SEII
- Recherche - ULysse Game SEII
- Recherche - ULysse Game A new
tool for teaching and research
in economics and management
Jules GAZON
and Patrick ALEXANDRE
University of Liège
With the support of DELL Computer .S.A.
Introduction
This new game differs from most business games currently on the market in that it is based on a model which aims to account for economic interdependence, in particular by integrating into the macroeconomic model of the nation decisions relating to microeconomics. Within this model, decisions taken by the teams of participants determine how the economy functions.
In this first version, ULYSSE GAME reduces the world economy to two countries, each including seven teams, namely four productive sectors acting like companies, a trade-union delegation, a bank playing at the same time the roles of central Bank, banks of deposits and credit agency, and a government representing the State and laying down the social and economic policy, it being understood that the organizer plays the role of the consumers. The play is divided into periods each of which representing one business year. During each period, the activity of the four teams consists in negotiating with their suppliers and customers as well as with the trade unions, the State and the Bank. Negotiations can bear on quantities and prices of goods and services, the level of employment, wages and dividends, the rate of tax pressure and social security, the amount of state subsidies, the amounts, durations and rates of loans.
The software product ULYSSE GAME envisages various initial situations for the two countries. For this "inauguration", we have chosen two countries whose starting situation is identical, except with respect to comparative advantages. It was requested from the players (students of 2nd and 3rd 'licence' in management and economics at the University of Liege) that they represent one country that has opted for a liberal policy and one which has followed a more interventionist policy .
It is thus possible to compare the evolutions of several macroeconomic aggregates resulting only from the decisions of the participants : GDP, rate of unemployment, rate of inflation, exchange rate , interest rate, etc, and various measures concerning social security, public health, social harmony and human capital.
Aims
1. Creation of an innovative educational tool which: - integrates into a game of negotiations and economic policy all the key concepts essential to the study of economics and management; - takes behavioural interdependence into account (the software handles over 3,000 economic variables); - allows the participants to build a real economy through their decisions only and, at the end of the activity, to measure its evolution.
2. Continuous training in economics and management for Universities, Public administrations, the European Commission and in particular training in the context of the regional policy "Objective 4" as well as for the cooperation programmes with the Mediterranean countries and Central Europe, international Organizations such as IMF and OECD, large companies and the gathering of individual candidates interested by this type of training.
3. Setup of an economic experimentation and research laboratory thanks to the filing and indexing of games, which will constitute a new database for the study of economic behaviours, decisions and trends.
Introduction, Historique, Description, Innovation,
Note
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synthèse, Photos