Management Students Simulate Success
Several Teams at Top of International Competition
Imagine getting fifteen years of experience running an international corporation in just one semester at college. Now imagine competing against hundreds of other companies at dozens of schools and coming out right at the top.
That's exactly what students at St. Francis College did this year as they participated in the GLO-BUS Global Business Simulation, 2007 Edition, marketed and published by McGraw-Hill.
St. Francis students take part in the simulation through BUS 490, a management course taught by College Management Department Chair Dr. John Dilyard. The class divides up into teams that then manage digital camera companies. The companies are already five years old with established entry level and multi-feature cameras and market share in four geographic areas, North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe-Africa. All companies start out equal in terms of revenues and net income. Students have control over all aspects of their companies for up to an additional ten years.
"The course gives the students a chance to think about all aspects of running a company in a competitive situation. The simulation is designed to reflect the real life digital camera market, and it gives companies specific targets they need to reach to keep their investors and Board of Directors happy," said Professor Dilyard. "The students see how their different decisions interact and see how all of the courses and subjects they have taken in the Management program combine to make for a successful company. They also see the advantage of thinking strategically and working cooperatively. The simulation is too complex for just one person to manage, so the companies that work together best tend to do better."
Many of the students did very well over the course of the simulation. At any one time over 1,000 teams may be participating worldwide in colleges and universities. At the end of their fifteen weeks, the St. Francis students were among 606 teams from 43 colleges and universities.
After 15 "years" two teams of students, Thomas Pento and Joanna Scotto (Bad Assets Inc.) and David Diorio, Andreas Emiliou and Mark Williams (F Company) finished first and second overall for Return on Average Equity with a 74.0% and 69.8% return.
EDigital Lens with students Bulent Kirimca and Anais Quinones and C Company with James Oliva, Christakis Palates and Tshering Sherpa finished first and third overall in Earnings Per Share with earnings of $16.77 and $14.00 per share.
The EDigital Lens stock price of $296.33 made it the best Stock Price Performance of the week, worldwide while C Company's stock price of $231.81 was second highest. C Company also scored highest overall of the 10 St. Francis teams finishing in 23rd place out of the more than 600 companies.
"Something I saw going on in the class that pleased me was the willingness of the students of more successful companies to share ideas with the students in companies that were struggling, even if it might make those companies more competitive," said Professor Dilyard. "I would like to applaud James Oliva (C Company) in particular for his work in helping two of our other teams."
This year, just as in years past, graduates of the St. Francis Management Program will take jobs at companies like Deloitte & Touche, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, Commerce Bank and KeySpan.
St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.
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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu