24 Jan 2011

Harvard Business School Introduces Program to Help Realize Opportunities in Emerging Markets

Program will provide a practical framework and assessment tools for analyzing emerging markets
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BOSTON—Harvard Business School (HBS) announced a new Executive Education program, Building Businesses in Emerging Markets which will take place on the HBS campus in April 2011. As the global economy continues its rapid transformation, businesses across many industries are looking to tap into the vast potential of emerging markets. According to a recent report published by PwC, The World in 2050, the largest E7 emerging economies are likely to be bigger than the current G7 economies by 2020, measured by GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. This program is designed to provide participants with frameworks to understand emerging markets, identify new business opportunities, and optimize their organization's business strategy and its execution in specific countries.

The course is co-chaired by Krishna G. Palepu, Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration, Senior Associate Dean for International Development, and V. Kasturi Rangan, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing.

Companies expanding their presence in developing countries cannot expect to succeed by simply transplanting business models, products, and services that were developed for mature markets. "When multinational corporations attempt to enter emerging markets and fail, it is generally due to a lack of understanding of the ecosystem within that market: how its structure behaves, the unique nature of interpersonal relationships and how areas such as distribution or regulation differ from other markets," said Professor Krishna G. Palepu. "Companies and business leaders who seek to understand and master the nuances of each market are likelier to succeed."

The program curriculum focuses on both strategic and execution issues and will address challenges facing both multinational and local businesses looking to grow in emerging markets.

"Much of the focus among businesses seeking to penetrate emerging markets has been on targeting customers at the top of the income scale," said Professor V. Kasturi Rangan. "But if companies are able to think creatively and innovate, they can tap into the sizeable market at the middle and the base of the income pyramid by understanding how business can provide solutions to the unique challenges and opportunities among these segments."

Through a combination of classroom sessions, small-group work, case study discussions, peer-to-peer interaction, and action-planning workshops, this program gives executive participants a systematic framework for assessing the institutional context of any emerging market, and build strategies that will establish a profitable, long-term presence.

For more information, please contact:
Jim Aisner, jaisner@hbs.edu, +1 617-495-6157

Program Details:
Building Business in Emerging Markets will run from April 11-15, 2011, and will take place at the HBS Campus. Please visit http://www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/bbem for complete curriculum details and to apply.

Building Businesses in Emerging Markets
April 11-15, HBS Campus

Faculty:

  • Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor. Member of the Strategy Unit; chair of HBS India activities; and faculty chair of "Building a Global Enterprise in India."
  • Krishna G. Palepu, Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration. Senior Associate Dean for International Development; member of the Accounting and Management Unit and the General Management Unit; and faculty cochair of "Building Businesses in Emerging Markets."
  • V. Kasturi Rangan, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing. Cochair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative; member of the Marketing Unit; faculty chair of "Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategies to Create Business and Social Value" and faculty cochair of "Building Businesses in Emerging Markets."

About Harvard Business School

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.