Case Writing Competition

2008 Reaching Out MBA Case Writing Competition

Write a Compelling LGBT Business Case and Earn Up to $5,000

Faculty, PhD candidates, students, and alumni from MBA programs throughout the world are invited to research and write an original business case for this year’s competition. There exists a limited pool of MBA-level business school cases which adequately address contemporary Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues with sensitivity and sensibility. In an effort to change this situation, we are delighted to continue the Reaching Out MBA Case Writing Competition for 2008-2009. Research stipends of $1,500 will be awarded to selected case-writers who complete and submit a case according to the following milestones:

• Abstract of case and outline of issues to explore due by November 30, 2008. The strongest abstracts will be funded and invited to complete the entire case.
• First draft of completed case due by January 31, 2009
• Final draft of completed case submitted by March 30, 2009

Additionally we will select one case for its overall excellence and award that author, or team of authors, an additional $3,500 for their efforts.

Our primary goal is to build a collection of quality LGBT-related cases while providing a rich educational opportunity for participants and ultimately the students who will study the cases. We’ve just recently signed an agreement with the European Case Clearing House to distribute our LGBT Case Library and wish to expand the library with high quality, well written, and solidly researched cases. Our goals are to:

• Promote education and learning about LGBT issues in the workplace
• Develop a library of quality LGBT issue-related business cases
• Support partnerships with corporations to acquire new case material
• Provide a vehicle for transfer of knowledge to current and future LGBT professionals
• Leverage these fresh case studies for use in the Reaching Out MBA case competition

Writing a business case can be a large undertaking, for that reason we require that all teams who wish to participate register and submit an abstract and outline by Sunday, November 30, 2008. We will review these items and announce which specific cases we will underwrite in early December. Participants are urged to register for the competition and to obtain clearance from the firm they will study. This “reserves” that firm and topic for the author(s). We hope to avoid having multiple teams studying the same firm, unless the cases are clearly different topics entirely. You may get a complete set of rules by sending email to caselibrary@reachingoutmba.org. Descriptions of current cases can be found in our case library.