THE USE OF BUSINESS GAMING IN HONG KONG ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 24, 1997 THE USE OF BUSINESS GAMING IN HONG KONG ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS Jimmy Chang. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with the usage of business gaming and how and why they are used in seven Hong Kong Government funded tertiary educational institutions. A 22.5% response rate of a population of 632 was recorded. Results indicated 10 out of 35 past users still use business gaming in their teaching. General evaluation on computer simulations is above average; however, reasons cited for not using business gaming are attributed to 'lengthy preparation time’. 'start-up cost is too high’, and lack of formal training’. INTRODUCTION Much have been explored of the use of business games in academia of North America (Wolfe. 1985: Roberts & Strauss. 1975: Hegarty, 1976: Faria. 1987: Decker. et al 1993; Williams. 1993. and Keeffe. et al 1993) but less has been mentioned on the use of business games in academia of Hong Kong. Thus, it is the author’s interest to examine how popular the usage of business gaming-simulation in business-related courses and to understand reasons why these simulations are not used so often as a teaching tool in Hong Kong tertiary academic institutions. METHODOLOGY A survey questionnaire was sent to 632 teachers of all seven tertiary educational institutions funded by Hong Kong Government. which offers an undergraduate or graduate degree in business during the period of December 15. 1994 to March 15 1995, List of faculty members was developed by direct inquiry, and confirmed by reference to prospecti and telephone directories. Out of 632- survey questionnaire. 142 usable questionnaire were received. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS Usage of Business Gaming The use of business game in teaching was recorded with 24.5% (35 out of 142 respondents). With only 10 of 35 past users claimed they still continue to use them in their current teaching. Only 9 of 107 non-users plan to use simulations in their future teaching. Simulations Used for Particular Subjects A total of 50 respondents was recorded in nine business subjects with the majority of 17 responses from areas of business policy and strategy and 14 responses from marketing and related subjects. Grade Weights Assigned to Subjects Respondents were asked to give information regarding grade weights assigned to four major activities: examination, computer simulation, case study, and student participation. The modal response on grade weights for examination was 41%-60% (54.3 % of respondents): for computer simulations, I 1%-20% (53.1% of respondents): for case study. I l%-20% (70.4% of respondents); for student participation. l%-10% (60% of respondents). Usefulness of Computer Simulations Twelve subject objectives (Decker. et al 1993) were used for respondents to evaluate the usefulness of computer simulation to achieve 218 Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 24, 1997 the various subject objectives on a four-point Likert scale: critical (1). important (2). less important (3). and not an objective (4). Respondents gave a rating between critical and important rating to the following objectives: understanding functional interrelationships (overall mean of 1.870). 'general problem identification and analytical skills’ (overall mean of 1.914), and ‘developing decision making skills’ (overall mean of 1.971). Evaluation of Computer Simulations Based on a five-point Liken Scale: excellent (1). above average (2). average (3), below average (4), and poor (5), respondents were asked of their 'general impressions of computer simulations’ and their 'rating on computer simulation contribution to students learning.’ The result showed a overall mean of 2.081 and the standard deviation of 0.722 for their general impression. The responses spanned from below average to excellent. As for the second question, result indicated a overall mean of 2.000 for their rating on simulation contribution to student learning and a standard deviation of 0.586. The responses ranged between an average to excellent in general. Reasons for Not Using Simulations Two major reasons for 85 past non-users who plan no future use of simulation were ‘lengthy preparation time with 32.9% and 'start-up cost is too high’ with 27%. These two reasons account for 59.9 percent of the respondents. CONCLUSION The study reported here represents a first major attempt to examine the use of business gaming in Hong Kong tertiary educational institutions. The usage of business gaming is rather low with only 10 who still use it. Most of the users are in the business policy and marketing areas. Their views on usefulness and evaluation of business gaming are important and well above average. Reasons for not using them are related to lengthy preparation time and high start-up cost. A cross-cultural examination of usage of business games is valuable in future research. An in-depth comparison between US and Hong Kong users will provide further insights in the use of business games as a teaching tool. REFERENCES Faria A. J. (1987) A survey of the use of business games in academia and business. Simulation & Games 1 (2), 207-224 Decker, C.R.. J.F. Bibb, and C. Likins (1993). Simulations: their use in business policy, 1993. Association for Business Simulation & Experiential Learning Conference Georgia Keeffe, M.C.. D.A. Dyson and R.R. Edwards (1993) Strategic management simulations: a current assessment. Simulation & Gaming, 24 (3), 363-368. Hegarty, W.H. (1976) Contextual and pedagogy differences in teaching business policy among academicians. 1976 Academy of Management Proceedings. 125-129, Kansas City, KS Roberts, R.M., & A. Strauss (1975) Management games in higher education 1962 to 1974-an increasing acceptance Proceedings of the North American Simulation & Gaming Association 38 1-385. Williams. E.L.. (1993). Computerized simulation in the policy course. Simulation & Gaming, 24(2), 230-239. Wolfe J. (1985)s The teaching effectiveness of games in collegiate business courses – a 1973-1983 update Simulation & Games. 16 (3). 