In this student authored blog, MSc Management student Raiba Bhosale reflects on the inaugural MSc Management Case Competition. A student-led initiative designed to provide opportunities for students to solve real life business problems in a competitive setting.
Photo credit: Izhaan Habeeb Syed
As MSc Management students at Queen Mary University of London, my colleagues Sufiyan Dayam and Mahima Verma and I (Raiba Bhosale) recognised the need for a platform that would enable us to apply our classroom learnings to real-world scenarios. It was this realisation that led us to conceptualise the MSc in Management Case Competition, an initiative that aimed to provide an opportunity for students to work on complex business problems in a collaborative and competitive setting.
Our initial discussions revolved around the need to create an immersive experience that would simulate the challenges and opportunities that arise in the business world. We wanted to create a platform that would allow students to work in teams and develop solutions that addressed not only the economic but also the social and environmental aspects of business problems.
We were fortunate to receive the support of Dr. Lilian Schofield, Programme Director for MSc in Management, who recognized the potential of our idea and helped us navigate the logistical and administrative requirements of organizing such an event. Dr. Schofield's guidance and mentorship played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the competition.
Our next challenge was to identify organisations that shared our vision and were willing to partner with us. We reached out to a number of institutions that aligned with Queen Mary University of London’s values and goals and were excited to find that PENHA, Play-it-forward, Beam River, Shabaka, and ENDIP were all eager to collaborate with us.
Each of these organisations has a unique mission and focus aligned to the Queen Mary University of London’s values, sharing a commitment to social change, sustainability, and good governance. PENHA, for instance, is a non-governmental organisation that works towards empowering marginalised communities in Africa, while Play-it-forward aims to use sports as a tool for social change. Beam River is a consulting firm that specialises in sustainable business solutions, while Shabaka focuses on promoting social justice and inclusivity. ENDIP, on the other hand, is an organisation that aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry through innovative research and development projects.
Working with these organisations not only provided us with a diverse range of perspectives and insights, but also allowed us to leverage their expertise and resources in designing the case competition. We were able to craft a business problem that was not only challenging but also relevant and meaningful to the goals of our partnering institutions.
The competition was structured to encourage collaboration and creativity. We invited teams of students from the MSc Management programme to form groups, select an organisation and business case problem they want to work on and proffer a solution to the business problem. A workshop on enhancing consultancy skills was delivered by one of the events champions and each team was supported and provided guidance throughout the competition process.
Over the course of the competition, the teams worked on a case that required them to develop a sustainable business model for a company operating in the social enterprise sector. The case was designed to evaluate the teams' ability to integrate economic, social, and environmental considerations into their solutions and to develop innovative and practical ideas that could be implemented in the real world.
The final presentations were truly inspiring, and it was evident that the teams had put in a lot of effort and thought into their solutions. It was also heartening to see the level of collaboration and teamwork that had developed within each team, and the enthusiasm and commitment that the students had brought to the competition.
In the end, the winning team was awarded a prize, but the real reward was the learning and growth that each participant experienced. The competition had provided an opportunity for students to develop their analytical, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, and to gain valuable insights into the complexities of sustainable business practices.
The success of the MSc in Management Case Competition would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of our partnering institutions, Dr. Lilian Schofield, Dr Patrick McGurk, Associate Dean of Education, and the School of Business and Management. We are grateful for their belief in our idea and for their commitment to collaborating with us.
Author:
Raiba Bhosale (MSc in Management).
Acknowledgement: Dr. Lilian Schofield (Program Director for MSc in Management), Sufiyan Dayam (MSc in Management), Mahima Verma (MSc in Management).