Inevitably, students who perform poorly in a business simulation game feel that they were the victims of the good luck of their competitors. Simulation administrators, however, generally believe that winners in the simulation competition are those students who make the best decisions. This study examines the relationship between simulation performance over two separate and distinct rounds of play in the same marketing simulation game. The rigorously controlled experiment found a medium to strong relationship between rank order performance in the two simulation rounds. This finding led to the conclusion that simulation performance is relatively stable over time and due more to the participants' marketing decision-making skills than luck.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alpert, Frank (1993). "Large-Scale Simulation in Marketing Education."Journal of Marketing Education, 15 (Summer): 30-35.
2.
Anderson, Philip H. , and Leigh Lawton (1992). "The Relationship between Financial Performance and Other Measures of Learning on a Simulation Exercise."Simulation and Gaming, 23 (3): 326-340.
3.
Babb, E.M. , and L.M. Eisgruber (1966). Purdue Farm Supply Business Management Game. Chicago: Educational Methods.
4.
Babb, E.M. , M.A. Leslie, and M.D. VanSlyke (1966). "The Potential of Business Gaming Methods in Research."Journal of Business, 39: 465-472.
5.
Cohen, Jacob , and Patricia Cohen (1983). Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
6.
Faria, A.J. (1986). "A Test of Student Performance and Attitudes under Varying Game Conditions."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 13: 70-75.
7.
Faria, A.J. (1987). "A Survey of the Use of Business Games in Academia and Business."Simulation and Games, 18 (2): 207-224.
8.
Faria, A.J. , and J.R. Dickinson (1994a). The Marketing Management Simulation. Detroit, Ml: Simulation Source.
9.
Faria, A.J. , and J.R. Dickinson (1994b). "Simulation Gaming for Sales Management Training."Journal of Management Development, 13 (1): 47-60.
10.
Faria, A.J. , and T.R. Whiteley (1990). "An Empirical Evaluation of the Pedagogical Value of Playing a Simulation Game in a Principles of Marketing Course."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 17: 53-57.
11.
Gentry, James , ed. (1990). The Guide to Business Gaming and Experiential Learning. East Brunswick, NJ: Nichols Publishing.
12.
Gosenpud, J.J. (1987). "Research on Predicting Performance in the Simulation."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 14: 75-79.
13.
Gosenpud, J.J. , P. Miesing, and C.J. Milton (1984). "A Research Study on Strategic Decisions in a Business Simulation."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 11: 111-116.
14.
Gosenpud, J.J. , and J.B. Washbush (1991). "Predicting Simulation Performance: Differences between Groups and Individuals."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 18: 44-48.
15.
Gosenpud, J.J. , and J. Wolfe (1988). "Strategy Design, Process. and Implementation in a Stable/Complex Environment: An Exploratory Study."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 15: 147-153.
16.
Gray, C.E. (1972). "Performance as a Criterion Variable in Measuring Business Gaming Success."Proceedings of the Southeastern Conference of the Decision Sciences Institute, 14: 193-198.
17.
Hsu, Enrico (1989). "Role-Event Gaming-Simulation in Management Education: A Conceptual Framework and Review."Simulation and Games, 20 (4): 409-438.
18.
Karns, Gary (1993). "Marketing Student Perceptions of Learning Activities: Structure, Preferences, and Effectiveness."Journal of Marketing Education, 15 (Spring): 3-10.
19.
Laughlin. Jay , and Robert Hite (1993). "Game and Simulation Effectiveness in Marketing Education: An Experimental Investigation."Journal of Marketing Education, 15 (Fall): 39-46.
20.
McKinney, J.L. , and W.R. Dill (1966). "Influences on Learning Simulation Games."American Behavioral Scientist, 10: 28-32.
21.
Miesing, P. (1982). "Qualitative Determinants of Group Performance in a Simulation Game."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 9: 228-232.
22.
Norris, Dwight R. , and Robert E. Niebuhr (1980). "Group Variables and Gaming Success."Simulation and Games, 11 (3): 301-312.
23.
Norris, D. R. , and A. Snyder (1982). "External Validation: An Experimental Approach to Determining the Worth of Simulation Games."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 9: 247-250.
24.
Siegel, Sidney (1956). Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
25.
Vance, S.C. , and C.F. Gray (1967). "Use of a Performance Evaluation Model for Research in Business Gaming."Academy of Management Journal, 10: 27-37.
26.
VanSlyke, M.D. (1964). Psychological Correlates of Business Game Performance and Managerial Success. Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
27.
Washbush, J.B. , and J.J. Gosenpud (1993). "The Relationship between Total Enterprise Simulation Game Performance and Learning."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 20: 141.
28.
Watson, Hugh J. (1981). Computer Simulation in Business. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
29.
Wellington, W.J. , and A.J. Faria (1991). "An Investigation of the Relationship between Simulation Play, Performance Level, and Recency of Play on Exam Scores."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 18: 111-117.
30.
Wellington, W.J. , and A.J. Faria (1995). "A Repeated Measures Examination of the Effect of Team Cohesion, Player Attitude, and Performance Expectations on Simulation Performance Results."Simulation and Gaming, 25 (1): 41-65.
31.
Whiteley, T.R. (1993). "An Empirical Investigation of Cognitive and Performance Consistency in a Marketing Simulation Game Environment."Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises, 20: 144.
32.
Whiteley, T.R. , and A.J. Faria (1989). "A Study of the Relationship between Student Final Exam Performance and Simulation Game Participation."Simulation and Games. 20 (1): 44-64.
33.
Wolfe, Joseph (1976). "Correlates and Measures of the External Validity of Computer-Based Business Policy Decision-Making Environments."Simulation and Games, 7: 411-433.
34.
Wolfe, Joseph , and M. Chanin (1993). "The Integration of Functional and Strategic Management Skills in a Business Game Learning Environment."Simulation and Gaming, 24 (1): 34-46.
35.
Wolfe, Joseph , and J.B. Keys (1990). "The Role of Management Games and Simulations in Education and Research."Yearly Review of Management, 16: 307-336.
36.
Wolfe, Joseph , and C. Richard Roberts (1986). "The External Validity of a Business Management Game."Simulation and Games, 17 (1): 45-59.
37.
Wolfe, Joseph , and C. Richard Roberts (1993). "A Further Study of the External Validity of Business Games: Five-Year Peer Group Indicators."Simulation and Gaming, 24 (1): 21-34.
