What We Do
Timeline | Sample Projects | FAQ
Timeline
September/October/November
Companies submit project applications via GBP website while GBP representatives at participating schools acquaint their students with the course and the unique opportunities it provides to students.
Students at participating schools apply via the GBP website; faculty at the participating schools review their students' applications and recommend to the GBP Selection Committee those students with the best fit for the submitted projects.
The GBP Selection Committee chooses projects, teams, and faculty advisers.
December
GBP schools notify their students of the status of their application with GBP; those students who have been selected for a team sign contracts, which commit them to their projects and also to their language plan, and they pay a $500 non-refundable deposit of the $1500 student course fee.
January /February/first half of March
When students are matched to projects in December, they are told by the Selection Committee why they were chosen for the project and given individual assignments to help them prepare independently over January and February for the projects, which kick off in mid-March. Independent work will be around such topics as:
- Improvement of knowledge of the language and culture of the project's country;
- Development of an industry and/or company fact pack;
- Completion of a 20-hour module on hypothesis-driven consulting; or
- Development of a draft Scope of Work to be finalized by the team at the DC Kick-off meeting in mid-March.
March 9 - 11 (GBP Kick-off Weekend) – mandatory attendance
All GBP participants — students, faculty and clients meet in Washington, DC to build strong teams, develop a detailed project scope of work, project timeline, and work plan for the 10-week project (8 virtual weeks and 2 in-country weeks). Students are expected to arrive in time to participate in the events that start on Friday, March 9th at noon. Clients can depart Saturday evening/Sunday morning while students and faculty depart Sunday at noon.
Sample Agenda [PDF: 63.7K] from GBP 2011
March 12 through May 4 – Virtual Teaming
Teams work virtually on the project, gathering data and investigating possible solutions to the business challenges defining the project. Prior to departure to their GBP countries, all GBP students receive a language and cross-cultural grade from language mentors, which is factored into the final grade.
May 18 - 20 (Hub City Weekend)
Teams convene in person and receive collective and individual mentoring at a partner business school in the destination country, conduct mid-course peer assessments and participate in a GBP "Culture Dash" to assist in honing the cultural competency of all team members.
May 21 to June 1 (In-Country Segment)
Project teams work in-country for two weeks doing research and preparing for the final presentation with the client. On the final day of the in-country segment, the team presents its findings to the client in a final presentation.
July
Final grades are submitted by GBP Program Director Lynne Gerber to the students' home institutions.
Sample Projects (from GBP 2011)
| Destination Country — Brazil |
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Client Organization/
Business Issue |
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Project Scope |
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| Worldwide company offering a full product line of agricultural equipment |
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Increase market share and revenue for Brazil division |
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| A diversified infrastructure, finance and media company |
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Identify appropriate business and distribution models for several of its infrastructure businesses that are key to the company's success |
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| Destination Country — China |
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Client Organization/
Business Issue |
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Project Scope |
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| A diversified manufacturer of adhesive, coating and motion management products |
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Develop a solution to increase distribution network efficiency in their industrial business in China |
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| A global leader in textiles for outdoor furniture, umbrellas, awnings and boat covers |
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Determine if the business model for their US distribution business can be adapted to China |
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| Destination Country — Thailand |
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Client Organization/
Business Issue |
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Project Scope |
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| Corporate center linking 5 retail business units |
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Understand "as-is" organization structure; share examples and best practices structure, workflow, governance models of other companies; and recommend applicable strategies |
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| An international university seeking to expand its MBA offerings to other ASEAN countries in collaboration with a US Business School partner |
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Conduct a study (in particular, focusing on markets and competitors) and develop a market entry strategy for this purpose |
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FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
Students
When is the course held, and how much credit does it earn?
The GBP is held from mid January to the end of May, with the bulk of the work conducted from mid-March to the end of May. The course earns academic credit for a full-semester course at the school where the GBP student is earning his/her degree. The exact number of credit varies by school and should be verified with the GBP representative at your school.
