Business Management Simulation – 2: Drills and Role Play

In my previous article, we provided several examples of simulations throughout human history. We defined simulation as “designing an event or situation as if it were real and recreating it accordingly”, in other words, a form of drill or exercise. The word “drill” often brings to mind the military profession and warfare. Of course, drills are also conducted in other fields, such as firefighting or emergency response. However, in our language the term essentially carries two main meanings: “military maneuver” and “practical application.”

The earliest recorded drills date back to ancient times. During the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt (1550–1070 BCE), Egyptian armies are known to have conducted war exercises along the Nile River and in desert regions. Pharaoh Ramses II, while preparing for the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE) against the Hittites, reportedly divided his army into two groups and conducted opposing maneuvers. Sun Tzu (544–496 BCE), in his work “The Art of War”, emphasized the importance of military drills and advised generals to conduct regular exercises during peacetime in order to strengthen discipline among soldiers. Historical records show that in China, large-scale drills were organized to coordinate chariots, infantry and archers. States that systematically simulated wars in peacetime for their staff, officer, and soldiers often gained a military advantage over their rivals. Not surprising, right? For example, in Ancient Greece, there were roughly one thousand independent city-states known as “poleis”. Aside from the five or six states remembered primarily for maritime trade, philosophy and scientific development, the most prominent military powers were Athens, Sparta and Thebes, which led opposing alliances during the Peloponnesian Wars. These three states emphasized peacetime war simulations, keeping their armies prepared and disciplined.

The Roman Empire also developed a highly systematic approach to military training and drills. Roman legions participated in periodic large-scale exercises and practiced battlefield formations such as the “Testudo” (tortoise formation), which allowed soldiers to advance while protecting themselves from enemy arrows. The Mongols and Ottomans, particularly in the medieval period, were also known for regular drills. In the Ottoman Empire, the Janissary Corps trained continuously at the “Talimgâh”, where soldiers practiced close combat, swordsmanship and archery almost daily. By the early 19th century, military exercises and war simulations conducted in Napoleonic France and across Europe had increased significantly, laying the foundations for the modern military drill systems we know today.

On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers successfully flew the first powered airplane. The initial flight lasted only 12 seconds and covered just 36 meters. At the beginning of the 20th century on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Yet, when pursuing distant goals and ambitious dreams, is not the first step always the most important? Just 11 years later, during the first days of World War I, all warring nations used airplanes for reconnaissance over enemy territory. In early 1915, French pilot Roland Garros had his aircraft shot at by German soldiers during a reconnaissance mission. Determined to retaliate, he mounted a fixed machine gun on his aircraft, becoming the first combat pilot in history. That same year, the Germans improved on this idea by synchronizing the machine gun with the propeller on the Fokker Eindecker fighter, creating the first true combat aircraft. This innovation marked the beginning of aerial combat and aviation technology began advancing rapidly. Within just three years, World War I saw the development of fighter plane, bomber plane and reconnaissance aircraft categories. These rapid advances did not escape the attention of the visionary Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In his opening speech for the Turkish Aeronautical Association on May 15, 1925, he famously said: “The future is in the skies. Nations that cannot defend their skies can never be secure in their tomorrows.” At that time, production costs for fighter and reconnaissance planes were not excessively high compared to today; ‘the main challenge was training pilots!’ How could pilot candidates learn aerial maneuvers safely without actually flying? This problem was solved in 1929 by Edwin Albert Link, a civilian pilot familiar with pumps, valves and bellows from his childhood in his father’s piano and organ workshop, with the invention of the flight simulator. Thousands of the world’s first simulator known as the Blue Box or Link Trainer were produced, spawning a multi-billion-dollar industry.  By World War II, pilots from nearly every participating nation had trained on these mechanical simulators. In the United States Air Force alone, more than “half a million” pilots learned how to fly safely on the ground before taking to the skies.

Emergence of different strategies and tactics and rapid technological advances driven by nations’ competition naturally influenced the business world. The first business simulation for management training was developed in the early 1950s called The Beer Game, ‘a supply chain management’ training program created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as part of research on system dynamics and supply chain management. In this simulation, participants role-played as retailers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers learning to manage ‘demand fluctuations and communication gaps’ across the supply chain. (The game is still available for those interested.) Another early example of management simulation was the Top Management Decision Simulation, developed by General Electric in 1956. This program was the “first computer-based simulation” designed to train senior managers, helping them develop strategic decision-making skills and understand the financial and operational consequences of their choices. By pioneering the use of technology in executive training, GE transformed management education. Many modern ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning) and business simulation tools draw inspiration from this early innovation.

In Türkiye, initiatives such as the “Board Membership Mentorship and Development Program” supported by the Corporate Governance Association of Türkiye (TKYD), led by Mr. Tamer SAKA, and the Corporate Governance, Audit and Compliance Research Center (KUYDEM) at Galatasaray University, led by Prof. Dr. Aylin Ataay SAYBAŞLI, use case-study simulations and role-playing to enhance the experience of senior executives who will assume key positions of authority. Board simulations allow participants to practice practical corporate governance principles, encouraging interactive learning and helping them make strategic decisions. I would like to thank these esteemed institutions and their leadership for their invaluable support in developing the boards that play a critical role in implementing corporate governance in our business environment.