USING A NON-BUSINESS COMPUTER SIMULATION TO TEACH MARKETING MANAGEMENT Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 206 USING A NON-BUSINESS COMPUTER SIMULATION TO TEACH MARKETING MANAGEMENT Newell E. Chiesl, Indiana State University ABSTRACT Educators have used a wide variety of computerized business simulations to assist in the instruction of business curriculum. This paper discusses the use of a non-business Simulation, namely the SIMCITY game, to teach the systems approach aspect of marketing. The rational in using SIMCITY as a pedagogical tool is addressed. In addition, the paper describes how the non-business Simulation assists in the teaching of three concepts: marketing as a system; marketing as a function of a mathematical model; and marketing as a written case Scenario. INTRODUCTION As the start of a new semester beckoned, a problem arose, How could I encourage my Students to be eagerly interested in learning the interactive concepts in marketing? I decided to use a pedagogical exercise. First, general semester objectives were established: • Make the class fun. • Teach marketing concepts more effectively. • Enhance the learning environment. • Encourage students to be eager participants. • Provide a teaching/learning vehicle that students could easily relate with in their studies. Specific course objectives included three marketing concepts to be taught by the professor and learned by the students. 1. To think of marketing as a system. 2. To mathematically model marketing relationships. 3. To write marketing scenarios containing alternative solutions and resultant consequences. The next step was to select a pedagogical assistant. The teaching/learning vehicle, SIMCITY, satisfied all the requirements needed to meet both sets of objectives. SIMCITY is a fun, easy-to-play simulation game with numerous interactive consequences. Therefore, throughout the entire semester, the professor could say, “Remember when we played SIMCITY and this interactive relationship occurred. Well, the same is true in a marketing system when SIMCITY SIMCITY is a city simulation developed by MAXIS software. Players design, manage, and maintain the city structures of their dreams, Camelot. One player might build a bustling metropolis, while another might prefer a smaller rural community. As long as the player provide a city (with potential for people to work, shop and play), new residents will be attracted. Congested traffic, pollution, overcrowding, crime, and high taxes drive people to leave a city. SIMCITY represents a highly interactive type model. Decision inputs result in multiple consequences in several areas. For example, the decision to build an industrial zone affects the population density, pollution, taxes collected, traffic patterns, and power requirements for the entire city. The dynamic nature of the game is the key to why this pedagogical exercise was selected. The numerous cause and affect scenarios programmed into the computer model offer a realistic environment for the game player. Billions of possible scenarios exist increasing the verisimilitude for the player. MARKETING CONCEPTS The main purpose in having students play the SIMCITY game was to assist in the teaching of three marketing concepts: marketing as a system; marketing as a function of a mathematical model; and marketing as a written cased Scenario. Marketing System In a marketing curriculum, students enroll in many specialized type of courses, such as buyer behavior, marketing research, advertising, product strategy, pricing, distribution, international, and business-to—business marketing. In the capstone-marketing course, the professor has the responsibility to tie these classes together into one integrated and interactive system. To accomplish this task, the professor assigned students to develop a flowchart illustrating the various marketing functions with their interrelationships. Marketing Models Students were assigned a three-step task: A. To provide a written description for a hypothetical or real product, its history, specifications, product quality, target market and other marketing mix variables. B. To decide upon a functional marketing relationship among the product, customers, and the marketing mix. C. To develop a mathematical model based upon the desired relationship among the marketing mix, the customers, and the proposed product. Marketing Scenarios For this project the professor assigned students to prepare and write an interrelated scenario for a company with both multiple marketing distributive alternatives and resultant consequences. RESULTS An obvious observable result in the use of this pedagogical exercise was the heightened student interest level. This professor observed students not wanting to leave the classroom. Students were intensely excited at the beginning of the semester, Since they could play a fun computer game. This fun easy-to-play computer game required players to understand how one change in a system (the modification of a variable) affected the entire system. Although SIMCITY initially is easy to play, it evolves into a more difficult model as more and more elements are included. This reality based aspect of the game intrigue’s university students to the point where the professor found it increasingly difficult to dismiss the class from the PC lab. Such enthusiasm carried throughout the remainder of the semester. One student noted in a written comment, “I feel I have learned more in your class this year than in any of my other classes.” Table of Contents Volume 19, 1992 The Pedagogical Utility of a Management Simulation Game in a Business Policy Course Modeling Economic Environments in Business Simulations: Some Comparisons and Recommendations Experiential Learning and TQM Principles: Teaching Behavioral Science in a Business School The Use of Poster Presentations as a Final Project in the Business Policy Course The Device Business: A Management Simulation for Strategy Formulation The Advantages of Experiential learning in the Auditing curriculum A Framework for the Identification of Moderated and Mediated Performance consequences of Pedagogical Alternatives Simulating Qualitative Research Relating to Values and Lifestyle Segmentation A New Market Demand Model for Business Simulators Interactive Optimization Using the Method of Relative Improvement