Teaching employability skills through simulation games

This paper examines the use of a business simulation game to test its effectiveness in promoting the awareness of employability skills in undergraduate students. A mixed approach using an-online survey tool was used to record student perceptions of how their employability skills were developed across ten courses and three faculties. The survey was conducted before the unit started, and on completion. Key emerging themes show that students demonstrated an increased awareness and development of their employability skills. They acquired and developed their skills by learning how to operate a small business start-up using a business simulation game. This research project was limited to one core unit in the curriculum, and the project is university specific. A cross university research project would add further value to the research project. Students are able to articulate the skills they have acquired and developed thus showing elements of self-awareness. An increase in student’s social capital is likely to enhance their career decisions. This paper will be of value to institutions wishing to evaluate the use of serious business simulation games to embed employability skills into the curriculum

Do business games foster skills? A cross-cultural study from learners’ views

Purpose: This study seeks to analyse students’ perception of the effectiveness of business games as an e-learning method in management training. This analysis of games’ effectiveness is centred in the generic and managerial skills acquired, through the comparison of students’ opinions in different cultural contexts within Europe. Design/methodology: The analysis focuses on 120 management students at postgraduate level who use the same business game at different universities in five European countries: Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. Findings: The results indicate that students positively assessed the generic and specific managerial skills fostered by the business game. The generic skills most valued were information and decision-making, and leadership. Regarding the specific skills, the most valued were management skills and the least valued, skills related to planning and the acquisition of theoretical knowledge. However, significant differences were found between students in different cultural contexts and education systems in the case of certain specific managerial skills. Practical implications: This finding suggests that the students’ perception of how a business game helps them acquire specific managerial skills is influenced by cultural aspects and previous exposure to experiential learning, which determine that the teachers’ role and the teaching process should be adapted to the students’ learning model. Originality/value: With this study, a better knowledge about the students’ perception of this e-learning method is obtained, not just considering a specific educational environment, but comparing opinions of students from different cultural contexts, which adds value to the analyses developed.Peer Reviewe

Enhancing Student Engagement in Business Sustainability Through Games

Purpose: This practice-focused study explores the value students place on the Sustainable Strategies Game which seeks to improve student engagement in business sustainability through enhanced game-based learning. This game provides an alternative collaborative learning environment to the traditional instructivist approach in order to enrich Education for Sustainability learning experiences and enhance student engagement. Design/Methodology/Approach: Students’ reflections on their game-based learning experiences and suggestions for game development were collected through a short qualitative survey. Results are explored through three frameworks, the Multifaceted Student Value Model, the Dimensions of Engagement Framework and the UK Higher Education Authority Framework for Engagement Through Partnership. Findings: Research findings suggest the Sustainable Strategies Game provides game-based learning within Education for Sustainability that delivers ‘edutainment’ within an active, collaborative and experiential learning environment that the students value. It is also able to challenge thinking and emotionally engage students with the fundamentals of business sustainability. Reflection-on-action and the students’ role as co-researchers in game development allow students to become active participants in their learning as well as knowledge producers and evaluators. These outcomes deliver the UK Higher Education Authority’s core facets of student engagement through partnership. Research limitations/implications: This practice-focused study presents the self-reported results of a one-time, small study which does not offer generalised, independently validated responses. However, the findings may be of interest to educators considering the adoption of game-based learning and those seeking new learning cultures for EfS. Practical Implications: Game-based learning and teaching approaches can achieve a learner-centred active, collaborative learning environment that enhances student engagement with business sustainability. Originality/Value: Experiences gained from this study should assist others in the implementation of game-based learning to engage students in business sustainability

A Strategic R&D Investment with Flexible Development Time in Real Option Game Analysis

The real option theory provides a useful tool to evaluate an R&D investment under uncertainty because, unlike the NPV (Net Present Value), it considers the managerial flexibility that may be expand the investment opportunity value. However, most R&D investment projects are open to competing firms in the same industry or line of business, and so the strategic considerations become extremely important. In this paper we analyze a real option game between two firms that invest in R&D. The firm that invests first, defined as the Leader, acquires a first mover advantage that we assume as a higher market share than other one, namely the Follower, that postpones its R&D investment decision. But, several R&D investments present positive externalities and so, the option exercise by the Leader generates an “Information Revelation” that benefits the Follower. Moreover, to value the flexibility time to realize the development phase, we consider the American-Exchange type options.American Exchange options, game theory, Montecarlo simulation, R&D, information revelation

