The case competition ran from 20 February to 8 March 2024 and placed 34 undergraduate students in groups with representatives from both universities. The teams analyzed and compared the different business models of Amazon and Walmart and discussed how they could evolve in the future.
In the context of this project-based and learning-by-doing approach, participants trained their global management and leaderships skills and enhanced their cross-cultural awareness through group work in multicultural teams. Each group shared their findings with the academic panel from both the University of Connecticut and the University of Mannheim in a forum setting. Professor Dr. Sabine Kuester (Chairholder in Marketing & Innovation, University of Mannheim), Dr. Nina Landauer (Director Degree Programs, Mannheim Business School), Professor Narasimhan Srinivasan (Marketing, UConn Business School), Professor William Ryan (Marketing, UConn Business School) and Instructor-in-Residence Heidi Bailey (Marketing, UConn Business School) formed the jury.
“The case competition with UConn broadened my cultural horizons considerably,” resumes Alexis Neveux, a second-semester Bachelor's student. “By working with my American team members, I was able to gain insights into their working practices and learn new ways of thinking. In addition, there was a lively exchange on academic and non-academic topics, which I found extremely enriching. If you have the opportunity to participate, do it!”