Exploring Practical Potentials of Business Simulation Games

Abstract

With the emergence of the digital generation, advances in technology, and the trend towards more experiential learning formats, business simulation games (BSGs) are increasingly used by educators today. Of interest in this paper is the extent to which serious game playing, for business and technology professionals, influences work behaviors in practice. This study explores the business professional’s sense-making process when consciously reasoning about how BSG learning influences business practice. We adapt Toulmin’s framework for deconstructing practical reasoning to capture, analyze, and elicit patterns within arguments made regarding the application of BSG learning to business practice. The findings contribute to theories related to BSGs, and thus would benefit those practitioners who use BSGs.