Griffith Business School’s growing reputation has been enhanced with a strong showing in the prestigious Aspen Institute 2012 Business and Society International MBA Case Competition.
Griffith’s team of four MBA students received an honourable mention from judges and finished in the top 10, just outside a top five ranking that would have seen them in New York this week to compete for the $20,000 top prize.
“This is an outstanding result for Griffith and continues to cement our place among the world’s leading business schools,” administrative coordinator MBA programs at Griffith Business School, Lynlea Small (pictured), said.
More than 1,000 students from 25 business schools worldwide competed in the first round of the MBA Case Competition last month, tackling a novel case study authored by the Yale School of Management.
Griffith’s team was made up of husband and wife duo David Kraft and Alyssa Moore from the US, Kevin Sasso from Canada and the Gold Coast’s Israel Rensen.
Students received the password to the case study at 9am on competition day and had 72 hours to respond through a six page written report.
“We were able to apply everything that has been learnt to date in the Griffith MBA program to the case study response,” Israel said.
“Everybody who comes into the MBA program seems to have a niche set of skills that may apply to areas such as marketing, finance/accounting, IT or HR.
“In discussions among ourselves, students sometimes question why it’s necessary to complete all core courses which are not necessarily relevant in daily work lives.
“The Aspen case study showed why it is important to fully understand all aspects of the MBA core courses to be able to bring the project together.
“It is these courses which are going to make you a better manager in a general sense rather than in a niche area. I will be recommending to every student I know in the MBA program to participate next year so they too will be able to apply all skills and knowledge they have in the one project.”
Competitors had to apply innovative thinking and decision making to a real-life business scenario, involving a financial and social crossover, typical of those likely to be faced by the next generation of business leaders.
“Our judges were thoroughly impressed with the quality of submissions received this year,” Justin Goldbach from the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program said.
He said the Institute was committed to celebrating Griffith’s pioneering vision for integrating social and environmental value into business school education.
Three schools — Columbia Business School, NYU Stern and Wharton School — participated in the first Aspen Institute Case Competition in 2002.
The competition has grown in prestige and size since then and is today renowned for offering business students a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the significant and positive influence that a well-managed business can have on society.
The final round of the program will take place tomorrow (April 13) when the 2012 finalist schools will be posted on the program’s website.
Griffith University’s MBA program is ranked 26 in the world and number one in the Asia-Pacific in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, which is an Aspen Institute Centre for Business Education initiative.
Beyond Grey Pinstripes is an independent, biennial survey conducted by the Aspen Institute highlighting how academic institutions prepare students to meet the business challenges of tomorrow.
Its mission is to spotlight innovative full-time MBA programs that are integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into curricula and research.