Jonathan Moizer

Simulations and Games: Use and Barriers in Higher Education.

This article explores the use of simulations and games in tertiary education. It examines the extent to which academics use different simulation-based teaching approaches and how they perceive the barriers to adopting such techniques. Following a review of the extant literature, a typology of simulations is constructed. A staff survey within a UK higher education (HE) institution is conducted to investigate the use of the different approaches identified within the typology. The findings show significant levels of use of both computer and non-computer-based simulations and games. The main barrier to teaching with simulations, as perceived by the respondents, is the availability of resources. However, further analysis indicates that use of simulations is not associated with perceptions of resource issues, but rather is influenced by views on the suitability of, and risk attached to, such learning methods. The study concludes by recommending improved promotion of simulation-based teaching through enhanced information provision on the various techniques available and their application across subject areas.

Simulations and games: Overcoming the barriers to their use in higher education

Based on a categorization of simulation and gaming barriers developed in a previous study, this work seeks to explore in greater depth the composition and nature of these obstacles. It examines the interrelationships between the barriers and the impact of other contextual factors in the pedagogic environment. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 staff involved in teaching with simulations and games within a UK higher education institution. The findings underline the significant linkages apparent between three broad barriers to teaching with simulations, games and role-play: suitability, resource and risk. Further analysis of the interview transcripts facilitated the identification of a range of mechanisms which may be employed to overcome the aforementioned barriers: freeing up academics’ time, providing training and development, enabling informal learning, providing resource support, facilitating access to networks and providing access to secondary information sources. These mechanisms are discussed and evaluated in relation to the broader educational context.

A decision-focused knowledge management framework to support collaborative decision making for lean supply chain management

Lean supply chain management is a relatively new concept resulting from the integration of lean philosophy into supply chain management. Decision making in a lean supply chain context is challenging because of the complexity, dynamics, and uncertainty inherent to both supply networks and the types of waste (defined as any processes, including use of resources, which do not add value to customers). Efficient knowledge management has been identified as one of the key requirements to achieve integrated support for lean supply chain decisions. This paper proposes a decision-focused knowledge framework including a multi-layer knowledge model (to capture the know-why and know-with together with the know-what and know-how), a knowledge matrix for knowledge elicitation, and a decision tree for the design of the knowledge base. A knowledge system for lean supply chain management (KSLSCM) has been developed using artificial intelligence system shells VisiRule and Flex. The KSLSCM has five core components: a supply chain decision network manager, a waste elimination knowledge base, a knowledge refinement module, an inference engine, and a decision justifier. The knowledge framework and the KSLSCM have been evaluated through an industrial decision case. It has been demonstrated through the KSLSCM that the decision-focused knowledge framework can provide efficient and effective support for collaborative decision making in supply chain waste elimination.

A knowledge chain management framework to support integrated decisions in global supply chains

Knowledge management has been identified as a key enabler to achieve organisation’s value chain competitiveness. It, however, has been facing fresh challenges in a global supply chain setting. This paper proposes a global knowledge chain management (GKCM) framework that identifies and prioritises critical knowledge that a global supply chain can focus on to support integrated decisions. The framework explores three types of global context knowledge, namely global market knowledge, global capacity knowledge and global supply network configuration knowledge. Empirical study has been undertaken within the manufacturing industry to evaluate the GKCM framework. Analytic network process has been explored as a key method to assess the importance of the global knowledge constructs from supply chain managers’ perspectives. A key contribution of the paper is that it advances existing knowledge chain management approaches within one organisation and its local supply chain to include the global context knowledge applicable to global manufacturing settings, and highlights how the GKCM framework can support global supply chain integrated decisions.

Toward Endemic Deployment of Educational Simulation Games: A Review of Progress and Future Recommendations

This article presents a conceptual analysis of simulation game adoption and use across university faculty. The metaphor of epidemiology is used to characterize the diffusion of simulation games for teaching and learning. A simple stock-flow diagram is presented to illustrate this dynamic. Future scenarios for simulation game adoption are presented, based on alternative diffusion behaviors. University strategies for increasing simulation game use are explored. It is concluded that while creating endemic use of simulation games by faculty is unlikely, we can employ measures that will significantly expand the stock of faculty acting as simulation game instructors.

