Collaboration and camaraderie: The secret of DeGroote MBA Games winners
The 2022 DeGroote School of Business MBA Games team produced a unity-themed video in which they all danced in groups, with each person a piece to a puzzle until it spelled out all their names.
“You can do an MBA to get the three letters after you name. Or you can do an MBA to transform your perspectives, confidence and impact. Case competitions can help facilitate this transformation.”
— Milena Head, professor of information systems and director, McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre
For the longest time, the 2022 DeGroote School of Business MBA Games team could only “meet” online. When they finally met in person, their first project was producing a video of the entire team dancing for the competition’s Spirit Challenge.
This year’s theme for the Games? Unity. And united they were.
The team, which is visibly close-knit and collaborative, came in second overall.
In person or online, the camaraderie and collaboration that underpins DeGroote’s program has consistently led its teams to rank highly at Canada’s largest annual collegiate competition.
“DeGroote, as a whole, has a really good collaborative environment,” says co-captain Isabella Olivares.
“Even on the academic side, we help each other in our classes and in ensuring that we all succeed, rather than just being competitive.”
The team quickly focused on supporting each other in general, and not just winning the Games, says co-captain Soundarya Selvam.
“That made our team dynamic natural, fun, and high-spirited. When your focus is only on winning, you lose sight of building connections, learning from your peers, and creating team resiliency.”
A highlight of the MBA program
In addition to a case competition in which teams address help companies and organizations deal with real business problems, the three-day MBA Games engage students in athletics — this year, a running challenge — and community activities — the dance video challenge, plus a competition that paired up teams from different schools to fundraise for the partnered charity, Indspire.
A national organization, Indspire invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, a cause that is dear to many at DeGroote, Selvam says.
“We recognize that education can make such a difference in people’s lives, and in their families and communities,” Selvam says. “The charity was really well aligned with DeGroote students.”
Case competitions are the best way to apply MBA knowledge while taking the program, says information systems professor Milena Head who has coached DeGroote’s Academic teams for 15 years.
“It is always challenging, thrilling and so rewarding,” says Head, who is responsible for introducing the D700 Case Analysis and Presentations course, which serves as a training ground for MBA students wishing to represent DeGroote at national and international case competitions.
“Year after year I hear from my students that their participation in case competitions was the highlight of their MBA journey.”
The winning formula
The students’ willingness to step outside their comfort zones is impressive, Head says.
“Case competitions may seem daunting and sometimes students think they don’t have the necessary skill sets to compete against top students from other top schools who may have a lot more experience,” she says.
“Our track record shows that our students are fantastic and have the skill sets, creativity, passion and work ethic to do well on the national and international case competition stage.”
Like most MBA students, DeGroote students are highly competitive, she notes.
“Our students are also passionate about engaging in experiential activities where they can represent their school and program,” Head says.
“Importantly, they are willing to take a risk and realize you can never succeed if you don’t try. And success is not just about taking home a case competition trophy. Success is when you are scared and the challenge seems daunting, but you step up to the plate anyways.
When you couple all of this with a structure that supports you in developing skills and confidence (through coursework and coaching) and easing financial barriers (through the DeGroote Experience Fund), that’s when you get the ‘something in the water’ magic.”
