A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Designing Business Management Games

Author(s):  
Pedro Campos

Computer games have become an important part of the new digital economy, employing thousands of Information Technology professionals worldwide. Their role as a novel approach to reduce the distance between students and knowledge is also well documented. In this chapter, we will describe a multi-disciplinary approach to designing a particular class of educational games: business management games. We argue that through a better understanding of the relationship between work-domain based decisions and processes, professional game designers can achieve effective results. The design approach was based on intensive collaboration and co-design meetings with business management researchers and professors. The result was a game called “SimCompany”, aimed at teaching children about business management concepts, thus promoting an entrepreneurship culture in classroom settings. “SimCompany” proved effective as a teaching tool about business management concepts, and initial evaluation showed a positive increase in students’ rate of learning, when compared to traditional teaching methods.

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Henry Mamfredo Zambrana Flores

La responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE) es un concepto con el cual las empresas deciden voluntariamente incluirse en el logro de una sociedad mejor y un medio ambiente más saludable. Requiere de una continua adaptación a los cambios que se producen en su entorno, con su mirada puesta en la sostenibilidad empresarial que beneficie a la empresa y a las partes interesadas. El presente trabajo aborda, en primer lugar, los inicios y evolución del concepto de RSE, mostrando la estrecha relación con los cambios económicos y sociales. La responsabilidad social empresarial se inició con acciones filantrópicas, seguidas de acciones de inversión social. Sin embargo, en la actualidad, se plantea la realización de prácticas responsables integradas a la gestión empresarial, lo que propone nuevos modelos de gestión empresarial. Para comprender la noción de RSE en los negocios, se ha considerado necesario la realización de un diagnóstico en profundidad. Para ello, se muestran las diversas teorías y modelos de RSE corporativa; los grupos de interés y la RSE para la gestión; su interrelación con las normas legales actuales; y las herramientas de aplicación. Si se quiere ser competitivo, es necesario entender la empresa como un ciudadano corporativo con deberes y derechos, así como desafíos y aspectos críticos en su gestión. Finalmente, se hace mención a una serie de casos de RSE en los ámbitos internacional, nacional y regional para comprender el accionar y la respuesta de diversas empresas frente a los desafíos de su entorno y las necesidades de sus grupos de interés. ABSTRACTCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby companies decide voluntarily to include themselves the achievement of a better society and a healthier environment. It requires constantly adapting to the changing environment, with their sights set on corporate sustainability that benefits the company and stakeholders. Firstly, this paper addresses the beginnings and evolution about CSR concept, showing the close relationship between the economic and social changes. CSR began with philanthropy actions, followed by social investment actions. However, today, a realization of responsible practices integrated to business management is set out, which proposes new models of business management. To understand CSR in business is necessary to consider performing an in-depth diagnostic; for that, it shows the various theories and models of Corporate CSR, the stakeholders and CSR management; the relationship with the current laws and implementation tools. If competitiveness is required, it is necessary to understand the company as a corporate citizen with rights and duties, as well as challenges and critical issues in management. Finally, many of regional, national and internationals CSR cases are mentions to understand the actions and responses of various companies facing the challenges of their environment and the needs of its stakeholders. .


Author(s):  
Joy Tauetsile

Underpinned by Social Exchange Theory (SET) this study examines the relationship between social resources and employee engagement using the Ubuntu construct as a mediating variable. Employee engagement conceptualized as a positive work-related mind-set has demonstrated positive association with both supervisor support and colleague support. The study uses data collected from employees in organizations in Botswana (n = 438) to assess the relationship between social resources and employee engagement using Ubuntu as a mediating variable. Using mediation analysis, findings suggest that high levels of Ubuntu enhance the strength of the relationship among supervisor support, colleague support and employee engagement. These findings open significant potential for future studies identifying the cultural peculiarities as well as managerial implications of management concepts such as employee engagement in non-western settings and underlining the importance of the Ubuntu concept in managing staff in a sub-Saharan Africa country.


2003 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy K. Frels ◽  
Tasadduq Shervani ◽  
Rajendra K. Srivastava

The last decade has witnessed a shift from a focus on the value created by a single firm and product to an examination of the value created by networks of firms (or product ecosystems) in which assets are comingled with external entities. The authors examine these market-based assets in the context of network markets and propose an Integrated Networks model in which three types of networks—user, complements, and producer—add value or enhance the attractiveness of the associated focal product. The authors empirically test the proposed model by surveying information technology professionals on their resource allocation decisions regarding the Unix and Windows NT operating systems. The findings suggest that the value added by these three networks is significantly and positively associated with resources allocated by business customers to competing products. The results also show that the three networks mediate the relationship between stand-alone product performance and resource allocation.


