Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  Restructuring of our strategy class

    Posted 09-12-2008 06:23

    Hi Bruce – there's a huge variety of business strategy games around, the best-known of which are mostly 'big' set-piece affairs – many groups running multiple competing firms in various segments, making large numbers of decisions over a few decision-rounds, each of which may take some hours. There are many fine simulations of that style, but you could also investigate smaller, simpler games such as those at www.strategydynamics.com. The largest of these can be run in an hour or two, and there are smaller exercises that can be run in-class on student laptops in just 10-20 minutes. The games are easy enough for juniors to get their heads around, and link to my book Strategic Management Dynamics from Wiley www.wiley.com/go/smd which has a strong orientation to strategic management [as contrasted with strategic positioning] .. though the book itself is likely way too much for juniors [an undergrad version is planned, but will be a long time coming].

     

    Kim Warren – London Business School

     

     

     

     

    From: Business Policy and Strategy List [mailto:BPS-NET@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Bruce Clemens
    Sent: 10 September 2008 18:28
    To: BPS-NET@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Restructuring of our strategy class

     

    Greetings,

    We are considering restructuring our approach to teaching strategy.  We now have a junior level class that reviews the fundamentals (ratios, financial statements, etc.) leading into our senior level strategy class that includes the Business Strategy Game.  One question into which I ran was the use of the Business Strategy Game –type simulations (Capsim or others as well).  Has anyone ever tried to do the game with Juniors?  Finally, where can I find the research on the pros and cons of teaching strategy formulation and strategy implementation in the same course rather than sequentially?  Thank you...

    Bruce 


    --
    Bruce Clemens
    103 Churchill Hall
    School of Business
    Western New England College
    1215 Wilbraham Road
    Springfield MA 01119
    Phone: 413-782-1500
    Fax: 413-796-2068
    bclemens@wnec.edu
    Campus mailbox number: C5433



  • 2.  Restructuring of our strategy class

    Posted 09-15-2008 18:20

    Dear Bruce,

     

    1. Games with juniors. I do them, currently running 160 students from two countries through the game, GEO, demo at http://pages.towson.edu/precha/geonetd5.exe. The demo runs on the MIcrosoft Dot-Net Framework, so you must have that installed in you computer, and virus-protection, browser-security levels set to allow it through. When it runs, select the Register button and register yourself under a fictitious name. Then do anything you like as it's just a demo.

     

    2. An offer. Send me a fax or postal letter of request with particulars about your classes and students, and I'll allow them guest privileges so that they might lurk over the global economy that my students are constructing now, do financial and strategic analyses, and try to figure out which of my students' companies are going to be more or less successful. Possibly, if they get on Facebook, they can talk with my students and give them encouragement and advice.

     

    3. Research: Check out the Assn. for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (http://www.absel.org) and its sponsored journal, Simulation & Gaming (http://www.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal200777&). Upcoming annual conference is in Seattle, March 18-20, 2009, submissions due Nov. 3, details available from the Web site.

     

    Best,

     

    Precha

    --

    Precha Thavikulwat, Ph.D.
    Professor of Management
    +---------------------------------------+
    | Department of Management              |
    | Towson University                     |
    | 8000 York Road                        |
    | Towson, MD 21252-0001                 |
    | U.S.A.                                |
    | t. 410-704-3230                       |
    | f. 410-704-3236                       |
    | pthavikulwat@towson.edu               |
    | AIM: prechathav                       |
    | http://pages.towson.edu/precha        |
    +---------------------------------------+

     

     

    From: Business Policy and Strategy List [mailto:BPS-NET@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Bruce Clemens
    Sent: 10 September 2008 18:28
    To: BPS-NET@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Restructuring of our strategy class

     

    Greetings,

    We are considering restructuring our approach to teaching strategy.  We now have a junior level class that reviews the fundamentals (ratios, financial statements, etc.) leading into our senior level strategy class that includes the Business Strategy Game.  One question into which I ran was the use of the Business Strategy Game –type simulations (Capsim or others as well).  Has anyone ever tried to do the game with Juniors?  Finally, where can I find the research on the pros and cons of teaching strategy formulation and strategy implementation in the same course rather than sequentially?  Thank you...

    Bruce 


    --
    Bruce Clemens
    103 Churchill Hall
    School of Business
    Western New England College
    1215 Wilbraham Road
    Springfield MA 01119
    Phone: 413-782-1500
    Fax: 413-796-2068
    bclemens@wnec.edu
    Campus mailbox number: C5433



  • 3.  Restructuring of our strategy class

    Posted 09-16-2008 16:29
    Hello Bruce,

    Speaking for Capsim, we would recommend the Foundation(r) simulation for your class. Roughly 28,000 undergraduates from Freshmen to Seniors did Foundation(r) as part of their coursework in the past 12 months. You can find a variety of promotional materials on the capsim.com website.

    This week we began an online 10 week Professor Challenge seminar. We like to have a little fun with our seminars, and in this one professors compete in a penny-a-point fashion as we cover simulation teaching methods. There is still time to join the seminar if you are interested.

    Hope this helps,
    Dan Smith
    President Capsim



    On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 12:28 PM, Bruce Clemens <bclemens@wnec.edu> wrote:

    Greetings,

    We are considering restructuring our approach to teaching strategy.  We now have a junior level class that reviews the fundamentals (ratios, financial statements, etc.) leading into our senior level strategy class that includes the Business Strategy Game.  One question into which I ran was the use of the Business Strategy Game –type simulations (Capsim or others as well).  Has anyone ever tried to do the game with Juniors?  Finally, where can I find the research on the pros and cons of teaching strategy formulation and strategy implementation in the same course rather than sequentially?  Thank you...

    Bruce 


    --
    Bruce Clemens
    103 Churchill Hall
    School of Business
    Western New England College
    1215 Wilbraham Road
    Springfield MA 01119
    Phone: 413-782-1500
    Fax: 413-796-2068
    bclemens@wnec.edu
    Campus mailbox number: C5433



    --
    Daniel C. Smith
    President
    Capsim Management Simulations, Inc.
    540 Frontage Road Suite 3270
    Nortfield, IL 60093
    dan@capsim.com (best method to reach me)
    847-501-2888
    847-441-9044 (Fax)