The influence of given game rules on the decision-making process: results of a social experiment

Abstract

Introduction: In management teams, workplace groups, and student cohorts, decisions are constantly made to accomplish tasks. This process is influenced by numerous factors, including some established rules not only regulating the interactions, but can predetermining the participants’ behavior, directly affecting the quality of the decisions made. This paper addresses the issue of how and why top-down rules impact the decision-making process and its outcomes. Methods and Materials: The research is based on the classic theories of social psychology, specifically, those of groupthink, and the diffusion of responsibility, as well as management theories highlighting authoritarian and democratic types of governance. The major research method is a social experiment conducted in the form of a game. The experiment was carried out in April 2025 with the participation of the students from the North-West Institute of Management, RANEPA. During the experiment, different teams were assigned “authoritarian” and “democratic” decision-making rules. Results and Discussion: In the pilot study, the teams playing by “authoritarian” rules exhibited quick decision-making, suppression of alternative opinions, and dependence on the leader’s personality. In contrast, the teams playing by “democratic” rules were characterized by slower decision-making, open discussion, and susceptibility to authoritarian shifts. Conclusions: The study demonstrates how different management regimes can be modeled, as well as the effects they produce. Additionally, a business game was developed during the research which can be employed in training future managers. This work may also be of interest as a methodological foundation for further research into the impact of established rules on the decision-making process.