The Evolving Business Policies Course--Is Management Gaming the Logical Pedagogy?

Abstract

The business policies course, in terms of both content and pedagogy, is undergoing dramatic changes. Many of those changes have received little attention in the literature and yet these changes clearly affect the quality of the business policies course. The panel reviewed their experience in the use of management games in teaching business policies with the following pedagogy: a course which divides the emphasis between case study and half game participation (Bob Mclntire), the use of management games over multiple sections with emphasis on intercollegiate competition (Chad Pierson), a case study course designed to emphasize experiential learning with the interaction game, Boss, as the primary vehicle (Precha Thavikulwat), and the use of a complex game (Topexec) for the total business policies course (Bill Newell).