IACBE Live Case Competitions

 

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CapSource Technologies, Inc.

 

RULES & GUIDELINES

 

The purpose of the document is to communicate to all parties what they should expect from participants involved in IACBE CapSource Case Competitions.

This IACBE  Case Competition, powered by CapSource, is open to students from IACBE member and non-member institutions worldwide that are eager to learn by working in a team to suggest viable solutions to a real business based on their real, up-to-date strategic challenge. 

Thank you for dedicating your time, energy, and resources to this meaningful collaboration that most definitely will impact the future of a real industry partner, and hopefully, the future of your career. Think critically, act professionally, and leave no stone left unturned! 

 

All Parties Recognize:

  • This engagement is designed first and foremost to be a learning experience for the students involved; value created for the company is a byproduct of the student experience.

  • All work derived from the project is owned exclusively by “Industry Partner”

  • The students are not considered full-time or part-time employees; they are assuming the role of outside student consultants and should be treated as independent third parties.

  • The students are not being compensated for their work outside of accolades, experience, rewards (for winners), and/or course credit.

 

Case Competition Rules

  1. COMMUNICATION

    :  In order to be most equitable, we provide all participating students and faculty with the same information and access to our Industry Partner. Students and faculty should absolutely not reach out directly to the Industry Partner during the competition outside of the designated time for the kickoff webinar and scheduled Q&A Sessions. The Industry Partner will be answering questions submitted via Google Form during designated Webinar Q&A Sessions if applicable. You can feel free to submit as many questions as you’d like. Note that we are receiving dozens of questions and will do our best to address as many as possible. If we cannot get to your question, it’s likely because the Industry Partner is unable to provide an answer or because we do not feel answering the question will lead to a better competition experience.

    If you have any questions, comments, or concerns throughout the experience that are not appropriate for the Industry Partner, please contact Jordan Levy via [email protected] directly.

 

  1. TEAM SIZE & REGISTRATION

    : Teams are to include up to (4) four undergraduate, graduate, or young professional members. Teams cannot be mixed undergraduate and graduate. All team members must REGISTER individually before the competition begins. Multiple teams from a single institution may not transfer, switch, or change students’ once teams are registered and the competition has started. 

 

SURVEYS: Surveys are required. There will be three of them in total; they take 2-minutes and each student must submit each one. This includes

    1. PRE-KICKOFF SURVEYS

    2. TEMPERATURE CHECK SURVEYS 

    3. WRAP UP SURVEYSYou will be ineligible to receive any competition rewards or experiential learning certificates unless you complete all surveys.

REWARDS: You have several weeks to produce the best insights for the Industry Partner. Industry partners can choose to reward winning teams in whatever way they feel is most appropriate. Rewards are made clear on the program and partner page.

 

SPORTSMANSHIP: Each faculty member and student participant is expected to show respect and courtesy to CapSource, the Industry Partner, and the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) staff, and competition judges. Each participant is to display good sportsmanship at all times as well as maintain control of his/her emotions, avoid the use of abusive or profane language, and avoid any taunting or humiliating remarks, gestures, or physical contact.  

 

VIOLATIONS: If you violate any of the rules included on this document, it may result in immediate dismissal from the case-study competition and possible suspension from future competition events at the sole discretion of CapSource. All communication regarding problems, concerns, or inquiries relating to the competition are to be directed to Mr. Jordan Levy by registered faculty advisors and/or participating students. CapSource has the authority to make final decisions on any situation not specifically covered by these rules.

 

MISCELLANEOUS: CapSource in conjunction with IACBE have the authority to make final decisions on any situation not specifically covered by these rules. 

 

Final Deliverable Guidelines, Competition Judging, and the Determination of Winning Teams

 

  • TEAM PERSPECTIVE

    : Each team is to assume the identity of an independent consulting firm tasked with providing insights and feedback on the project scope to the Industry Partner’s executive leadership team and board of directors. Teams are expected to showcase their understanding of the relevant background information of the case, which may include legal, financial, economic, marketing, operations, talent, and strategic management issues relevant to the case, but they will be graded predominantly on the quality and depth of their recommendations.

