Spring 2024 Business B8701 section 001

Management Consulting Lab

Call Number 14638
Day & Time
Location
W 6:00pm-9:15pm
490 Kravis Hall
Points 3
Grading Mode Standard
Approvals Required None
Instructor Joe Timko
Type LECTURE
Method of Instruction In-Person
Course Description This full-semester, lab course and strengthens your consulting, problem solving, and communication skills through work on a semester-long project with a company that is based in Africa. Students will work with companies that are enrolled in the Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Africa. Known as EC-Africa, this program is offered by CBS Executive Education and equips African entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, and contacts to professionalize and grow their businesses in today’s global environment. Each company enrolls a team of two or three senior staff — CEO, founder, managing director, CFO, COO, or other leaders. The companies are all looking to scale. Each company is unique in industry and size, and typically ranges from $1M to $15M in annual revenue, and 10 to 500 employees. To learn more about the EC-America program and the enrolled companies, check out the EC-Africa website (https://business.columbia.edu/ecp)

The class is valuable not only for students who are going to work in management consulting after their MBA, but for everybody who wants to apply their learning from the MBA to the benefit of a company as well as those who want to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills. Through MCL, companies get access to CBS MBA students to work on a critical project. In return, MBA students experience a structured approach to learn 1) rigorous problem solving and project management skills, 2) client interactions, and 3) application of knowledge and skills learned in their coursework. The structure of the MCL course is very different than a normal class. The class is almost entirely project-based, and students are grouped into teams of three depending on their expertise.

The projects with companies from EC Africa, will also provide insights into opportunities and challenges for firms in Africa. Africa is the world’s second-fastest growing region – after emerging Asia – according to the African Development Bank Report. 1.3 billion people live in Africa and according to the United Nations, the population is expected to increase to 2.5 billion by 2050. The working-class population in Africa is growing by 2.7 percent each year (compared to 1.3 percent in Latin America and 1.2 percent in Southeast Asia). McKinsey projects that by 2025 two-thirds of the estimated 303 million African households will have discretionary income and consumer spending will reach $2.1 trillion.1 Not surprisingly, many firms and investors are viewing Africa as having tremendous of potential – but there are also uniq
Web Site Vergil
Department Business
Enrollment 32 students (58 max) as of 5:05PM Sunday, December 8, 2024
Subject Business
Number B8701
Section 001
Division School of Business
Open To Business, Journalism
Section key 20241BUSI8701B001