Management Gaming's Lost Opportunity: Meditations About the Russian Experience and Prospects for the Future Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 26, 1999 MANAGEMENT GAMING’S LOST OPPORTUNITY: MEDITATIONS ABOUT THE RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE Viktor Rybalsky, Formerly, Kiev Civil Engineering Institute Joseph Wolfe, Formerly, University of Tulsa ABSTRACT A number of elements have shaped the Russian personality and culture. Many of those elements gave support to the onset and continuance of Communism in the USSR for more than seven decades. Although the USSR was a pioneer in the use of management games the realization of the benefits of business games was frustrated by a number of factors associated with the envi- ronment fostered by Communism. INTRODUCTION A number of elements laying deep in Russia's history dictated how Communism was opera- tionalized in the USSR, how this form influ- enced what was taught as well as the way knowledge was disseminated. Despite the great need for the development of native management talent, and the great role management games could have in developing that talent, efforts to instill active learning techniques in higher edu- cation in the Ukraine and throughout the Soviet Union met with frustration at every turn. The Formation of the Russian Mind and Cul- ture It is believed four forces from Russia's history allowed the Communist revolution to occur, re- main in power for so long while simultaneously creating an educational system supportive of Communism's goals and philosophies. Those forces are a tradition of physical and spiritual slavery, the use of brutal and violent means to accomplish desired ends, an intolerance and sus- picion of those of unlike mind or disposition and a need for the miraculous with its attendant traits of megalomania and mysticism. Communism's Grip on the USSR When Communism was first established after the October 1917 coup d'etat, a diversity of opinion within the Party was respected and en- couraged. This lasted only a short time, how- ever, as Lenin began suppressing liberal Com- munists in 1920 and different factions, or points-of-view, were forbidden in the name of War Communism. These suppressions contin- ued with greater force under Stalin with a num- ber of "show trials" taking place in the 1930s. Suspected "rivals" to Stalin's power and influ- ence were murdered, such as Sergei Kirov, Alexei Rykov, Nikolai Bukharin, Leon Trotsky, Lev Kamenev and Grigori Zinoviev. Many oth- ers were convicted of crimes against the state and were banished to prison labor camps. Thus a totalitarian regime was established and all liberalism, and its intellectuals, were abol- ished. The USSR's citizens were converted into spiritual slaves who had no right to their own opinions, let alone the freedom to express any opinions that ran counter to the State's position. Practically all people were converted into "man- curts" or men whose antecedents were obliter- ated from memory thus becoming the reliable and subservient "dogs" of their rulers. Intolerance, and a fear of "those who were not of us" also was used by Communism to continue its enslavement of the people. This feature is apparent in the insulting, derisive nicknames Russians gave foreigners. A Frenchman was scornfully named "francuzishko", a German "nemchura" and the Japanese "japoshka". In the case of Americans, they were so stupid and idi- otic that no single word could describe their in- eptitude. Massive amounts of state-controlled 178 propaganda served the population's megaloma- nia-driven needs. Russian's were told they were the cleverest and strongest people in the world and therefore they could rightfully teach others how they should to live. This megalomania also was evinced in hero worship, the cult of person- ality and the quest for a miraculous personages such as Lenin and Stalin. Effects on Higher Education and the Spread of Business Games For true learning and education to occur an en- vironment of free thinking and experimentation must exist. This was not possible in the USSR. The higher authorities persecuted with great zeal any who had contacts with fellow scientists in non-CMEA countries. All Western radio broadcasts were jammed with a tremendous use of resources to protect the population from "hostile voices". Candidates for foreign travel were carefully screened by commissions attached to the differ- ent committees of Communist Party. They also received strict instructions regarding their be- havior and, as a rule, were escorted by a dis- guised KGB agent. All tourists were to walk in groups of not less than three and they were coached on how to answer "provocative" ques- tions such as the names of their universities and their telephone numbers. Freedom to publish also did not exist. Many professional "creative unions", such as those for writers, painters, composers, journalists and cinematographers, were instituted by the state. All had to join and no one could create inde- pendently of these. The control of all writing efforts was obtained through the censor's office Glavlit. Without a censor's stamp even wedding and anniversary cards could not be printed. Typewriters and Xerox machines were under the control of the KGB to prevent the typing undesirable texts. The effects of this on the use of management games, as well as creative, liberal teaching, were deleterious. Graduation was assured based on the government's quota system for college trained managers. Students soon learned they would graduate unless some type of political breach or mistake was made. Another outcome was the existence of poorly motivated or stifled faculty. As a rule faculties became accustomed to giving lectures using the same notes year after year with moderate updates to reflect ideas promul- gated by the Communist Party's regular Con- gresses. These teachers were not in a hurry to learn new ideas and to use the new teaching methods. They also were not exposed to new ideas and new teaching methods. Conclusion Looking at the troubles Russia is experiencing now, it is not because Russia lacks talented peo- ple but because the Communist regime con- verted all people into passive and resigned slaves who had to obey implicitly and fulfill each of the Party’s directions and instructions. Thus they have been deprived of any initiative and, as a result, there are no stimuli or incen- tives to invent new devices. All this must be learned anew by the country's youngest genera- tions. With the overthrow of the Communist Party, perhaps this native talent will blossom from the soil of its current turmoil. 