Marketing Simulation Game Decision Making Experience and its Impact on Indecisiveness Among Introductory Marketing Students

Abstract

The present study examines how the decision making experience gained by game participants during the play of a marketing simulation game impacts the traits of indecisiveness and competitiveness among marketing students. A pre-test/post-test experimental design was used to measure the change in participant decisiveness, competitiveness and attitude toward the simulation experience. The present study sought to determine whether the simulation experience reduced indecisiveness and increased competitiveness and whether well performing decision makers were less indecisive and more competitive than poorer performing game participants. The study findings, involving 348 students, showed a significant reduction in indecisiveness and a significant increase in attitude toward the simulation experience. There were no significant differences in pre-test indecisiveness and attitudes toward the simulation experience in relation to ending rank order performance but there was a significant difference in simulation performance for highly competitive students versus low competitive students. The post-test measures of indecisiveness, competitiveness and attitude toward the simulation experience showed a significant difference in relation to ending rank order performance. It was concluded that participation in a marketing simulation game produced a significant reduction in indecisiveness and that well performing students reported being less indecisive and more competitive than poorer performing students.