PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:

MBA Consultancy Program 2023

featuring Indiana University - Kelley School of Business

introduction:

In January 2023, we had the privilege of welcoming a group of MBA students from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University interested in learning more about how the private sector expands and adapts across international boundaries.

Through a real-world case competition and a series of visits to international companies with operations in Brazil and Brazilian companies with operations abroad, students had the chance to explore how these companies manage intercultural differences, challenges, and opportunities.

"Campus b staff’s professionalism and hospitality made my Brazil Immersion experience and learning from the case competition for Afya impactful and memorable. We also enjoyed visiting many successful companies in Rio de Janeiro and grasping their corporate objectives for sustainable growth. In addition, the Campus b’s introduction to the local culture, customs, and socioeconomics helped bridge the cultural differences and made the visit engaging and delightful. "

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

January 15th - 21th, 2023

28 MBA students (Kelley) + 9 graduate students (Brazilian)

Case Competition

A LONG-STANDING PARTNERSHIP

Although we previously had the opportunity with Indiana University on other undergraduate programming, this was the first time we were able to work with their MBA students.

With the support and vision of Dr. Erica Piros Kovacs, we were able to bring together this week-long immersive experience with company visits, a central case competition, and academic lectures.

Company: Grupo Afya

Afya is a leading medical education group in Brazil, delivering an end-to-end physician-centric ecosystem that serves and empowers students and physicians to transform their ambitions into rewarding lifelong experiences from the moment they join us as medical students through their medical residency preparation, graduation program, and continuing medical education. They also offer digital products to help doctors enhance their healthcare services through their career.

"Participating in the Indiana University MBA Consultancy Program in partnership with Campus B was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that encouraged students to expand their prowess in cross-cultural management whilst immersed in vibrant Rio de Janeiro. With more than 30 students traveling from around the world to participate, the MBA Consultancy Program afforded the opportunity to work alongside teammates from vastly different cultural backgrounds as we pitched in an intensive business case to Afya. In visiting headquarters for Ambev, Vale, IBP, Vibra Energia, and Carelink Saúde, students gained in-depth knowledge about business practices in Brazil and throughout South America. The opportunity to experience Rio's lively culture with our Brazilian teammates at the helm allowed Indiana University students to experience the local culture in a truly captivating way. We learned to samba, practiced our Portuguese, went paragliding, and made lifelong connections and friendships. "

The Solution:

At the core of this program was the case competition, hosted in partnership with the local Brazilian organization Grupo Afya.

The Kelley students were paired with local Brazilian students and divided into teams in order to develop a solution to the challenge posed by Grupo Afya, related to the company's global market entry strategy.

During this month, in addition to working on their cases virtually in collaboration with their international colleagues, students had a mid-point check-in session with the project host, during which they were able to request additional information and clarifications and run their initial ideas and progress by the representatives of Grupo Afya. By the time students arrived in Rio de Janeiro, they were able to meet with their teammates to put the final touches on their presentations, which they delivered in person to Grupo Afya for deliberation.

In addition to the case competition, Kelley students had the opportunity to attend a lecture on business in Brazil with local professors and conduct visits with a number of companies based in Rio de Janeiro, ranging from the beverage conglomerate AmBev to the energy company Vibra Energia. They were even able to participate in a roundtable discussion with international expats living in Brazil, who opened up about their careers and their lives abroad.

The Results:

Bringing together these theoretical and practical elements over the course of the seven days of the program, students were able to obtain a dynamic image of what international business looks like in Brazil.

Beginning the journey with an academic lecture from local professionals with extensive experience in Brazilian and international corporate contexts equipped students with the appropriate tools to process and operate in this new culture. The corporate visits they participated in following this lecture helped to further develop a holistic image of what this all means in practice.

The case competition thus came to represent the culmination of all of this learning, materialized in a single activity. In order to propose a market entry strategy to Grupo Afya, students were challenged to understand the Brazilian market in which the organization currently operates, the unique idiosyncrasies of the target market, and the tools the organization could employ to exist in both of these realms.

Following a rigorous session of presentations, Q&A, and client feedback, Grupo Afya named the winning team, which was able to propose a relevant, realistic, and implementable solution. In any case, all teams left with a clearer and practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities that arise when the private sector crosses international borders.

"During our Global Immersion Trip to Brazil in Jan. '23, we had the opportunity to observe Brazilian social and business culture firsthand. Our Campus B hosts cultivated an atmosphere of exploration and curiosity, providing local perspectives on Brazilian current events and cultural artifacts which colored our experience in Rio. Working directly with our Brazilian classmates on the Afya case study demonstrated the importance of effective cross-cultural communication in both personal and professional settings. Our hosts provided excellent recommendations for evening activities as well, including restaurants and dining, music, nightlife, and shopping, which helped us make the most of the available free time. I can't wait to return to Rio for round two!"

Our passion in the academic ﬁeld has given us the privilege of actively collaborating with more than 80 universities, offering professional and extracurricular experience journeys directly impacting more than 4000 students.

Written by:

Jaret Waters

Campus b Team

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