Sustainable Business Simulation

Overview of Simulation

In the Sustainable Business Simulation teams of students become the management function of their own multi-national company (MNC). Here they are tasked with improving company performance in terms of generating profit but have to balance this with initiatives aligned to 3 or 4 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Teams are awarded points weighted on the success of these initiatives as well as their ability to generate profitable business. 

Implement SDG-Aligned Growth Strategies

The initial task that students teams need to undertake is an internal and external analysis of their company and wider market environment and decide which of the 17 SDGs in which to align their business strategy. Students can choose to invest and implement a range of SDG-aligned practices including: 

• Switching to a more sustainable, carbon-reduced/neutral manufacturing processes
• Choosing a Logistic Service Provider (LSP) based on their carbon footprint
• Renting local storage locations based on their energy-efficiency certificates
• Designing and launching outreach programmes aimed at educating and training under-represented youths or sponsoring tech-schools for teenagers in low-income areas/countries
• Implementing global recruitment processes based on National Equality Standards (NES)
• Launching an employee transparency policy including initiatives to reduce the gender pay gap and provide clarity on pay structure 

Team-Working And Role Assignment

A key skill that all of our simulations help foster is team-working. Students need to work together within their team to delegate roles and responsibilities among them, determining who will be the CEO, CFO, HR Manager, Marketing Manager, Sustainability Manager, and Head of Operations.

Student teams determine their own organisational structure and once the team is in place they must work together during each round to determine which actions to take and in which functions, making sure to respond to news items that could impact their company's performance and sustainability initiatives. 

LEARNING Outcomes

• Students create an effective business strategy designed to increase profit and market share whilst embedding effective ESG policies
• Students gain a greater understanding of the impact of domestic and international policies on MNCs
• Students learn more about cultural factors when entering new international markets.
• Students develop effective team-working, analytical, strategic, and leadership skills.
• Students understand and value the importance of business sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the effects these have on internal and external stakeholders.

ASSESSMENT Ideas and examples

The Sustainable Business Simulation is typically assessed in several ways. Below you will find the most popular options:

• Students design an SDG-themed sustainability strategy for the next financial year
• Individual students provide a reflective report on their role within the simulation, highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement, decisions that went well and decisions that did not go well and how they would do this differently next time.  
• Students conduct a 360 Peer Assessment in which students have to allocate a hundred points among their fellow team mates based on their contribution.
• Students deliver a “Dragon’s Den” elevator pitch to a panel of ‘investors’ looking for sustainability-based organisations to invest in (played by the other student teams or Lecturers).