COURSE
NUMBER: MBA215.1
This course is cross-listed with the
EWMBA Program
COURSE
TITLE: Business Strategies for Emerging Markets
UNITS
OF CREDIT: 3 Units
INSTRUCTOR:
Flavio Feferman
E-MAIL
ADDRESS: feferman@haas.berkeley.edu
CLASS
WEB PAGE LOCATION: http://bspace.berkeley.edu
MEETING
DAY(S)/TIME: Thursdays, 6:00 – 9:30PM
PREREQUISITE(S):
None
CLASS FORMAT: Lectures, cases, and guest speakers.
REQUIRED READINGS: Course reader, cases, and articles.
BASIS
FOR FINAL GRADE:
Final
group project, short student presentations on selected topics, and class
participation.
ABSTRACT
OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
This
course is tailored to students pursuing an international career in economic
development, international business, or entrepreneurship in developing regions.
The primary focus is on entrepreneurship, social ventures, and business
approaches to poverty alleviation. Enrollment typically includes students from
Business, Engineering, and Public Policy.
The
course draws on economic development theory, business cases, and project evaluation
techniques (finance, market analysis) to provide a holistic view of the role of
business and technology in sustainable economic development. Students will
learn and apply conceptual frameworks and practical tools that will help them
in their international careers. We will discuss pertinent business cases from
developing countries (in Latin America, Africa, and Asia) to illustrate key
concepts, utilizing examples from diverse economic sectors such as
telecommunications, renewable energy, information technology, and agriculture.
The course will review the role of technology and innovation in promoting
economic development and as a source of competitive advantage for firms.
Finally, we will review and discuss business models used by social ventures and
companies in developing countries.
The
course is structured to evolve from a “macro” view of economic development
(countries and regions) to a “micro” or business-level view (companies,
markets, and projects). The macro analysis provides a contextual background for
the subsequent discussions on the evaluation of business opportunities. We will
also discuss special topics such as microfinance, clean energy, public-private
partnerships, and the impact of globalization on international business. The
course will include guest lectures by economic development practitioners and
entrepreneurs.
As
a final project, students will develop a “mini business plan” for a business or
social venture in a developing country. In the past, student groups have
collaborated with existing social ventures on a new project concept.
Here
is a sample of topics we will cover:
Macro
Level:
Countries:
economic growth, poverty and equity; development strategies; the role of
institutions & technology in development; entrepreneurship &
innovation; globalization.
Regions:
Regional competitiveness & industry clusters; the Porter Diamond framework.
Micro
Level:
Industry
and competitive analysis: Market and industry assessment; value chains;
competitive strategy and business models in developing countries; “Base of
Pyramid (BoP)” concept and customer segmentation; ICT
and development.
Companies,
markets, and projects: Opportunity assessment; microfinance; social ventures
and impact evaluation; project financial analysis; clean tech and environmental
markets; business plan development.
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH:
Flavio Feferman is President of
Developing Markets Group, an economic development consulting firm, and partner
with Terranova Bionergy, a
renewable energy company. During his 20+ years of professional experience in
international development, Feferman directed several
projects for private investors as well as for international organizations such
as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the U.S. Trade and
Development Agency (USTDA). He served as strategic consultant to companies such
as eBay, Visa, and Bechtel, as well as to non-profits such as the Goldman
Environmental Prize, Global Greengrants, and Technoserve. Feferman recently
served as keynote speaker for a conference organized by the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development.
Feferman holds graduate degrees in Applied
Economics and Business from Stanford University and the University of
California Berkeley (Haas). His teaching and professional interests include
agriculture/agribusiness, renewable energy, the role of business and technology
in economic development, and entrepreneurship in developing regions.