Measuring Student Educational Progress Through a Multinational Business Case Competition with Elements of Mystery and Randomness

This paper presents the results of a survey conducted before and after a six-day international team-based business case competition featuring elements of mystery and randomness. A total of 30 undergraduate participants studying at universities in the four Visegrad countries were divided into four teams, each led by a randomly assigned mentor. Four case studies covering different business issues, all linked by a mysterious background, were assessed by the teams. Two questionnaires were deployed o measure the students’ perception of their educational progress and motivations to join and work in the competition. The results of statistical analyses point to the meaningfulness of organizing international team case competitions, as students registered improvements in their knowledge, also extending beyond their field of study. Moreover, the intentional incorporation of additional game elements did not appear to have a significant impact on the participating students’ motivation to participate. Last but not least, a modest financial reward was the least prioritized reason for joining the competition and for working in it.