Examples of MBA Case Studies

There are countless MBA case study examples that you can find in books and on sites. But who are the legends and which organizations, people and business ideas changed the world? Here we have provided 3 examples of MBA case studies which you can use to study the way businesses and big organizations function and work.

Cola Wars

One of the best sample business case studies can be the cola wars in the United States consumer markets. The specialty of the cola wars is that the field of business marketing and advertising was greatly advanced. If you are a marketing major looking for MBA case study examples, then this is exactly the stuff for you. The cola wars that were fought to dominate the 'cola' markets in 1980s and 1990s, between Pepsi products, Coca-Cola products and Dr. Pepper (Snapple Groups). The cola wars also marked the development of several related concepts such as branding, packaging, optimized logistics. The supply and demand side of the consumer also drastically developed, giving the modern consumer market new direction. Marketing strategies and the marketing mix devised by these companies are legendary in taking the market by storm.

Semco

Well, if asked a personal choice, Semco is one company for which I would willingly work. Why do you think am I suggesting Semco as a part of MBA case studies? Well, simple, Semco, a Brazilian company, has its own style of working.

Reasons to Get an MBA

So you want to take your career to the next level. But you are not sure which path to take and you are just considering MBA as one of the options. You should take into account the following reasons to get an MBA before making the final decision.

Although, first let me brief you on what exactly is an MBA program. MBA is not an academic educational program. It is a professional qualification that works on your management skills. The criteria for entering an MBA program is different in different countries. Some countries require work experience while some hire even if a graduate. There are various specializations in an MBA program like finance, operations, marketing, information systems, supply chain management, retail management. Before you go for an MBA, you should consider its suitability for you and for the career you want to make for yourself. Following are the many reasons why you could opt for an MBA degree.

Change of Career
If you are not happy with your present career, an MBA program can help you make a successful career change. You may want to shift to an entirely different industry or you may want to do something else in your current industry, MBA has an option for everything. Usually when you make a career transition you have to start at the bottom of the hierarchy of the company. But if you have an MBA you don't have to face the same struggle and learning curve, because it is assumed that you have acquired the necessary skills already.

Get Promoted
You can also take an MBA course part-time. That is along with your current job. This type of MBA is called an executive MBA. Its syllabus is specially designed for working professionals. And it is aimed at upgrading your current skills. With this executive MBA degree it becomes very easier for you to get promoted in your current job. An MBA is a requirement for the top positions in major companies. Also, if your MBA is related to your job, your company might even pay your tuition fees. Although, every company has different policies for that.

Jobs that Require an MBA Degree

These days, thousands of students try their luck to get into a reputed business school and complete their Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree. While many are interested in management education, several others go for it with the lure of high salary packages. What one should take care of before enrolling for this program is whether he is really interested in the management subjects or not. Anything done halfheartedly or in peer pressure will never give expected results, and this can lead to wastage of time and money. The job opportunities that are brought about by an MBA degree are available in every sector of the economy.

Chief Executive Officers
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is one of the highest paying careers of all times and almost all chief executives have an MBA degree. An MBA degree gives them practical exposure and know management concepts well. This reflects from their style of working as their decisions bring in a lot of revenue for their organization.

Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officers have a role as important as that of the CEO's. These finance professionals overlook the financial transactions, fundraising, debt situation, shareholder satisfaction and other issues related to the business of the company. An MBA in finance or corporate finance would be the best qualifications for a CFO.

Difference Between an MBA and a Master's Degree

Education, in today's world has reached a level of importance that equals that of food, clothing and shelter. After all, getting a good education leads to getting a good job, which in turn leads to the financial stability to be able to afford food, clothing and shelter. While in the past, getting a high school education proved more than enough to secure a decent job and make a livelihood, today's job market is riddled with competition. For every ten job openings that are made known, there are hundreds of candidates applying. Some qualified for the job experience wise, and some qualified for the job education wise. Yes today, after completion of a high school and college education, students and their parents are willing to go that extra mile to secure the perfect job, by undertaking a Master's degree in the area of interest and specialization. The MBA degree is one of the most popular degrees since a while now. However, is there any difference between an MBA and a Master's degree? This Buzzle article will eliminate these doubts!

