November 26th, 2015: Students at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have been learning real-world lessons in business during a simulated boardroom battle that set out to tackle one of the biggest challenges of the corporate world.
As part of their course on business ethics, senior students from the School of Business Administration were challenged to debate and collaborate in a mock meeting of senior executives to deal with the fallout of a genuine commercial crisis.
Drawing upon their own research, business theories, and professional skills, the students took on the roles of high-ranking professionals at a major international sports brand, to work out how to tackle negative media reports about the company’s mistreatment of workers.
Facing tough questions from the corporation’s CEO, President, and Vice President - each played by a student - the remaining mock executives represented the HR, procurement, corporate responsibility, and public relations functions of the firm, to present their own department’s case on the issue, debate where the blame lay, and offer practical solutions to the on-going incident.
According to student Disha Pai, the role-play was a challenging yet rewarding exercise that gave her a new perspective on her own skills and potential. She said, “The boardroom exercise was very enjoyable as well as educational. I played the role of Vice President and discovered a different side of myself. Never had I pictured myself in a managerial position, but this activity has definitely changed my perception. Overall, it was one of the best in-class exercises I have done.”
For Hassan Alzeer, the experience was an invaluable insight into the realities of the corporate world. He said, “Being in the boardroom made us see things from a practical stand point. When you have a real part to play, you ultimately feel that sense of realism and passion. It was definitely challenging, fun, and most importantly, a relevant experience."
The class was among a series of practical exercises regularly conducted by Assistant Professor, Jeanette Teh as part of her business ethics teaching. She commented, "Coming from industry, I know how important it is to incorporate real world experiences in the classroom. Students will never be given an exam once they enter the workplace. Rather, they will already be expected to communicate effectively in meetings and to cogently and diplomatically argue their points to convince others of the merit of their views.
I am extremely proud of how all the students stepped up to the challenge and outside their comfort zones to deliver a fantastic performance in this role-play. It was amazing to see how passionate they got about these issues and how they flourished in their roles, and it was particularly rewarding for me to witness how fired up some of the shy, quiet students were and how actively they participated in the discussion.”
Gallery
