Simulation games in operations management : the importance of immediate post game analysis

Abstract

Abstract: Piercy (2010, p. 275) reports that experiential learning techniques, such as business simulation exercises, are increasingly being used to improve student engagement and learning and that a wide range of exercises or games for management are currently available. The research presented in this teaching brief involves the use of the MIT Beer Game. The research involves data collected in three stages: pre-game; post game and post game analysis. The data collected from participants indicates that the substantive stage of learning is during the post game analysis. The data indicates that understanding improves marginally upon completion of the game but that the post-game analysis provides a signifi cant improvement in the understanding of learners. In line with Jackson and Taylor (1998) the authors found the Beer Game to be a very effective experiential exercise for management students and that a competent instructor who acknowledges the three stages of learning proposed in this paper and who emphasises the learning value of the post game analysis will improve the participants understanding of supply chain dynamics. This teaching brief includes observations that will enhance the use of simulation games, specifi cally, the use of the MIT Beer Game for teaching.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 6 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.