I have recently finished my Associate's Degree in Business Management. Every student has classes that they enjoy and classes they enjoy less. Or maybe I should say classes they hate or hate less. All classes I completed had high points and low points. The class I enjoyed the most was Strategic Management.
Like any class it had its' low points. This class required an eight page paper on a Fortune 500 company's strategy. I chose to write about Nike and got 100% on the assignment. That was the worst part of the class, but by far the best part of the class and the most enjoyable assignment of all my classes was the business strategy game we played through the entire semester.
The business strategy game (BSG) was a game that groups of students were simulating making strategic decisions for a world-wide shoe company. Working in teams of three we competed against other students in the class, and received a score and were put into standings every week. I am a very competitive person, and when I am put in a situation where I am matched up against other people with obvious split between who wins and who loses my competitive nature comes out.
At the beginning of the semester we started off slowly as we tried to define our strategy. About three or four weeks into the game we began to gain market share. We continued to grow our company and ended up with almost 60% of the market (there were four groups in the market). At the end of the semester we were named champions of our industry.
This I thought was the end of the story, but in late April I received an e-mail invitation to compete in the champions BSG competition. The competition starts the week after my final semester ends. I accepted the invitation and am already forming my strategy for the upcoming competition.
Heading into the first decision deadline (each day is a simulation of one year and there are ten decision deadlines for ten years) I am employing a strategy that was successful in my former class. I am not sure if this strategy will win again, but I know the key will be to able to adapt to the changing market as other former champions implement their best strategies.
i am not sure what will happen, but I can already feel the competition flowing and my hunger for winning arriving. I will update with more details and some results.
Like any class it had its' low points. This class required an eight page paper on a Fortune 500 company's strategy. I chose to write about Nike and got 100% on the assignment. That was the worst part of the class, but by far the best part of the class and the most enjoyable assignment of all my classes was the business strategy game we played through the entire semester.
The business strategy game (BSG) was a game that groups of students were simulating making strategic decisions for a world-wide shoe company. Working in teams of three we competed against other students in the class, and received a score and were put into standings every week. I am a very competitive person, and when I am put in a situation where I am matched up against other people with obvious split between who wins and who loses my competitive nature comes out.
At the beginning of the semester we started off slowly as we tried to define our strategy. About three or four weeks into the game we began to gain market share. We continued to grow our company and ended up with almost 60% of the market (there were four groups in the market). At the end of the semester we were named champions of our industry.
This I thought was the end of the story, but in late April I received an e-mail invitation to compete in the champions BSG competition. The competition starts the week after my final semester ends. I accepted the invitation and am already forming my strategy for the upcoming competition.
Heading into the first decision deadline (each day is a simulation of one year and there are ten decision deadlines for ten years) I am employing a strategy that was successful in my former class. I am not sure if this strategy will win again, but I know the key will be to able to adapt to the changing market as other former champions implement their best strategies.
i am not sure what will happen, but I can already feel the competition flowing and my hunger for winning arriving. I will update with more details and some results.