synergy. They are designed for team building, developing more constructive group processes, and demonstrating the impact of communication and collaboration on solution effectiveness. HSI offers a wide variety of team-building simulations in four series.