South Africa: Connecting top MBA talent to improve your business
The University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) is currently accepting inquiries from organisations interested in offering themselves as field partners for their Company Analysis Project (CAP) course.
Participating organisations need to be located in Cape Town as the CAP course aims to help Cape Town-based organisations improve their competitiveness in local and international markets. During the programme, teams of MBA students develop a multi-dimensional, strategic inquiry and analysis of participating organisations.
The MBA at the GSB is the only programme in Africa ranked in the Financial Times Top 100 Global MBAs, and has received acclaim for the international scope of its curriculum, which nonetheless retains a distinctive orientation to the business context of Africa.
Organisations will need to make themselves available for interviews, observation, and document reviews. Some teams may also request opportunities to engage selected organisation members in dialogue groups, surveys, and/or shadowing. Strict confidentiality is maintained during the entire project.
In return, organisations will have the opportunity to be looked at with a fresh set of eyes. Teams will explore key areas of strategic interest to the company and prepare a report and a presentation highlighting the most compelling questions and opportunities they discover. The programme has proven a very valuable exchange for both the participating organisations and the students.
“Typically groups spend approximately 40 hours over a number of weeks with management and staff in analysing their selected organisations. In the process, students also draw on their own pre-MBA work experience” said CAP programme director, Warren Nilsson.
According to CAP programme director, Warren Nilsson, CAP organisations may be of any size or type e.g. profit, nonprofit, government, or hybrid. Informal organisations such as networks and initiatives will also be considered. “We welcome all creative proposals,” said Nilsson.
The next CAP course begins in mid-August, students will finalise their choice of organisational partners by August 31, and analysis will proceed throughout September and October. Final reports and presentations will be delivered in late October/early November. Organisations interested in participating, can send the following information to course convener Dr. Warren Nilsson:
- Organization Name
- Brief Description of Organization
- Number of Employees or Members
- Contact Person Name, Role, Email, Phone
- Any specific areas/themes you would particularly like an MBA team to focus on (optional)
Send information to: warren.nilsson@gsb.uct.ac.za
Please note that MBA teams are free to choose their own organisations to work with, so there is no guarantee that any particular organisation will be selected.
