WVSU Students Place in International Business Competition

A trio of West Virginia State University business students finished among the top 50 teams in the world in a recent computer-based business simulation.

WVSU seniors Casey Criner, Joshua Dearien and Matthew Spencer participated in the international competition as part of a Senior Business Seminar taught by Dr. Abainesh Mitiku, professor of management.

“Although we are a small school, we do produce some outstanding students who could be competitive worldwide,” said Mitiku. “This is a big achievement. I am very proud of our students for such an excellent performance.”

Competing in the Business Strategy Game, the participating teams were assigned to operate an athletic footwear company that do not outsource their production to contract manufacturers but rather produce their shoes at company operated plants.  Students have to base their decisions on sound business and economic principles to parallel the competitive operations of the real-world athletic footwear market.

The students who comprise each company are responsible for assessing market conditions, determining how to respond to the actions of competitors, forging a long-term direction and strategy for their company, forecasting upcoming sales volumes and making business decisions.

During the week of Nov. 14 through Nov. 20 the WVSU students’ company, known as Deb0n!r, earned the 41st best overall score performance for the week. At the time there were 5,206 teams from 303 colleges and universities from around the world participating in the Business Strategy Game. During the prior week of Nov. 7 through Nov. 13, the WVSU students’ team had earned the 73rdbest overall score.

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