executive MBA subject 14

Business Execution

Year 2, term B. 3.5 ECTS, about 88 hours, 4 parts. Part 1 is free.

task, condition, standard

What you will be able to do

Task, condition and standard

Task

Run a simulated firm for several rounds and explain the results.

Condition

Given a team, a simulation with market, operations and finance decisions, and four rounds.

Standard

Decisions follow a written strategy, results are explained with figures, and lessons are acted on between rounds.

Who it is for: Managers who want to practise running a whole business in a safe simulation.

how this subject works

Free entry, voice and your learning style

Part 1 is free to try. Read it, listen to it and answer it before you decide. Join the programme, or this subject on its own, to open the other parts.

Listen. Every part has a Listen button that reads it aloud.
Speak or type. Answer each part by talking (press Speak) or by typing. Your answers stay on this device only.
Learn your way. Every part has a See, Hear, Do and Read-and-write route. Not sure which suits you? Take the eight-question learning-style check.

4 parts

The parts, with worked examples

Part 1 Simulation onboarding 22 hUnderstand: learn the rules

Before the first round, learn what each decision changes and how results are scored.

Read the rules and scoring
Agree roles in the team
Run a practice round

Worked example: Worked-example figures, in your currency. Score = 40% profit, 30% market share, 30% customer satisfaction. Doubling share while profit falls may still lower the score.

Activity: Write the scoring rule in your own words and agree roles.

Standard: Rule summarised correctly and roles named.

Learn your way

See. Sketch "simulation onboarding" as a picture: boxes, arrows and the key number.
Hear. Press Listen, or explain the worked example aloud to someone.
Do. Do the activity with your own work or a practice case.
Read and write. Write the idea in three lines in your own words below.

Your answer. Write the scoring rule in your own words and agree roles.

Part 2 Market research and team strategy 22 hAnalyse: plan

Use the market data to choose a strategy: low cost, premium, or focused on one segment. Write it down before round one.

Look at segment size and growth
Choose one strategy
Set three targets for the rounds

Worked example: Worked-example figures, in your currency. Premium segment: 2,000 buyers, growing 10%; budget segment: 8,000 buyers, growing 2%. With a quality advantage, the team chooses premium.

Activity: Write a one-page strategy with three targets.

Standard: Strategy fits the data and targets are measurable.

Learn your way

See. Sketch "market research and team strategy" as a picture: boxes, arrows and the key number.
Hear. Press Listen, or explain the worked example aloud to someone.
Do. Do the activity with your own work or a practice case.
Read and write. Write the idea in three lines in your own words below.

Your answer. Write a one-page strategy with three targets.

Part 3 Execution simulation rounds 22 hApply: decide and adjust

Each round, make decisions, read the results and adjust. Stick to the strategy unless the evidence says change.

Decide on price, output, marketing and staff
Compare results with targets
Change one thing at a time where possible

Worked example: Worked-example figures, in your currency. Round 1: price 120, sold 1,500, unit cost 80, profit 60,000. Round 2: price 115, sold 1,800, cost 78, profit 66,600. A small price cut grew profit.

Activity: Run four rounds and log decisions and results.

Standard: Every round logged with the reason for each change.

Learn your way

See. Sketch "execution simulation rounds" as a picture: boxes, arrows and the key number.
Hear. Press Listen, or explain the worked example aloud to someone.
Do. Do the activity with your own work or a practice case.
Read and write. Write the idea in three lines in your own words below.

Your answer. Run four rounds and log decisions and results.

Part 4 Performance review and reflection 22 hEvaluate: reflect

Explain what worked, what did not and why. Link results to decisions, not to luck alone.

Compare targets with results
Name the two best and two worst decisions
Write what you would do differently in real work

Worked example: Worked-example figures, in your currency. Target profit 250,000; actual 230,000 (92%). Share target 20%; actual 23%. Satisfaction target 80; actual 84.

Activity: Write a two-page reflection on the rounds.

Standard: Results compared with targets and lessons linked to real work.

Learn your way

See. Sketch "performance review and reflection" as a picture: boxes, arrows and the key number.
Hear. Press Listen, or explain the worked example aloud to someone.
Do. Do the activity with your own work or a practice case.
Read and write. Write the idea in three lines in your own words below.

Your answer. Write a two-page reflection on the rounds.

ten checks

Check yourself

Say or write your answer first, then read the model answer.

Q1. Why learn the scoring before round one?
Model answer: Decisions should aim at what is scored. (Covered in part 1: Simulation onboarding.)
Q2. Score weights 40/30/30. Can more share lower the score?
Model answer: Yes, if profit falls enough. (Covered in part 1: Simulation onboarding.)
Q3. Name three possible strategies.
Model answer: Low cost, premium, focused. (Covered in part 2: Market research and team strategy.)
Q4. Why write the strategy before round one?
Model answer: So decisions stay consistent. (Covered in part 2: Market research and team strategy.)
Q5. Price 120, sold 1,500, unit cost 80. Profit?
Model answer: 60,000. (Covered in part 3: Execution simulation rounds.)
Q6. Price 115, sold 1,800, unit cost 78. Profit?
Model answer: 66,600. (Covered in part 3: Execution simulation rounds.)
Q7. Why change one thing at a time?
Model answer: To see which change caused the result. (Covered in part 3: Execution simulation rounds.)
Q8. Target 250,000, actual 230,000. Percentage met?
Model answer: 92%. (Covered in part 4: Performance review and reflection.)
Q9. What should a reflection link results to?
Model answer: Decisions, not luck alone. (Covered in part 4: Performance review and reflection.)
Q10. What should the reflection end with?
Model answer: What you would do differently in real work. (Covered in part 4: Performance review and reflection.)

slides L1 to L7

The seven-level ladder, slide by slide

Slide 1: L1 Simulations. Safe practice. Speaker note: Say: put "simulations" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 2: L2 Rules and roles. Learn the scoring. Speaker note: Say: put "rules and roles" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 3: L3 Research. Read the market. Speaker note: Say: put "research" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 4: L4 Strategy. Choose and write it. Speaker note: Say: put "strategy" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 5: L5 Rounds. Decide, read, adjust. Speaker note: Say: put "rounds" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 6: L6 Review. Targets versus results. Speaker note: Say: put "review" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.
Slide 7: L7 Transfer. Lessons applied to real work. Speaker note: Say: put "transfer" in one sentence and give one example from work. Check: ask one learner to say it back in their own words. Mistake: moving on before the numbers are clear.

how it is judged

Marking rubric

Marking rubric (Not yet, Meets, Exceeds)
Criterion	Not yet	Meets	Exceeds
Accuracy	Several figures or facts are wrong.	Main figures are correct and the working is shown.	Figures are correct and checked a second way.
Use of business execution tools	Tools are named but not used.	The right tools are used for each step.	Tools are adapted to the case and their limits are stated.
Recommendation	No clear answer.	A clear answer backed by the analysis.	A clear answer that also says what would change it.
Communication	Hard to follow.	Answer first, clear and short.	Clear, short and persuasive under questions.

jobs this leads to

Where this takes you

General manager. Runs a whole business unit.
Operations or commercial manager. Balances price, output and cost.
Strategy analyst. Tests choices with models.

language

Choose your language

This subject is in English first. Choose any language and the page is translated for you by machine, with the English kept as the official text.

Keep going

All subjects Previous: Corporate Finance Next: Global Operations Management

Draft for review. Not live. Credit values are aligned with the European credit system for orientation only and are not an accreditation.