The use of business simulation games in agricultural entrepreneurship education

Abstract1
Business simulation games constitute a relevant learning method in business
and entrepreneurship education. In recent years, the use of simulations has grown
progressively, especially in business and management schools, universities and
professional associations all over the world. The main reason for their popularity is
that business simulation games are considered as effective tools for facilitating
experiential learning, allowing students to experience the excitement, challenge
and operational reality of starting up and running a virtual company but in a safe,
relatively risk-free environment. Accordingly, the use of these business games in
agricultural entrepreneurship can contribute to experiential learning through a
simulation of real-life situations and agri-business environments and thereby allow
learners to acquire certain skills and competences above and beyond the skills
fostered by traditional learning methods and thereby fostering agricultural
entrepreneurship and employment of agricultural graduates. In the present paper,
the author argues that business simulation games can be used to foster students’
entrepreneurial mindset and competences in different academic majors including
agricultural sciences. In this paper, some examples of entrepreneurship games are
presented which can be used in agricultural entrepreneurship education. At the end,
it is recommended that agricultural universities and schools need to incorporate
business simulation games into their entrepreneurship and business curricula and
benefit from the usage of these games.