Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a strategy map on the quality of decision making. Design/methodology/approach: An experimental design is used in this study. A total of 24 participants were randomly assigned into two groups - a control group and a treatment group. Each participant completed two rounds of the experiment covering 24 decisions using a simulation game. The multiple regression technique is used as the analysis tool in this study. Findings: The results show that strategy maps do not affect the performance of participants' decision making. Research limitations/implications: This research employs the laboratory experimental design. Thus the external validity (the generalizability) is limited. Practical implications: Results obtained from this research suggest that a strategy map alone is not an effective tool to help managers make better decisions. More details, such as a correlation between strategic measures in the strategy map or guidelines for the use of the map, could help make a strategy map more useful. Originality/value: This study tests the cause and effect relationship between using a strategy map and the results of decisions made. Unlike many studies that employ the survey method in which confounding variables cannot be controlled, results from this experiment suggest that a simple strategy map alone does not improve the quality of decision making. This finding can thus be valuable to managers who are considering using a strategy map as a management tool. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.