Syllabus Information

1. General information

1.1. Aims of the course

The main aim of this course is to introduce students to the managerial decision-making process within a business simulation game, which is a simplified representation of the dynamic reality. Today more than ever, it is important for business students to apply the knowledge they acquire to a situation that is close to the reality of a company.

1.2. Context and importance of this course in the degree

Business Decisions is an optional course of 5 ECTS that belongs to the Marketing and Market Research module and is given in the first semester of the fourth year of the Business Administration and Management degree. It gives students complementary academic training in Marketing as a continuation of the training received in different courses such as Introduction to Marketing, Introduction to Marketing Research and Marketing Management I.

1.3. Recommendations to take this course

It is advisable for the students to have passed the subjects Introduction to Marketing, Introduction to Marketing Research and Marketing Management I. To obtain the maximum benefit from the course, students are strongly recommended to attend and actively participate in all the classes on a regular basis. Due to the characteristics of the course, learning process mainly occurs in the classroom.

2. Learning goals

2.1. Competences

Specific competences:

-  E3. Evaluating the situation and expected evolution of organizations, making decisions, and obtaining relevant knowledge.

-  E5. Writing reports on specific situations related to markets, sectors, organizations, and functional areas of businesses.

-  E6. Understanding and applying professional criteria and scientific rigour in solving problems related to economic, managerial, and organizational issues.

Transversal competences:

-  T1a. Ability to make decisions

-  T1g. Communicating correctly both orally and in writing, with the emphasis on reasoning.

-  T2b. Team work

-  T2c. Working with deadlines

-  T3b. Ability to adapt to new situations

-  T4a. Ability to put knowledge into practice

2.2. Learning goals

• Apply management knowledge obtained during previous courses in a virtual environment to commercialise products in different markets.
• Analyse macroeconomic and microeconomic data provided in the virtual environment of the business game.
• Make the correct decisions to commercialise products in competitive conditions, looking for the best performance in the virtual environment of the game.

• Observe the consequences of the management decisions on the virtual environment of the game.
• Develop skills related to team work and work with deadlines.
• Prepare and explain the activities to be carried out during the business game.

2.3. Importance of learning goals

These days, marketing is a key element of business strategy. Therefore, a knowledge of marketing can help the future integration of graduates into the labour market. Additionally, the eminently practical perspective involved in the application of their acquired knowledge into a virtual environment allows students to develop several skills in relation to decision-making in competitive markets, problem solving, creativity, communication, and team work. These skills are essential for graduates.

3. Assessment (1st and 2nd call)

3.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

The student will prove that he/she has achieved the expected learning results by means of several assessment tasks. In the FIRST SITTING , there are two main evaluation systems:

Continuous assessment: requires the students to join a team. The teacher will indicate the team size on the first day of the course and will provide the students with a team file. The students will form their teams in class and will deliver the file, which will include the team members and a “unizar” contact email of the student appointed to be responsible for his/her team. The formation of the team must be done by agreement between its members, since the teacher will not assign any student to a team. Each team of students will be assigned a company in a game environment. It is recommended that students form their group on the first day of the course. However, they have until the third week of the course to form a team. The deadline for forming a team will be indicated in the course syllabus when the timetable for the respective academic year is known. The program will be published on the ADD and available from the faculty photocopy services.

Activities of the continuous assessment:

• A1.- Assessment in the game and participation in class (3 points). The score obtained by the company run by each team will be valued with a maximum of 3 points. This score will be obtained by adding the average scores resulting from their position in the game at the end of two periods. In each period of the game, the position of the company will be assessed as follows: a maximum score of 1.5 points will be assigned to the company (team) that ranks first in each game environment; the remaining scores will be obtained by simple rule of three:

Company score Z = (Average company score Z * 1.5) / Average company score M

where "M" is the company that has obtained the highest average score in its environment and "Z" is the company to assign the corresponding score.

The score resulting from the positions obtained by the company (team) will be multiplied for each student by a correction factor "F", where F = 1, if the student has participated in at least 75% of the classes devoted to the decision-making (including trial moves) and the written document and F = 0, if the student has participated in less than 75% of the classes devoted to the decision-making (including trial moves) and the written document.The target date for the completion of this activity will be fixed within the class schedule, which will be published on the ADD and available from the faculty photocopy services.

• A2.- Written document (2 points). The written document will be prepared by teams and it will explain the management tools and the decisions made by the company. It will have a maximum score of 2 points. The target date for the completion of this activity will be fixed within the class schedule, which will be published on the ADD and available from the faculty photocopy services.

