Business Games Course – Learning through real-life experience

To improve the quality of training, in addition to innovating teaching methods, it is essential to supplement and update the training program to suit the reality. Therefore, since the 2015-2016 school year, the Faculty of Business Administration, Dai Nam University, has introduced a new subject called "Business Games". The difference of this subject is that the program is built specifically for first-year students and the learning method will be mainly through practical business experiences.

The Business Games course is designed to be taught for 03 credits. The structure of the course includes 03 main parts:

Part 1: Simulation Game

In this part, the lecturer will divide the class into many groups, each group corresponds to a "company", the number of members in each group is from 5-6 students. The first thing is that each "company" will discuss to name the company, design the logo, slogan and divide the "titles" in their company, for example: Director, Sales Manager, Chief Accountant, Sales staff. After the companies are established, they will be classified into 2 groups: the group of manufacturing companies and the group of trading companies.

Company nameplate – logo and slogan designed by students

As the name of the course suggests, companies will conduct business activities with the hypothetical market of hat trading. Manufacturing companies will research to design fashionable and unique hats. Trading companies will find ways to buy back those products to resell to customers. The customers here are other companies and the final customer - the game master. The game master plays many different roles: customer, bank, consultant, auditor, corporate income tax collector, quality inspector...

Students participate in simulation games in class

Through the business sessions in class, companies will have to conduct and experience the business process themselves including market forecasting (buying forecasts from consultants); buying risk insurance, making a business plan (calculating costs, how much to sell, what price to sell to break even and make a profit); designing and manufacturing products; negotiating and signing contracts with other companies and with end customers; controlling risks through the market wheel; advertising sales to increase product selling price; collecting money, paying expenses; preparing business performance reports and balance sheets.

Through this section, students experience and approach basic business terms such as: revenue, costs, profits, marketing, customers, suppliers, competitors, market forecasting, possible risks, sales advertising, cash management, product design, building a corporate identity, business activity reports, balance sheets, practicing negotiation skills in business...

Part 2: Interacting with business people

In order to arouse the passion for business among students of International Business and help first-year students have a practical perspective, the Faculty of International Business invited a number of speakers who are successful entrepreneurs to exchange and share. At the exchange sessions, the speakers shared their lessons on starting a business, the difficulties and failures in the business process. The speakers also spent a considerable amount of time answering questions from the students.

Mr. Tram (owner of Ali Bamboo Floor brand) shares his startup experience with students

Mr. Thiep (Former Sales Director of Coca-Cola Northern Region) shares the career path of Business Administration students after graduation.

Ms. Hai (Human Resources Director of Duc Viet Food Joint Stock Company) shares about the topic of recruiting human resources in the field of Business Administration.

In addition, in this section, students are also assigned to prepare a presentation about real business models. This activity helps students practice soft skills in presenting in front of a crowd, and is also a way for them to love business more and accumulate lessons from business models.

Part 3: Real Business

If the “business company” group conducts business in class with “virtual money”, then in part 3, they will be able to conduct business with real money, with an amount not exceeding one million VND. The group of companies will discuss, choose and develop their own business plans. The business plans will be evaluated and commented on by lecturers before being approved. This content helps students have practical experience, applying part of the knowledge in class to conduct real business. In addition, this content is also expected to help students be more confident when approaching the real business environment.

At the end of the practical business session, companies will create slides to report business results, share their experiences and passion for business with the class. Thus, once again, students have the opportunity to practice their presentation skills in front of a crowd. This is the basis for them to form the necessary skills for students of Business Administration.

Many groups of students from the two classes QTKD 09-01 and 09-02 have experienced real business activities such as: shining shoes, selling iced tea to earn money. After a while, the groups all earned certain profits. Through that, the students have had certain shapes, concepts and views on "business", they know how to plan or what risks will be encountered when conducting business activities? The most important thing is that the students have had real experience and achievements from their own labor, helping them apply the subject in the most useful way.

Dr. Tran Van Trang awarded 500,000 VND to the group with the best practical business achievements.

We believe that if Dai Nam University's business students dare to overcome all fears, apprehensions, and family protection to shine shoes and earn money today, tomorrow they will become entrepreneurs who dare to take risks and do everything to realize their business ambitions and passions.

Master Duong Minh Tu - Lecturer of Business Administration Department