Case Method Orientation: Business Succession & Success in Business School

New enrollees from 29 different countries, some already in Japan and others joining via Zoom, came together in our hybrid auditorium for today's general and case method orientation sessions. Prof. Eddie Law, who has taught Human Resource Management, Business Issues and Ethics, and Human Resources Analytics for our MBA and Executive Education programs, led a practice case discussion based off of a freshly submitted final research project authored by Class of March 2024 graduate José Baptista on a succession planning crisis in his family business.

Our MBA and MiM candidates must study and debate hundreds of cases throughout their degree programs, working with their peers in simulated decision-making processes during discussion sessions to form a consensus on the direction in which the case protagonist should go. At the end of their programs, degree candidates research and develop their original case studies for use in the business school classroom.

Framing the conversation with statistics about family businesses and the importance of understanding the delicate process of succession planning, Prof. Law stoked the participants' interest in the case: 90% of businesses worldwide are family-owned businesses. On average, boards spend just about 2 hours a year talking about succession. 40% have no formal talent development program, and more than 40% have no talent assessment tools. The question posed to the participants: Why?

The discussion that ensued gradually gained momentum, as participants built off of their classmates' comments and experiences, shared their ideas and insights, and highlighted areas of commonality between them. The immediate goal was to find common ground and understand the lesson of the case: the importance of implementing internal processes and procedures to prepare for succession, rather than dealing with it at the last minute. For the participants, however, the session had a larger goal: to begin building their student community and developing bonds with their newfound peers in their journey toward their MBA.