Challenge Accepted: OU business students put their business skills to the test at the management and marketing competition

Business-minded students at OU put their business skills to the test in the annual “MGT and MKT Compete” case competition event hosted by business student organizations DECA, AMA and EIA, and sponsored by the Department of Management and Marketing.

Case competitions offer students the chance to put their business skills to work and boost their resume, as well as connect and network with fellow students and faculty members. As these organizations hosted a case competition event this past spring, the name has been changed to “MGT & MKT Compete”, to acknowledge the departmental support and engage a broader group of students.

For the fall 2022 competition event, students could choose to participate individually or with a partner in the areas of strategic management, marketing or human resource management. Depending on the category selected, competitors had 30 (individual) to 60 (team) minutes to complete their case analysis, recommendations and presentation, and 10 or 15 minutes to present to the judge.

This fall the MGT & MKT Compete, winners, are:

• Larissa Giacomin and Fiyafoluwa Adedipe, Human Resource Team
• Paulina Martinez Hernandez, Individual Marketing
• Valerie Nowosielski, Individual Strategic Management

In each case, competitors were evaluated on communication, analytical, production and time management skills as well as economic competencies. Specific performance indicators such as the ability to evaluate opportunities, describe managerial considerations in staffing, identify speculative business risks, explain reasons for ethical dilemmas and enlist others in working toward a shared vision were also considered.

In the marketing case, participants developed a new product or service to engage customers and to continue their loyalty to the company presented in the case. They were then asked to depict the marketing segment and create a marketing plan for the new product or service.

In the strategic management case, participants analyzed the brand Peloton. Presenting a SWOT and competitor analysis, participants shared their solutions as to how Peloton could improve its company within the customer community.

In the human resource team case, participants were asked to provide the company within the case with an update on employee complaints and conflict procedures. The winners developed an implementation plan that would lead to greater employee engagement, higher productivity, better overall morale, and stronger employee relationships.