MBA Students Receive Top Honors for Eight Years Running National Case Competition – Turning Around Declining Market Share for Tom-Tom

Raj Soin College of Business students once again achieved top honors at the 2010 Society for Advancement of Management nationwide case competition. This is the eighth consecutive year that Wright State has placed in the top three in the nation setting an unprecedented record in the history of the competition.

The MBA graduate team consisting of Manal Alhasawi, David Cruickshank, and Adoum Kokoi Ey-Moussa placed second the competition held in Washington, D.C. This year’s team reflected the international diversity of the Raj Soin College of Business with students from Kuwait, Canada and Chad. 

This year’s competition focused on the GPS firm of TomTom and the challenges it faced from smaller competitors. The students were judged on a basis of clear analysis, strategic decision making, effective communication skills, professionalism, and overall presence. The team’s analysis included an integrated strategy for reversing the decline in the firm’s market share, a marketing plan for untapped segments and financial strategies to expand the firm’s leading position in the market. 

The team prepared for the national competition which included top schools from across the nation.  According to team member, Manal Alhasawi, “Our team’s strengths came through especially in the depth of our analytical research about the firm’s competitors and market dynamics.   It was both gratifying and a bit stressful to see firsthand what an outstanding reputation Wright State has built among the other schools and the competition’s judges.”

David Cruickshank added, “Our team excelled at working together and thought outside of the box to present a creative and thorough solution to TomTom’s current financial and marketing situation. The MBA program at WSU is outstanding and it was a pleasure to put the theories we learned from our professors to work.”

 “All of the team members demonstrated tremendous drive and initiative in preparing for and competing in the National SAM Case Competition,” said Lisa Crawford, lecturer in the department of management and the team advisor. “This year’s team was one of the best in terms of preparation and also in the presentation of their analytical and strategic recommendations.  The team was intent on keeping Wright State University in the top national rankings for the eighth year in a row.  I am extremely proud of their accomplishments.”

“I am very proud of our student’s accomplishments,” said Berkwood Farmer, Dean of the college. “This competition allows our students to build upon all of the core values and skills, we emphasis throughout our curriculum.  Once again our students have consistently proved that they can compete with students from the nation’s best business  programs.”

Editors Note:
The  team consisted of:
 Manal Alhasawi, MBA student in International Business from Kuwait.
David Cruickshank, MBA student in Finance from Canada.
Adoum Ey-Moussa, MBA student in Economics from Chad.