Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 40 Number 2: Winter 2007-2008

	Edited by Dr. Lynne Schrum, George Mason University
formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education

Volume 40 Number 2 Winter 2007-2008

Advancing Acquisition of Business Know-How: Critical Learning Elements

Timo Lainema
Turku School of Economics

Kirsi Lainema
Helsinki School of Economics

The turbulent business environment requires business expertise from ever-larger personnel groups. The required business know-how is a combination of knowledge and several different skills, and it should provide the learners with an overall view of the functioning of a business organization as a whole. Moreover, while work is increasingly becoming a team and group effort, the potential strength of collaboration should also be presented in the learning environment. In this paper we first identify elements that advance the acquisition of relevant business know-how. Second, we describe how these elements can be embedded in a time intensive business simulation game, and present two simulation training sessions. Third, we analyze how the participants in the case trainings reflect on the elements that advance the acquisition of business knowledge. The analysis is qualitative by nature, utilizing simulation game participants’ answers on questions concerning the different elements. Our results show that with dynamic simulations it is possible to support the team learning process, and enhance collaboration skills and overall understanding of the functioning of business organizations.

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Contributors

Timo Lainema, PhD (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), works as an Assistant Professor in Turku School of Economics. His present research interests lie in the areas  of learning through simulation gaming, flow in games, and decision-making in complex domains under time-pressure. He has published, for example, in Computers and Education, Simulation & Gaming, International Journal of Advanced Technology for Learning on Games-based Learning, Journal of  nformation Technology Education, and Journal of Interactive Learning Research. (timo.lainema@tse.fi)

Kirsi Lainema, M.Sc (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), works as Researcher in Helsinki School of Economics, in the department of Management and Organizations. She is also a strategy lecturer in Turku School of Economics, and her research focuses on top management teams and their strategy work in practice. (kirsi.lainema@hse.fi)