BIND%202500%20GLOBAL%20RESEARCH%20PRACTICUM

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BIND 2500 GLOBAL RESEARCH PRACTICUM

Professor of European Course R. E.
Wendell Europe Coordinator Liz Agey Latin
America Coordinator Patricia Hermenault
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Description

• Three-credit course integrates four
  three-hour class meetings and a 9-day
  international field study tour
• Two trip destinations
• Munich/Augsburg area of Germany, and the
  Prague area of the Czech Republic
• Santiago, Chile
• Eligibility includes all full-time and evening
  MBA students who are currently enrolled at Katz

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Tentative Itinerary - Europe

• Day 1 Depart Pittsburgh (p.m.)
• Day 2 Munich a.m. arrival p.m. city tour
• Day 3 Company visit MAN, Munich
• Company visit Audi, Ingolstadt
• Day 4 Your Day/Your Way
• Day 5 Munich - Prague Transfer
• Company Visit Brewery, Plzen
• Day 6 Prague Your Day / Your Way
• Also city tour, group dinner
• Day 7 Company visit Moser, Karlovy Vary
• Company visit Valeo, Rakovnik
• Day 8 Prague free day for cultural activities
• Day 9 Depart Prague and arrive in Pittsburgh

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Learning Objectives
-- to provide an opportunity to do a
student-selected research project on global
aspects of business

- - to learn from experts and
experienced executives
Experiences
-- to discuss business issues firsthand
with companies in the Czech Republic, Germany
and Chile

• - to learn experientially
• about unfamiliar cultures

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Details

• Three of the classes will be held on Friday
  evenings during the Spring semester, starting
  late January/early February.
• Trip dates February 28-March 7, 2009
• A final class will be held after the group
  returns from the field study.

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Research Project

• Self-selected teams of three/four students will
  identify a globally-oriented business issue to
  investigate
• Requirements include
• Forming teams and selecting a research topic
• Summarizing current thinking on the topic
  (e.g., using books, journals) and identifying
  specific hypotheses to test or issues to address
  on the field trip
• Identifying specific questions to ask
  companies
• Preparing a written report on your research
• Presenting your results to the class

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Sample projects

• "The Ease of US and EU Foreign Direct Investment
  in Eastern Europe Company Case Studies
• "How Cultural Differences Affect Marketing
  Strategies of Consumer Products in the Czech
  Republic, Germany, Hungary, and the US
• "A Comparison of Human Resource Strategies,
  Organizational Structures, and Business
  Strategies across Countries A Case Study of
  Alcoa
• "Differences in Customer Relationship Management
  of Europe and the US
• "Comparing Brand Management Strategies in Europe
  and the US
• "How Economics, Regulatory Agencies, Politics and
  Other Factors Affect Mergers and Acquisitions in
  Europe"

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Team Research Activities As part of its
research activity, each team is expected to
identify a firm relevant to its research topic
within each country to be visited, to make
contact with them, and to set up a meeting with
them to discuss the teams research questions.
The research report of each team should include
a brief description on organizing and conducting
this activity including name of company
ownership status industry and primary
products/services companys main customers and
main competitors challenges you faced in
establishing contacts with the company (e.g.,
initial reaction and cultural issues
experienced) first impressions second
impressions lessons learned and the value of
your experience.
As part of its research activity, each team is
expected to identify a firm relevant to its
research topic within the two countries to be
visited, to make contact with them, and to set up
a meeting with them to discuss the teams
research questions. The research report of each
team should include a brief description on
organizing and conducting this activity
including name of company ownership status
industry and primary products/services companys
main customers and main competitors challenges
you faced in establishing contacts with the
company (e.g., initial reaction and cultural
issues experienced) first impressions second
impressions lessons learned and the value of
your experience.
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Astronomical ClockPrague, Czech Republic
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Your Day/Your Way

• In each of the countries that we visit, you have
• the opportunity to organize one day in a way
• that maximizes your overall learning experience.
• Your Day/Your Way activities should be
• allocated for the team research project as
• well as to pursue individual or group activities
  for learning and experiencing the cultures of
• the countries.

