AMBA & BGA EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
Students can make up their own minds about that, but we believe that it is critical to pose the question in all elements of business that we teach. In 2023, we interviewed around 30 companies worldwide to ascertain their view of this approach. Most related this to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, with many expressing how hard these could be to measure effectively, hence the reason for developing our students’ skills in this area through the consultancy challenge.” Some 98 per cent of applicants are said to cite the Deloitte challenge as their reason for choosing the Birmingham MBA. How has the school raised such strong awareness of the partnership and why are industry alliances so important for business schools? “Quite simply, the programme is promoted as a major offering within the Birmingham MBA in all our literature, web materials and recruitment fairs. “Business schools need to reflect the needs of society globally. Our research should increase productivity, lift economies and help give workplaces meaning and purpose for their employees. Only by building partnerships – in which we learn of employers’ labour market needs, recognise productivity skills gaps and gain understanding of the latest technological changes – can we ensure that our degrees maximise students’ employability and that our research creates real impact.” “The partnership is one based on trust, continuity, mutual success and friendship” reads a line from your school’s original submission for this award. What would be your advice to other business schools seeking to establish such mutually beneficial relationships with industry? “This is absolutely true and the latter cannot be understated. We have built a firm friendship with those we work with at Deloitte and this has led to an even greater commitment on both sides to make the consultancy challenge the very best it can be for MBA students. “It can take time to identify the full extent of the benefits to both parties when you build a partnership, so it needs to be enjoyable in the meantime. In building that mutual trust and appreciation, you get a fuller picture of the strengths each can offer, synergies in which you can partner and the pain-points where one can support the other. From there, innovation occurs.”
as examples in job interviews. It’s particularly gratifying when you learn from alumni that they can still identify when they are using skills that they picked up during the challenge many years later.” How does the consultancy challenge use technology to elevate the student experience? “One of the unique aspects of the challenge is the way we film student teams interviewing their client board from one angle and film the board’s response from the opposite angle. This involves creating a boardroom with a two-camera setup and an adjoining edit suite where our technical team live-edits both feeds on to one screen. This enables the students to watch it back with a Deloitte facilitator immediately, so that they can view and critique their own interview style and witness how well, or otherwise, they built rapport with the board’s various members. “Students will typically remember how well they built rapport with one board member, for instance, but not realise how this was at the expense of another until they see it for themselves. It’s a very valuable experience and ensures that, in addition to learning technical consultancy skills, students get to practise, witness and analyse their own listening skills and ability to gain a client’s trust. Students can only really do that if they see for themselves how they performed and the responses they received. It’s usually the session the students dread the most but, conversely, gain the most from.” Aside from industry links, the challenge seeks to build skills in relation to ESG targets and strategies. Why was this focus chosen? “Building towards a responsible future sits at the heart of what we do. We, therefore, encourage students to reflect on what an organisation’s responsibilities are to society and the environment.
BIOGRAPHY Edgar Meyer joined the University of Birmingham in October 2023 as dean of Birmingham Business School, following more than three years as deputy dean at Leeds University Business School. Prior to his time at Leeds University, he spent more than four years at Imperial College London, where he was associate dean of undergraduate programmes and education quality. Meyer completed his PhD at the University of Southampton, where he worked as a researcher, lecturer and, later, professorial fellow in human resource management and organisational behaviour at Southampton Business School. His areas of expertise include leadership, teamwork, digital learning and digital pedagogies
Ambition | SEPTEMBER 2024 | 33
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