251-288. 219 Table of Contents Volume 24, 1997 Incorporating Computer Telephony into the MIS Course A Learner Oriented Infrastructure for videoconferencing Based Distance Education Courses The Identification of Temporally Related Structural Elements of the Experiential Component of Electronic Spreadsheet Tasks Does Involvement Influence Learning from Simulation Participation? Some Relationships with Helpfulness and Performance Outcomes Musings on Business Garne Performance Evaluation Performance on a TE Simulation: What does it represent? The Business Policy Game: An International Simulation - An Assessment Tool Students in Free Enterprise as Experiential Learning The Role of Computer Models in Wargames: A Practitioner's view Using Focus Groups as a Tool to Research Learning: A Demonstration and a Discussion Using Medical Simulations to Teach Multi-Cultural Diversity Using the World Game to Internationalize International Exchange Game Community Services Needs Assessment: An Innovative Approach Introducing Students to Potential Total Quality Management Ethical Dilemmas Privacy in the Workplace: A Situational Analysis Antecedents of Learning in Simulations Demonstrating the Learning Effectiveness of Simulation: Where we are and Where we need to go The Use of Computer Simulations as a Pedagogical Aid in Teaching Management Information Systems Evaluating Simulation Learning in a Distant Learning Instructional Model Financial Engineering of Global Investments The Labor History Game: Playing with the Past Perks Participation Assessing Negotiator's Proficiency with a Negotiation role-play The Art of Negotiating Enhancing Learning and Employee Development through the Assessment of Learning Pedagogy Preferences across selected Dimensions of Culture: A Preliminary Investigation Cooperative Learning: What are we Learning? Effective Use of Mastery Based Experiential learning in a Project Course to improve skills in system analysis and Design Simulations and Learning: Can we prove a relationship? (Seminar) Predicting and Reviewing NYSE Stock Prices by use of Basic Statistical Analysis and Logic Toy Car Depreciation Exercise ABSEL as Home Community: An Interactive Exploration Service Learning: Linking Academic Study to Community Development and Business Enhancement Ability of Efficient Evaluation of Knowledge-Based Management Strategies Corporate Ethics Training Programs Modeling Attributes in Demand Functions of Computerized Business Simulations: An Extension of Teach's Gravity Flow Algorithm Expert Systems Combined with Neutral Networks: Tools to Benefit the Marketing Researcher Computer Game Design: New Directions for Intercultural Simulation Game Designers Consistency in Simulation Performance over Time and Across Simulation Games The Impact of an Artificial Market Leader on Simulation Competitor's Strategies Business Plans, Case Studies, and Total Enterprise Simulations: A Natural Co-existence An Exploration into the Non-Use of Business Simulations The Market Game: Interactive Learning Through Market Simulation Plotting Brand Trajectories with the COMPLETE PPM package: A Market Segmentation Analysis and Positioning Tool Me and Mine Inc: An Exercise in Management Theory Learning to Differentiate Leadership from Managerial Position Business Ethics Survey: A Perspective from the Retail Industry Experiential Learning in Demand Analysis for an Agricultural Commodity Marketing on the Internet: A Pedagogical Exercise College Students Need Simple Computer Simulations, Especially for International Business Courses An Analysis of Student Attitudes, Performance, and Strategies in a Simulation Competition Based on a Controlled Product-Market-Entry Game Structure The Crystal Enterprise: Application of a Non-Computerized Simulation Model in a Process of Organizational Change Threshold: A Windows-Based Behaviorally Oriented Total Enterprise Simulation Coaching Business Game Teams Using a Decision Variable Optimizer Rock and Roll is here to Stay: Enhancing Experiential Pedagogy with Musical Exercises An Example of Business Process Analysis Simulation for Customer Software Support The Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Academic Institutions Using the Integrative International Simulation INTOPIA Mark 2000 in a Concentrated MBA Curriculum A Group Experience as an Integrated Part of the Core Management Course Empowered Learning in the Classroom The Inter-Group Interaction: An Innovative Approach to Cooperative Learning Courses that Utilize Student Team: An Approach to enhancing their Effectiveness Thoughts about the Measurement of Learning: The Case for Guided Learning and Associated Measurement Issues Measuring Student Learning Using Business Simulations: A Theory Based Perspective On the Use of PC Fingame in an Undergraduate Finance Course How Managers get Things Done: A Virtual Soundbite Internet Experiential learning in the Principals of Marketing Classroom: A Pedagogical Approach Current Student Perceptions Relative to Business Simulations Beyond Capitalism: Designing Business Policy and Social Justice The Use of Boards of Directors to Evaluate Reports and Presentations in an Undergraduate Business Policy Course Beacon Lumber: An Experiential Introduction to Financial Accounting The Application of Organizational Motivation Principles: The Experiential Business Simulation Motus Manufacturing Avoiding a Bogey: Grading Case Discussions Scientifically Communicating Consumer Behavior II: A Modified Exercise Using Personal Consumption Journals in Condensed Courses Designing Instruments for Assessing the Effectiveness of Simulations, (Seminar) 360º Performance Feedback: Appraisal vs. Assessment The Cafeteria Approach to Managing an Academic Career: Remaining Non-Perishable while Doing Your Own Thing An Experiential Exercise Related to Person-Organization Fit and it's Consequences For Today's Dynamic and Changing World, Business Simulations need to be expanded to encompass Much Greater Complexity: A Demonstration The Incident Process: A Case in Reverse Contextually-Anchored Business Simulations The Energy Factor: Building Motivation in the Simulation Gaming Environment The Design of an Internet Game