The Use of Decision Support Systems in the Classroom: Maps in Teaching International Marketing

Abstract

The concepts and tools of artificial intelligence (AI) have been applied in many areas of business education, including international marketing. This paper describes the use of a decision support program, Market Access Planning System (MAPS) in the classroom environment. MAPS is an expert system that provides decision support to companies considering foreign market expansion. MAPS assists in this effort by presenting to the user an overall evaluation of the company, its target products and markets, and a ranked list of potential entry strategies into foreign markets. This presentation discusses the system and its modifications and how it can be used as an adjunct to case analyses in international business and marketing classes.