Three undergraduate students in the Division of Business at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) earned a first-place ranking and a Global Grand Championship title in the December 2011 Global Business Strategy Invitational.
In addition to winning their industry competition, they had the overall highest score of all 74 teams in the competition.
Three other IUPUC business students placed in the top fifth and sixth places, respectively.
The students, who bested their peers from countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States, were assigned to the athletic footwear industry. They were charged with developing the best strategy to yield good corporate performance, including sales, revenue, total profit, earnings per share, and return on investments.
During the competition, each team oversaw production operations, shipping and inventory management, pricing and marketing, operational financing, and worker compensation and training.
In addition, they were responsible for assessing market conditions, responding to the actions of competitors, forging long-term business strategies, forecasting sales volumes, and operating in a socially and ethically responsible manner.
“The simulation provides our students with excellent insight into business dynamics and a deeper understanding about the highly competitive global economy,” reports Dr. Tom Clerkin, associate professor of management at IUPUC.
Clerkin, who was named a master professor for the seventh time in as many years, has an unprecedented record of eight BSI grand championships with IUPUC student teams.
The grand champion winners, along with their majors and hometowns, are:
- Christopher Buzzard, management and marketing | Columbus, IN
- Caspar Kelly, management | Seymour, IN
- Brandon Luedeman, management | North Vernon, IN
IUPUC students placing in the top six, along with their majors and hometowns are:
- Alicia Barbour, management (fifth place) | Elizabethtown, IN
- David Emberton, marketing (fifth place) | Columbus, IN
- Misty Weafer, management and human resources (sixth place) | Columbus, IN
For more information about the Division of Business at IUPUC, please call 812.348.7273 or visit www.iupuc.edu/business.