Laboratory of Economics and Management Engineering A

Course objectives

Knowledge and understanding The aim of the course is to introduce students to the application of the knowledge acquired within previous classes in key areas such as Finance, Operations Management, Human Resources Management, Marketing and Operations Research to the management of a virtual company. Applying knowledge and understanding Using the business game of the laboratory of economics and management engineering, all team players will impersonate the management of a virtual company and will make strategic and operational choices for their own business in a simulated market. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify and implement strategies to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of their company in order to win the competition against other firms on the marketplace and managed by teams made up by their colleagues. Making judgements The course includes a series of meetings among the teams and the lecturer. During these meetings, students will present their decision by arguing their strategic and operational decisions on the basis of theoretical models they possess. Communication By the end of the course, students are able to provide a systemic view of the company and to develop the ability to work in a group that is increasingly important in the workplace, but often neglected in traditional training. Lifelong learning skills Students are expected to develop those learning skills necessary to provide a systemic view of the company with a high degree of autonomy. During the classes, students work as groups thus stimulating student activity and engagement. They are pushed to consult supplementary material such as specialized books and internet sites in order to accomplish the tasks effectively. These capabilities are tested and evaluated in the development of the final reports of the projects where students have to discuss their decision by arguing their strategic and operational decisions for the management of a company on the basis of theoretical models they possess.

Channel 1
CHIARA GROSSO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The Laboratory provides a practical training focused on tasks and activities that aim to consolidate fundamental knowledge on business management, economic management and business organization, and project management. The Business Game is structured into 8 rounds, each round simulates a quarter of the company's operating life cycle on the reference markets, for a total of two years of activity. Round after round, the decision-making activities conducted by the students are characterized by a process of analysis and comparison between the decisions made and the results derived by the decision atken by each company and the market trends.
Prerequisites
Attendance at the Laboratory (Lab) has any mandatory prerequisites. However, it is strongly recommended to attend the Lab once students have acquired a good knowledge of the decision-making levers of the business ecosystem. Therefore it is recommended to have attended and/or passed the exams of courses characterizing the degree in Management Engineering (e.g. business economics and organization, business management, project management, applied economics)
Books
The teaching material is created specifically for each edition of the business game and shared with the attending students. Despite, the Laboratory dosen't address to specific texts, however the teaching material refers to the disciplines of business management, economics and management of business organization projects. The texts of these courses could be adopted by students to support their initiative to delve deeper into a specific topic.
Frequency
The laboratory can be structured into a mixed in-person and on-line attendance modality. Given the practical application of the Lab, it is strongly recommended to students to take part to the classes.
Exam mode
The Laboratory provides a practical application training to be carried out in teams. Specifically, each team creates and manages its own company for two years. As a result, the evaluation of the work carried put by the team considers both the individual and team contributions to the company's performances. Evaluation at individual level: At indivdual level, evaluation concerns the presentation made by each member of the team. Therefore the evaluation will concern the degree of mastery on specific topics which find specific application in the team strategy presented during the exam (i.e. business and economic management, business organization). As well as the individual degree of mastery of specific business analytic and management tools will be evaluated (e.g. Swot analysis, kanva business model, kano model) Evaluation at team level: Team evaluation concerns the evaluation of the tasks carried out as a team. Therefore the evaluation will concern team building and problem solving skills. As well as, it will concern the positioning of the group in the ranking as key factors of the strategy and understanding of the choices made and the effects deriving from them (e.g. choices made in response to market shocks and/or to adapt to evolving market trends along the simulation rounds)
Lesson mode
The Laboratory follows a mixed modality in presence and online, combining frontal teaching and remote meetings. Specifically, frontal teaching included lessons on business game theory and practical teaching to provide students with notions and tools to carry out the Lab's activities. The remote meetings are structured as "briefings" to verify the progress of each company on the simulation of the game, to stimulate students' reasoning on possible actions to improve their business simulation journey.
Channel 2
Simone Magrin Lecturers' profile
  • Lesson codeAAF1852
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseManagement Engineering
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year3rd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • CFU3