Impromptu Simulation leads to tangible improvements for participants says new research
Business Psychology Masters student Shakira Forde conducted research into the impact of an Impromptu business simulation and discovered a significant improvement in participants’ Psychological Capital (PsyCap).
PsyCap, is defined as an individual’s positive psychological state of development and is characterized by:
- Having confidence (self-efficacy) to take on and put in the necessary effort to succeed at challenging tasks;
- Making a positive attribution (optimism) about succeeding now and in the future;
- Persevering toward goals and, when necessary, redirecting paths to goals (hope) in order to succeed; and
- When beset by problems and adversity, sustaining and bouncing back and even beyond (resiliency) to attain success
Other research has shown that PsyCap has a positive correlation with desired employee attitudes, behaviours and performance.
Shakira set out to understand what impact participating in a role-play simulation has on participants’ PsyCap. She based her research on quantitive and qualitative data gathered from participants who experienced a 2-day role-play business simulation simultaneously in Mumbai, Johannesburg and Malaysia.
Designed and delivered by Impromptu in partnership with Cirrus, the business simulation is part of a broader programme, known as Leaders Drive Performance; an extensive development programme for Standard Chartered Bank.
The PsyCap constructs (hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism) were individually analyzed and results revealed significant improvements in hope and efficacy scores and non-significant differences in optimism and resilience scores. The overall PsyCap of the participants was also analyzed and results indicated a significant increase in the overall PsyCap scores after the business simulation.
We have always believed that role-play simulations engage and challenge participants as learners and provide tangible learning. Shakira’s research now demonstrates that they also develop leaders’ confidence and perseverance.
Article by Nigel Gilkes, Director, Impromptu