Decision-making challenges: Group dynamics and boundary spanning in the CyberStrike game

Abstract

Multirole online games offer advantages for learning in business schools, as students process information and coordinate with others while pursuing measurable goals. Gaming environments can be complex, and the choices and timing of players’ actions may have long-term effects on the state of the game. Team members practice communication skills as they exchange information and coordinate actions, and games provide objective feedback about their performance. Despite these advantages, integration of multiplayer online games into business courses can present technical and instructional challenges. This article introduces an online game, CyberStrike, in which student teams play roles of state or nonstate actors attempting to protect their own information systems while selectively attacking competitors’ information systems. The game can be useful in organizational behavior courses because it engages students in decision-making processes and inter-group dynamics that highlight relevant principles in action. As student teams try to foster cooperation within a competitive environment, consequences of their decision-making, strategy development, and boundary-spanning activities become apparent. Guidelines for teaching with CyberStrike are provided, along with suggestions for incorporating multirole online games into business school classes.