A Lesson in Complex Business

The International Business Administration Department’s BA 4050 Business Integration Capstone uses a complex business simulation, which allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in the various business disciplines that they studied throughout the semesters. Students participate in teams of three or four co-managers throughout their last semester, managing companies that produce branded and private label athletic shoes. Once they have chosen a team and designed their organizational structure, co-managers make strategic, marketing, operations and finance decisions following extensive analysis of the available industry data. The winning team, determined by financial and customer metrics such as EPS, share price and image rating, is invited to play in the BSG Best Strategy Invitational, which is hosted by the creators of the business simulation three times per year.

The Spring 2018 first place team Hashtag, consisting of AUP students Zoe Denison, Sami Ziad, Wes Smith, and Cody Campbell, was invited to participate this summer. Wes Smith, an International Finance major, and Cody Campbell, an International Business Administration and Global Communications major, took up the challenge with their company Endgame. Wes and Cody competed against other undergraduate industry winners from around the world and finished first in this two-week high-level international competition. The IBA Department uses these worldwide benchmarks as part of its learning outcomes assessment and is very pleased that its graduates regularly perform at a very high level.

Find out more about the Business Strategy Game.