The Chess Master and the 10 Simultaneous Opponents: But What if the Game is Poker? Implications for the Global Mindset

Abstract

The metaphor of a poker game suggests the reality of international business as a competitive field in which players test their wits against each other, often using guile, and play at high levels of uncertainty. The game's rules are essentially simple but there is extensive room to maneuver. If business were actually conducted internationally with one set of clear rules used by all, then it would be like chess. A chess master can play against many others, given the highly structured nature of the game's processes. A poker master takes on a different kind of complexity, and in that, the reading of others’ minds, characters, behavior patterns, and interactions becomes crucial. The essential challenge of the global mindset is that, whereas you might think you are playing chess against several opponents, you are actually playing poker.

Citation

Redding, G. (2007), "The Chess Master and the 10 Simultaneous Opponents: But What if the Game is Poker? Implications for the Global Mindset", Javidan, M., Steers, R.M. and Hitt, M.A. (Ed.) The Global Mindset (Advances in International Management, Vol. 19), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 49-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-5027(07)19003-3