Opportunities for the Future: ABSEL's Role

Abstract

What is ABSEL's role in the future? The collective efforts of ABSEL members during the first decade of the organization's existence has resulted in increasing the status and acceptance of business simulation and experiential learning among business educators. However, ABSEL has not been as successful in producing defensible general theory or rigorous research findings. A different contribution will be required in the future. The study of management competencies conducted by the American Management Association and the AACSB report on the managers of the XXI century provide specific, relevant goals for ABSEL's future activities. A modification in ABSEL's current structure is suggested to include major theoretical research projects involving many faculty from different campuses using rigorous experimental design guided by hypothesis testing. Such projects will produce findings that are both internally and externally valid and thus can be used for improving business education.