• A3.- Written test (4.25 points) . This is an individual test with a maximum score of 4.25 points. It will focus on issues regarding the operation of the game and decision-making. The target date for the completion of this activity will be fixed within the class schedule, which will be published on the ADD and available from the faculty photocopy services.

• A4.- Presentation/Oral test (0.75 points). This test will consist of the defense of the decision-making by answering individually to the questions raised by the teacher. It will have a maximum score of 0.75 points. The target date for the completion of this activity will be fixed within the class schedule, which will be published on the ADD and available from the faculty photocopy services.

The continuous assessment system requires the students to obtain the following minimum points in each of the following activities:

A1: minimum of 1 point

A2: minimum of 0.75 points

A3: minimum of 1.25 points

Moreover, to pass the subject through the continuous assessment system, the sum of the scores obtained in the four activities must be equal to or greater than 5 points.

Failure to follow any of these requirements will result in students being assessed through global assessment.

Students, who do not choose the continuous assessment system, do not pass the subject through this system or would like to improve their mark, will be able to participate in the global test.

Global Assessment : this will consist of a final exam designed to allow the professors to evaluate the acquisition of the theoretical and practical knowledge taught in the course as well as the corresponding competences. This exam will be scheduled in accordance with the official calendar of the faculty. It will have two parts: the first part will include a number of questions about the theoretical-practical contents of the operation of the business game and the second one will refer to the practice of decision-making in the business game. The first part will have a maximum score of 4.5 points and the second of

5.5 points. A minimum of 2.5 points will be required in each part in order to pass the subject. Should a student not achieve the minimum score in the first part, the second part will not be corrected, and the mark of the first part will be published officially. Should a student achieve the minimum score in the first part, the second part will be corrected. If the minimum score in the second part is not obtained, the mark of the first part will be published officially. If the student also exceeds the minimum score (in the second part), the sum of the scores of each part will be published.

In the SECOND SITTING , the assessment will only consists of a 10-point written final exam including theoretical and practical contents. This exam will have the same characteristics as those established for the global assessment in the first sitting.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The assessment criteria are detailed in the previous section for each evaluation system.

4. Methodology, learning tasks, syllabus and resources

4.1. Methodological overview

The learning process that has been designed for this course is based on the following:

In the classroom, students make decisions (moves), analyse information, develop management tools and organise the information required for the development of the written document.

The support material for the classes will be made available on the ADD. This support material should be complemented with the teacher’s explanation regarding the teaching-learning process, which takes place in the classroom as the teams make decisions and analyse the information.

The teacher will resolve any doubts about the course through tutorials.

Both the teamwork and individual work will determine the achievement of the learning goals. In this course, it is essential the students’ active participation, since learning occurs on an ongoing basis, as a result of students' involvement on their own learning process.

4.2. Learning tasks

The learning activities refer to the following aspects:

- Learning how to operate the business game and making decisions.

- Decision-making for the commercialization of the company’s products.

- Development of tools to help manage the company.

- Preparation of the written document.

- Presentation and defense of the decisions taken.

This course is organized as follows:

• Theory sessions (12.5 hours). In which the basics of how to run an online business management simulator and the development of the scheduled activities are explained.
• Practice sessions (30 hours). In which students make decisions (moves), analyse information, develop tools for management and prepare a written document. Oral defense of the written document and the decisions made.
• Tutorials and seminars (7.5 hours). In which students' doubts will be addressed.
• Autonomous work and study (75 hours). Done individually and in groups, is essential for the achievement of the learning objectives.

4.3. Syllabus

• Learning the business game

Learning the business game manual

Learning how to operate the game on the computer

• Decision-making for the commercialization of the company’s products

Analysis of the economic and business information

R&D+i decisions

Decisions on providers

HR decisions

Marketing decisions

• Development of tools to help manage the company
• Preparation of a written document about the development of tools and the decision-making

4.4. Course planning and calendar

The initial classes of the course will explain the basics of the business simulation game. In the remaining days, the students will work in teams to make decisions about the main management areas of the company assigned to them. They will also make tools to help them when making decisions. Furthermore, they will develop and defend a written document to explain their management decisions to market the company's products in the company’s markets.

Further information concerning the timetable, classroom, office hours, assessment dates and other details regarding this course, will be provided on the first day of class or please refer to the Moodle website (https://moddle2.unizar.es); Academic calendar website (https://academico.unizar.es/calendario-academico/calendario); or the website of your corresponding faculty ( Zaragoza: https://econz.unizar.es/, Huesca: http://fegp.unizar.es/, Teruel: http://fcsh.unizar.es/).