Game-based Learning for Conflict Management: Development of a Board Game Prototype for Thai Business Organizations

Abstract

This study aimed to: 1) examine the demographic characteristics of respondents and their perspectives on conflict management in business organizations, 2) synthesize the components of board games related to conflict management, and 3) develop a prototype board game for conflict management in Thai business organizations. A mixed-method design was employed to collect data from two primary sources, i.e., three prototype board games (Stop, Relax & Resolve Conflict, The Social Conflict Game, and Peacetown) through component analysis; and an online questionnaire administered to 233 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Business Administration at Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, of which 203 responses were returned (87.12%). The questionnaire was validated by content validity (IOC ≥ 0.5), content analysis, and descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). The results showed that: 1) most respondents were female, aged between 20–23 years, with an average monthly income of 5,000–10,000 THB, and the majority had experience playing board games (76.8%). 2) Their perspectives on conflict management reflected positive attitudes. Some respondents disagreed with ignoring problems and letting them resolve themselves (39.9%). They also agreed that issues should not be discussed when feeling angry (74.2%). The emphasis was on active listening as a key strategy (80%). However, a considerable proportion (41.3%) were uncertain about distinguishing between criticizing work and criticizing individuals. 3) The synthesis of elements from the studied games and empirical data led to the development of a prototype board game consisting of 22 squares, player tokens, dice, and five scenario cards with positive and negative messages to reflect the outcomes of conflict management in organizations. The prototype board game supports 2–4 players with a playing time in less than one hour. Finally, the prototype board game is practically applicable as a training media for conflict management in Thai business organizations.