Preferences: Methodology and Empirical Evaluation The Service Trainer Simulation Benefits of Internet Computer Networks for ABSEL Members How Should We Measure Experiential Learning? An Assessment of Simulation Usage in Management Accounting Courses The Influence of Myers-Briggs Type and Group Dynamics on Simulation Performance Effective Leadership Behavior in the Desert Storm Arena: An Application of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model Installing and Consolidating Work-Team Values: The Effects of a Multicultural Outdoors Experiential Program Key Determinants and Decision performance in a Business Simulations and Experiential Learning environment Multi-Cultural Experiential Learning: A Computer Simulation in Indonesia Attitudes Toward and Emotions Related to Women as Managers: A Replication and Beyond Scenario Approach to Simulating Consumer Expenditures: A Cross-Cultural Analysis Insights into Ethical Decision making Activities and Organizational Performance: A Management Simulation Analysis of College Students and Managers Evaluating a Business Simulation Program for Joint Venture Negotiation and Management Teaching Business Interviewing Strategies with an Experiential Approach Cooperative Learning Across the Business Curriculum Modeling Total Quality Elements into a Strategy-Oriented Simulation Teaching Business Decision making using a Simulator Extending the Educational Utility of a Simulated Competition within the Confines of an Established Undergraduate Marketing Curriculum Expert Systems Versus Traditional Methods for Teaching Accounting Issues Confidence Extremes Diminish Quality Performance in a Total Enterprise Simulation Can Ethics Be Taught? A Simulation Tests a Traditional Ethics Pedagogy Through The Looking Glass, Inc.: Organizational Climate Research as Experiential Pedagogy The use of Cluster Analysis for Business Game Performance Analysis Power and Ethnicity: An Experiential Learning Exercise (How to Sensitize Students to Diversity) Directed Development of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills for Case Analysis Implementing Total Quality Management in a Computerized Business Simulation Product Quality in Business Simulations Use of Simulation for Ethics Education in Management Satisfying the University's Customers through Total Quality Management Instruction: A Case Study Personality Characteristics and Group Performance in Total Enterprise Simulations Concepts of Interval Estimation and Quality Control Charts via Computer Simulated Sampling An Examination of the Effect of Team Cohesion, Player Attitude, and Performance Expectations on Simulation Performance Results The Effectiveness of Inventory Management and Production Scheduling Training in a Total Quality Management Environment Peer Group Indicators of the External Validity of Business Games: A five-year Longitudinal Study Political Strategies and Personal Actions Does Practice make Perfect? Observations on Simulation Trial The Use of A Non-Business Computer Simulation to Teach Marketing Management BankPro Commercial Bank Simulation The Production Game Pursuing Excellence: Work Strengths, Assets and relevant Values (An Exercise) Test of a Short Outward Bound Experience for College Students What is it that we want Student To Learn? Using Two TQM Philosophies when Playing Blackjack The Lagged Effects of Decision Variables on Financial Performance Measures Used in Two business Simulations The Development of an Experiential Exercise for Career Planning and Effective Job search Performance Measuring Quality in Management of Business Pedagogy Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement: Using and Experiential Process Toward a Generalized Architecture for Intelligent Reactive Management Systems The Quality Game TQX: Using Expert Systems to Improve Training in Total Quality Management A Simulation of the Effect of the Medicaid Payment Lag on the Financial Position of Community Pharmacies The Use of a Board of Directors to Evaluate and Validate Decisions in a Competitive Graduate Management Simulation Course The Impact of Academic Dishonesty on Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Activities Picture Project: An Experience of Icebreaking and/or Decision-Making An Effective Role-playing Exercise for Teaching Requisite TQM Supervisory Attitudes/Behavior Computerized Management Simulations and Some Correlates of Students' Satisfaction The Timing and Stability of Reactions to Market Structure in a Single Player Simulation Environment A Graphics Application Extension for a Simulated Decision Support System Environment Aspects of a Group Project Utilizing Actual Business data and a Computerized Accounting System The Role of Universities' Extended Learning Department in Assisting Organizations Implement Total Quality Management A three-dimensional Learning Experience to Develop Total Quality Management Skills Estimating Quality Costs by Computer Simulation Applications and Examples of Quality Control Software Assessing Business Pedagogy A Demonstration of an Experiential Process for Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement Processes An Action-Ethics Dilemma: A Demonstration Org Sim Jr.: A 2-3 Hour Version of the 2-Day Blanchard/Murrell Organization Simulation Building Buildings: An Experiential Exercise in Organizational Structure, Communication, Leadership and Group Dynamics Expert Systems for Organization Design: A Demonstration A Demonstration of Product Quality in a Business Simulation: Version 2 of CEO Two Revolutions, Total Quality Leadership, and the Baldy: The Story of Milliken Total Quality after the Award - The Xerox Story Building a Competitive Advantage through Customer Satisfaction and Reengineering Human Resource Planning: Managing the Only Renewable Resource for a Competitive Advantage Using Simulations to Teach International Issues: An analysis of the Multinational Management Game's Learning Environment Quality Function Deployment: A Tutorial Care and Nurturing of Teams Making a Good Thing Better: Adding TQM to Participative management Empowering Organizations to Redesign and Transform Themselves - Eastman Chemical Using Simulations in Field Management Development of an International Life Insurance Company Reinforcing the TQ Environment via Simulation Transforming a Business College into a Total Quality College