2008 Headlines
Johnson School Places Second at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management National MBA Human Capital Case Competition
Diverse team of students analyzed business and human capital implications for the merger of two companies
November 13, 2008 | Ithaca, NY | The Johnson School team, comprised of MBA students Javed Singha (team captain, MBA'09), Shaun Mathews, Roy Ashok (both MBA '09), Mohammed Alsalamah (MILR'09), Lauren Furgione and Swati Gupta (both MBA '10), took second place and a $5000 prize at the second annual National MBA Human Capital Case Competition held on Oct. 16 - 18 at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, Tennessee. The teams were judged by executives from General Electric and Deloitte Consulting who sponsored the competition, including the prizes for the winning teams.
Sponsored by the Strategic HR, Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (SHRLOE) club and the Johnson School, the team was comprised of men and women of various ages, nationalities, and ethnicities, and benefitted from a variety of prior work experiences, professional interests and academic concentrations.
Each year, the competition pits student groups from top graduate schools across the country against each other to address a real-world human capital issue and present solutions relevant in today's fast-paced global economy. This year, teams analyzed the business and human capital challenges which would be faced in a planned merger of two leading energy companies. After careful analysis of the business case, teams developed recommendations regarding the new company's proposed organizational structure, future profitability, human capital and labor management practices, and devised a plan for implementation. The competition also featured a new twist—as teams arrived in Nashville, they were presented with a "press release" complicating their already-prepared presentations with the announcement of a labor union resentment campaign.
The winning teams were awarded for their well-rounded analysis of the merger, recognition of the gaps in various aspects of business, culture, and human capital, as well as recommendations for innovative strategies to bridge those gaps.
For more information on the National MBA Human Capital Case Competition, log onto www.humancapitalcasecompetition.com.