What is a Master's Degree

A Master's degree is rewarded to a person who has completed, fulfilling the requirements and targets set by the institute, within the stipulated time period, a post-graduate course that he has applied for. Given below are some of the most common features that a Master's degree entails.

A Master's degree is an all-encompassing term used for a post-graduate degree in any field that one aspires to pursue.
There are many streams, disciplines, and fields from which particular topics are chosen for holding Master's programs in.
For instance, there are Master's programs in the fields of fine arts, science, commerce, performing arts, communication, computer technology, etc. From within these fields too, specific subjects are chosen and Master's programs are conducted.
The reason for this is that these fields are very vast and hence need to be categorized and studied in detail by having separate courses dedicated to them.
A person aspiring to undertake a Master's degree in a particular field is generally required to hold an undergraduate degree in a discipline that is the same as the Master's that he wishes to study in.
For example, among two persons wishing to do a Master's in Astrophysics, someone with a Bachelor's degree in science (specially related to astrophysics) will get preference over someone with a degree in psychology (even though he may be mentally competent for it).
After a Master's degree in a particular field, one generally gets a job and may later on pursue a Ph. D. in a subject of interest after garnering experience and exposure in the field.

What is an MBA

An MBA is the abbreviated form of Master's in Business Administration. That itself is a sure shot signal to how different it is from a regular Master's degree. Nonetheless, we've explained some points to clear your doubts.

Benefits of an MBA Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a master's degree in business administration that has achieved worldwide recognition. It attracts individuals from a variety of academic fields aspiring for a leap in their careers. This degree in business administration was derived from the idea of applying a scientific approach to management. MBA is a challenging educational program that gives basic business management principles to students. It won't be wrong to say that an MBA teaches you the science of 'managing'. The pursuit of an MBA degree is beneficial in several ways.

Benefits of an MBA - A Quick Look
Here, we will help you understand why people go for an MBA degree. Remember, do not go for one just because many around you are pursuing it. Think for yourself why you need an MBA and what you are going to acquire from it. Your basic degree can give you technical expertise. But the vision and understanding needed to put the acquired expertise into practice can be obtained from an MBA. Given here are some of the primary benefits people reap from a Master's in Business Administration.

Acquiring management skills
Career advancement
Acquiring entrepreneurial skills
Development of decision-making skills
Gaining a know-how of IT, economics, finance, marketing and business operations
Enhancement of written and oral communication skills, leadership, teamwork, maturity, analytical skills
Developing business expertise
Having clear career goals

Why is Education the Key to Success

Everyone of us is a bundle of unique gifts and talents. Our relative success in life depends on how much we believe in ourselves, trust our own private genius, nurture it and let it grow freely. What education does is that it provides us with the opportunity to unravel and realize our inborn talents, while providing us with the skills of thinking and solving problems on our own. Both education and success are relative concepts in the sense that there is a wide difference of opinion regarding what is real education and what is real success.

What is Real Education?

Real education is the one which enables you to think for yourself and apply what you have learned. Purely knowing facts and being able to effectively remember and recall them isn't being educated. To be educated is being able to make your own decisions and form your own opinions about things. It is the imparting of skills that enable you to succeed in any field of human endeavor and make your original contribution. What good education requires is a one-to-one interaction between a good teacher and student.

There are two factors of education which must mold two different aspects of the human psyche - one is analytical intelligence and the other is emotional intelligence. The former deals with the ability to solve technical problems while the latter deals with the ability to empathize, communicate, connect with our fellow human beings. A wholesome education system must educate both these facets of the human psyche to mold a character with all the abilities required to live a happy and successful life.

Best Undergraduate Business Schools

Majoring in business during under graduation has become a major attraction among students, especially, due to plum posts which they land after finishing their course. Several students graduate with two or at times three job offers with an average salary of about US$50,000 a year, besides other bonuses and benefits. However, the recent setback in the economic situation of several major economies has dampened the job market to an extent. But having said that top business schools are still producing quality students who find a place in some of the best companies with a reasonably good salary and benefits.

