Cultural Simulation Information/Recommendations

The following cultural simulation resources are available:

From: Jeff Arpan and other AIB members

Bafa Bafa is a truly wonderful cross cultural simulation developed by R.
Gary Shirts of Simulation Training System, PO Box 910 Del Mar, California
92014, phone 800 942-2900 or 619 755-0272; http://www.stsintl.com; e-mail:
sts2@cts.com. Current cost for universities: US$225 . It has two
interesting cultures (Alpha and Beta) that are quite different in terms of
oral and body language, behavior, games, goals etc, and when members of
each culture visit and interact with the other, there's cultural shock!

From: Nakiye Avdan Boyacigiller (boyacigi@pacbell.net)

One of my favorites is the Barnga simulation, available from Intercultural
Press, http://www.interculturalpress.com/shop/barngatext.html. It's fun and quick
(75 minutes is ample time). It brings home the importance of the cultural
assumptions and a common language (participants are playing cards, without
being able to speak, and unbeknownst to them slightly different rules).
The students end up making all sorts of nefarious conclusions about their
opponents---they are stupid, they are cheating...when the entire problem
stems from different rules. I love it!

From: Sean Dwyer (Dwyer@cab.latech.edu)

Barnga, Ecotonos, and An Alien Among Us (Intercultural Press,
http://www.interculturalpress.com as well as A Trip to Mintana and A Visit
with the Amberena (EduSim, http://edusim.net).

From: Jim Kennelly (jkennell@skidmore.edu)

I have used a couple of simulations for more than a few years now. One is
the "Barnga" simulation. Very quick, easy, straight-forward, and to the
point. It can be done under lousy conditions, and with fairly large
groups, late at night when everyone is tired and frustrated. They all get
the point, and have a bit of fun. It's a good "ice-breaker" as well, at
the beginning of the semester. Suffice it to say, it is basically a card
game, but the rules are "rigged" to create subtly different sets of rules
for different groups . . . who then get mixed up in tournament fashion.
The rules of the card game duplicate the rules of a culture.I have also
used "Ecotonos" over the years. It is a little funky, can be a lot of
fun, and in my experience works best with younger students or full-time
MBA's. It has worked well with the UG's at Skidmore, as well as UG's at
NYU, but was tougher to use with NYU/MBA's. Its disadvantage is that it
takes at least three hours . . . so I don't use it at night with MBA
students. Basically, like BAFA I think, different groups create unique
cultures, develop a "creation myth", and then perform some sort of task in
conjunction with other cultures. It works, but it takes a lot of time and
effort on the instructor's part. Both of these are available from the
Intercultural Press in Yarmouth, ME. If you'd care to talk about these
anytime, don't hesitate to contact me.

From: Bowen, Janine (jbowen@goucher.edu)

For my Cross Cultural Management course and International Negotiating
course, I've found good exercises/role plays in 1) Asherman's 50
Activities to teach Negotiation; 2) Lewicki's Negotiation: Readings,
Exercises and Cases; and 3) Gannon's Working Across Cultures.

From: Lane Kelley (KELLEY@cba.hawaii.edu)

Intercultural Interactions by richard Brislin---critical incidents one
good international recruiting exercise from kelley &whatley's HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION.

From: Don Ferrin (dlferrin@buffalo.edu)

I've used an activity called "Making Hexaflexagons Overseas" for two
years now with my undergrads. They tend to like it a lot and their
reactions and learning are fairly similar to those that come out of Bafa
Bafa. I'd say it's not quite as rich an experience as Bafa Bafa, though it
comes fairly close. However it has two advantages over Bafa Bafa: (1) it
has more direct managerial implications (in the activity, the class is
split into a small group of 'international experts' and a larger group of
'Copernians;' the Copernians are socialized to become Copernians, then the
international experts return and have the task of training the Copernians
how to make Hexaflexagons); and (2) a single instructor can run the
activity. (I've run it myself with as many as 60 students). The citation:
Morris, R. J. (1997). Building hexaflexagons overseas: An experiential
exercise in coping with cultural differences. In J. Wolfe & J. B. Keys
(Eds.), Business Simulations, Games and Experiential Learning in
International Business Education (pp. 49-64). Binghamton, NY:
International Business Press.

From: Rajib Sanyal (rsanyal@TCNJ.EDU)

In the same genre as Bafa Bafa, though more flexible and simpler yet
equally effective, is UPSIDE DOWN: A Cross Cultural Experiential Exercise.
This simulation exercise can be found in the journal "Simulation &
Gaming", Vol 23, No. 3, September 1992, pp. 370-375.

From: Dave Hunt (Hunt@cba.usm.edu)

Jeff: I too have used the BAFA-BAFA Simulation for many years. However, a
useful alternative is the "BARNGA Game: A Simulation in Cultural Clashes"
by Sietar International, Intercultural Press, P.O. Box 700 Yarmouth, ME
04096. The primary limitation with Barnga is class size, it is essentially
a playing card based simulation/game and is difficult to run with over 30
students. I have video taped a classroom session of this simulation to use
in demonstrating the lessons and problems of the BARNGA Game. I video tape
these BARNGA classes for student feedback purposes. There is much to be
learned retrospectively. Cheers!

From: Tunga Kiyak (kiyak@technologist.com)

While I have not really used any of these personally, here are the ones
that I am aware of: EduSim has several experiental simulations on
intercultural communications and diversity. One that takes place in a
business setting is called "A Trip to Mintana". You can find information
about this and other EduSim simulations at:
http://www.edusim.net/simulate.htm. The Duke University CIBER also lists a
number of crosscultural role- play negotiation simulations:
http://ciber.fuqua.duke.edu/ciber/aboutsimulations.html. And finally, for
those of you that are looking for a list of international business or
cross-cultural simulations (mostly computerized), the International
Business Resources index at MSU-CIBER has a page that lists them:
http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp

If you know of any others that are not listed here, please let me know and
I will have them added to the index.

From: John Krasnostein (J.Krasnostein@murdoch.edu.au)

I have an exercise I devised myself that I have used successfully for
years. If you would like me to fax you the two or three pages I hand out
just send me your fax number.

From: Betty Jane Punnett (eureka@caribsurf.com)

I am sure you will get this suggestion from others.
Intercultural Press, box 700, Yarmouth, Maine 04096 has Ecotonos and
others. I have heard really good things about Ecotonos, and want to use it
(maybe this will encourage me to try it). I have it, but have not yet used
it. I would like to hear of others that you find.

From: Francis, Deborah (dfrancis@monk.aum.edu)

I have been using Barnga which can be obtained through the Intercultural
Press. It is a card game, but each table has a different set of rules. Of
course the players do not realize that until they are moved around. One
advantage is that you can do it with one room and one teacher in one class
period.

Another Interesting Cultural Tool:

Cross Cultural Adaptability Inventory, by Colleen Kelly and Judith Meyers
http://www.ncs.com/assessments/tests/ccai.htm.
It tests participants' four dimensions of Cross Cultural Adaptability
(Emotional Resilience, Flexibility/Openness, Perceptual Acuity, and
Personal Autonomy), shows which ones are the highest and lowest for each
participant, and also offers recommendations about how one can improve
them. Cost: about US$5 per document.