SEMINAR IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - BRAZIL
MBA/EWMBA 296
Full-Time/Evening / Weekend MBA program
Spring Semester 2006
| Instructor: | Frank Schultz |
| Office: | F 496 |
| Hours: | by appointment |
| Contact: | Telephone: (510) 962-3140 |
| Fax: (510) 642-8228 | |
| E-mail: fschultz@haas.berkeley.edu |
Course Objectives, Structure and Organization
What is necessary in our global economy is not a dual-mindset – home country and international, but rather a global mindset. We require a mindset that does not begin first by looking at home country opportunities and then to international opportunities. Rather, successful organizations and executives will be those that first think globally. Where is the best place in the world to build the new manufacturing? Which country has the best skills for our new service offering? A global mindset answers these questions without a bias toward the organization’s home country.
One of the critical steps in developing a global mindset is familiarity and comfort with non-home country settings. Understanding other countries’ economic, social, political and cultural systems is necessary. The purpose of this International Seminar to Brazil is to aid you in the development of a truly global mindset. Through a combination of pre-departure sessions, company visits, cultural activities and an analytical paper, you will be exposed to the world’s 11th largest economy. In the process, you will continue your process of developing a global mindset by experiencing the unique challenges and opportunities that can exist when doing business in an international setting.
So that expectations are set appropriately, you are reminded that this is an educational seminar that qualifies for three masters-level credits. While Brazil and Rio de Janeiro is a popular tourist destinations, vacation travel is not the intent of this trip. While we will see many of the popular tourist sites and you will have some limited time on your own to explore, the majority of our time will be engaged in learning more about the key success factors for doing business in Brazil. As a result no spouses or significant others will be allowed on the trip. If you wish to explore Brazil on your own or with friends and family, I would not hesitate to do so. That independent exploration, however, should be scheduled before the official start of the seminar on the morning of January 2nd or after the end of the seminar at noon on January 11th.
Course Materials
• Competitive Advantage of Nations. Michael Porter
• The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. C.K Prahalad
Pre-departure Sessions
| DATE | Speaker(s) Topics |
| December 10th | Frank Schultz Introduction and Overview of Seminar |
| December 17th | Brazilian Guest Speakers, "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid", "Competitive Advantage of Nations" |
Travel schedule
| DATE | Schedule |
| Jan 2(Mon) | Morning Class Session at Paulista Wall Street
São Paulo City Tour ABN AMRO Brasil Dr. Mário Mesquita - Chief Economist Latin America Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 3(Tue) | Embraer (São José dos Campos)
Johnson & Johnson Brasil (São José dos Campos) Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 4 (Wed) | BOVESPA (Brazilian Stock Exchange) BM&F (Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange) Lunch at LaBourse Banco Itau Mr. Jaime Augusto Chaves - Director of Strategic Marketing Day Debrief and Student Presentations Alumni Reception at Hotel Unique, Skye Restaurant |
| Jan 5 (Thur) | Hospital das Clinicas Carlos Del Nero, MD, PhD - Director
VCP-Votorantim Celulose e Papel Alfredo Villares - Director of Investor Relations Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 6 (Fri) | Bus ride from São Paulo to Rio de Janiero Enroute: Volkswagen do Brasil Ltda., Mr. Lineu Takayama, Labor Relations and Human Resources Administration Manager Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 7 (Sat) | 9:00 am Departure for Half day Corcovado tour 1:00 pm Lunch at Barril 1800 2:00 pm Jeep tour to Tijuca Rain forest & Sugar Loaf Evening Free |
| Jan 8 (Sun) | FREE DAY |
| Jan 9 (Mon) | Gerdau, Rodrido Krause - Investor Relations Manager Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 10 (Tue) | Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), Marcelo Sá, External Relations and Barbara Geluda, Investor Relations Manager Lunch at Confeitaria Colombo Petrobras, Raul Adalberto de Campos - Executive Manager, Investor Relations Day Debrief and Student Presentations |
| Jan 11(Wed) | Departure |
| Time Zone Converter |
Course Grading
• Class Participation (40%)
• Company Pre-brief Presentation (20%)
• International Business Assessment Paper (40%)
Class Participation (40% of Final Grade
Class participation in the context of this class involves timely attendance and active, engaged involvement in all class activities. All students are expected to attend all scheduled activities including pre-departure sessions, briefing/debriefing sessions in Brazil, company visits, and scheduled social/cultural activities as specified on the final agenda for the trip.
