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Business students voyage to New Zealand |
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From the Northern Iowan
By Karen Heinselman
NI Features Writer
How would you like to have spent your Spring Break in sunny New Zealand? Okay, how would you like to have spent three intense days pouring over documents, analyzing case studies and putting together presentations?
Teresa McCann, Laurie Stoos, Monia Bennett and Callie Reed flew to Auckland, New Zealand during Spring Break and had the privilege of being the first team from UNI to participate in the Seventh Annual Network of International Business Schools Case Competition.
In fact, this was the first time the United States was represented in this international competition. Auckland University of Technology hosted the competition because the New Zealand team from AUT won last year.
Since UNI has never had representatives at the NIBS Competition, it was hard for this year’s team to know what to expect. When McCann, Stoos, Bennett and Reed volunteered to go to New Zealand, they knew this international competition was a big deal, one that required their time and effort, confidence and hard work.
Photo: seated L to R: Callie Reed, Advisor Chris Schrage, Laurie Stoos
Back row: Monia Riveria Bennett and Teresa McCann
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The purpose of the NIBS competition is for students to gain experience in international business. Students learn from one another how different countries view business and approach business education. Participants find the stress-level high and the competition fierce. Teams prepare for months in advance, developing strategies, doing practice run-throughs, becoming updated with the latest computer technology and even color-coordinating their outfits.
The UNI team prepared in advance by going over sample cases and giving presentations to UNI faculty.
On day one, the UNI team was assigned a marketing problem. McCann, Stoos, Bennett and Reed had four hours to complete a case analysis, using only the information in the case study document, a text book and the skills and knowledge they possessed as students of business. All the case studies were real, the problems taken from actual businesses.
Reed explained that a lot of the case studies were projections into the future, so to speak, for a particular company. For example, a case study might address a particular problem or an issue in an organization. Team members might give recommendations as to how this organization might maintain or improve their position.
After completing the case analysis, the group had to give a 20-minute presentation on their findings to a panel of distinguished judges. Following the presentation, judges questioned the team about the material presented. Finally, at the end of the day, the scores were tallied up and the winners were announced.
By observing teams who’d participated in past NIBS competitions, along with listening to the judges’ comments, UNI’s team had a better understanding about the nature of the competition and what was expected.
“The case analysis and case presentation are quite different than what we do here,” said McCann.
Reed explained that when business students at UNI are given a case study, the problem that needs to be solved is not obvious. Students have to determine the problem themselves before they can analyze the case. Also, students are encouraged to explore many potential outcomes and to go into detail about possible solutions.
In contrast, at the NIBS Competition, students didn’t have to do much digging to discover the problem.
Students weren’t supposed to go into a lot of detail about many different solutions; they had to pick their argument and back it with all the enthusiasm they could muster. The solution didn’t have to be feasible and the numbers could be exaggerated. If it is not possible, make it possible, was one group member’s interpretation. The purpose of the presentation was to be persuasive and aggressive.
As the competition progressed, the UNI team put together new strategies and adjusted their presentation style. All teams were given a new problem every day in different areas of business.
In their first trip ever to the NIBS Competition, McCann, Stoos, Bennett and Reed almost walked away with first prize for Wednesday’s competition. The results were close, ending with a 5/6 split.
Although three out of the four members will be graduating come May, plans are already underway in the business department to send another team next year. After coming so close to first prize the first time around, UNI is sure to give other teams a run for their money in the years to come.
“UNI has the educational background to send a winning team,” Reed said.
*Note: All NIBS contest participants are members of UNI's International Club of Business Students.
For more information on the NIBS contest, click here.
To view photos from the trip, click here.
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