Fall 2024 Questrom MBA Action Learning Projects in Strategy Implementation

The MBA Strategy Implementation Course is a project-based course for 2nd year MBAs offered in conjunction with business partners who provide our students with real-world growth-oriented strategy design, planning, and implementation challenges.  The course aims to help MBA students translate strategic intent into effective operational practices and desired outcomes through the sequencing, timing, and execution of strategic actions.

Student projects focus on four general themes:  1) strategic growth beyond the current core,  2) strategic pivots toward emergent opportunities, 3) strategic transformation and business model innovation, and  4) strategic renewal in rapidly evolving environments. 

Within these themes, student teams address elements issues of strategy design & opportunities for strategic innovation, stakeholder engagement/activation, implementation planning & stage setting, and execution.

These projects provide our business partners with an opportunity to identify students who have the skills and interests necessary to become valued employees of the company. In turn, students gain valuable experience in addressing strategy implementation issues and hands-on experience in applying methods, practices, and tools that will enable them to roll up their sleeves and get things done upon entering the workforce.

Project Timeline

Guidelines and Expectations for Successful Projects and Student Experiences 

• Business Partners are expected to scope the project in such a way as to align with one of the general topics listed below and will promote a positive outcome for both company and student goals.

  • • Note: Course Faculty will be fully available to answer queries and assist with project scoping prior to the September 17, 2024, submission deadline. 

• Students vote for their preference for placement on projects submitted by the Business Partners.  The course instructors match students to projects by order of their preference and accommodation for appropriate team size.  

  • • Note 1: While the type of projects solicited will be of general interest to the class and the number of projects solicited will be matched to class size, specific project selection is based on student preferences.  Some submissions MAY NOT be matched with a student's teams. 

    • Note 2: Best efforts are made to accommodate students' first or second-choice preferences, while in rare instances students may be matched with their third choice. 

• Business Partners are expected to provide access to required information at the commencement of the project or in a reasonably timely manner to ensure a successful out for the project.  

  • • Note: Business Partners should follow their established standard policies and practices for the control and protection of the company's confidential and proprietary information.   Projects should be scoped in such a manner that precludes the need for access to or disclosure of company confidential or proprietary information to Boston University students, faculty, staff, or other affiliates.

• Business Partners are expected to provide between 8 to 10 hours of executive support to the project over the course of 12 weeks of the project's duration to provide background details, answer questions, review deliverables, and provide feedback.

  • • Note: It is also recommended the business partners and student teams provide a single point of contact for all communications on project-related logistical issues.

• Student Teams will: 1) provide a 2-page Project Scope Description and Timeline after an initial kick-off meeting with the Business Partner at the beginning, 2) limit further interaction to two points of contact to clarify information, answer questions, or briefly update status, and 3) report findings and present recommendations.

  • • Note: All interaction between Business Partners and Srudent can be done remotely via Zoom, conference call or email at convenient and mutually agreed to times.  In-person and/or on-site meetings are optional.  

• Beyond course supervision, no other claim on Faculty or University time or resources is included or implied. No other claim on the Business Partner's time or resources is included or implied.

How Do Business Partner Benefit from Participating in Course Projects

Participating Companies receive the direct benefits of the work product, which includes the indirect benefit of access to resources of the University that are open and available for Questrom students. In addition, participating companies have the opportunity to identify students with potential for internships, or further employment with the company.

Project Topics

Strategy Implementation is both highly contextual and specific to the organization's current situation, making strategy implementation projects as interesting and as varied as the companies themselves. 

Strategy Implementation projects of all types are open for consideration.

In general, student projects involve an assessment of the organization's current strategy and the alignment of capabilities & competencies, the choice of strategic options & the setting of a new direction, an action plan for the engagement/activation of key stakeholders & the sequencing, timing, and executing strategic actions.

The following are some common themes for student projects:

1.    Strategy Implementation for Growth -- New Product or New Market Development

2.    Strategy Implementation for Growth -- Geographic Expansion

3.    Strategy Implementation for Growth -- Related to Acquisition Strategies and Integration

4.    Strategy Implementation for Growth -- Related to Licensing, Strategic Partnerships & Joint Ventures

The following are examples of advanced themes for student projects:

5.    Strategic Renewal and Pivots

·   Identifying and implementing new growth opportunities for existing capabilities and competencies

6.    Strategic Pivots and Business Model Innovation

·   Value Proposition Pivots (Servicing Products or Productizing Services)

·   Sales to Subscription or Platform Business Models

·   Profit Formula Pivots

·   Closed to Open innovation Pivots

·   Asset-Heavy to Asset-Light Pivots

7.    Next-Gen Strategy

·   Scoping a longer-range strategic hypothesis and developing an experimentation/validation plan for a Next-Gen Strategy

And many, many others....

Note: Projects may relate to 1-2 topics and/or be narrowed to 1-2 focus areas within these topics.

There is no cost to the Business Partner for participating in  Strategy Implementation Projects during the Fall 2024 Semester.

Course Dates, Student Enrollment, and Number of Projects

Strategy Implementation Course is planned to be offered to our Full Time and Professional Evening MBA students at Questrom in the Fall semester of 2024.  The Fall 2024 semester for this course begins on September 3  and ends on December 10.   The University reserves the right to cancel the course without notice at any time up to September 3, 2024.

The number and type of projects taken on in any given semester will be determined by the total number of students enrolled and their interest in individual projects.  It is anticipated that students will work on 5-7 projects in the Fall 2024 semester.   

The Faculty Advisor