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Management education has received an immense amount of attention from both scholars and practitioners in the last few decades. Most research efforts have aimed at improving classroom education processes, programs and outcomes. Only a limited amount of research has focused on extracurricular activities such as mentoring top talented students for international business case competitions. This paper aims to examine the knowledge flow between mentors and strategic management undergraduates while they prepare for international business case competitions. This flow provides the opportunity for the development of phronetic skills, knowledge and leadership potential of undergraduates.

To understand the flow, 55 mentors worldwide were examined to provide evidence of their mentoring practices, perceived development of undergraduates and reverse learning of the business schools' top talents. For the analysis, the study used partial least squares–structural equation modeling.

The results of the study indicate that extracurricular mentoring of business case competitors strongly affects their development and creates recursive effects on the development of mentoring activities.

Given the parsimony of mentors for premier global case study competitions, the findings of this study cannot easily be generalized to mentoring as such.

Despite the importance of the topics, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a study of this kind has never been conducted before. For the construct of the authors’ model, the study was inspired by the multistage mentoring process theory.

Marketing.

This case study can be taught in a marketing course MBAs students: (communication trends analysis, sales models analysis, strategic marketing decision). It can also be taught in a sales management course with focus on sales process analysis and financial risk analysis. Students should use quantitative criteria for the analysis: potential sales revenue, market potential and qualitative criteria: risk analysis, customer satisfaction.

Vision of the owner of the company was to improve modern marketing communications using high end technologies – mainly touch sensitive technologies, by which the company was named. The case study “touché solutions” describes the example of new start up business as a small enterprise involved in high tech marketing interactive communication solutions in Serbia. Set in 2007, the company is having problems with profitability, sales negotiation and choosing priority business clients in 2009. Lazar Stojkovic, CEO has recently identified influences on the Internet, “Y” generation needs and new communication challenges, that led to conclusion that interactive technology provides the possibility of dialog with consumers and response to company's offer.

Understanding the differences between habits and customer behavior of X and Y generation; being able to understand the influence of media mix investments on marketing and sales effects globally, in EU and Serbia; understanding the obstacles and benefits of small enterprise and partners for financial sales agreement – new financial model; recognizing the differences between traditional sales model and innovative sales partnership model; being able to analyze and identify sales and market potential for business clients; understanding the model of accepting the innovation on the market.

Teaching note.

The purpose of this paper is to identify, compare and contrast different perspectives of Serbian residents and diaspora regarding Serbia brand identity.

Attitudinal statements for research design of study were collected within a period of 12 months from national media (TV and newspapers) and ten focus groups. Multiple surveying techniques consisting of on‐the‐filed and on‐line surveys were applied. In total, 900 responses were collected and results were analyzed using principal component; also 740 examinees with Serbian citizenship and permanent residence in Serbia participated in the survey and 160 examinees from diaspora.

Findings demonstrated that certain differences and similarities exist in the Serbia brand image perceptions between Serbian residents and diaspora. The first difference is reflected in the number of brand identity elements identified by each of the two examined groups. Diaspora identified four brand identity elements which are marked as mild nostalgia, business and pleasure destination, great cuisine and negative media bias; whilst residents identified six elements: people, obsolescence, negative media bias, cultural uniqueness, tourist destination and national treasure. The second difference, reflected in the mere content of the brand elements, is mainly determined by the fact that diaspora's perception is mainly influenced by the nostalgia, whilst residents’ perception is mainly influenced by national pride. These elements constantly interact to fulfil country brand promises to stakeholders.

The main constrains in this research study refer to small sample for diaspora and people living in Serbian countryside; people with a lower education are underrepresented.

The study suggests guidelines for long‐term brand strategy development for Serbia as a brand. Different framework of destination brand identity from resident and diaspora perspective can be of immense use to brand planners for identification of problems for better brand positioning of Serbia as a country.

The research results emphasize perceptions of Serbia brand identity from resident and diaspora perspective and provide better understanding of the main components for communicating country branding strategy for Serbia. Both groups hold the view that Serbia suffers from negative media bias but still stays a recommendable tourist destination and a place to be.