Comparison of Group Decision Making in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia Using a Business Game

Background. Numerous preceding research studies have analyzed the relationship between strategy and culture through questionnaires and case studies. However, very few regard the input results of a business game’s decision making variables as strategy. Moreover, few conduct an analysis using the same scenario, under a controlled environment from the perspective of experimental business management studies, while using adult subjects with similar characteristics. Aim. This study compared the group decision making of Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia, particularly analyzing each culture’s influence on strategy. We verified the relationship between the cultural dimensions used in the GLOBE project and strategies within the business game. Method. This was a mixed methods study on the relation between cultural dimensions and business game entry strategies, based upon data collected by observation using a quasi-experimental approach that includes questionnaires and business games, and utterance analysis by counting the frequency of words. Findings. Countries differ in their tendencies to engage in sharing, with an emphasis on strategies such as, product differentiation differentiation, being marketing emphasized, or cost saving. Further, we could confirm relationships between several cultural dimensions and strategy.