The Use of Management Games in the Management Research Agenda

Abstract

The main objective of this manuscript is to theoretically discuss the pros and cons related to the use of management games in basic empirical research and to help answer the following question “can games be used in the same way as … wind tunnels for testing designs and strategies?” (Bass 1964: 546). This manuscript is structured in three parts that will basically (a) define the term „management games‟ as a laboratory research instrument; (b) analyze realism and validity issues, with an intent to identify the benefits of using games for research purposes; and (c) present a sum-mary of the main issues covered.