1951 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. Gibbs

Matched groups of subjects were used to test the learning and transfer effects that follow changes in the display, the muscular reactions and the directional relationship between stimulus and response in a tracking task. Two arrangements were compared in the relationship studies: one arrangement of the stimuli and reactions was similar, and the other was opposed to that used in many every-day skills. The familiar arrangement was easier to learn. There was high positive transfer from the unfamiliar to the familiar, and little transfer from the familiar to the unfamiliar. The physical dimensions of the display were varied to give two tasks with different stimuli. The initial learning times were equal for both tasks, and the transfer between them was high, positive, and equal. Two further tasks varied in the extent, speed and force of the required muscular movements. One task proved more difficult to learn initially, and there was greater transfer from the difficult to the easy task than from the easy to the difficult. A further experiment tested the effects of changing the difficulty of a tracking course, and it was found that learning was more rapid on the more difficult course. A difference in difficulty between two tasks, therefore, determined both the amount of transfer between them and the rate of learning the tasks. New measures were developed to test the transfer between tasks of unequal content, and the effect of such inequalities upon the rate of learning. The findings are discussed, as are their possible implications for transfer measurement and their bearing upon existing theories of transfer.


TECHNOLOGY ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 03 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 80-83
Author(s):  
Mark Polikovsky ◽  
Eshel Ben-Jacob ◽  
Alin Finkelshtein

Cellulose hydrolysis has many industrial applications such as biofuel production, food, paper and textile manufacture. Here, we present a novel approach to cellulose hydrolysis using a consortium of motile bacteria, Paenibacillus vortex, that can swarm on solid medium carrying a non-motile recombinant E. coli cargo strain expressing the β-glucosidase and cellulase genes that facilitate the hydrolysis of cellulose. These two species cooperate; the relationship is mutually beneficial: the E. coli is dispersed over long distances, while the P. vortex bacteria gain from the supply of cellulose degradation products. This enables the use of such consortia in this area of biotechnology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1980
Author(s):  
Kazimierz Józefiak ◽  
Artur Zbiciak ◽  
Karol Brzeziński ◽  
Maciej Maślakowski

The paper presents classical and non-classical rheological schemes used to formulate constitutive models of the one-dimensional consolidation problem. The authors paid special attention to the secondary consolidation effects in organic soils as well as the soil over-consolidation phenomenon. The systems of partial differential equations were formulated for every model and solved numerically to obtain settlement curves. Selected numerical results were compared with standard oedometer laboratory test data carried out by the authors on organic soil samples. Additionally, plasticity phenomenon and non-classical rheological elements were included in order to take into account soil over-consolidation behaviour in the one-dimensional settlement model. A new way of formulating constitutive equations for the soil skeleton and predicting the relationship between the effective stress and strain or void ratio was presented. Rheological structures provide a flexible tool for creating complex constitutive relationships of soil.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todorka Terzieva

This article presents the results of a study on the possibilities of computer educational games for the development of various cognitive skills for learners. The advantages they offer in the learning process are highlighted. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between game-based learning and mental development of learners. Examples of game-based learning from leading educational institutions at different stages of the educational process are given. A prototype of an educational game with several interactive puzzles is presented. They are designed to teach students in mathematics and philology (learning a foreign language). The developed prototypes can be used to acquire new knowledge or to assess the acquisition of knowledge and skills in various subject areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark I Hwang ◽  
Susan Helser

Purpose Computer games that teach cybersecurity concepts have been developed to help both individuals and organizations shore up their defence against cybercrimes. Evidence of the effectiveness of these games has been rather weak, however. This paper aims to guide the design and testing of more effective cybersecurity educational games by developing a theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature is conducted to explore the dependent variable of this research stream, learning outcomes and its relationship with four independent variables, game characteristics, game context, learning theory and user characteristics. Findings The dependent variable can be measured by five learning outcomes: information, content, strategic knowledge, eagerness to learn/time spent and behavioral change. Game characteristics refer to features that contribute to a game’s usefulness, interactivity, playfulness or attractiveness. Game context pertains to factors that determine how a game is used, including the target audience, the skill involved and the story. Learning theory explains how learning takes place and can be classified as behaviorism, cognitivism, humanism, social learning or constructivism. User characteristics including gender, age, computer experience, knowledge and perception, are attributes that can impact users’ susceptibility to cybercrimes and hence learning outcomes. Originality/value The framework facilitates taking stock of past research and guiding future research. The use of the framework is illustrated in a critique of two research streams. Multiple research directions are discussed for continued research into the design and testing of next-generation cybersecurity computer games.


2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riëtte Sutherland ◽  
Gideon P. De Bruin ◽  
Freddie Crous

This study examined the relationship between conscientiousness, empowerment and job performance among information technology professionals. An Employee Empowerment Questionnaire (EEQ), a Conscientiousness Scale and a Social Desirability Scale were administered to 101 information technology customer service engineers. Managers completed a Performance Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ) for each customer service engineer. The results indicated a significant relationship between conscientiousness and empowerment. A curvilinear relationship was found between empowerment and performance. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.


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