The Fate of the Moros: A Cross-cultural Exploration of Strategies in Complex and Dynamic Decision Making

Abstract

The ways in which people deal with complex and dynamic problems are shaped by their learning experiences within their culture as well as the functional constraints within which they have to operate. An experiment is described that explores the interaction of culture and ways of problem solving. University students from India and Germany had to work on one of two different versions of a computer-simulated interactive complex problem. The anaylsis focuses on the strategic aspects of problem solving. Indian and German problem solvers clearly differed in their approach: German students used a more active and control-oriented strategy and committed fewer strategic and tactical errors. The results form the basis of a discussion on the factors important in the development of problem-solving expertise. La facon avec laquelle les gens abordent des problemes complexes et dynamiques est faconnee par leurs experiences anterieures dans leur propre culture ainsi que par les contraintes fonctionnelles a l'interieur desquelles ils doivent operer. Cette experience explore l'interaction entre la culture et la resolution de probleme. Des etudiants provenant de l'Inde et de l'Allemagne doivent travailler sur l'une ou l'autre version d'un probleme interactif complexe simule sur l'ordinateur. L'analyse est centree sur les aspects strategiques de la resolution de probleme. L'approche des participants indiens et celle des participants allemands sont clairement differentes: Les etudiants allemands se servent d'une strategie plus active et plus orientee vers le controle et ils commettent moins d'erreurs strategiques et tactiques. La discussion porte sur les facteurs importants dans l'acquisition d'une expertise de resolution de probleme.