SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Business

Department of Marketing

 

Business and Marketing Simulation                                                                                Dr. Kenneth C. Gehrt

BUS297D                                                                                                                               BT958

Fall 2006                                                                                                                               408.924.3534

                                                                                                                                                gehrt@cob.sjsu.edu

 

!!!Please contact me via telephone of email if you have any questions!!! 

 

OFFICE HOURS:

Rose Orchard:

5:00-6:00 M

SJSU Campus:

5:00 - 6:00 T

11:00 – 12:00 M,W               

And by appointment, or drop by.

 

REQUIRED READINGS:

Marketplace simulation manual.

http://www.marketplace-simulation.com/competitions.php

                There are versions for experienced or first-time participants—both types of participants are welcome.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

The course objective is to thoroughly experientially investigate strategic management with extra emphasis on marketing.  This will be done by participating in an online business and marketing simulation in which class participants will form teams and will compete against approximately five other teams from countries around the world.

                In the real-world, participants in this class may very likely have very challenging jobs with substantial responsibility.  These real-world jobs are often very specialized, however, and responsibilities are somewhat compartmentalized.  In contrast, the Marketplace Simulation confronts participants with the need to function as a general manager.  This is a new and challenging opportunity for many participants—many past participants have also described the experience as addictive! 

Textbooks explain that product, price, promotion, and distribution (marketing mix) decisions cannot be made in isolation from each other.  Rather, they must be made in a coordinated manner.  Your success in the Marketplace Simulation depends substantially on your ability to make well-coordinated marketing mix decisions.  Although success in the Marketplace Simulation requires coordinated marketing tactics, total success cannot be achieved unless participants balance tactical resource decisions and expenditures with strategic resource decisions and expenditures.  This aspect of the simulation is a challenge throughout the simulation.  Further, success depends not only on decisions related to marketing but also on forecasting skills, operations management skills, human resources skills, and financial management skills.

The Marketplace Simulation is generally consistent with the real-world but there are some differences.  The differences help to ensure the participants with real-world experience in the computer industry do not have an unfair advantage over other participants.  The differences also ensure that the path to success depends on data-driven decisions.

 

CLASSROOM FORMAT:

I will function primarily as a consultant during the simulation.  There is no lecture, per se, except for introductory material in the first week and when I cover administrative matters related to the simulation.  I will also provide teams with a heads-up when several new decisions issues are introduced as the simulation progresses.  As a consultant, I make myself available to groups if they have questions.  It is important for groups to identify the important questions!  Groups are encouraged to meet at the Rose Orchard Campus but have the option to schedule alternative sites for meeting since the online delivery system of the simulation offers flexibility that can accommodate the busy schedules of class participants.  Substantial progress can be made during class time although decisions 4-8 typically require time in excess of that allocated for class.

 

GRADING POLICY:

Grades will be determined on the basis of four elements:

        Simulation Performance after period 4

        Simulation Performance after period 8

        Preparation of a short, concise strategy paper after period 4

        Preparation of a short, concise presentation to debrief after period 8

Simulation Performance

An overall performance index is automatically calculated for each group on the basis of several subcomponents including 1) design of products/computers and ads, coverage of market via ads and salesforce, asset productivity, investment in the future, production efficiency, return on investment, and profitability.  Thus, performance does not depend simply on bottom line profitability.

Simulation Strategy Paper   

This concise, 3-page-max paper that is due before decision #5.  Decision #5 is a crucial decision since you will begin to invest in R&D.  Your R&D investment is shaped by many factors including the segments that you plan to pursue in the future, the moves that competition has made, and your current financial status which will determine the extent to which you will pursue R&D investment for high-end segments, to name a few.

Simulation Presentation Points

Teams should focus on two things.  First, a longitudinal explanation of your marketing strategy and important strategic revisions.  Second, a cross-sectional post mortem of final results (period #9) explaining what was done right and how and, perhaps more importantly, what could have been done differently and how.  A data-driven approach is the most effective way to document your successes and failures.  Endeavor to identify and understand all of your important successes and mistakes. 

 

To purchase simulation:

        Go to bookstore to pay for certificate/sign-up number, or

Log on to:  web. student.marketplace-simulation.com

 

To 1) sign up and to 2) make decisions:

        Log on to:  www.marketplace6.com (DO NOT SIGN UP UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO A TEAM)

 

For websupport:

websupport@marketplace-simulation.com