Workload distribution
Weekly sessions, where groups receive updated information of their simulated companies. Decisions are expected every week, requiring previous analysis and discussion within the group.
Updated information will be open to participants two days in advance to each session.
Most work will be done during the class allocated schedule. A couple of out-of-class additional hours can be of most help to find the most efficient decisions and the best group organization, their forecasts and their anticipated decisions..
Course Learning Objectives
To gain experience and top management vision, while validating and assessing the necessity and importance of proven business management tools and the impact that effective implementation has on all this. To manage an organization in a rapidly moving and competitive environment.
The Strategic Business Simulation is an interactive experience integrating Business Administration's and Strategic Management's most relevant concepts, specially focusing in the areas of Corporate Management and Business Policy, through the use of ESADE's recognized strategy simulation, based on the most robust simulation engine available today.
During the Business Simulation, participants have the opportunity to manage from the highest level, a number of companies for a period of time simulating one and a half years. The most relevant functions of the company are included (from small and free-lance to multi-national companies); finance and administration, sales and marketing, production and operations, alliance, negotiation, organization, relations with Governments, etc.
Participants will tell the most analytical business vision from the latest Management theories, the best known administration models, and the most widely used management concepts, all this with a large company's outrageous day to day business. The goal for reproducing this is to amplify the need to keep strategy at sight guiding the company towards its objectives, within an environment and market that, in a similar manner as would certainly happen in reality, will not make things easy.
In this highly realistic exercise, each participant, playing his senior executive role, not only gains experience and director qualities, but also validate and assess the necessity and importance of proven business management and the impact that effective implementation has on all this.
As an additional value of the business simulation, each team member has the opportunity to recognize his management abilities, his capabilities as administrator, director, entrepreneur, and leader; all those fascia provide the profile the business world expects him to have and his working tools. Furthermore, participants will experience and sense the different competencies that need to be developed in order to fully deploy his professional qualities.
A dynamic experience, combining case study realism with real management activity, providing the required link between the different contents of the MSc program and the integrating view of strategic management.
CONTENT
1. Session. 1 Preliminary presentation, delivery of material and Simulation Presentation |
2. Session. 2 Manual and Technical Notes Annex, History of the Company, Scenarios and Decision Making, group allocation. |
3. Session. 3 First Decision |
4. Session. 4 Second Decision |
5. Session. 5 Third Decision |
6. Session. 6 Corporate Portfolio Analysis (Presentation) and Applying Corporate Portfolio Analysis |
7. Session. 7 Fourth Decision |
8. Session. 8 Fifth Decision |
9. Session. 9 Sixth Decision |
10. Session.10 Corporate Audit |
Methodology
Companies are managed by working groups (minimum 4 participants) taking decisions that cover the most representative functions of businesses. A business and consultancy experienced team of professors will be responsible for introducing the most credible degree of realism to the complete process. Their role is both as administrators / guiding professors and as professional consultants, allowing each individual turn this learning experience into professional experience and personal development tool.
The environment and companies are designed from current and real models, and the represented countries are closely pictured along the complete business simulation. Other external agents that are also included in the simulation are; the Banks, the Shareholders, Consultancy Services, the Public Administration, etc.
Step by step results are obtained through financial statements, both internal and market-wise. These will allow constant assessment of both the absolute position of the company, and the relative place in which the company positions versus the rest of competitors, increasing realism within the business game and strengthening in-company ties.
All material, presentations and software is delivered in English (Spanish and Catalan may be available).
Most documents will be made available as files, through the course's web-page. For pedagogical reasons, some results may be delivered as hard copies, with their electronic file variant requiring some action to be accessed.
