Business College Uses Gaming Theory
Game theory is described as a thoughtful, conversational procedure to analyze a competitive or theoretical situation. Participants work to identify the players and their possible actions and reactions, addressing the “what ifs” and “then whats.” NMU held a gaming session facilitated by an alumnus early this year targeting international recruitment. David Rayome (Business) attended and decided to adapt the format to focus specifically on the College of Business. The resulting session was held recently in downtown Marquette.
“The goal was to connect with the community and see what employers are looking for in graduates and what we can do to give students an edge in terms of programs and experiences,” said Jody Lindberg (Business). “Community members, students, faculty, staff and advisory board members were represented on three teams. The teams went through a list of questions and had to answer within a certain time frame so the discussion didn’t waver off track. There were some great brainstorming sessions and a lot of ideas brought to the table. It went very well. The community was receptive and impressed with the idea to host this event. Several commented that it was a positive thing and they were happy to be a part of it.”
Rayome added, “The game exercise was an excellent way to begin the semester. The information collected in the day’s even will shape the college for years to come.”
Notes from each team will be compiled and filtered for duplicate responses so that Rayome can digest the information and determine the next step.