HBS MBA Program InnovationSales Meeting

August, 2011

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Foundation for Change

• Innovative new configuration: Schumpeterian Recombination Integrate curricular experiments underway at the School Open up opportunities for a continuing stream of innovation Draw upon work done during the centennial’s examination of the “future

of the MBA” • Addresses key educational goals and priorities

Leadershipo Cultivating the students’ capacity to translate leadership principles

into practice – knowing, doing, being Globalization

o Managing across national boundarieso Being responsive to local instituional contingencies

Critical and analytical thinkingo How to structure complex and ill-defined problems o How to think rigorously about different approaches to analyzing

problems

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Underlying Beliefs of MBA Innovation Design Team

HBS must be more explicit about the strategic positioning and direction of the MBA program

HBS cannot allow competitor schools to define the playing field

For 100 years HBS was able to enjoy differentiation around the Case Method – a tightly integrated platform for learning and knowledge creation

Case Method is still necessary but is no longer sufficient

The “newer” and alternative forms of pedagogy as they currently exist are flawed

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Characteristics of the Field Method

It is a vehicle for developing the PRACTICE and PURPOSE components of business education

Creates high standards for knowledge creation and pedagogy

Platform for knowledge transfer

Vehicle for delivering learning related to the 3 key educational goals and priorities

It builds on what HBS already does well

It changes the stakes for students and how students are rewarded

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Components of Field

Series of field exercises 1-3-5 days Skills-based

150 teams per exercise (scrambled each time)

Assigning students to teams (massive task) – IT enabled mechanism

3 field engagements / immersive experiences spanning longer periods

Individual sessions focused on specific topics relate to global management

Individual sessions focused on training in fundamental skills

Physical space created to support field -- new building and “hive” configuration

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View of Field within Traditional Learning Model

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Field 1 : Authentic Leadership 9/14 & 9/15 kick-off

“How do I lead a team and interact in a team context?” Tools including “word cloud generation,” feedback tools, personal

dashboards, “learning hub” on personal landing pages Video recordings for personalized feedback – leveraging peers as part of

the personal feedback & assessment process Small team exercises to surface issues and areas for improvement

Becoming more “self-aware” Self-reflection Better understanding of self as leader

Best practices around feedback and inculcation of new “values”

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Field 2: Geo Team Immersion (January)

Two months of pre-immersion activity

One week “in country”

China (2), Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina, S. Africa, Turkey, UK, Poland, India (2), US (2), Ghana

Capstone activities on both ends

150 Global partners

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Field 3

•Market feedback simulation (glorified polling tool)

• Students will prepare business plans

• Market will value new product development ideas generated by students

during the field 2 experiences

• Students will vote on each others ideas

• Some ideas will receive funding and some will be “bankrupted” by market

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Changes to EC program

•Insertion of field method into 2nd year

• Long-term simulations and exercises without constraints of EC schedule

• 4 15 session terms

•Learning focused on integrative, cross-unit offerings

• Verticals: social enterprise, healthcare, etc.

•Deep dive learning

• Voluntary curricular tracks

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Challenges for HBS

Cultural Cross-discipline collaboration requirement Student feedback

Administrative Field 2 Logistics nightmare!

(900 + flights & 700 + visas) Moving to quarter system in EC and major changes to structure of RC

(3/2/3/2/3) & 9:10 start time in RC Revamp of start and stop times

Legal IP Liability

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Implications / Questions for HBP resulting from HBS program redesign

Overall use of cases will drop – revenue implications 2-3 fewer cases per RC course

How will we “commercialize” this method? Faculty vs. student pay model

Will the case product line suffer from competition with the new method? Fewer cases written / less attention to fundamental case development

needs