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Cultural Activities

Each student is expected to identify and to
pursue activities to maximize her/his learning
and experiencing the culture of the countries.
There is a considerable degree of flexibility in
what you can do. For example, such activities
might include experiencing the countrys music,
visiting traditional folk markets, exploring
historical monuments, visiting art and
historical museums, etc. Students are expected to
submit a short individual report on what they
chose to do, why, what they did, and what they
learned. Also, each student is asked to give a
short presentation (under 5 minutes) on their
experiences (with pictures encouraged).
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Expenses

• Students are responsible for the three credits
  of tuition in addition to estimated travel
  expenses of 2,500 travel expenses (airfare,
  ground transportation, double occupancy hotel
  rooms, and meals)
• Exact cost will not be known until the tickets
  are purchased and the reservations are confirmed.

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• Overall Educational Value
• of the Course
• Last three years rating of overall educational
  experience
• 4.6 4.7 4.9 (on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being
  excellent)
• Comments
• Excellent!
• This course should be a requirement for the
  program.
• Great to see how other people in other parts of
  the world do business.
• I loved this experience. If I could afford it, I
  would do it again.
• Such an amazing opportunity to learn about
  international business cultures firsthand!
• This is in the Top 5 of most interesting courses
  I have taken in my MBA studies.

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Did the experience add value to your educational
process?

• Absolutely. It was a great chance to bring
  together all the courses weve had in the
  program.
• Yes, the combination of company visits and
  historical tours was excellent.
• Yes. Seeing the ways other companies compare to
  the US is very interesting. Meeting w/ McKinsey
  on our project was an eye opener on how business
  is really handled and viewed in CZ.
• By being able to observe several world class
  companies and interact with their executives, I
  gained much better sense of global competition.
• Provided a learning opportunity that is
  impossible in the classroom.
• Rare firsthand glimpses into foreign corporate
  cultures.
• I now have a better understanding and
  appreciation for those companies and business
  professionals who conduct themselves globally.
• Exposure to new cultures, businesses, and
  perspectives

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Would you recommend a similar experience be
offered in the future?
Ano!
Sí!

• Absolutely. It was an exceptional program.
• Yes. Overall trip was very good.
• Yes most definitely.
• Without a doubt!
• Absolutely! This should be a mandatory experience
  for all MBA students.

Ja!
Yes!
Da!
Oui!
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Prague, Czech Republic
lt- -Charles Bridge- -gt
Prague Castle from Charles Bridge
Hotel Metamophis
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Old Town
Old Town Square
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Munich, Germany
City Hall
City Center
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Fuggerei, Augsburg
Augsburg
City Hall, Augsburg
Southern Germany
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Latin America Study Trip
February 28- March 7, 2008
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Itinerary

• Day 1 - Departure
• Overnight flight from the U.S.

• Day 2 - Welcome
• Hotel
• Orientation meeting
• City tour of Santiago featuring
• La Moneda presidential palace
• the Plaza de Armas
• National Cathedral,
• San Cristobal hill
• Los Domínicos artisan market

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• Day 3
• Valparaíso/
• Viña del Mar
• Historical port city of Valparaíso
• Declared a UNESCO world heritage site, and
• Panoramic lunch at a local restaurant
• Chiles largest beach resort, Viña del Mar.

• Stop at a famous vineyard in Casablanca valley
• Meet managers
• Wine tasting tour
• Dinner party

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• Days 4-8 Business Meetings
• 2-3 business meetings with high level managers
  from multinational and local
• companies in Santiago such as IBM, Coca Cola,
  Sonda, etc.
• 2 or 3 mornings free time to carry out
  consulting projects with local executives.
• 1 free afternoon to explore Santiago

• Day 9 Andes Mountains
• Day Trip
• Lodge Andino, nested in the beautiful mountain
  village of El Ingenio.
• welcome coffee
• horseback riding,
• trekking or
• relaxing at Lodge gardens.
• Followed by a sumptuous traditional Chilean
• BBQ lunch beside Maipo Canyon.
• Return to Santiago in early evening and depart
  for USA

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• Registration is limited to 22 participants for
  the Europe course and 30 participants for the
  Latin America course.
• Place will be given to the first to make the
  200 deposit. The deposit is non-refundable
  except in the case of illness.
• Please make your check payable to the
  University of Pittsburgh and send it to Patricia
  Hermenault, Room 241 Mervis Hall.
• Send your trip/course questions to Patricia
  Hermenault at hermenault_at_katz.pitt.edu or call at
  412-383-8835.