TEACHING PLAN FOR
• BUSINESS GAME
1. Basic description
Name of the course: Business Game
Academic year: 2015-2016
Year: 4th
Term: 3rd
Degree / Course: Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing
Code: 44202
Number of credits: 4
Total number of hours committed: 100
Teaching language: English
Lecturer: Jordi Garolera
Timetable: GROUP 1 Tuesday 16:00-18:00 / Thursday 17:00-19:00
GROUP 2 Tuesday 18:30-20:30 / Thursday 14:55-16:55
Office hours: Tuesdays 18:00–18:30
2. Presentation of the course
DIRECTIONS:
The Business Game is a practical course which simulates a global environment of
business competition. Working in teams, students become active participants in the
management of a company. The teacher sets up the simulation by explaining the
rules of the business game in which a computer model is used.
Business simulations are effective because they require the maximum participation
of students. During these practical sessions, students will have the opportunity to
apply their business knowledge.
The simulation will allow students to use their acquired knowledge of Strategic
management, International business, Marketing management, Human resources,
Logistics, Accounting and Finance. Furthermore, the simulation will allow the
development of useful behavioral skills such as: teamwork, leadership, negotiation
and communication. Finally, the simulation will allow students to improving skills
such as analyzing business situations, synthesis capacity, decision making and
adopting long-term perspectives.
3. Competences to be achieved in the course
The systemic and instrumental competencies are listed below:
General competences
Instrumental competences
G.I.1. Ability to search, analyse, assess
and summarise information.
G.I.2. Ability to relate concepts and
knowledge from different areas.
G.I.3. Ability to organise and plan.
G.I.4. Ability to tackle and solve
problems.
G.I.5. Ability to take decisions in
complex and changing environments.
G.I.8. Oral and written competence in
communicating in English.
Specific competences
Disciplinary competences
E.D.8.
Analyse
the
business
organisation by identifying the key
economic factors that determine results.
Professional competences
E.P.1.
Ability
to
understand
the
decisions taken by economic agents and
their interaction in the markets.
E.P.2. Ability to analyse economic and
market indicators when taking decisions
within the organisation.
E.P.8.
Ability to take functional decisions
General personal competences
within an organisation with international
G.P.1. Ability to adapt, lead and work in activity.
a
group
that
is
multicultural, E.P.9. Assess and discuss the economic
interdisciplinary, competitive, changing and financial position of an organisation.
E.P.10. Ability to search, interpret and
and complex in nature.
G.P.3. Moral commitment and ethical assess information available in an
sense.
international environment in order to
define target markets, according to the
G.P.4. Critical attitude.
type of company and product.
E.P.11. Ability to analyse a foreign
Generic systemic competences
market
and
define
product
implementation strategies.
G.S.2. Ability to observe. G.S.3.
E.P.17.
Ability
to
express
and
Ability to think globally. G.S.4.
understand
spoken
and
written
Entrepreneurial capability. G.S.5.
communication
in
English
at
an
Ability to learn on one’s own.
advanced level in the international
business environment.
Competences for applicability
E.P.19. Ability to adapt to and manage
G.A.1.
Ability
to
apply
acquired any business or international trade
activity in any area of an organisation.
knowledge and skills.
G.A.2. Ability to use quantitative criteria
and qualitative insights when taking
decisions.
G.A.3. Ability to search and exploit new
information sources.
The above competences interrelate with the basic competences set out in Royal
Decree 1393/2007, namely:
a. competence to comprehend knowledge, on the basis of general secondary
education
b. competence to apply knowledge to day-to-day work in international
management or marketing, in particular, ability to develop and defend arguments
and to solve problems
c. competence to gather and interpret relevant data, enabling the development
of critical judgements on the economic and social reality
d. competence to communicate and transmit information (ideas, problems,
solutions) to a specialised and non-specialised public
e. competence to develop learning activities in a relatively autonomous manner.
In order to establish a correspondence between the basic competences and those
developed in the degree, these are grouped according to two criteria. Thus, the
competences developed in the subject are structured into those that are seen as a
development or specification of basic competences and those that define the
professional profile of the graduate, with respect to general and specific
competences.
Basic competence: understanding of knowledge
I.General competences G.I.3, G.S.2, G.A.2
II.Specific competences E.D.8, E.P.1
Basic competence: application of knowledge
I.General competences G.I.2, G.S.3
II.Specific competences E.P.11
Basic competence: gather and interpret data
I.General competences G.I.1, G.A.3
II.Specific competences E.P.2, E.P.10
Basic competence: communicate and transmit information
I.General competences G.I.8
II.Specific competences E.P.17
Basic competence: develop learning activities
I.General competences G.I.3, G.I.4, G.P.4, G.S.5
Competences that define the professional profile which are not included under basic
competences
In general, these competences combine the following key elements
professionalising students in the area of international business and marketing:
for
- provide students with the capacity to adapt to dynamic teams and environments
- provide students with the capacity to create their own integral vision of the
operation of a business or international marketing project
- provide students with the capacity to take complex decisions and carry out
negotiation processes
I.General competences G.I.4, G.I.5, G.P.1, G.A.1
II.Specific competences E.P.8, E.P.19
Own competences of the subject
List what is to be done by each area of a company given a specific situation that
affects its position in the market.
4. Contents
You will find below a brief description of the contents of each block:

Block contents 1. Introduction to simulation methodology and relevant
content matter

Block contents 2. Methodology and operational functioning of the software.