The tuition fees of most of these undergraduate business schools are slightly on the higher side, but they are worth it. Here is a list of some of the best undergraduate business schools in the world, and you don't need to go away from home for an undergraduate business degree.

Best Undergraduate Business Schools in USA

Mendoza College of Business
This college has been rated as the best business school in the country, the most important reason being, when the economic was going downhill, the students of this school fared fairly well. The large base of former students working in several top companies of the world was partially responsible for this school doing well in the job market. The college charges a tuition fees of slightly more than US$37,000 a year both for residents as well as non-residents. For you to get admitted into this college you need to pass either the SAT or ACT test. Some of the other factors which are considered include your record during secondary school, class rank, talent/ability, extracurricular activity, volunteer work, character/personal abilities, application essay and high scores in your high school GPA.

Top Undergraduate Business Schools

Business schools are educational institutions which are majorly focused on providing courses on business and management related subjects. The administration of these B-schools can be independent or they may be functioning under a parent university. Business schools provide business courses that effectively ready the student to take up corporate challenges he may have to face in his career ahead. Studying in the top undergraduate business schools is a dream for many high school students. However, gaining admission is pretty difficult, and you have to take really challenging entrance exams.

Wharton School of Business
The administration of this business school is carried out by the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. Established in 1881, it is also considered to be one of the top undergraduate business schools in the world. Its business degrees are recognized worldwide.

Haas School of Business
Haas Business School is a part of the University of California, Berkeley. It is a public educational entity, started in 1898, that has a wide range of programs in accounting, business management, marketing, finance, and economics. It offers recognized PhD programs as well.

Selecting the Best School for Business Professionals

Some of the best indicators of whether a business school is top-notch include the alumni who have attended, the programs it offers, and, most importantly, the ranking the school gets from surveying groups around the world. If you are looking for the best of the best, the rankings can help you decide. Some are ranked high for their selective enrollment, some for awards they have received from business institutions, and some for their contributions to the business community. There are many groups who rank business schools, mostly annually, and the best schools already have proven track records outside the rankings. The only bonus of evaluating rankings is that such standings give the school a reputation for excellence. If a university has a label attached to its name, then you can be assured that its facilities, faculty, curriculum, and resources have all met the criteria for quality.

If rankings aren't enough for you to make a decision, then you should assess your career goals, and determine which schools offer curricula that align with your values and objectives for your career. Narrowing down your career choices will make it easy to limit the number of schools on your list for consideration. To further limit your choices, consider your budget and the location you prefer. Full-time MBA degrees will require more time and more money, and there are schools that offer executive and/or part-time programs. Your first consideration should not be looking simply for a low-budget program. You should be looking for a school that will provide a good return on your investment.

If you are already working hard and getting paid average wages, and you don't think you're getting ahead or learning new skills you need to know, or if you're in your final months of college and you're not sure what business career you want to pursue, then you may want to look for a business school that can help you decide on and achieve your dreams. Despite all the other considerations you may have when deciding on a school, the best business school for you will be the one that can help you focus on the line of business you are already working in, or the line of business you want to be in.

Best Online Business Schools

Getting admission in the top ranked online business schools is a dream of many students. Whether you pursue your management course full-time or in the online form, you need to work hard and improve your skills to help the most from it. The online business schools rankings can help you choose from the wide range of options you have.

Why Pursue a Business Program?

The primary reason for pursuing a course from the best business schools is the job opportunities that it provides for in the corporate sector. A masters in business studies can open the doors for jobs in a variety of sectors of the economy as per your ability. Management programs can be the best option for students to take their careers to great heights. Students can get employment in areas such as finance, banking, computers, human resource management and marketing with the help of management education. Students will notice that they make great strides in acquiring skills and knowledge essential to work in a competitive environment. Communication skills, interpersonal skills, analytical skills and confidence can be developed with the help of management education to a great extent.

Studying from a good business school can help you earn a good salary package after your course completion. According to many job and salary surveys, the salaries of management graduates did decline during the economic meltdown, however, they were the first to recover and have almost reached the earlier peaks. Graduates from premium business schools get the first preference when it comes to recruiting quality staff for reputed multi-national organizations.