Games to Teach International Business Skills
Games to Teach International Business Skills
BaFa'BaFa is a simulation in which participants come to understand the powerful effects that culture plays in every person's life. It may be used to help participants prepare for living and working in another culture or to learn how to work with people from other departments, disciplines, genders, races, and ages.
Build awareness of how cultural differences can profoundly impact people in an organization. BaFaBaFA helps to motivate participants to rethink their behavior and attitude toward others; allows participants to examine their own bias and focus on how they perceive differences; examine how stereotypes are developed, barriers created, and misunderstandings magnified; and identify diversity issues within the organization that must be addressed.
Ecotonos is a simulation designed for both participants who have no significant prior experience in solving problems in a multicultural context and those who wish to assess and further develop their skills. It has been used successfully with business executives, students, faculty, staff of not-for-profit organizations, and volunteers in community action groups. It has also proven to be a helpful tool in intercultural marriage counseling. Ecotonos is easily customized for a particular audience and for specific issues.
CountryManager allows students to explore market entry and market attractiveness issues including mode of entry and sequence, segmentation and targeting, and the Four P's all in an international context. The simulation and supporting materials are co-authored by Larry Feick (University of Pittsburgh), Marty Roth (University of South Carolina) and Interpretive.
Played from the perspective of a domestic manufacturer of consumer products determined to expand into Latin American markets, CountryManager encompasses the international dimensions of marketing and business. Students experience market entry and expansion as a category manager for Allstar Brands, a major consumer products company. The U.S. market has matured, and Latin America has been identified as having the best potential for future growth. The toothpaste brand management team must decide which of six countries is the most attractive for their Allsmile brand and then how to expand their presence throughout the region. Local or regional strategies can be developed and implemented using customized and/or standardized marketing programs. Countries being considered for expansion include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
The International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition is an international simulation (using the Business Policy Game) designed to enable advanced business students to integrate and apply the theories of their various business courses. The students become strategic managers of simulated companies competing against other business students acting as managers of their own companies. The simulated environment incorporates the economies of two countries, and requires consideration of global and domestic strategy.
Thiagi's Barnga card game is another game some instructors find helpful which has been around for awhile.