Kent State Using Paradigm Learning's Business Games and Simulations in its Institute for Excellence Leadership Program

Kent State University wanted its managers to think more like senior business executives, even within its academic environment. Establishing a basic understanding of business finance and leadership accountability was essential to meeting this goal. So, the university turned to Paradigm Learning, a leader in designing corporate business games and simulations.

Tampa, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 9, 2009 -- Kent State University wanted its managers to think more like senior business executives, even within its academic environment. Establishing a basic understanding of business finance and leadership accountability was essential to meeting this goal. So, the university turned to Paradigm Learning, a leader in designing corporate business games and simulations.

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Universities that do not think of themselves as businesses are at a disadvantage. Therefore, universities need to pay much more attention to the business of business.

This means educating managers -- regardless of whether they're college deans, department chairs, administrative directors, non-academic managers or anyone else-- who make decisions and take action that impact results. They absolutely need to understand the financial and strategic drivers of the university's success and their own roles in that success.

Kent State has recently faced three issues that have made its mission of excellence challenging: fierce competition from other universities; a weakened dollar and tighter personal finances; and new guidelines which could impact financial support from the state.

Executives at Kent State, led by President Lester A. Lefton, introduced a new budgeting model which allows individual department and program managers to have greater control over resource allocation decisions. To ensure the success of this new initiative, the Institute for Excellence in Leadership, a yearlong program for the university's managers, was created. At the core of this curriculum are two educational programs developed by Paradigm Learning.

Paradigm 's "discovery learning" programs are used early in the curriculum, setting the stage and building a foundation for the other educational sessions that follow. One of the business games, Zodiak®: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy, plunges participants into running a fictitious company for three simulated years. In small teams around a game board, they pay bills, attract customers, develop new products and services and make pricing, marketing and capital investment decisions. And, each year they analyze financial statements to determine their results. With Zodiak, they learn to think like CEOs and to apply that thinking to their own responsibilities.

Another program being used in the curriculum is Impact5®: The Business of Leadership Game. During this fast-paced business simulation, small teams of learners become managers of a company and face such challenges as executing business plans, handling personnel issues, developing interdepartmental relationships and making key competitive and operational decisions. They learn the five critical managerial accountabilities embraced by successful leaders, and they connect that learning to their own organization and jobs.

Bob Hall, manager of training and development at Kent State University, says "Universities that do not think of themselves as businesses are at a disadvantage. Therefore, universities need to pay much more attention to the business of business."

Hall adds, "This means educating managers -- regardless of whether they're college deans, department chairs, administrative directors, non-academic managers or anyone else-- who make decisions and take action that impact results. They absolutely need to understand the financial and strategic drivers of the university's success and their own roles in that success."

About Paradigm Learning
Paradigm Learning (ParadigmLearning.com) is a privately held company based in Tampa, Fla. Since 1994, it has worked with more than half of the companies on the Fortune 1000 list, creating award-winning business games, simulations and communications tools to address specific business needs. Its flagship program, Zodiak®: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy, has been used by more than one million people worldwide. Other programs address such issues as talent management, employee alignment, leadership accountability, teamwork, project management and organizational change.

Contact:
Diana Blackburn
Paradigm Learning
727-471-3170
Diana.Blackburn(at)ParadigmLearning.com

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