This paper presents an overview about the use of business simulation and games in undergraduate business programs in Bahia State, Brazil. The increasing interest about this technique can be originated, among others facts, on the many benefits that the specialized literature shows for its users. In this article a theoretical review on this literature is developed searching its central concepts, its origins and its use in Brazil and in the world. Some empirical data are presented from a survey with 47 under-graduation coordinators and directors from Bahian Institutions about their experience with business simulation and games by their lectures and professors. A quantitative approach using descriptive statistics (frequency, means and standard deviation) showed that 44.7% of the Bahian Institutions apply this kind of techniques. It shows also that business simulation practices are expected to grow in next five years, for 63, 8 % due to high satisfaction indications on its application. Finally, two aspects appeared as very important ones to a higher level of business simulation and games application in Management courses in Bahia: the acquisition cost and the availability of electronic simulations.
Business Games; Higher Education Institutions; Bahia State