An important aspect of attendance is that you arrive on time for all activities. While in Brazil, we will be traveling together on a chartered bus so it is important that you are on the bus and ready to go at the scheduled departure time. If you are not on time, it delays the schedule for your fellow classmates as well as potentially the companies we will be visiting. Time is not a central aspect of Brazilian culture so the tendency will be for us to get lax in our own schedules. If we are late for an activity, I am comfortable with the cause being something beyond our control (i.e. traffic). For the most part, a timely departure, however, is something that we can control.
While in Brazil, we will be a reflection on the University of California, Berkeley and the Haas School of Business. Our responsibility is to further enhance the already stellar reputations that both institutions hold. Therefore, my expectation is that we will be actively engaged in all activities. This means being alert, being courteous and being attentive at all presentations and asking informed, insightful questions. We should each express our appreciation for the time and effort our hosts have put forth on our behalf.
I realize you are all adults, so you might think this strange that I need to emphasize the previous points. I felt it was important to do so, however, for two reasons. The first is that more and more MBA programs are traveling to Brazil on similar programs and therefore our hosts will find it very easy to compare the caliber of students across schools. The long-term value of your degree rests in the long-term reputation of your school. We are fortunate to be associated with two institutions that globally hold the most elite of reputations. We want to do whatever we can to further enhance those reputations during our trip. The second point is that it will not be easy to be actively engaged at all times. Not all the speakers will dynamic. Some of the offices will be hot and the chairs uncomfortable. Some of our days will be long. Some of your classmates may start to get on your nerves. After a couple days, you may be ready for a break. Some of you may also choose to do some exploring on your own outside the scheduled course activities – this may lead to some short nights. As a result, it may be more difficult to be actively engaged that you had anticipated.
Company Pre-brief Presentation (20% of Final Grade):
Each student will prepare one pre-breifing on a company of their choosing that we will be visiting during our trip. The intent of the pre-breifing is to familiarize all students with the nature of the company we will be visiting focusing on three primary areas: A brief history of the company (founding, key businesses and products, size, locations, etc.), an overview of its current strategic challenges and potential questions to be addressed during the company visit. The format for the presentation is approximately a ten (10) minute PowerPoint presentation. If more than one individual is signed up for a give company, please coordinate to avoid redundant information.
International Business Assessment Paper (40% of Grade):
Each student is to complete a 10 to 15 page double-spaced paper addressing one of the following two topics:
1) The Competitive Advantage of Nations
Read the course textbook “The Competitive Advantage of Nations” by Michael Porter and provide an analysis of the implications of his “diamond model” to your current or previous employer. To what extend can knowledge of Porter’s model improve the global competitiveness of your company? In particular, I would like you to address specific actions that should be taken or altered to as a result of your increased knowledge of Brazil.
Or
2) The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
Read the course textbook “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” by C.K. Prahalad and provide a critical analysis of the core thesis of the book. Drawing upon your experiences in Brazil, evaluate the extent to which you believe that it is possible for companies to earn profits and improve social welfare by focusing on the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). In particular, what are specific actions that can be taken or altered by your company (current, previous, or envisioned) that would implement Prahalad’s thinking? Why would these actions work or not work as he specifies?
Health & Safety Issues
Travel overseas, especially to developing countries and emerging markets, may expose participants to health and other risks different from those that they face at home. Although we will do our best to make participants aware of such risks and will make efforts to minimize risks, the ultimate responsibility lies with the participant. Participation in the program explicitly implies acceptance of all responsibility for loss, injury and/or death by the applicant. Participants are advised to check with the Centers for Disease Control and with the US State Department for information on health and safety issues respectively. See also the useful international web sites page for further research on countries and their respective health and safety record.
Each participant must obtain, at their own expense, any vaccinations, inoculations or other medications considered appropriate for a prudent traveler to the destination(s) to which they are assigned.
Each participant must obtain, at their own expense, suitable health insurance for the duration of the in-country portion of the program. The insurance must cover medical evacuation to the USA. Evidence of such insurance must be provided to the course instructor. Without endorsement or recommendation, the following possible providers are listed for your convenience:
MEDEX and the AAA+ membership (if you have been an AAA member for one year) of the CSAA are two possible sources for such insurance. See also : www.insuremytrip.com
The Centers for Disease Control Travel Section provides a wealth of information on traveler's health.
Country information
Brazil
Lonely Plant: Brazil Rio de Janeiro
CIA World Factbook :Brazil
The Economist City Guide: São Paulo
Consulate General of Brazil San Francisco
Miscellaneous
GSM World - plenty of information about GSM telephone service
Computer, modem, telephone questions?
Travel Health Online
Last Updated: April 19, 2006
