Serious Games for Serious Business

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is serious games and their applications in management education, training, and skills development. It is argued that the use of serious games can improve management processes in organizations, and it is shown that there are advantages to using video games for this purpose (games-based learning) in relation to traditional methods. A brief historical review of the use of business simulation games is conducted. It is shown that some types of entertainment video games can also help to develop management skills. Potential benefits of using serious games within businesses are mentioned as well as some problems that may arise in its implementation and ways to overcome them. Finally, some examples of the use of serious games with the aim of improving managers’ skills and performance are presented.