The application of business concepts is a primary tenet of USD's graduate business curricula. The international business practicum experiences have been designed to provide students with the opportunity to apply business concepts to real-world, business situations abroad. These experiences will assure that students are prepared to manage effectively the challenges of working in a global business environment.

The international business practicum is a field-based, short-term consulting project for a corporation in another country to address a current and significant problem identified by that organization. In some cases project teams consist of University of San Diego students working with graduate business students from a university in another country. These projects are typically organized in January (between the regular semesters) and locations vary each year. In January 2007, approximately 50 USD student traveled to three different countries to work on 11 different projects.

Selected Summaries of 2007 Projects:

Organic Foods Store & Restaurant; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A Brazilian investor group was interested in setting up an organic foods grocery store and restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, with potential expansion to other key areas of Brazil. They wanted to use the model of the US based Whole Foods Market chain. The student team analyzed the financial and marketing feasibility of setting up the store, given the level of margins and penetration of the identified target market. After conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis, they recommended that the business opportunity would be profitable and identified five critical success factors: effective consumer education about organic products; optimal store location; efficient supply chain distribution system; high level of government support of organic products; and development of brand loyalty.

Mazda City; Bangkok, Thailand: Mazda City is one of the major Mazda dealerships in Thailand, with three showrooms and both fixed and mobile service stations distributed around Bangkok. As the dealership had experienced stagnant sales that are far below expectations, as well as increased competitive pressures from Toyota and other dealerships, the ownership group asked the USD Consultants to review current operations, management structure, and marketing strategy and provide suggestions for increasing revenues from vehicle sales and services. Following a thorough analysis of its operations and benchmarking to US dealership practices, the Consultants provided a detailed report suggesting various modifications to management practices, sales training, marketing efforts and inter-affiliate information sharing, many of which the Management plans to implement immediately.

 

Arcor; Buenos Aires, Argentina: Arcor (Argentina) is the largest candy and confectionery manufacturer in the world. Arcor invited USD graduate students to investigate, identify and design entry strategies for the Bon o Bon product line (candy/trouffle) and the BC (low calorie) Mermelada into the USA. USD students developed the operational considerations, defined the business process aspects and designed the entry strategies for both products. Students were commended on how they related both project to the strategic growth business plans and the innovative ideas at product, process and business model level.

 

Examples of Previous International Consulting Projects:

Company: Telfónica del Perú S.A. (Lima)
Industry: Utilities
Project: Logistical support for the "phone stores" to improve customer services

Company: Panificadora Bimbo del Perú S.A. (Lima)
Industry: Food services
Project: Develop a commercial plan to identify new target markets to increase market share

Company: Petrobras Distribuidora (Rio de Janeiro)
Industry: Oil and Gas
Project: To design a preliminary plan for improving both the staffing of the call center and the service provided to customers

Company: Cybercellar (Pty.) Ltd (Cape Town)
Industry: Beverages (wine)
Project: Investigate alternatives for international funding and to recommend strategies for next round of financing

Company: Shell Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
Industry: Oil and Gas
Project: Devised a plan for the creation of "virtual expertise centers in Brazil" to identify areas of expertise available in the Intranet and areas of interest for dissemination within the Shell Brazil Group

Company: RenalRio (Rio de Janeiro)
Industry: Medical Equipment
Project: Determine market potential and ways to reach customers for the new product

Company: Century City Property Developments (Cape Town)
Industry: Real Estate
Project: Determine complimentary property usages that should be planned