Block contents 3. Decision making

Block contents 4. Simulation and results analysis

Block contents 5. Review of the contents of the functional areas: purchasing,
human resources, production

Block contents 6. Review of the contents of the functional areas: marketing,
finance, logistics
5. Assessment
DIRECTIONS:
1. Type of assessment: compulsory, continuous.

Time period: duration of course

Grouping: individual and groups.

Weighting



Simulation manual’s knowledge test
Class attendance and active participation
Company results (Ranking)
20%
30 %
20%
2. Type of assessment: compulsory, synthesis.

Grouping: individual

Final report (to be submitted on last day of classes)
30 %
A minimum average score of 5 must have been obtained on the continuous
evaluation in order to be able to write the company's performance report.
The report’s completion and submittal is a necessary condition to pass the
course. In case of not successfully completing the report, a grade of 4 will be
assigned.
Make up evaluation
Only the final report on the company's performance (synthesis evaluation) will
be eligible for make-up if it has been failed for not attending at the end of the
trimester and the following condition is met. A minimum average score of 5 must
have been obtained on the continuous evaluation.
6. Bibliography and teaching resources
Basic bibliography
• The Business Policy Game: Simulation Tutorials.
• The Business Policy Game: Simulation Player’s Manual.
Supplementary bibliography
• Literature related to Finance, Marketing, Strategic management, Human
resources, Production, etc.
Teaching resources:
• http://bpgsim.com/game/bpg.html
• http://software.bpgsim.biz/
7. Methodology
The methodology is essentially student-centered. Students must therefore assume
an active and participatory role from the beginning of the course to the end.
This business simulation, which was designed for the education and training of
managers gives participants the opportunity to view a company from a
management position. During this process, students will use their know-how and
their decision-making skills.
The instructor will post reports and decisions files on Moodle after each decision and
students will upload the decision file to a server on the internet when the decision is
due.
Class preparation
Week 1
Session
1 12-4-16
Reading: Manual
Introduction to the course.
Explanation of the simulation
Methodology
and actions
Session
2 14-4-16
Reading: Manual
Group formation
Business plan preparation
implementation.
Session
Reading: Manual
Week 2
3
4
21-4-16
Session
5 26-4-15
Session
6 28-4-16
Exam on Manual
Activity after class
Prepare decision 1
Prepare decision 1
19-4-16
Session
Week 3
Activity in class
Prepare decision 1:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 1
Prepare decision 2:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 2
Prepare decision 3:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 3
Processing decision 1.
Results presented and explained.
Prepare decision 2
Processing decision 2.
Results presented and explained.
Prepare decision 3
Processing decision 3.
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 4
Prepare decision 2
Prepare decision 3
Prepare decision 4
T
Class preparation
Week4
Session
7 3-5-16
Prepare decision 4:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 4
Session
8 5-5-16
Prepare decision 5 :
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 5
Week S
Session
9 10-5-16
Session
10 12-5-15
Prepare decision 6:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 6
Prepare decision 7:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE . 7
Week 6
Session
Prepare 8
:
Activity in class
Processing decision 4
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 5
Prepare decision 5
Processing decision 5
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 6
Prepare decision 6
Processing decision 6
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 7
Prepare decision 7
Processing decision 7
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 8
Prepare decision 8
Processing decision 8
Prepare decision 9
11 17-5-16
File must be uploaded
Activity after class
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 9
DEADLINE 8
Session
12 19-5-16
Prepare decision 9 :
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 9
Processing decision 9
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 1O
Prepare decision 1O
Class p reparation
Week 7
Week 9
after class
Processing decision 1O
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 11
Prepare decision 11
Prepare decision 11:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 11
Processing decision 11
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 12
Prepare decision 12
Session
15 31-5-16
Prepare decision 12:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 12
Processing decision 12
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 13
Prepare decision 13
Session
16 2-6-16
Prepare decision 13:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 13
Processing decision 13
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 14
Prepare decision 14
Prepare decision 14:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 14
Prepare decision 15:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 15
Processing decision 14
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 15
Prepare decision 15
Processing decision 15
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 16
Prepare decision 16
Prepare decision 16:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 16
Processing decision 16
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 17
Prepare decision 17
Prepare decision 17
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 17
Prepare decision 18
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 18
Processing decision 17
Results presented and explained
Prepare decision 18
Prepare decision 18
Session
17 7-6-16
Session
18 9-6-16
Week 10
Activity
Prepare decision 10:
File must be uploaded
DEADLINE 10
Session
13 24-5-16
Session
14 26-5-16
Week 8
Activity in class
Session
19 14-6-16
Session
20 16-6-16
Session
21 18-6-16
Processing decision
Results presented and explained
Write final report