Spring 2010
SJSU ICBSC Competition
Last modified
December 14, 2009
We are currently soliciting participants for the 2010 International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition. The teams participating in the competition will meet from Dec. 11, 2009-April 17, 2010.
Please read the information about the
If, after reading the pages you have any questions, feel free to e-mail the instructor.
This program provides an integrated approach to understanding how to run a company, using a business simulation of a hypothetical manufacturing company operating in two countries. One or more SJSU student teams compete against teams from around the country in the annual International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition, in hopes of achieving the best financial performance. SJSU has amassed an impressive record of winning teams since first joining this competition in 1982.
Past students have described the competition as the “single most rewarding experience in my entire college career”; additional testimonials are available online. The competition provides hands-on experience equivalent to actually running a corporation, and allows each student to bring together functional academic concepts resulting in integrated, applied management.
However, almost all the results from this competition come from building a strong, closely knit team of four to six students. The ideal team will have a balance of strong quantitative and communication skills. Every student will need both strong competitive instincts, and the ability to work closely together. Thus, essential prerequisites to success include both individual collaborative skills, as well as the bonds built between the team members during (or before) the competition. These collaboration skills will be tested during the final, intensive portion of the competition.
See the schedule for meetings and activities from December 2009-April 2010. After the mandatory orientation meeting, there are a series of meetings in January, weekly meetings (day TBD) through February and March, culminating with a 4-day trip to San Diego to participate in the conclusion of the simulation competition.
The schedule for this program is set by the intercollegiate competition, not the SJSU semester. The competition begins earlier and ends earlier than a typical spring course, including one Saturday class meeting in December and evening meetings in January. It also requires being available to travel to San Diego from Thursday-Sunday (April 15-17).
Please contact the instructor if you have questions about the commitment required or any potential schedule conflicts.
Each team consists of 4-6 members. The team competes in the graduate division (against other graduate teams) unless all team members are undergraduates.
Ideally, every team member would have strong spreadsheet, oral and written communictions skills. Three positions require specialized skills:
Each team is required describe in detail its product family of inexpensive consumer durables, such as audio headphones or bedroom slippers. Ideally one team member will have deep knowledge within the industry selected by his/her team.
In the past, the competition has been offerred as a formal graduate course (Bus 294). For 2010, we are investigating other options, which could include offering Bus 294, offering a special topics course, or having this as a non-course activity (with no credit and no registration fees).
We hope to field two (or even three) teams in 2010, depending on the level of interest and the availability of external funding for travel expenses. In all cases, preferences will be given to students who (realistically) are graduating in 2010, since other students can participate in Spring 2011. To participate, you need to
The Business Policy Game: Player's Manual,5th edition. The book is available via online download to registered students. Supplemental materials will also be provided by the instructor.
Each team will prepare for and participate in the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition.
Please see these key dates:
On December 11, we have a hands-on orientation to the software and the competition. The purpose to familiarize you with the process, the tools, the concepts and to set up your Xmas break reading of the manual. From this meeting, we try to confirm the number and composition of the teams.
In January, we meet to do practice competitions and also to get taught the business concepts behind the simulation. This is where you apply what you’ve learned to see how it works in the simulation, and also work out with your team members the division of responsibilities. We have to do this before the official competition begins because there is no time when the competition is underway to learn.
Some students would like to participate in the ICBSC in addition to a Tuesday night class. In past years, we have met on Tuesdays because that is when the ICBSC releases the weekly results of the competition — normally Tuesday afternoons or evening for 30-90 minutes (per team) to review the results after they are released.
This year, the meetings may be some combination of on- and off-campus meetings. The exact schedule will be worked out between the professor and the teams.
Prospective participants need to speak with the team advisor, both to answer any questions they may have and confirm that they are prepared for the intensive nature of the program.
Joel West, Ph.D.
BT 555,
College of Business,
San José State University, San José, CA 95192-0070
E-mail (preferred):
west_j@cob.sjsu.edu
Phone: (408) 335-0115
For more about the advisor, pleaseread a brief biography.