Annual Student Case Competition Rules

The Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) is pleased to provide the opportunity to showcase students’ management knowledge and skills in our annual Management Case Competition.

The Management Case Competition:

  • Has three divisions – Open, Undergraduate, and Associate
  • Is open to all Accredited Collegiate Institutions
  • Provides the opportunity to compete with other students nationwide
  • Provides feedback to the competing teams
  • Provides certificates of participation to all team members
  • Gives recognition in SAM Advanced Management Journal to the winning teams and universities

The case competition is much like doing a capstone presentation in a Business Policy course. The students are to analyze the case to determine strategic vision and present a recommendation on the actions the company should take to improve, sustain, turn around, or correct its performance. The analysis should include the highlights of a strategic plan for the next three to five years. The teams are assessed on their realistic recognition of the problem(s), their assessment of alternatives, their recommendations for action, and their ability to respond to the Judges’ questions.

Dress Code: Business attire for Case Competition, Reception, Lunch, and Banquet. Business casual attire for other sessions.

Violating any of the following rules will disqualify the team.

  1. Each College is eligible to enter one team of two to five members in each division. Division definitions follow.

Associate Division: Students pursuing a degree within the first 60 credit hours or an associates degree if all other eligibility requirements are met.
Undergraduate Division: Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree or any lower degree if all other eligibility requirements are met.
Open Division: Students pursuing a master’s degree or any lower degree if all other eligibility requirements are met.

2. Each team member must register for the entire conference and pay the fees outlined in the conference material.
Because we recognize that emergencies arise, substitution will be permitted if the SAM headquarters and case competition director are notified as soon as the substitution is made and the substitute meets all other eligibility requirements.

3. The competitions committee will annually review the number of teams entered in a division in order for SAM to certify competition and award prizes in that division.

4. Student teams agree that they will not seek outside help from any source after receiving the case. It is not acceptable to ask specific or general questions related to the case of anyone, or to have anyone read, listen to, watch, or provide feedback on the presentation. The presenting team is charged with doing its own work on the case with no assistance from anyone not on the team. It is NOT permissible to contact the case authors.

  • All deadlines below must be met. Any extensions are at the discretion of the Competitions Committee.
  • Colleges wishing to receive case materials should submit the Registration Form by no later than January 31 of the competition year.
  • Case materials will be provided to teams that have completed the Preliminary Registration Form by January 31 of the competition year.
  • Materials will be available for all interested parties following January 31 of the competition year by request.
  • After receiving their materials, teams should review them to determine if they wish to compete. If colleges wish to compete, the Final Registration Form (form will be available on February 1 of the competition year) must be completed by no later than the first day of competition.
  • Later entrants may not be permitted to compete.

5. The presentation and question session will last up to 25 minutes. Presentations will be limited to fifteen minutes. Judges will have the remaining time (typically 10 minutes) to ask questions.

6. Teams should provide a lead-in graphic that clearly identifies the school and participants’ names.

7. Each team may select the media it feels will most effectively deliver its message.

8. Advisors and Coaches are not team members.

9. If teams use a PowerPoint presentation, a PowerPoint handout of the slide presentation (3 slides per page format) must be provided. No additional written material is necessary. Please do not provide written reports to the judges. The Judges’ evaluations are based on presentations only. (Printing services will not be provided by SAM).

10. Presentations will be closed to the public. Each team may, at their discretion, have two designated “listeners” attend their presentation. The designated listeners will not be permitted to ask questions, make comments, or provide direction of any kind to the team. That may result in disqualifying the team. Teams may audio or videotape their presentation so long as doing so does not interfere with SAM’s videotaping the competition.

11. Each team and its faculty sponsor/advisor must certify that all work on the case and presentation was completed by those presenting the case and no others. A certification form will be provided with the case materials and must be submitted to the case competition director (or his/her representative) at the presentation.

12. By agreeing to participate in the Management Case Competition, each team is also agreeing to have its presentation videotaped. Upon request, each team will receive, as available, a videotape of the winning team in its division.