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For five weeks this summer, student teams from the International Full-time MBA at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) developed and addressed business cases for 12 visiting companies. In the process of this Living Management Project, the 112 MBA candidates from the Class of 2025 were challenged to think critically, work collaboratively and prove their ability to adapt and innovate, while also being guided to reflect on their individual learning.  

The Living Management Project is a high-pressure consulting project with a real-life business issue that MBA students worked on for five weeks, using all the new skills they have learned during the first six months of their MBA programme, culminating in a presentation of their solutions to a panel made up of company representatives and faculty members.

The teams of around five students each, worked on real-life business cases in close collaboration with Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Convergence Health & Technology, KLM + Airport Medical Services, Brogent, Keystone Agritech, Stadshaven Brouwerij, UCB, Infinity Recycling, ETG, SHV Energy, Koninklijke Van Wijhe Verf, and America Today.

New organisational structure

MBA participant Ferid Gunay’s team focused on developing a financially sustainable business model for the Naturalis Biodiversity Center’s AI-driven species identification services.

“Collaborating on a consulting project for a non-profit organisation presented new challenges and learning opportunities. The most significant outcome was the development of a new organisational structure and pricing model for the organisation, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability.”

Gunay says the project was a significant learning experience. “It reinforced the importance of collaboration, diverse perspectives, adaptability, and the impact we can make when we come together with a shared purpose. This experience has undoubtedly enriched my MBA journey and will continue to influence my professional path.”

Recommendations to implement

The teams had RSM faculty members and coaches to guide them throughout the process of personal effectiveness, leadership and teamwork. Students were challenged to communicate and use interpersonal skills while dealing with ambiguous problem definitions, incomplete information, new tasks, stakeholders with conflicting agendas, time pressure, and challenging team dynamics. Ultimately, each team presents its findings to a panel of client representatives and RSM faculty coaches.

“The Brogent team’s analysis was above average, and the recommendation is impactful from a business perspective. This is catching up with real consulting deliverables,” says David Hsieh, head of corporate development at Brogent Technologies Inc. in Taiwan. He was impressed with the students’ skills, energy and diversity. “The student team presented an improvement plan for one of our division’s business models. We see great potential to implement their recommendation to enhance our operational performance at Brogent.”

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl.

For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Erika Harriford-McLaren, communications manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at harriford@rsm.nl.

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