STUDENTS' VIEW ON THE USE OF BUSINESS GAMING IN HONG KONG Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 25, 1998 Students’ View on the Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Jimmy Chang, Kwan-ting Ng, and Mary Lee, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with students feedback on the usage of business gaming in Hong Kong It is intended to see how students viewed business gaming as a learning tool Over 70 percent of 93 students regarded business gaming to be “critical” and “important” for accomplishing the course objectives “developing decision making skills”; “learning concepts related to business”, “general problem identification and analytical skills”, “developing planning skills”; and “using financial data to make management decision”. A total of 52 7 percent of students thought they benefited from “understanding consequences of decision taken” while 22.6 percent felt “long waiting time after sign on” is a disadvantage in the use of computer simulation Over 50 percent of students found the simulation package “easy to use”, “fun and interesting”, and “minimizing student frustration” INTRODUCTION A survey questionnaire was administered to 2 groups of final year degree students who enrolled in the subject of strategic management in 1995 and 1996. Participants in this survey received business gaming in their tutorial sessions. A total of 215 survey questionnaires were distributed and 93 usable questionnaires were received. Students’ Views on Usefulness of Computer Simulations to Meet the Course Objectives Respondents gave very high ratings (combining critical and important) to the following: 86% for “developing decision making skills", 78 9% for “learning concepts related to business”, 78 80 o for “general problem identification and analytical skills”; 75.3% for “developing planning skills”, 70.8% for “using financial data to make management decisions”; 67.4% for “understanding general management perspectives”; and 66.3% for “improving group process skills”. Perceived Benefits of Business Gaming by Students Students were asked what benefits they gained from participation in business gaming. A total of 52.7 percent of students (49 out of 93) chose “understanding consequences of decision taken”. Another 49.5 percent (46 out of 93) chose “better understanding of market mechanism” 47 3 percent (44 out of 93) picked “integration of knowledge from a range of subjects”. Perceived Disadvantages of Business Gaming by Students The top three scores of perceived disadvantages were “long waiting time after sign on’ with 22.6 percent, “decisions unrealistic” with 19.4 percent, and 41 “preparation time very demanding -- understanding manual” with 15. 1 percent. Students’ Evaluation on Business Gaming The result showed the highest three combined scores of excellent and above average went to easy to use’, 65.8%; ‘fun/interesting’, 52.7%, and ‘minimizing student frustration’, 50.6%. A combined 40.3% of respondents indicated business gaming was below average and poor on “error free programming”. 259 Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 25, 1998 Using Business Gaming to test Students’ Understanding of Business Enterprise Students were asked if it had been helpful towards testing their understanding in terms of their total experience with business gaming. Results indicated that business gaming has helped students to understand “what is my business” 71 1%, “bargaining & negotiation in strategic management” 70.0%. “managing finance, survival, growth, etc” 67 8%; analytical thinking in decision. making” 64 4%, “conflict of stakeholders’ interests” 633%, and “how information & communication affect competitive position” 63.3%. Students’ View on Grade Weights Assigned to Subjects Respondents were asked to give their views on grade weights assigned to four major activities: examination, computer simulation, case study, and student participation. The modal response on grade weights for simulation was 1-10% (396% of respondents); for simulation report, 1-10% (47 0 % of respondents) for discussion/participation. 11-20 % (52 1% of respondents); for case study, 11 -20% (36 8% of respondents), for test, 21-30% (23.6% of respondents). for examination, 41-60% (39.3 % of respondents). Previous Participation in Business Gaming A total of 66 students (7 1°/o) indicated they had previously been involved in business gaming. 27 students (29%) claimed they had not participated in any computer simulation activities. Sixty respondents claimed they had been involved in production and operation management simulation Five participants indicated they had participated in simulation related to strategic management, and another participant simply wrote general management subject. CONCLUSION This exploratory study reflected the favorable attitude of Hong Kong students towards the use of business gaming as a teaching tool. 85 out of 93 participants indicated they would recommend business gaming to the next group of students in the forthcoming year. Students confirmed that they learned concepts related to business and developed important skills such as problem identification, planning and decision making. In a limited way, they made use of relevant environmental information to help them analyze the stream of decision situations that confronted them. Gaming thus served to give students a taste of strategic management and generally enhanced their understanding of the complexity of managing a business enterprise. Good practice in teaching can generally be maintained by making planning an iterative process and justifies initiating this study which covers 2 groups of students in Hong Kong. The richness of the information generated from this survey helps us to understand what students think and feel about the gaming experience and highlighted a few unmet expectations and areas for future improvement in Hong Kong Further study can be done on the nature of student resistance to such teaching pedagogy in a cross-cultural comparison context between Hong Kong and USA. REFERENCE References are available upon request. 