Simulation Integration Contrasts Between MBAs and Undergraduates in the Capstone Policy Course

Abstract

Total enterprise simulation integration processes differ between graduate (MBA) and undergraduate (BBA) business policy students. For BBAs, simulations are one of several considerations that revolve around decision making issues. For MBAs, simulations are more central to the entire business policy course. This difference, and several others, may be attributed to a basic experience effect. That is, BBAs are more concerned with the acquisition of business policy skills, while MBAs are concentrating on the application of skills acquired in other courses and other contexts. Equally important, MBA/BBA differences provide a key to understanding how general management learning can be enhanced by working with rather than against dominant cognitive patterns. These patterns, moreover, are not affected by the simulation administration experience of senior business policy faculty.