Around 230 new Master’s students take their seats at the many tables in the big hall at AF-borgen. It is the second day of studies and the schedule features a full day of business simulation on the theme of Exploring Sustainability. The event is part of the introduction for students on the Master’s programmes Accounting and Finance, International Strategic Management, Management (MiM) and Managing People, Knowledge and Change.
Present in AF-Borgen is the company Celemi, which has developed the digital simulation where participants lead companies through the transition to sustainability. The company Camurus and two of LUSEM's partner companies, Elcowire and Trelleborg Group, are also participating in the event to share their perspectives – and to take part in the business simulation themselves.
Ola Mattisson, Programme Director for the Master’s programme in Management (MiM), and Ulf Ramberg, Programme Director for the Master’s programme in International Strategic Management, have organised the day and moderate the simulation from the stage.
Priorities – what you choose and what you don't choose
Each session in the simulation consists of a financial year during which the management teams of the various companies set priorities and deal with the consequences of previous decisions. Participants consider the opinions of stakeholders, analyse results and decide which sustainability investments to prioritise. Programme Directors and Lecturers from LUSEM, wearing colourful vests, move between the tables to offer assistance. The room is filled with intense concentration when the bell rings and it is time for the teams to explain their thought processes and how they have chosen to prioritise.
“We chose to invest in sustainability in three areas,” explains one of the students, who has stood up and is holding a microphone. “First and foremost, in product design, to improve our circular sustainability and reduce the risks of material shortages in the long term. Secondly, we have designed our KPIs to make sustainability an integral part of our operations. The supply chain was the area where we were lagging behind the most, so we chose to implement supplier audits.”
Ola Mattisson nods and turns to the participants in the room.
“Thank you! Now that you’ve heard each other’s reasoning, you can compare it with how you made your decisions. If, for example, you choose to prioritise the supply chain, it also means you’re choosing not to prioritise something else. Remember that both what you choose and what you don’t choose have consequences.”
Many dimensions to take into account
During the debriefings between sessions, we learn that there are as many strategies as there are management teams in the room, and it is not always clear which one is best. Many of the decisions taken only have consequences after several years, and new dimensions to take into account emerge continuously throughout the simulation. Representatives from the Trelleborg Group explain that many of the challenges encountered in the simulation are the same as those in real life. According to Tore Byström, Managing Partner at Celemi, the simulation is designed to be as realistic an exercise as possible.
“Make the mistakes in the simulated world, so that you can make the right decisions in reality,” says Tore.
After an intense day full of new experiences, it’s time to announce the winners of the various categories. It’s not possible to pick just one winning team, because – just like in real life – there are many factors at play.
Maulana, Gustav and Mako study the Master’s programme in Accounting and Finance. They think the day has been both educational and engaging – a perfect way to start their studies.
“It was great to meet all the students, both from our programme and from others,” says Mako. “I also enjoyed meeting the companies and talking to them directly.”
“The competitive element was fun too,” says Gustav. “It made it more exciting. Especially as the companies were also taking part in the competition.”
Introducing sustainability and case-based learning early in the programme
When we meet Ola Mattisson and Ulf Ramberg a few days later, they have had time to reflect on the day. They have reviewed the students’ feedback and are pleased that everything went so smoothly and that the participants were satisfied.
“The idea was to set the tone right from the start of the programme,” says Ola. “Partly to introduce sustainability early on as an important topic that each programme can then explore in greater depth, regardless of whether you’re studying strategy or marketing. And partly to show that at LUSEM, students don’t just learn about different subjects from books – we do things together.”
A long tradition of case-based teaching at LUSEM
“There is a long tradition of case-based teaching at LUSEM,” explains Ulf. “Our ambition is to educate reflective practitioners. We work with action, reflection and learning. The business simulation is very practically oriented and a good example of this. How do companies make decisions in the face of uncertainty? And how does sustainability work tie in with good results?”
“It was also great that the new students got to meet and work in groups straight away,” adds Ola. “On our programmes, students do a lot of case-based work in groups, and here we really got that off to a flying start.”
Dedication from many made the day possible
To ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible, Programme Directors and Lecturers from LUSEM spent a preparatory day trying out the simulation themselves. Many people played a part in making the day possible, investing both time and dedication.
“We are very grateful for the dedication that so many have shown,” says Ulf. “Our management, who backed the idea, the companies that took part and contributed, and all the Programme Directors and Lecturers from LUSEM who helped out as moderators.”
The next step for Ola and Ulf is to compile the students’ evaluation of the day. In November, they will present their work at Lund University Conference on Teaching and Learning. And, of course, they already have plans for future business simulations for their programmes.
“If I were to dream, it would be fantastic to do this again, perhaps involving all the Master’s programmes at LUSEM and even more companies,” says Ola.
