{"id":6105,"date":"2016-02-19T20:12:02","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T20:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.hult.edu\/?p=6105"},"modified":"2026-05-06T14:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T13:50:37","slug":"business-simulations-what-can-you-learn-from-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/business-simulations-what-can-you-learn-from-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Business simulations: what can you learn from games?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing beats firsthand experience when it comes to business learning, as is widely agreed amongst academics and CEOs alike. Hult believes graduates are most able to apply what they\u2019ve learnt in the classroom once they\u2019re in the workplace if they\u2019ve had an experiential education.<\/p>\n

Rob Anthony, Hult\u2019s Global Dean of Program and Faculty Development says:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is value in knowing what you should do \u2013 and that\u2019s where the case study method comes in. But there is much to be gained from knowing what you actually do in certain situations and learning from your own success or failures. What you say you\u2019d do and what you actually do are often very different.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So how do you give students the opportunity to practice the theories they\u2019ve studied in a real-world context? This is where simulations or \u201cserious games\u201d are playing an increasingly central role in business school curriculum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At Hult, we use a variety of simulations throughout our programs, from role-play to paper-based games to complex virtual marketplace simulations. And both our students and professors swear by them.<\/p>\n

On-boarding with \u201cPaper Planes\u201d simulation<\/u><\/h2>\n

We use a game in the first couple of weeks students are with us to open their eyes to the benefits of serious games and get them on board with our whole approach to experiential-learning. It\u2019s a very simple yet effective simulation used by the likes of Google in their staff training, called \u2018Paper Planes\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"business_simulations\"
Operations Management sim \u2018Paper Planes\u2019 opens students eyes to how much can be learned from serious games.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paper Planes is an Operations Management simulation where teams of students assume the different roles of a factory assembly line to produce the most effective planes at the most efficient rate. A simple task surely? But the lessons that come out about teamwork and an individual\u2019s role in that team are profound.<\/p>\n

Virtual-world simulations: the Hult difference <\/u><\/h2>\n

Like many forward-thinking business schools, Hult also uses computer-based simulations as a learning tool. But rather than use them simply to illustrate a particular theory within one particular course, we use them to teach integrated business thinking at a program level.<\/p>\n

Our sims are staggered over the year and become increasingly complex and demanding. As student\u2019s knowledge and skill set grows, so does the challenge. The capstone sim for all our graduate programs is International Corporate Management, which takes place over 4 days in Module C.<\/p>\n

Norbert Ogochukwu is an MBA<\/a> Class of 2014 alum from our Boston campus,<\/a> now\u00a0Assistant Vice President at State Street in London. This is how Norbert describes the capstone simulation:<\/p>\n

\u201cTeams of 6 students, all from different countries and regions, were tasked with running a company from ground zero. We competed with 7 other teams for 8 consecutive quarters in the international PC market. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c[We] learned not only how to apply financial, marketing, research, operations, and management strategies, but also how to approach business problems holistically. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe marketplace provided real-life implications of business decisions and how competitive market forces, government regulations, inflation, exchange rates, interest rates and so on, affect a firm’s success. It<\/em> brought to light everything we had done during our program.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n