By: Steve CaswellCaitlin Anderson

Leanne HeffernanAmy O’Connell

OverviewIntroduction

Game Instructions

Game ObjectivesPlanning and StrategyCompetitionRisk TakingManagerial skillsLearning

The Malaysian Business GameAhmad and Osman

Multi-cultural management training game

Congkak

Goal of the game is to collect more chips in your home base than your opponent

The Malaysian Business GameBefore you start you need:

2 or more players, best with even numbers30 – 60 minutes10 small/medium bowls, 2 larger bowls, 50

poker chips or marbles per pair of playersEach player is paired up and sits across from

their opponentEach player gets five small/medium bowls

with five chips placed in them and one large bowl, these bowls are placed in front of them

The Malaysian Business GameTo play:

Each opponent chooses one of their five bowls and removes the chips from this bowl

Each player then deposits one chip in each bowl starting with the bowl to their immediate left and continuing in a cycle

The cycle includes your opponents bowl, however you do not put one chip in your opponents home base

The Malaysian Business GameTo play (continued):

Once all those chips have been placed in a different bowl, do the same thing with the bowl to the left

Once you have reached your last bowl start with your first bowl, you continue the cycle with your opponents first bowl

This movement of chips is continued until all chips have been put into a home base bowl

The Malaysian Business GameOther game rules:

You never move the chips that are in a home base

If your cycle of chips ends in an opponents empty bowl you are “dead” and do not take any more turns until your opponent dies as well

If your cycle ends with putting your last chip in an empty bowl of your own you “acquire” all the chips in your opponents respective bowl and place them in your own home base bowl

If your last chip of the cycle is put in your home base, you can choose any of your own bowls to start again from, this is where strategy comes in

The Malaysian Business Game

The game ends when all chips have been moved into either of the home bases

The winner of the game is the person who has accumulated the most chips in their home base

Strategy & PlanningCommunication

Team members and opponents

Focus and patience

ObservanceBowls, chips and opponents

Planning your moves

CompetitionForesight

IntelligenceMath skills

Speed Confusion

CompetitionUnethical behaviours

AggressivenessMasculine attributes (need to win)

Interest/enjoymentFeminine attributes (experience and sympathy)

Risk Taking

Low vs. High uncertainty avoidanceHigh uncertainty avoidance cultures may take

more risksLow uncertainty avoidance may make safe

moves

Long-term orientated cultures plan ahead

Managerial SkillsSkills needed:

ConcentrationAbility to strategizeForesightTeam workQuick thinking

LearningCommunication skills

Working with team membersIndividualistic/Collectivist

Listening skillsHigh /low power distance

AdaptingLow/ high uncertainty avoidance

Questions?