Course 2024-2025

Management simulation seminar: business game [EFASM056]

  • 5 credits
  • 30h
  • 1st quarter
Language of instruction: French / Français

Learning outcomes

The main aim of the business game is to put into practice, in the context of a fictitious, simplified company, the management techniques covered in the various courses in the programme. Decisions are taken in sub-groups, which act competitively in the same market.

Content

Each company (working group) starts the game with the same balance sheet situation. On the basis of rules common to all the companies, the working group must define the strategy it plans to implement to achieve the objectives that have been defined and accepted by the game manager. The game is played in eight successive periods. For each period, a set of decisions is proposed and introduced into the simulation model. At the end of each period, a financial and operational report is submitted to each company. The manager runs the game according to an original scenario, inviting the companies to react and take appropriate decisions. The game ends with a management defence.


Teaching methods

Each work group constitutes a company. Each company must define its objectives to be reached at the end of the game. Each company must (under the supervision of the game manager) periodically make various decisions. At the end of the game (8 decisions for 8 periods), the results are presented and defended.

Evaluations

The evaluation takes into account participation, the quality of the strategy and the relevance of the decisions taken, responsiveness during the game, the quality of the management report and its final presentation. The company's financial results only determine the final score of the seminar very superficially, and are a very poor indicator of the real performance of the groups.

To obtain a mark, each member of the group will have to show diligence in the group's decision-making and the drafting of the various deliverables. They will have to take part in all the intermediate meetings (internal to the group or with the educational team), and take part in the final presentation of the work with the other groups. All members of the group who have participated in accordance with these rules will receive the same mark.

For technical and pedagogical reasons, this seminar is only assessed in the first session and no additional simulations are organised in the August session.

Recommended readings

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Language of instruction

French / Français

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales et de gestion
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Master's Degree