Dr. Joel Harmon’s MGMT 7400 Global Capstone Students achieved top rankings in the Business Strategy Game (BSG) — Competing in a Global Marketplace simulation competition

Written by Marcia Martirano, Administrative Assistant for the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Silberman College of Business

Congratulations to Dr. Joel Harmon’s MGMT 7400 Global Capstone Students! They achieved top rankings in the Business Strategy Game (BSG) — Competing in a Global Marketplace simulation competition. This competition-driven simulation served as a platform for our students to showcase their strategic knowledge by distinguishing themselves against 757 teams from 66 colleges/universities worldwide.

The BSG simulation is an exercise in applied learning. It serves as an effective instructional tool, offering students a pragmatic arena to apply their theoretical knowledge and expertise to practical issues. It emphasizes the challenges of strategic decision-making and analytical and critical thinking by engaging participants in a dynamic business setting with real-world scenarios.

In the spring 2023 semester, students in our MGMT 7400 were divided into two distinct companies, Agile Athletics (Company A) and Brewskis (Company B), with students assuming the roles of co-managers. Both companies and their co-managers were tasked with launching and operating an athletic footwear company from product development to market placement. Each company was responsible for accessing the strategic planning and balancing short and long-term plans to optimize the companies’ performance metrics across financial, operational, production, marketing, social, personnel, and advertising domains. Students were then tested and benchmarked against peers from diverse geographic regions in the competition. The objective was to secure a commanding market position and earn top rank!

The BSG evaluation criteria are based on three key variables — Earnings Per Share, Return On Average Equity, and Stock Price — gauged on a weekly basis. There was a particular focus on the May 15-21, 2023 timeframe.

In this competition, Agile Athletics (Company A) emerged as notable contender, earning positions among the Global Top 50 on the following performance criteria:

• Return on Average Equity — Achieved the best ROE performance globally for the week, securing a first-place position.
• Earnings Per Share — Earned an impressive 16th-place position in EPS performance for the week, worldwide.
• Stock Price — Received a commendable 20th place position for the best Stock Price performance of the week, worldwide.

Similarly, Brewskis (Company B) showcased their resilience and earned a Global Top 50 ranking on their Return on Average Equity with 30th place for the week, worldwide.

These commendable scores are a testament to Dr. Harmon’s instruction and commitment. His students should also be applauded for their collaborative effort to work hard and strategize their way to the top. This achievement also extends beyond this competition. It demonstrates the capability, knowledge, and determination these students will carry with them into the business world and beyond.