What are the destination countries/languages for the 2012 course?
Brazil (Portuguese), China (Mandarin), Thailand (Thai), and India (Hindi)
Do I need to be able to speak the language of the GBP country(ies) to which I apply?
Every team will have 1-2 members who are fluent in the target country's language, but some team members will be chosen more for what they can contribute to the industry or functional area of the project. It is certainly a plus if you have some background in the language and/or culture of the country(ies) to which you apply, but it is not a requirement.
Can I choose the destination country I want to work in?
Yes, you can note up to 4 choices of country on your application.
Can I choose the individual project I want to work on?
No, but you can — are encouraged to — mention the type of project you think you would be best suited for and to highlight functional skills or industry experience you are hoping to gain through this project.
When will I know what project I'm assigned to?
Students accepted to the GBP will receive notification via email in early December. This notification will include a description of the assigned project and a Language/Cultural Competency Contract for you to complete and return to the GBP representative at your school, along with your $500 non-refundable deposit.
Can I withdraw if I don't like the project?
You will have a short window to decline the offer to be on a team. However, because each member of the team is chosen with the whole team in mind, we hope you will accept your assigned match.
What if I can't make a portion of the Kick-off Weekend or the Hub-City Weekend, or need to leave my team before June 1?
The Kick-off Weekend, virtual meetings with your team and client, and the full in-country portion of the project (May 13-June 1) are mandatory. In rare cases having to do with exams or illness, there are excused absences for some portions of the project, which must be pre-approved by the GBP Program office with assistance from the GBP School Representative at your school.
What are my commitments (time and financial) for the Kick-off weekend in Washington, DC?
You will be responsible for all of your travel expenses to and from Washington, DC. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Friday and Saturday. Your Language Mentor will be getting in touch with you to arrange an evaluation appointment that will be held between 8am and noon on that Friday. The official kick-off session starts at noon Friday with a welcome lunch and officially ends at noon on Sunday. Your attendance at all sessions starting at noon on Friday, all day Saturday, dinner on Saturday evening and the wrap-up session on Sunday morning is required.
What are my commitments (time and financial) for the in-country portion of the project?
You will be responsible for all visa and travel expenses to and from the host country as well as all of your meals during the two weeks you are at the project site. All travel expenses other than meals while on the project site will be covered by GBP, with funds collected from the clients. You will be required to arrive in time for the welcome session of the Hub City weekend in mid-May and will be required to be fully engaged and stay with your team until the program ends with your final presentation which will happen no sooner than May 30th and no later than June 1st.
How much travel is involved?
All GBP students attend the kick-off weekend in Washington, DC mid-March and travel to the host country for two weeks in mid-May. There have been occasions in the past where clients have requested their teams to travel to corporate headquarters during the virtual phase of the project, but those occasions are rare, and are not mandatory.
Clients
What is the staff commitment expected from my company?
Companies commit at least 2 senior managers (one in US, if company has US presence as well as target country presence) to work with team. At least one company representative will be required to work with team during the kick off meeting in Washington, D.C. During the project, company representatives can expect to interact virtually at least 3 hours per week with the team March 12 through May 4th and 8 - 10 hours per week when the team is on the ground in the destination country. (May 18th – June 1st)
What does it cost financially for my company to participate in the GBP?
The company fee is $15,000 per GBP team, plus in-country travel and accommodations for the team and faculty advisor.
When would our company receive the final project report?
Before returning to the US, teams present final project findings and recommendations to company representatives (by June 1) and will submit the final written report on the day of their final presentation.
What is the application deadline?
Company applications must be submitted online no later than October 31st, 2011.
When will I know if my project has been accepted and matched to a student team?
Matching of projects and teams will take place in early December and you will be notified of results by mid-December. If the GBP Selection Committee has been able to assign a team to you, you will be asked to commit, in writing, to the terms to which you tentatively agreed when you submitted your application.
