An experiment in the usefulness of a strategy map

Purpose – The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a strategy map on the quality of decision making.Design/methodology/approach – An experimental design is used in this study. A total of 24 participants were randomly assigned into two groups – a control group and a treatment group. Each participant completed two rounds of the experiment covering 24 decisions using a simulation game. The multiple regression technique is used as the analysis tool in this study.Findings – The results show that strategy maps do not affect the performance of participants' decision making.Research limitations/implications – This research employs the laboratory experimental design. Thus the external validity (the generalizability) is limited.Practical implications – Results obtained from this research suggest that a strategy map alone is not an effective tool to help managers make better decisions. More details, such as a correlation between strategic measures in the strategy map or guidelines for the use of t...

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