The first task for each company is to develop a strategic plan. This requires indepth industry analysis and the sourcing of information proactively from a multitude of sources. Students are urged to consider their particular company profile and in this way they learn about organisational context when making planning decisions. Early in the semester, students present a written plan and make a presentation to the class about their company profile and strategic intent. After each presentation members of other groups are encouraged to question, challenge and ask for clarification.
Students can learn via active listening.
At regular intervals throughout the semester, each company is given a confidential Information Brief to which it is required to respond in the next week's session. This response may take any form that the group decides. Students are encouraged to consider their decisions in an integrative manner and not to artificially assign a problem to a particular functional area. At the conclusion of the semester, students are required to fill in two assessment forms. The first is a quantitative evaluation of the Industry Simulation which measures the extent to which it has met the goals as stated at the outset.