Teamwork and Performance in ERPSim Competitions

Teamwork is a skill highly valued in the workplace and a topic emphasized in business schools. In order to satisfy the requirements of AACSB, teamwork should be built into the curriculum and assessed accordingly. One of the learning activities that lends itself to teamwork is the ERPSim game, which was developed to help students learn complex ERP concepts. Because students work in teams while playing the game, it offers a good vehicle to help students develop their teamwork skills, in addition to learning ERP concepts. With increasing adoption of ERPSim games in business schools, it will be important to assess teamwork that transpires during an ERPSim game and also how teamwork affects team performance. The current research investigated teamwork and team performance in the context of an ERPSim competition. Because of corporate sponsorship, the competition has become a high-stakes game that induces high level of teamwork. Teamwork, in turn, has a positive impact on team performance as measured by an objective profit measure and team satisfaction. The results are consistent with most of the literature and represent encouraging news to instructors looking to incorporate ERPSim games into their classes. The expected benefits include enhanced learning of ERP concepts and learning or sharpening of teamwork skills. In addition, student satisfaction

Behaviors that exemplify good teamwork (Ohland et al., 2012) can be discussed in class to help students collaborate more effectively in playing an ERPSim game. Instructors may elect other teamwork scales if they so choose to teach and measure teamwork during a game. As shown in this research, the use of self- and peer evaluation of teamwork can cause students to work better together during a game, which in turn will cause an increase in team performance and team satisfaction. Additionally, teamwork data collected during a game can be used for assessment