Bipartite electronic SLA as a business framework to support cross-organization load management of real-time online applications

Online applications such as games and e-learning applications fall within the broader category of real-time online interactive applications (ROIA), a new class of ‘killer’ application for the Grid that is being investigated in the edutain@grid project. The two case studies in edutain@grid are an online game and an e-learning training application. We present a novel Grid-based business framework that makes use of bipartite service level agreements (SLAs) and dynamic invoice models to model complex business relationships in a massively scalable and flexible way. We support cross-organization load management at the business level, through zone migration. For evaluation we look at existing and extended value chains, the quality of service (QoS) metrics measured and the dynamic invoice models that support this work. We examine the causal links from customer quality of experience (QoE) and service provider quality of business (QoBiz) through to measured quality of service. Finally we discuss a shared reward business ecosystem and suggest how extended service level agreements and invoice models can support this

Locating Sociological Concepts in Business Games

This article describes one strategy for demonstrating the value of sociological concepts to business students by adopting a transversal approach to a business game at a French-American business school. This strategy proved effective in allowing a social science professor to demonstrate the practical implications of two concepts – gender and race – to undergraduate students while simultaneously allowing an international management professor to demonstrate how cross-cultural teams should be managed in order to work effectively. This article firstly explains the Ecotonas business game; secondly, it explains the crucial debriefing process for the business game and demonstrates how sociological concepts can be highlighted in an international management simulation; thirdly, it argues that business games are an effective pedagogical tool for teaching social science concepts; fourthly and finally, in concluding the article it is suggested that using games in core courses in a business school to demonstrate social science concepts is an effective way of demonstrating the utility of those concepts in future business careers

Locating Sociological Concepts in Business Games

This article describes one strategy for demonstrating the value of sociological concepts to business students by adopting a transversal approach to a business game at a French-American business school. This strategy proved effective in allowing a social science professor to demonstrate the practical implications of two concepts – gender and race – to undergraduate students while simultaneously allowing an international management professor to demonstrate how cross-cultural teams should be managed in order to work effectively. This article firstly explains the Ecotonas business game; secondly, it explains the crucial debriefing process for the business game and demonstrates how sociological concepts can be highlighted in an international management simulation; thirdly, it argues that business games are an effective pedagogical tool for teaching social science concepts; fourthly and finally, in concluding the article it is suggested that using games in core courses in a business school to demonstrate social science concepts is an effective way of demonstrating the utility of those concepts in future business careers

Business Models in the Video Game Industry

The video game industry is the industry focusing on the development, distribution and monetization of video games. This industry has grown rapidly during the 21st century and this trend continues to accelerate in the future (Ell, 2018). The video game industry has expanded and evolved through technological advancements which have allowed the industry to escalate at such a fast pace. The video game scene has extended from pure entertainment to educational, competitive and creative purposes. As technology plays a crucial role in the every-day lives of the modern society, so will the video game industry. To understand the extent of the effect that the video game industry has had we take a closer look at the core of the industry, their business models and how they operate. Business model as a concept has no unified description or model but rather works as a framework to examine the core functions of a business. Therefore, for us to gain a comprehensive idea of the industry, we focused on four centric elements of business; the offering, the customer, the infrastructure and financial viability. Through these four elements we analysed the significant factors we found during our research, affecting the operations of the video game companies. The offering includes the value proposition of the company. Regarding the value proposition, these companies work as facilitators and inspirers for the value creation. The companies attempt to funnel their resources to facilitate the co-creation of value with the customers and to inspire them utilize these resources. In game development this is seen from the continuous engagement and interaction between the developers and the customers to create value that addresses the fluctuating needs. The customer addresses the segmentation and engagement channels with the customers. The customer base is segmented based on their playing habits. The identification of separate segments allows the companies to focus their development and marketing efforts on the appropriate audience and through the right channels. The infrastructure depicts the key resources that allow the companies to facilitate the value creation process. These resources include the human knowledge and know-how to create and implement the co-created value. These resources can be internal or externally gained through various networks, strategic alliances or acquisitions. Finally, we arrive to the last section of the analysis, the financial viability. Profitability is one of the fundamental pillars for growth and successful business. It is formed as the difference of revenue and costs. Revenue is the monetization of the value delivered to the customers and costs are formed from the resources and assets used to create and deliver this value. All these elements described play a significant role in enabling the companies to facilitate and inspire the value co-creation with the customers, delivering this value to the customers and monetizing this process cost efficiently, for the companies to grow and continue their profitable operations