Abstract
This paper confirms that postgraduate students using consultancy software as learning tools enhanced their international business strategy research, decision-making abilities and skills of critical thinking skills. The authors discuss one of the most important challenges faced by international business faculties that is, how to bring the real world into the classroom or training environment. The software discussed in this paper aims to achieve this very important pedagogical objective by providing the platform needed to support students and business practitioners alike in their roles as managers and decision makers in a global setting. More specifically, the software enables the users to perform a situation analysis of a company, determine suitable markets for a company's products/services, perform detailed competitive analysis and market research to develop an online international business plan. The study shares teaching experiences based on the use of the system and provides feedback from student surveys. The findings indicate that the software enhanced the students' understanding of international business strategy and improved their team working, research and critical thinking skills.
The Internet has revolutionized the way, management consultancy research is done today with more targeted access to information resources and web-based strategic management tools like the Global Marketing Management System Online (GMMSO). This development has been debated by practitioners of the old school of classroom lecture-based teaching and the new school of interactive learning especially when faced with the prospect of offering some practical aspects to an MBA course. There has been an explosive growth in web-based learning or pedagogical resources and some authors like Zhao (2003) correlate the growth of the Internet and web technology resources as having an impact on the growth of online pedagogy and predicts a further growth in this sector of higher education. This is also supported by Marcus (2006), who argues that technology is causing pedagogical changes from `lecture and lecture discussion to student centered learning', a key aspect of the GMMSO system. Thompson et al. (2001) have argued that higher education will be delivered in mixed mode methodologies including online approaches and there is a shift from distance learning strategies to screen-based pedagogical methods of which the GMMSO is an example.
The GMMSO is essentially a global management research and strategic planning tool designed to help researchers, practitioners, consultants and students to deliver their varied roles as decision makers, managers and analysts in a global environment. Unlike the commercially available simulation games on strategy, the GMMSO is a real management tool that provides a comprehensive, systematic and integrative strategic planning process design to guide managers through the corporate decision making process. More specifically, the software will enable users to perform a situation analysis of a company, determine best markets for a company's products/services and develop an online international business plan.
The Internet has revolutionized the way, management consultancy research is done today with more targeted access to information resources and web-based strategic management tools like the Global Marketing Management System Online (GMMSO). This development has been debated by practitioners of the old school of classroom lecture-based teaching and the new school of interactive learning especially when faced with the prospect of offering some practical aspects to an MBA course. There has been an explosive growth in web-based learning or pedagogical resources and some authors like Zhao (2003) correlate the growth of the Internet and web technology resources as having an impact on the growth of online pedagogy and predicts a further growth in this sector of higher education. This is also supported by Marcus (2006), who argues that technology is causing pedagogical changes from `lecture and lecture discussion to student centered learning', a key aspect of the GMMSO system. Thompson et al. (2001) have argued that higher education will be delivered in mixed mode methodologies including online approaches and there is a shift from distance learning strategies to screen-based pedagogical methods of which the GMMSO is an example.
The GMMSO is essentially a global management research and strategic planning tool designed to help researchers, practitioners, consultants and students to deliver their varied roles as decision makers, managers and analysts in a global environment. Unlike the commercially available simulation games on strategy, the GMMSO is a real management tool that provides a comprehensive, systematic and integrative strategic planning process design to guide managers through the corporate decision making process. More specifically, the software will enable users to perform a situation analysis of a company, determine best markets for a company's products/services and develop an online international business plan.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | The IUP Journal of Business Strategy |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2008 |
Keywords
- Business
- Strategy
- Decision-making
- Environment
- Objective
- Managers
- Products
- Management
- Technology
- Pedagogical
- Analysts
- Corporate
- Markets