ROCHE’S RULES NEWSLETTER JULY 2, 2011

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Working with E@SIMost of the students in

this year’s group got off to a good start in entering their information into the E@SI information.

One student commented: “I feel like the entire school is a giant computer system, and we are only little people who’s role is to feed the information system.”

The projects were in different stages of refinement. Some were very well formed, and the result of several weeks of intense study and research.

A few research projects are not yet well formed. Some of these are lagging because of delays in getting an internship. Others are delayed because for other reasons.

Prof. Roche

NEWSLETTERSmart Students Good ResearchStudents are working on a variety of exciting projects

This year is one of the strongest ever for innovative research in a variety of disciplines. From one of the best schools in the world, the GSSB students are fanning out around the world with a mission to become a top expect in their chosen area of focus.

The strong training in both practical application and theoretical insights is paying off. The work has been rigorous, but the massive amount of investment is paying off.

We expect to see great things from this “class” of FMPs !

SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALStudents go through several steps in

completing their research proposal. It is not merely an intellectual exercise.

From the beginning, we have stressed that the purpose of the FMP is to develop critical skills that will power one’s career to the top. The proposals reflect that. There are many

externalities that must be dealt with. These include: Finding the right internship; getting a sign-off and support for the research from the management in the firm where you will be working; aligning the research with one’s long-term goals, and finally finding the correct way to approach the theoretical aspects.

ROCHE’S RULES NEWSLETTER JULY 2, 2011

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WRITING A WORLD-CLASS LITERATURE REVIEW

Writing a literature review at first is difficult for many students. But if you follow these guidelines, it will be easy. First of all, do not write a history of research, instead focus only on conclusions:

BAD: Smith (1998) studied adoption of social media and found that teenagers have a 35% faster take-up rate.

GOOD: Teenagers have a 35% faster take-up rate than other age groups (Smith, 1998).

Do not include any extraneous information.

BAD: Many observers have commented on how social media holds potential for fund-raising.

GOOD: Social media has potential for fund-raising (Smith, 1998)

Do not be general when you could be specific:

BAD: The solid state memory segment has been growing faster than traditional fixed disk storage.

GOOD: The solid state memory segment has a CAGR of 24% compared to 5% for fixed disk storage.

Do not make stupid statements like the following:

BAD: No one has examined this issue.

BAD: There is no published research in this area.

Above all, emphasize what people know, and little else.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT PROPOSAL

Remember to “skim” or “look at” your articles. Do not read them unless they are exactly what you are looking for. Conserve your time, you will need it.

Rule: Always be “conclusionary” in your writing. Focus only on what is known and documented.

LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONSLife is not all work, and neither is research. The “smartest” students? Research shows

that students who invest the most time in personal networking – receptions, parties, conferences, sports events – develop a higher “social IQ”. Remember, you can learn more in a 5 minute conversation with the right person than you can by reading an entire book.

The calendar is realistic, in terms of interviews, dependencies on others, and time for feedback and correction from professor.

The writing is clear and easy to understand. Above all, it represents clear thinking.

Both the research approach and the conclusions have two tracks: First, there is the academic theory; Second, there is the business and strategy aspect. Ultimately, the second is more important.

The first sentence sets the stage for the overall proposal. Help the reader know what to expect.

The literature review focuses on conclusions.

The research when completed with support your long-term career interests

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ContributorsPROFESSOR ROCHE

Spending the summer in New York City working on his legal and consulting practice.

If you visit NYC, look me up for a trip to Chinatown, or a nearby Starbucks.

CalendarJune 30, 2011

Registration of Proposal

July 14, 2011

Both of Prof. Roche’s kids have a birthday at the same time - Bastille day!

August 2011

Nothing happens. Some laptops damaged by beach sand.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING Students are doing a variety of

innovative research projects. What is amazing is the incredible diversity of the projects, and the inherent sophistication of the topics. “Smart Students, Great Research”.

Brittney Hale

Britney will be working for Le Tour de France and focusing on the global cycling industry. This is an opportunity of her dreams.

Nikolay Dmitriev

Nikolay be using this opportunity to deepen his knowledge of M&A “Russian Style”.

Laura Elena Leon Martinez

Larua will be tacking the political economic concept of clusters and how they influence innovation.

Faisal Al Qethami

Faisal will be comparing how the traditional values in today’s hyper capitalism compare to traditional Islamic values for business.

Melissa Calvario

Melissa will be tacking the leading-edge problem of adoption

of cloud computing, and will identify a strategic framework to analyze it.

Agustín Peláez Gaviria

Agustín will do a technology forecasting study using the Delphi methodology. He is involved with a high technology startup.

Irina Konkova

Irina will be examining the complex theories of industrial networks and applying them to the economic environment in Russia.

Sally Sayouni

Sally will be studying some of the worlďs most advance business intelligence software systems designed to “data-mine” social networks.

Naif Al Rabie

Niaf will be examining innovation in the world football leagues. He will be looking at how new forms of social media are creating new opportunities for fund-raising and revenue generation.

Fabiola Medina

Fabiola will be looking at selection of mobile applications in the enterprise – the sector with today’s highest growth rate.

Jorge Alejandro Cordero Ramirez

Jorge will be examining the secretive but crucial world of search-engine optimization.

Yehya el Oueini

Yehya will be working the Michelin and examining how Chinese competition is disrupting markets and what the response should be.

Cherine Sabour

Cherine will be working with Canon digital imaging and discovering new marketing strategies for these high technology products.

Hsueh Li Wang

HL will be working on E-CRM and produce life cycle management in the consumer electronics industry.

Michal Christa

Has an interest in the personal security industry, but is still refining his topic.

Erick Ivan Villeda Orozco

Erick will be focusing on SME growth strategies in Mexico, probably in the imaging industry.