Case Competition

Combine the knowledge you've gained from courses along with your teamwork skills to tackle a real-life business case. Compete with other student teams as you analyze a business situation to develop solution recommendations that you will present to a panel of local business professionals.

Registration for the 2011 competition will open in winter quarter.

Key Dates

• March 2011: Case competition information and team formation session - 12:30 - 1:25, DOU 201
• Early April 2011: Team registrations are due by 5:00 p.m.  Register online on the Center's website (coming winter quarter)
• April 2011 (4 days prior to competition): Case packets available for pick-up - 8:00 a.m., DOU 401
• April 2011 (morning of competition): PowerPoint presentations are due by 7:00 a.m. to Dr. Jill Purdy.  Email them at jpurdy@uw.edu
• April 2011 (date TBD): Case competition presentations start at 8:00 a.m.
• April 2011 (afternoon of competition): Awards Luncheon at 12:30 - 1:25 in GWP 320 (Tacoma Room)

Purpose of Case Competitions

Student case competitions are designed to test students' abilities to utilize the knowledge gained through their course work and apply it to a business case that involves the interplay and tension between business strategy and the business' broader societal impact. Teams are judged based upon the quality of their analysis, the quality of their recommendations and the professionalism of their presentation.

What's in it for you?  Students find case competitions rewarding for many reasons, including:

• Gives students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in their courses to a real-life business situation. This not only reinforces learning but it also prepares students for scenarios they will certainly encounter on the job.
• Creates an opportunity to build and improve leadership and team working skills - critical skills in the job market and life!
• Provides an opportunity to make connections with business professionals from the local community that has the potential to lead to internships and jobs.
• Looks great on your resume and is a topic that you can discuss during interviews. Students may not have a great deal of work experience that showcases leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, or teamwork but your participation in a business case competition tells employers that you have those skills.
• Prizes and recognition! In addition to great prizes, the names of the winning team members are displayed on a plaque outside the Milgard School or Business main office and on the Center for Leadership & Social Responsibility website.

Business Case Selection

The case study for the competition is typically selected from a case study library of a major global university. A copy of the business case is provided for each member of the team along with a cover page providing supplemental case information and logistics of the competition (order of teams presenting, maximum amount of time the presentation can be, etc.). Since the case competition is sponsored by the Center for Leadership & Social Responsibility, an element of corporate social responsibility can be expected. 

What is Corporate Social Responsibility? To understand what corporate social responsibility means, a review of the article Strategy & Society - The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer can be helpful.  The article is available through the library.

Team Formation

Teams are comprised of 3-4 undergraduate students. Teams tend to be more successful when they consist of members that posses a diverse set of knowledge and skills. It is also recommended that teams recruit student members from a variety of concentrations. If you are a team looking for an additional member or an individual student looking for a team to join, attend the Information Session on March 11th. We will allow time for students to match up and create or supplement teams.

Teams are asked to register online no later than 10 days prior to the date the case will be distributed. Team member substitutions are allowed up until the day the business case is handed out. If a team member drops out of the competition once the business case has been received, the remaining team members must go forward with the competition.   

Competition Format

The business case is given to teams 72 hours before the competition starts. For this competition, the business case and instructions are available for pick-up by 8:00 a.m. on the Friday prior to the competition. Team members use that time to analyze the case, conduct research, prepare recommendations, create a presentation and practice their delivery of the presentation.  In preparing for the competition, teams may use any reference materials available through the Internet and library systems (i.e. UW library system). Teams may not consult on any aspect of the case or presentation with any person who is not a team member.

An electronic version of the presentation must be sent to the competition moderator, Dr. Jill Purdy by 7:00 a.m. on the day of the competition. Once the presentation has been sent no modifications can be made. All team members must be involved in the delivery of the presentation and should be prepared to present even in the unlikely event of media failure.  The team must also bring enough hard copies of the presentation to provide to the panel of judges (you will have that information at the time of case pick-up). The order of teams presenting will be determined by lottery during the case pick-up.

Judging

The judging panel is composed of 3 to 5 local business and campus community representatives. The judges will observe each presentation, ask questions of the contestants, and determine the winning team. The evaluation criteria for the presentation are as follows:

A.  Quality of Analysis:  includes the scope and depth of analysis and the ability to draw valid conclusions from case data and research.

B.  Quality of Recommendations:  includes the scope and viability of recommendations as well as their anticipated impact on the organization and its stakeholders.

C.  Professionalism:  includes communication skills, teamwork, design of presentation materials, and confidence in responding to questions.

During the awards luncheon, the judges give each team valuable feedback on their presentation and invite the teams to ask questions about their performance.

Questions? Contact Joe Lawless at (253) 692-5685 or jlawless@uw.edu