Modulbeschreibungen

Business Administration

Students acquire a practice-oriented overview over the different areas of a company and how decisions in the different fields are linked together. They experience the impact of their decisions on profit, revenues and important KPI’s. They learn to organize efficiently within the teams and to manage the decision making process under time restrictions.

Simulation with group work

The students steer simulated companies throughout a couple of periods. In every period strategic and operational decisions as determining price, production facilities, number of employees, investments have to be taken. Students compete against each other in teams. Thus, they apply theoretical knowledge gained in the different areas of business studies to a simulated environment. After each period they receive reports showing the results of their decisions.

The following contents are addressed within the simulation:

• Design of the strategic decision making processes


• Cross-linking of strategic and operational levels of control within the business


• Market analysis, analysis of competitors


• Impact of marketing and R&D Investments


• Joint optimisation of the flow of goods, the flow of money and the flow of information within the virtual company.


• Analysis of KPI’s from financial and operational reports


• Design of efficient group processes

TATA Interactive Systems, TOPSIM, Participants' Manual, current vol. or other manual depending on Simulation

Johnson, G./Scholes, K./Whittington, R.: Exploring Corporate Strategy, latest edition, Prentice Hall, Harlow

Sobel, M., MBA in a Nutshell. New York, 2010:  McGraw-Hill.

Successful completion of the first stage of studies (year 1 and 2)

Simulation with group work (4 SWS, contact time: 60h, face-to-face, day and evening courses)

Intended Learning Outcomes:

After successfully completing the modules the students shall be able to…

• (ILO 1): summarize and prioritize fundamental business knowledge as well as problem-structuring and problem-solving competencies to a practical situation.


• (ILO 2): organize themselves within intercultural teams and execute decisions by dividing tasks among the members.


• (ILO 3): draft objectives and a strategy and implement it during the course of the simulation.


• (ILO 4): steer companies successfully through a couple of periods by deter­mining the different parameter (price, volume, investment, expenditures, loans).


• (ILO 5): analyze different kinds of financial and operational reports and KPI’s of the period and plan the following period on the base of these analyses.


• (ILO 6): take corrective actions if necessary.


• (ILO 7): reflect and present critically the outcome of the simulation and how it arose.


• (ILO 8): Prepare elaborated results competently and convin­cingly by analyzing the course of the outcome of the situation of their company.

Prerequisite for bachelor thesis.
Program: IBMAN

Verification of competence acquisition:

Combined Assessment, consisting of the following forms:

Multiple Choice Entry test (passed/failed) (prerequisite for attendance) (ILO No. 1)

Teamwork: Group presentation (20%) (ILO No. 1)

Teamwork: Submission of objectives/strategy paper (20%) (ILO No. 3)

Teamwork: Results of business simulation (40%) (ILO 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Individual Assignment (20%) (ILO 5, 8)