Second Annual National MBA Human Capital Case Competition
Hosted by Vanderbilt’s B-School, Sponsored by Deloitte and GE
October 3, 2008
Media Contact: Scott Addison
Public Relations | Gabbe Group
(212) 220-4444 | scott.addison@gabbe.com
NASHVILLE, October 3, 2008 – Racing against both the clock and their competitors, ten teams of graduate students will tackle a real-world challenge that illustrates the link between people and strategic business issues in the second annual National MBA Human Capital Case Competition on Oct 16-18, hosted by the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management and sponsored by Deloitte and GE.
Over the course of three days, students will focus their attention on issues related to human capital, a rapidly emerging academic and professional field. The ten schools competing for the top honors this year are Brigham Young University, Cornell University, Emory University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, Vanderbilt University and Yale University.
Serving as judges for the competition are executives from Deloitte and GE, two corporate leaders in the field of human capital. The top three teams will be selected based on how well they’ve demonstrated the link between human capital solutions and real business impact, with the winning teams taking home more than $20,000 in cash prizes.
“Managing the people issues inherent in every organization and industry has become increasingly critical in today’s business environment,” said Timothy Vogus, assistant professor of management (organization studies) and a faculty advisor for the competition. “These participating students will get a decided leg-up in their development as business leaders by tackling these challenges head-on.”
Growing Demand For Human Capital Expertise
In the face of current and looming business challenges – such as the shortage of skilled U.S. workers, an aging U.S. population, growing global competition and significant economic volatility – leading organizations have come to recognize human capital management as a critical tool for competitive advantage, resulting in increased demand for business leaders skilled in human capital know-how. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates a nearly 17 percent increase in employment of HR managers by 2016, faster than average for all occupations.
“Never before has it been so critical for organizations to understand how to maximize their workforce efficiency and productivity in support of strategic business objectives,” said Garth Andrus, a principal in Human Capital at Deloitte Consulting LLP. “The companies that get ahead will be those that make the link between strategic business issues and the human capital implications.”
Nancy Abbott, vice president, organization and staffing for GE Commercial Finance, echoes the importance of human capital expertise for organizations in today’s competitive marketplace. “Understanding how to motivate and reward people and implement change are among the skills which are rapidly becoming must-haves for business leaders,” she said. “This competition significantly advances human capital scholarship by challenging students to apply what they have learned in their graduate programs to real organizational issues.”
The Owen School, which has long offered specialized study in issues of human and organizational performance, established the case competition in 2007 – the first to be solely focused on human capital challenges. Since then, the contest has captured the attention of numerous leading business schools, including the 27 teams that vied for a berth in this year’s showdown. Last year’s winning team was from Cornell University, with Northwestern University and the University of California, Los Angeles rounding out the top three.
This 2008 contest will also feature up-to-the-minute reporting on contest developments and in-depth audio and video interviews with participants, sponsors and faculty by student bloggers from OwenBloggers.com, an uncensored and student-run site that has been visited by more than 100,000 people in 160 countries.
About Deloitte
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. GE is Imagination at Work. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com.
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