260 Table of Contents Volume 25, 1998 Marketing Goes to the Movies Bringing Experiential Learning to a Principles of Marketing Course Investment Analysis Application Using In-house Spreadsheet Models SugarCoated Statistics: An Exercise for the First Day of Class Improving Undergraduate Student Involvement in Management Science and Business Writing Courses Using the Seven Principles in Action Establishment and Funding for Interuniversity / Multidisciplinary Student experiences The Prospects of Creative Teaching: A Discussion with Patricia Sanders The Simulation and Classroom Assessment Techniques Developments of Management Skill Assessment Games as Instruments of Assessment: A Framework for Evaluation The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Business Curricula Threshold Solo Competitor: A Management Simulation (V1.0) a Windows-Based. Play Alone, Total Enterprise Simulation and Assessment Instrument Toward An Understanding of One's self-concept Total Enterprise Simulations and the Internet: Improving Student Perceptions and Simplifying Administrative Workloads The Expatriate an Assignment Orientation Game An Expatriate's Nightmare: An Experiential Exercise in Coping with Overseas Assignments Analyzing Experiential Exercise: Using the Scientific Method for Problem Solving The Second Component to Experiential Learning: A Look Back at How ABSEL has handled the Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Learning Predictive Models of Learning: Participant Satisfaction of Experiential Exercises in Business Education Accelerating Moral Development through Use of Experiential Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Dilemmas to use with Business Simulations to Teach Ethics The Class Approach in Behavioral Simulation in a Business Policy/Strategic Management course: A Progression toward Greater Realism An Exploration of the Emergence of Process Prototypes in a Management Course Utilizing a Total Enterprise Simulation How Organizations Are Improving Their Performance Utilizing Electronic Commerce: Examples From The Internet The Market Access Planning System (Maps): A Computer-Based Decision Support System For Facilitating Experiential Learning In International Business An Excel Workbook For Student Planning And Interface With A Simulation Game Design Of Multi-Media Based Pedagogy For Leadership Training Panel Discussion On Using The Internet For Courses Valuing And Enhancing Teaching: Sharing Tips Via The Web The Buddy Project: A Semester Long Project Aimed At Developing An Appreciation For Diversity Enhancing The Excitement And Learning Retention In The Classroom: The Power Of Magic The Supervised Management Internship: A Job Or Learning Experience Team Ware™ An Online Moderated Class Discussion Facility And Beyond A Neophyte Distance Educator's Experience Learning Management By Practicing Management: A Report Of Significant Student Service In 1997 Integration Of Academic And Service Learning: Students' Perceptions About Its Effects And Outcomes The Value Of Incorporating A Service Learning Component Into Course Content: A Presentation And Roundtable Discussion Business Games Teach: Thoughts on the Sources of Conflicting Conclusions on their Effectiveness Antecedents Of Learning In The Simulation: A Replication Using Student Journals To Enhance Learning From Simulations Technological Change And Intertemporal Movements In Consumer Preferences In The Design Of Computerized Business Simulations With Market Segmentation Integrating The Marketing Curriculum Using Collaborative Learning Teaching Time Management In A Sales Program: The Application Of A Computer Simulation Game Adapting Interactive Computer Simulations For Content Based Esl Instruction Multimedia And Student Expectations Synthesizing Data For Media Simulations Composing A Team Health Promoting Behaviors-A Decision Making Exercise Does it really Work? An Application of the Group Interaction Framework Administering the MIT Beer Game: Lessons Learned A Paperless Economy? Instructing Students on the Aspects of Successful Electronic Commerce Maximizing Learning Gains in Simulations: Lessons from the Training Literature Observing General Ability in a Total Enterprise Gaming Simulation FReach Teach: A Computer-Based System for Teaching Advertising Media Planning An Integrated Business Instruction System An Experiential Exercise you can Tinker With Experiential Exercises or Computer Simulations? Cash Flow Statements: Are They Important in Business Simulations? Holistic Cognitive Strategy in a Computer-Based Marketing Simulation Game: An Investigation of Attitudes Towards the Decision-Making Process Barnga: A Game on Cultural Clashes The Many Faces of Culture: Understanding Country and Corporate Culture Students' View of the Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Assessing General Management Interest What is the Future of Business Gaming? Starting a Small Music Trivia Business Exercise and Other Innovative Icebreakers An Integrated Approach to Behavioral Skill Development Career Focus: A Student and Business Learning Experience The Use of Concept Mapping in Teaching Strategic Management An Experiential Approach to Developing Mission Statements Business Games in Brazil-Learning or Satisfaction A Simulation within a Simulation: Job Layoff's and Emotional Reactions