Autocrative Versus Democratic Decision Making: The "Executive Game" as an Experiment

Abstract

"The EXECUTIVE GAME (Henshaw & Jackson, 1966) is a computerized simulation of a manufacturing firm (one product) where players are required to make a series of decisions on the price of a product, marketing costs, production level, research and development expenses, plant investment, and dividends in a dynamic and competitive business situation. Total time represented is two years of operations, with each decision representing one quarter of a year. Nine firms constitute the “industry” and computer printouts provide both industry and company data in the form of operating and financial statements, to include a Profit and Loss statement, Cash Flow, and a Balance Sheet. While simple in comparison to an actual firm, the game appears to provide a relatively complex task suitable for experimental use in the study of variables related to small group and management research."