Smith MBA’s Come Under Fire in Mock Press Conference
On February 21, MBA students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business put themselves into a sticky situation that business executives loath— trying to navigate the treacherous terrain of a mid-crisis press conference in this year’s “Leadership Under Fire” competition.
The six groups of first-year MBA students were tasked with responding to the following situations in front of a press corps and panel of judges made up of experienced media professionals in Van Munching Hall’s Tyser Auditorium:
A hotel company facing allegations of unfair treatment of workers and an over budget project at a new site in Guatemala and a multi-billion dollar beverage company dealing with backlash regarding water contamination that may be tied to the firm’s Michigan plant.
After reading the initial written press release and verbal statement regarding the mock situation to a slew of seasoned journalists, the students faced the “fire” of a question and answer period with the press
Ken White, Smith’s associate dean for MBA and MS programs highlighted Smith’s involvement as one of five business schools to participate in the Public Relations Society of America’s pilot program of MBA-level strategic communications courses as further evidence of the school’s commitment to developing these skills.
At the event’s conclusion, the press corps awarded Nadine Payne as the “Press Favorite” while the team of Brendan Collins and Katie Tedrow took home the award for “Best Overall Team.”
“The event provides an opportunity to apply what we’ve learned in the classroom about leadership, ethics and teamwork toward a real world scenario,” said Tedrow, a full-time first-year MBA student. “As future business managers, this experience is a fun and effective way to gain practical experience handling high pressure situations.
