MN7181-Management simulation games-Blog 03

Learn management with video games

The effectiveness of serious games makes them a useful tool for children and adults. Critical games are often used in a wide range of educational contexts (Magnuszewski, 2018). As a part of computer games, management simulation games support learning focused on the management. They have proved useful in enhancing training management materials.

Some examples of management games could include:

• Computer simulations of business situations that managers ´play´.
• Board games that simulate a business situation.
• Games surrounding thought and creativity - to help managers find creative ways to solve problems in the workplace, or to implement innovative ideas.

Example: In a trucking business, managers could create games that teach truckers the impact of late deliveries, poor customer service or unsafe driving.

(Figure 1: Supermarket Management 2 for Android)

(Figure 2: MONOPOLY Hotels for Android)

In the management simulation game, participants can choose different decisions without fear of a real loss to the organization if they make mistakes. Participants can choose activities and have experience in the consequences of such activities.

Computer-supported management simulation has an origin in the military war games and came into existence during the late 1950s.By the beginning of the 1960s, 89 different management games have been developed by industrial firms, business associations, educational institutes, or governmental units. They have been used as a learning tool.

(Video 1: Best management games to play in 2018)

The capabilities of the business simulation games are related to provision of:

• Getting experience,
• Learning strategy
• Getting better learning outcomes,
• Getting teamwork experience.

pointed out two types of skills that can be promoted by usage of games for management and industry,

 Soft skills

 (Team building, communication, inter-personal skills, negotiation skills, creativity, collaboration skills, learning skills).

Hard skills

 (product/service knowledge, sales, discipline-based training, customer service, project management, decision-making skills, innovation, risk management, health and safety). 

How to selection of the game parameters

• or teaching new techniques or procedures for selling
• or for conducting research (e.g. on the behaviour of systems, on the decision-making processes of individuals)
• or for studying the interaction of individuals within a team

It can classify  management simulation games using three main fields of application

• Top-management games
• Functional games
• Concept simulation games

References

• Magnuszewski,P. (2018). ‘Learn how social simulations foster positive changes’, Available at https://systemssolutions.org/learn-social-simulations-foster-positive-changes/ [Accessed 16 August 2019].

• Figure 1: APKPure, (2019) Supermarket Management 2, [Online] Available at : https://apkpure.com/supermarket-management-2/com.g5e.sm2 [Accessed on: 16 August 2019]. 

• Figure 2: Softonic, (2019) MONOPOLY Hotels for Android, [Online] Available at : https://monopoly-hotels.en.softonic.com/android [Accessed on: 16 August 2019]. 

• Video 1: Best management games to play in 2018. [Online] Available at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq_0v03S6Vc [16 August 2019].