Few front-runners won their heat

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 19

Few front-runners won their heat

As the 106 winners from the first round of the National Management Game prepare to face a completely different economic situation in the second round, analysis of the game so far reveals how their fortunes have fluctuated.

Only seven of the winners] took the lead at the begin-] ning and held it all the way. Half of the eventual victors were not leading at the midpoint of the round. Ten of them won only on the last decision, the " administrator (Mr E. V. Sale) told “The Press.”

The lead changed three times in more than 20 games, | and in other games by as many as four and five times. Only about half the winners were prominent in the game last year. Two of the 1972 finalists were eliminated. The greatest company success is that of the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company—which has entered veterinarians, engineers, accountants, managers, directors and all, and succeeded in three of its five contests. Other first round winners include a school, and Air Force team, some farmers, two husband and wife combinations, groups from Government departments, and one team which has problems in meeting because some of

[its members are prison inmates.

One sadly named team was Final Decision—that was the fateful decision on which it lost. On the other hand Mentally Limited was saved in defeat from the risk of having to identify its membership under an unfortunate title in the final. The first round winners will continue to play in five zones, and will again compete in a simulated period of two years —but this time with only a week instead of a fortnight between decisions.

The National Management Game is conducted jointly by the New Zealand Herald [Business News, the New Zealand Society of Accountants and International Computers (New Zealand), Ltd, and sponsored by ‘‘The ] Press.”