Employers want problem-solvers: Capsim Challenge winners have the creds

Finalists in the Spring 2019 Capsim Challenge can all demonstrate they have one of the top skills employers want: the ability to solve complex problems.

Rohan S from Bharathidasan Institute of Management, India, won the 2019 Capstone Spring Challenge. Benjamin Cook and Jackson Fordyce, from The King’s College in New York, won the 2019 Foundation Spring Challenge.

According to Professor Rave Harush – who has taught several Challenge finalists from Bar-Ilan University in Israel – solving complex problems is integral to the simulation experience.

“Students experience, reflect and learn in iterations, they have to use complex and integrative thinking about strategy, internal integration, and competition,” Professor Harush said. Plus, they “learn to work as a team effectively, and most importantly they play and have fun while learning.”

Capsim President Reda Chafai said the Financial Times MBA Skills Gap survey found that: “Solving complex problems is one of the top five skills employers look for. It is also, unfortunately, one of the five most difficult skills to recruit.”

Mr Chafai said the Capsim Challenge is open to students across the globe and gives them an opportunity to match their skills against their peers in a high pressure, dynamic management tournament.

Professor James Zeigler, who has also taught multiple Capsim Challenge finalists from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, says: “No textbook homework assignment compares to the dynamic nature of simulation competition, and the decision-making process, associated with running your own company.”

Professor Zeigler said: “Working together, students develop quantitative analysis, communication and critical thinking skills. They better understand how business works. Employers are very interested in hearing how students solve problems and identify opportunities.”

Final Results for Capsim’s Spring 2019 Foundation® Challenge:

Final Results for Capsim’s Spring 2019 Capstone® Challenge: