Management Simulations Announces Winners of Bi-Annual International Challenge

Published: April 27, 2007 | Read Time: 4 minutes

Management Simulations, Inc. (MSI®), the largest provider of business simulations to college graduate and undergraduate students, announced today winners of its Bi-Annual Capstone® and Foundation® International Challenge - comprised of two online, global business simulation competitions.

Brent Corbitt, under the tutelage of Dr. Nancy Landrum of University of Arkansas at Little Rock, won the MSI's Spring 2007 Capstone Challenge. Brent will graduate in May with his MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he also received his undergraduate degree in accounting. Following graduation, Brent will be moving to Washington to work for the accounting firm Moss Adams. He plans to take his CPA examination within the next year.

"I had done fairly well in our [classroom] competition, although we had only played for profits," said Corbitt. "I thought that I would be able to do even better playing on the Balanced Scorecard approach so I decided to give it a try.

"I love competition so the chance to compete against my peers was something I didn't want to pass up."

After having the highest overall score during their undergraduate classroom competition under the tutelage of Dr. Eileen Kent of Capital University, Michael Ely, Christine Snyder and C. Scott Stanton decided to team up again for the global competition. Their instincts and efforts paid off as the team of students won MSI's Spring 2007 Foundation Challenge.

"We had a very strong team and wanted to compare our analysis to those from other leading schools across the world," said Stanton, who will graduate in August and aspires to work his way up the corporate ladder to assume a leadership role within a strong, global organization. "Initially overwhelming, [the Foundation simulation] was helpful in pulling together all of the aspects of any business and how they work in conjunction with one another. Overall, it was arduous, challenging and a worthwhile experience."

"It was an intense competition that enabled me to use all of my business skills," said Snyder, who will graduate this May with a management degree. "This is a valuable tool for all business schools and I enjoyed the experience."

Added Ely, a career occupational safety and health professional with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, "[The simulation] gives you a feel for the type of pressures and decisions that must be made as well as the teamwork necessary to be successful."

"The Capstone and Foundation Challenge is a fast-paced, fun and entertaining learning experience for both undergraduate and graduate students who have been previously exposed to the simulations during their coursework," said Dan Smith, president of Management Simulations, Inc. and adjunct professor at DePaul University, Chicago. "Not often do students have the opportunity to compete in a global competition with peers from around the world."

This was the 13th Bi-Annual Capstone and Foundation International Challenge hosted by Management Simulations, Inc.. The Challenge ranks participants using the Balanced Scorecard, a strategic assessment tool that accurately measures a business unit's progress by considering the customer perspective, internal business dealings, demonstrated innovation and learning, and financial growth. Prior to the competitions, all participants had learned finance, research and development, marketing and production through the use of the Capstone Business Simulation and the Foundation Business Simulation in their college courses. This year, the competitions included teams from dozens of countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada, Chile, France, India, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Nicaragua, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Finalist results from MSI's Spring 2007 Capstone Challenge:
First Place: Brent Corbitt, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; Dr. Nancy Lundrum
Second Place: Adam Volasko, McMaster University; Dr. Nick Bontis
Third Place: Shawn Tapley, Kennesaw State University; Dr. Raj Veliyath
Fourth Place: Rob Williamson, Penn State University; Professor Sanjay Samuel
Fifth Place: Karen Hebert, Suvasa Laohalertwatana, Raymond Michaud, George Owen and Sebastian Wittig, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Dr. Walter Einstein
Sixth Place: Greg Joy, Southern Utah University; Dr. William Christensen

Finalist results from MSI's Spring 2007 Foundation Challenge:
First Place: Michael Ely, C. Scott Stanton and Christine Snyder, Capital University; Dr. Eileen Kent
Second Place: Jeremy McDonald, Montana State University-Billings; Professor Patricia Holman
Third Place: Chris LaPole and Katherine Steiskal, Bluffton University; Professor Alphonso Spence
Fourth Place: Miles Thompson, Drexel University; Dr. Robert E. Laessig
Fifth Place: Joshua O'Hara, Kennesaw State University; Dr. Dorothy Brawley
Sixth Place: C. Nelson Baird, University of Texas at Dallas; Professor Larry Chasteen

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