179 Table of Contents Volume 26, 1999 ABSEL's Historical Research Interests Back From the Future: An ABSEL Merlin Exercise for the Year 2005 The Contributions of ABSEL During the 1980's ABSEL's Contributions to Experiential Exercises in the 90's ABSEL's Contributions to Experiential learning/Experiential Exercises: The Decade of the 1970's Business Simulations - Algorithms and Model Enhancements: A 25 year Review A Study of the ETS General Field Test as an AACSB Assessment Tool and the Impact of Experiential Exercises and Simulation on Learning A Framework for Assessing the Competencies Reflected in Simulation Performance Developing A Learning Culture: Assessing Changes in Student Performance and Perception Financial Simulation Using Distributed Computing Technology Analyzing Managers' Judgements and Decisions with an Educational Business Simulation Understanding Your Business through Home-Made Simulator Development An Examination of a Reanalysis of the Impact of a Market Leader on Simulation Competitors' Strategies Applying Shocks to TE Simulations: A Demonstration Increasing Efficiency of Management Skill Assessment A Testbank for Measuring Total Enterprise Simulation Learning Developing Leadership Skills - Video Live! LEADSIMM: Collaborative Leadership Development for the Knowledge Society A Team Approach to Producing Multi-Media Laptop and Video Formatted Presentation Tinkertoys Revisited: Exploring Trust Based Relationships Overall Dominance in Total Enterprise Simulation Performance Success or Bankruptcy: The Relationship between Personal and Goal Orientation and Simulation Performance Assessing the Effects of Feedback: Muti-method and Muti-directions in Multi-pedagogical Courses The Missing Ingredients in Experiential Learning Purpose and Learning Benefits of Business Simulations: A Design and Development Perspective Building Capabilities for Change through Laboratory Simulations Modeling Innovation as a Process of Design in Educational Business Simulation The Need to Measurer variance in Experiential Learning and a New Statistic to do so Assessing Effectiveness of an Experiential Oriented Course Over Time Developing Participant Satisfaction Models of Experiential Exercises in Business Education Perceptions of Learning in TE Simulations Students' View on the Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Management Gaming's Lost Opportunity: Meditations about the Russian Experience and Prospects for the Future Unanticipated Enhancements in the Business Strategy and Policy Game when Running in Windows 95 Using a Business Game to Demonstrate Broad Business Concepts A New Model for Business Courses (Getting the Student Connected) Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Integrating Knowledge Using Large Scale Simulations in Capstone Business Strategy Classes Is It Here To Stay? A Roundtable Discussion of the Inter-Group Interaction Interactive Tools Used in Applying Financial Concepts Strengthening Essential Skills through a Finance Exercise: Calculation of Beta A Model of Currency Exchange Rates Understanding Currency Exchange Rates: A three-part Exercise Student Experiences in the World Intercollegiate Business Game Competition Student Experiences in the International-Collegiate Business Policy Game Competition Using Boards of Directors in Simulation Environments: Comments From Board Members Sharing Best Practices: Teaching Smarter, Not Harder Star Power: A Simulation for Understanding Power and Empowerment The Marketing Game: A Marketing Principles Simulation Alexander Islands: GSSM Tiny Business Simulator on the WWW Putting Strategy into Strategic Business Games Industry Analysis, Porter's Five Forces Model and Strategic Group Maps in the Business Strategy Game Simulation The Use of Concept Mapping to Improve Student Performance and Understanding of Strategic Management Concepts: A Comparison of Techniques Transformational thinking in the Organizational Behavior Course: The Use of Metaphor as an Assessment Tool Creation of a Virtual Learning Community for the Global Virtual Enterprise Project Inter Institutional use of Educational Resources: Joint Use of Management Simulation Games Business Insights: Theory and Practice with the Aid of a Business Simulation Progress: An Experiential Exercise in Development Marketing The ABC's of teaching the Theory of Constraints to Undergraduate Business Students Demonstrating Principles of Organizational Purchasing Behavior through an Experiential Exercise The Virtual Manager: A Different Simulation for Managing Complexity When the Rules are changing and Chaos Breeds Innovation: Recapturing the Value of Constructive Thinking and Play in Simulation Training The Pitfalls, and Potential, of Actual Events as Problem Drivers Using Business Games to teach Environmental Awareness and Green Management: The International Experience with the ENSIM Game A Review of my ABSEL-Related Work Simulation of Government: A Workshop Using GEO Creating Internet-Based Games Using Perl and JavaScript Who's on First? Exploring the Concepts of Problem-Based Learning, Experiential Learning, and Lifelong Learning Students Learn Customer Service and Selling while Conducting Research So You Want to Run an NFL Football Team–An Honors Interdisciplinary Project Supervised Internship: The Employer's Perspective Using Computer Assisted Simulation to Teach International Business Strategy: A Case of the Multinational Management Game (MMG) Multi-Cultural Experiential Learning: A Computer Simulation in China An Appreciative Stance on Diversity as We Move into the 21st Century: A Timeline Exercise to Identify Key Experiences in Good Work Relationships between Black and White Peers A Day in the Life of an Interactive, Real Time, and Internet Delivered Course: A Demonstration Comparing Internet Search Engines: An Experiential Learning Exercise Total Enterprise Simulations and the Internet: Assessing Student Perceptions and Preferences Teaching Accounting Information Systems in a Practicum Format Providing Experiential Learning in Accounting through a Field Study Payroll Project A Spreadsheet Based Business Simulation Game Computer-Behavioral Simulations Training for Project Managers Simulation Scenarios - Rationale and Illustration