A team of three Shenandoah University undergraduates received international recognition and praise from Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dean Miles K. Davis, Ph.D., and Associate Dean and Professor of Management R.T. Good III, Ed.D., for earning one of the top scores in an international strategy simulation. Jack Clauser-Freed ’16 (Economics and Finance), Gerald Cole ’15 (Business Administration) and Maritza Garcia-Delcid ’16 (Healthcare Management) scored the fourth-highest score in the world in the Business Strategy Game two weeks in a row.
The Business Strategy Game is an integrative management simulation currently being used by approximately 14,000 students on 4,451 teams at 280 universities. Participating universities span the globe, from nearby Old Dominion to France’s INSEAD. For the computer-based simulation, teams manage a shoe company and compete for global dominance of the footwear industry. Performance on this integrative simulation is an indicator of not only students’ strategy acumen but also their ability to apply knowledge from every business discipline.
In the first week, Jack, Gerald and Maritza’s score of 108 out of a possible 110 tied them with 22 other teams with only 64 teams scoring higher (110: 3 teams; 109.5: 3 teams; 109: 20 teams; 108.5: 32 teams). In the second week, the team improved to a score of 108.5, tying them with 21 other teams. Only 79 teams scored higher. This impressive accomplishment has netted the Byrd School international recognition – the names of universities with top 100 performers are sent to professors and deans around the world.
When asked about the key to their success, Jack, Gerald and Maritza humbly praised their faculty and education. While the faculty enjoyed hearing this at their monthly meeting, they agreed that the students’ handwork and ingenuity deserved the credit.