Practicing scientific thinking in Management Laboratory

• Grant number: 16/07060-7
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration
• Principal researcher: Antonio Carlos Aidar Sauaia
• Grantee: Maria Carolina Conejero
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The business game often has been oriented for managerial education and training. It has supplied undergraduate students in Administration with numerous opportunities for managerial practice. However, there is a lack of scientific experience to students for assessing and creating knowledge. This study aimed to examine how the activities of the Management Laboratory course at FEA/USP/SP, which has integrated research and business game, have provided to students a scientific experience by practicing different levels of complexity of scientific thought. The academic literature was revisited: the practice of the scientific method to stimulate an attitude of discovery, problematization and questioning; the strategy of teaching through research; the business game with research, that is, Management Laboratory whose conceptual pillars allow practicing of different levels of complexity of thought through cycles of experiential learning. It was conducted a descriptive laboratorial field, qualitative, bibliographic, participatory and documentary research in undergraduate classes at FEA/USP/SP to examine the Management Laboratory as a methodology of managerial education and research combining multiple learning strategies. During the business game each student was advised to find organizational conflicts; collect and analyze primary data in the laboratory environment; associate theories and practices; discuss the business game results, building actively dynamic meanings for assimilated static concepts and producing scientific reports. Leaders, coordinators and teachers of higher education institutions are challenged to update the teaching plans, providing experiences for scientific learning. Keywords: business game; research; management laboratory, scientific thought; scientific learning (AU)