Modes of learning in the use of a computer-based business simulation game

This paper discusses the role of computer based simulations in business education. It examines the learning approaches adopted by students using a simulation game. Results inform the development of causal-loop diagrams capturing representations of zero, single and double-loop learning within the study context. Actions are proposed to maximise the effectiveness of this form of learning technology.

Evaluating the impact of serious games: the effect of gaming on entrepreneurial intent

Purpose Serious games are playing an increasingly significant role across a range of educational contexts. Business focused serious games can provide students with an authentic learning experience and their use has been increasingly taken up by business school faculty, including those delivering entrepreneurship education (EE). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of participation in a serious business game on the entrepreneurial intent (EI) of undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. It employs a modified version of Linan et al.’s (2011) EI model in the form of a questionnaire survey completed by 263 undergraduate business and management students. Findings A logic regression model was used to analyse the survey responses. The research findings indicate that the serious game used in this study has a significant negative impact on EI. Gender and role model effects are also identified from the analysis. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it demonstrates the impact of serious business games on EI during the enterprise awareness stage of a student’s EE. Second, it provides a foundation for exploring the role that serious games can play in educating the potential entrepreneurs of the future.

A Decision Support Framework to Assess Grocery Retail Supply Chain Collaboration: A System Dynamics Modelling Approach

 Abstract—Supply chain collaboration contributes to improving overall performance through increasing sales, refining forecasts, reducing inventory costs, and improving customer service. In order to be efficient and cost effective, total costs have to be minimized across the entire supply chain. Collaboration efforts run into many practical challenges, both internal and external among small retailers. This paper proposes a framework of retailer supply chain collaboration to identify better understanding of collaboration benefit. A system dynamics simulation modelling approach is used to represent the collaboration effect on the dynamics of this complex system that helps retailer supply chains to obtain maximum benefit of collaborative relationships and reduce the bullwhip effect. This work helps researchers to use supply chain collaboration dynamic modelling to examine how information sharing across a supply chain can result in the identification and prioritization of better order decisions that can be aligned with the retail supply chains value proposition for further supply chain integration.

A Knowledge System for Integrated Production Waste Elimination in Support of Organisational Decision Making

This paper discusses a knowledge system for organisational decision making on waste elimination to achieve lean production. The system is named Production Waste Elimination Knowledge System (ProWEKS). An empirical study was undertaken to obtain production engineers and managers’ empirical knowledge and expertise. A knowledge acquisition matrix has been designed for the knowledge elicitation activity. A waste elimination knowledge model is proposed which captures the inter-relationships between different knowledge components across four knowledge layers including know-what, know-how, know-why and know-with. A knowledge base has been developed based on the knowledge model through constructing a decision tree. The system is demonstrated and evaluated using a quality control decision case from the electronics industry. The main contribution of the paper is that it proposes a new knowledge architecture which comprehensively captures not only the know-what and know-how, but also the know-why and know-with of the waste elimination knowledge for lean production.

Levels of Business to Business E-Commerce Adoption and Competitive Advantage in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Comparison Study Between Egypt and the United States

ABSTRACT Business-to-business e-commerce adoption has become increasingly important for small and medium-sized enterprises, allowing them to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Business-to-business adopted at different levels based on different resource endowments leads to competitive advantage being gained and sustained in proportion to that level of adoption. This study uses structural equation modeling to investigate how levels of business-to-business e-commerce adoption affects and contributes to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage in both U.S. and Egyptian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises. The key finding is that small and medium-sized enterprises can achieve growth in market share and sales that helps them to improve their position in the global market through higher levels of business-to-business e-commerce adoption. Implications of the study, its limitations and directions for future research, are also discussed.