Running Head: A CASE FOR COMPETITIONS 1
A Case for Competitions
Sarah Monteiro
HN 499
Southeast Missouri State University
A CASE FOR COMPETITIONS 2
Abstract
This paper discusses the benefits of adopting a case competition culture throughout the Harrison
College of Business, bridging the gap between academia and the business world. The new
culture emphasizes student development and preparedness for the current job market. The
implementation of the plan, along with the existing case competition track-record the Harrison
College of Business possesses, a new value proposition is created for potential upcoming
students.
This paper also discusses the implementation of an alternative capstone business course reliant
on the case study method. By applying characteristics and enforcing the utilization of this
method, the new undergraduate course assists students in gaining hands-on experience in
presenting actionable solution to managers by applying material learned in the classroom to real
business issues. The course will provide students with the ability to develop essential skills for
the qualitative and quantitative analysis of business cases as well as the tools to present sound
solutions, implementation plans, forecasts, and risks and mitigation strategies. The knowledge
attained in this course will prove essential to numerous academic and professional applications.
Students who complete this course are eligible for selection to join the Harrison College of
Business case competition team, representing the university in both national and international
competitions. Benefits from this course accrue not only to students, but also to faculty members,
HCB, and the University as a whole.
Keywords: case competition culture; case study method; business case competitions;
capstone;
A CASE FOR COMPETITIONS 3
A Case for Competitions
For fourteen days I went through every stage of grief; denial, anger, bargaining,
depression, and acceptance. My guts knotted as I tried to formulate any possible way of success,
though I knew we had monumentally failed. I criticized every argument we made; doubted every
decision. The five of us waited to see if the near two-hundred-and-fifty hours of preparation paid
off. For hours on the day of the announcement, I refreshed the Twitter page of the NIBS Case
Competition. The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) hosts an annual case
competition, held to be one of the most prestigious. Over fifty teams from business schools
around the world submitted solutions for the Korean Pop Convention Company entering the
international market. Though we felt we had a strong solution, we were aware the competition
was fierce. Still, I couldn’t help but constantly hit the refresh button throughout the night. At
around 2 a.m., the announcement I was wishing for was made: We made it! Not only did we
make it, but we were the only American school to qualify. I celebrated the fact we were heading
to Guatemala to compete the following February, and though I knew we had hundreds of hours
of practice and hard work ahead of us, I was ecstatic. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Southeast Missouri State University has a remarkable track record when it comes to case
competitions; or at least Dr. Willie Redmond does. Among our accolades are a first-place trophy
from NIBS 2012, and several regional victories on both undergraduate and graduate levels,
against celebrated schools. However, we lack the structure to leverage our case competition
capabilities. It is Dr. Redmond’s passion that preserves Southeast’s relevance in the case
competition scene. We have an impressive collection of awards no one knows about, except for
the past student competitors, and the few faculty members to whom we keep repeating this
information. In contrast, European and Canadian business schools boast their many
A CASE FOR COMPETITIONS 4
achievements on their respective websites and Wikipedia pages. Their case-based curriculums
are a source of pride for their schools. Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business from
Canada, for example, structured an entire program dedicated to the analysis of case studies
(“Carleton University”), as do most of the major players in the competition scene.
Instilling and promoting a case competition culture at Southeast’s Harrison College of
Business would have the potential to bridge the gap between academia and the business world. It
would improve the way students retain business concepts by teaching real-life applications of
such methods, resulting in better-prepared graduates, ultimately raising the overall education
level at the school. Faculty involvement would also increase, as case competition curriculums
rely heavily on the cross-functional integration of various business subjects.
Short-Term Plan
The first-step to implementing case competition culture at Southeast involves the creation
of an organization for Juniors and Seniors interested in gathering the necessary knowledge to be
eligible for participation in case competitions. Freshmen and Sophomores would be encouraged
to participate in DECA while completing the introductory business courses necessary to excel in
a case competition environment. The organization is to be managed by volunteering faculty
members, graduate students/assistants, and/or undergraduates students who possess enough
experience in case competitions.
Long-Term Plan
The ideal long-term plan is the implementation of an alternative capstone course, entirely
taught using the the case study method. A capstone course is defined as the culminating and
A CASE FOR COMPETITIONS 5
usually integrative experience of an educational program (McCleren, 2017). Often, capstone
courses are designed as a course where students are expected to demonstrate that they have
mastered the goals of their major or department. Although the connection among course
materials learned throughout the degree path may be noticeable for some, others may fail to
grasp such materials due to an inability to retain course materials taught in certain methods.
A rapid growth of the strategic management field has affected present teaching
procedures. To meet challenges posed by these advances, business educators integrate teaching
methods that improve the students’ capability to manage the complex nature of their decision
environments (McCarthy, 2006). This complexity also forces business educators to make a
conscious effort to use their class time assimilating functional areas and real business experience
