Virtual Enterprise Simulation Game as an Environment for Collaborative Creativity and Learning

Abstract

When employees become accustomed to everyday working habits it can prevent them from generating creative ideas. This familiarity takes the forms of mainly collaborating with familiar colleagues, playing roles that develop over years, and solving encountered problems with proven strategies. This chapter considers how a virtual enterprise simulation game (RealGame) can potentially foster digital creativity and collaborative learning. The game simulates a situation where team members take responsibility for managing a virtual manufacturing company and its supply chain. Theoretically, we consider RealGame a facilitating environment for people to collaborate by offering a safe environment for playful exploration and artificial conflict, which can result in new ideas and learning. To demonstrate this idea, we derive empirical evidence from reflective essays that were written by business school students after experimenting with the game.