 

  • FINAL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE: 
  • 3-Minute Explainer Video

      • Cannot exceed 3-minutes

      • Must be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Google Drive / DropBox

      • Should be recorded video; should not be a powerpoint with embedded audio

      • Explore Quicktime Screen Recorder or Loom if you need resources to help capture screen plus audio and/or video stream

      • Video Editing / After Effects are allowed and encouraged, but not required

  • 5-Page Executive Memo (+ appendix and works cited)

    • Must be in PDF Format

    • Must be uploaded to CapSource project environment 

    • Appendix is not required, but encouraged

    • There are no length requirements or limitations for appendix

    • Appendix may include graphics, data, works cited, and other information to help further inform the Industry Partner on your insights and how you arrived at those insights

 

    • 5-Page Executive Memo (+ appendix) (70 Points)

      • Argument

      • Case Feasibility

      • Company Feasibility

      • Research & Support

      • Structure

      • Professionalism

      • Creativity

    • 3-Minute Explainer Video (30 Points)

      • Argument

      • Clear

      • Concise

      • Professional

      • Consistency

  • SUBMISSIONS

    : Final deliverables must be uploaded to the CapSource project environment no later than 11:59 PM ET on the deadline indicated on the Project Charter Timeline. Late submissions will not be accepted

 

  • JUDGES

    : Your submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges, including members of the company’s leadership team, academicians, and other business leaders. 

 

  • JUDGING

    : Scores are averaged between all participating judges weighted equally. A first and second-place team for both graduate and undergraduate participants will be selected based on the total combined scores on the judging scorecards from the explainer video and written memo

 

  • TIES

    : In the case of any ties between the top two teams from either the undergraduate or graduate cohort based on the total combined scores, the determining factor in breaking the ties will be determined by Industry Partner Representatives

 

  • AWARDS CEREMONY

    : The top performances and rewards will be acknowledged at the Winners Announcement Webinar

 

  • SCORECARDS & FEEDBACK

    : Each team will be provided with a scorecard after the Winners Announcement Webinar, including performance data and qualitative feedback. We also encourage local faculty mentors to grade students and provide them with qualitative and quantitative feedback.

 

Expectations of Faculty Mentor(s):

 

  • The role of outside and Faculty Mentors, if involved, is always to coach students through the project as subject matter experts and advisors; they should not be completing day-to-day project responsibilities or involved in preparing any final deliverables

  • Each team is encouraged to enlist help from one or more faculty and industry advisors

  • Faculty Mentors acknowledge that they are open to communication at any point throughout the project from IACBE and CapSource

  • Mentors should always serve as initial escalation of issues before students contact CapSource or IACBE representatives. As a reminder, never contact the Industry Partner. 

Intellectual Property Assignment:

 

  • Students and Faculty Mentors (the “Consulting Parties”) hereby irrevocably assign, grant and convey to Industry Partner all right, title and interest now existing or that may exist in the future in and to any intellectual property rights in any work product created by Consulting Parties, or to which Consulting Parties contributes, pursuant to this Agreement (the “Work Product”), including all copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights (including but not limited to patent rights) relating thereto.

  • Consulting Parties agree that any and all Work Product will be and remain the property of Industry Partner. Consulting Parties agree to execute, at Industry Partner’s request and expense, all documents and other instruments necessary or desirable to confirm such assignment. 

  • Consulting Parties will not attempt to register any works created by Consulting Parties pursuant to this Agreement at the U.S. Copyright Office, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, or any foreign copyright, patent, or trademark registry. 

  • Consulting Parties retain no rights in the Work Product and agrees not to challenge Industry Partner’s ownership of the rights embodied in the Work Product. 

  • Students are permitted to showcase high-level details about these working relationships, including publicly available details about the company and high-level details about their project scopes for use on resumes, LinkedIns, portfolios, and other mechanisms typically used to showcase experience for future work.

  • Consulting Parties further agree to assist Industry Partner in every proper way to enforce Industry Partner’s rights relating to the Work Product in any and all countries, including, but not limited to, executing, verifying and dering such documents and performing such other acts (including appearing as a witness) as Industry Partner may reasonably request for use in obtaining, perfecting, evidencing, sustaining and enforcing Industry Partner’s rights relating to the Work Product.

Acknowledge Commitment:

 

By registering for the competition and/or submitting final deliverables for review, you are acknowledging that you have read and agreed to this  Case Competition Rules & Guidelines Agreement, CapSource TERMS OF USE, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, and PRIVACY POLICY. 

As a condition precedent to participating in the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) Student Case Competition we the undersigned, have read the rules and code of conduct and voluntarily agree to abide by all regulations established by IACBE.