Business game (also called business simulation game) refers to
simulation games that are used as an
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
al tool for teaching business. Business games may be carried out for various business training such as: general management, finance,
organizational behavior
Organizational behavior or organisational behaviour (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the "study of human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organiza ...
, human resources, etc. Often, the term "
business simulation" is used with the same meaning.
A business game is defined as "a game with a business environment that can lead to one or both of the following results: the training of players in business skills (hard and/or soft), or the evaluation of players' performances (quantitatively and/or qualitatively)".
Business games are used as a
teaching method
A teaching method is a set of principles and methods used by teachers to enable student learning. These strategies are determined partly by the subject matter to be taught, partly by the relative expertise of the learners, and partly by constrai ...
in
universities
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
, and more particularly in
business schools, but also for
executive education
Executive education (ExEd or Exec. Ed) refers to academic programs at graduate-level business schools for executives, business leaders and managers, globally. These programs are generally non-credit and non-degree-granting, but sometimes lead to ...
.
Simulation are considered to be an innovative learning method, and are often computer-based.
History
Computer-supported business simulation originated from military war games, and came into existence during the late 1950s.
s, including non-computer-based board games and experiential activities, have since been used as a learning tool for teaching management . It is regularly in use at universities, and in particularly by major business schools. As an example, the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
has been using business simulation game in classes since 1957 .
The INTOP tool was developed at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
in 1963, and was employed for teaching in 160 institutions worldwide from 1963 until 2005. Its successor
INTOPIA was first released in 1995, and it has been used by universities in over 55 countries around the world, including 18 in the U.S.
Business games are also used within companies for management training and development .
Target Groups
* Managers and junior managers in business, authorities and administration for training the leadership skills.
* Employees from technical / natural sciences who need business knowledge for their work.
* Students of business administration and
industrial engineering
Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...
to apply what they have learned.
* Trainees to understand business processes and essential relationships.
* Pupils to clarify what a company is and how it works.
See also
*
Beer distribution game
*
Friday Night at the ER
*
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Military simulations are seen as a useful way to develop Military tactics, t ...
*
Project management simulation
*
Roleplay simulation
*
Serious game
A serious game or applied game is a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. The "serious" adjective is generally prepended to refer to video games used by industries like defense, education, scientific exploration, he ...
*
Simulations and games in economics education
A simulation game is "a game that contains a mixture of skill, chance, and strategy to simulate an aspect of reality, such as a stock exchange". Similarly, Finnish author Virpi Ruohomäki states that "a simulation game combines the features of ...
*
Training simulation
References
Further reading
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{{Authority control
Learning methods
Management education
Simulation video games