CUBA & KATHY ENGLE

For requirements of the course

Written Analysis and Communication – I (2010-2012)

To
Prof. Vijay Sherry Chand
Date of Submission:03/07/2010
By
Kumar Sonal
(Section-E) PGP 10175

INDIAN INSTITUE OF MANAGEMENT, AHMEDABAD

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 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
.

To: Board of Directors,

Project LEADER,

Richard Ivey School of Business,

UWO in London, Ontario.

From: Kathy Engle

Junior Executive Director,

Head (Expansion Team), Project LEADER.

Date: 3rd July,2010.

Subject: Report on the future course of action for Project LEADER( Leading
Education and

Development in Emerging Regions ).

With reference to your letter asking for a report on the future course of
action for the project LEADER, we* are here by attaching a detailed report
on the current situation that includes our analysis, our indentified
objectives, the recommendations and an action plan.

We recommend you to go to Cuba, a new emerging economy, and quash

your operations in the former Soviet Union nations where the project no
longer projects a germane stance.

Yours sincerely,

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Kathy Engle and her Expansion Team.

(*in the entire report “we/our” refers to Kathy Engle and her Expansion

Team)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
.

Project LEADER is running smoothly at its existing partner sites. The

project, however, is losing its relevance in the prevailing economic

conditions. The project also lacks funding organizations and has not made

significant progress in terms of being an international initiative in teaching

fundamental management skills in emerging economies.

The project may be continued with a revamped outlook or, it may be

moved to any other economy in transition (Cuba seems the most

promising one).

The options were evaluated in terms of providing financial independence,

greater international exposure to the participants and fulfillment of the

project’s objectives.

It is recommended that the project must move its programs to Cuba with

the prescribed action plan.

(word count: 114)

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
.

Letter of Transmittal 2

Executive Summary 3

Situation Analysis 5

Problem Statement 6

Options 7

Criteria 7

Evaluation of Options 8

Recommendation 9

Action Plan 10

References 10

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 SITUATION ANALYSIS
.

Our project LEADER is faced with a decision crunch regarding the future

course of action for its growth. As LEADER, we have been able to reach

different Former Soviet Union (FSU) cities and to teach around 600

students of different nationalities in a span of around 10 years. But when

it comes to world-wide reach, we have been able to cover only some of

the FSU economies in the world. We also, have not been able to maintain

a proper source of funding for the various project activities and for its

growth (in terms of number of participants) and expansion (into different

geographical areas).

As per one of our directors, who had recently been to Russia, our project

LEADER seems to have lost its values and its relevance in the present

economic and political scenario of the FSU economies. Since the division,

most of the economies of the FSU have passed the transition phase and

we cannot serve them unless, we grow our program to include in-depth

concepts of management and entrepreneurship. This really is something,

as a student-run body, we never aimed for and to which our university

might not agree to.

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Considering these facts, we have an option of moving outside the FSU

economies and search for newer places; which are basically the newer

transition economies, like, Cuba, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil and, Vietnam. Our

analysis in 2001 has shown Cuba as the most promising economy. Our

university has already talked with the Cuban universities regarding our

project and has received a positive feedback regarding the same.

The decision regarding the future course of action must also keep in mind,

the standing of our LEADER-project, both in terms of financial

sustainability and, our pedagogy. We also need to consider the

supportiveness of the macro-economic environment in which we currently

exist as well as in which we are planning to expand.

OBJECTIVE
.

The main objective of this report is –

“To maintain the relevance of LEADER in the present scenario through its

programs as well as provide more and more international exposure to our

participants”

We have focused hard on maintaining the relevance and importance of

our project LEADER intact. Unless the brand which has been built over for

10 years is preserved, nothing else matters. And we would also like to

take our participants’ interests in consideration while taking any major

decision regarding the project’s future.

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 OPTIONS
.

Considering the objectives of our project, we converged to the following

available options—

1. We run the project at its existing sites with a refreshed outlook.

2. We move our programs to Cuba.

CRITERIA OF EVALUATION
.

1. Greater independence in terms of finance.

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 2. Better international exposure to our participants in terms of working

experience in a new social and economic setup.

3. Alignment of the program with the project’s objectives of

contributing to international development by imparting basic skills

in business management, decision making and entrepreneurship.

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
.

OPTION 1

The program as of now is running smoothly in its existing sites but, it is

continually losing its relevance with the changing economic conditions

there. With time, the economies in which we are working have grown and

their requirements have shifted to more comprehensive management

dynamics. Our aim is to impart some basic skills in the fundamentals of

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management but they do not require these skills now. Also, with around

10 years of our operations in the same kind of social and economic setup,

our participants do not get the much required new work experience.

Financially as well, unless we make some changes in our program, we are

less likely to get any new funding organizations. Simply giving our

program a fresh outlook in terms of redesigned courses will do no good

and in the process, waste time and money.

OPTION2

Our earlier considerations (2001) have already shown Cuba as the most

promising of the different nations. As per the world standards also, Cuban

society ranks high in the education sector. The socialist government of

Cuba takes keen interest in the education of its masses through

subsidized education policy. This setup might also solve our financial

sustainability problem through Cuban government support. The Cuban

government will also be interested in our project because there is a

growing demand of business managers in the purview of growing business

relationships with Canadian and European firms in Cuba. Furthermore, our

university is already having a good rapport with the Cuban universities.

This might help in strengthening relationship between international

universities and we will benefit from being a part of it.

Experts believe that, with time, Cuban economy is moving towards the

transition phase and our pedagogy aligns with that. Moreover, the

economic and social setup there, will provide our participants an entirely

different kind of work-experience. Nowhere can one experience the

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emergence of a new economic order after such a long era of socialism.

The largely socialist mind set would not be a setback if we stick to our

basic pedagogy of teaching only the basics of management and

entrepreneurship. Again, with newer places to expand, we can look for

some international funding and greater support from our university.

RECOMMENDATION
.

It is recommended that we move most of our resources to Cuba as soon

as we obtain clearance from the Cuban government.

ACTION PLAN
.
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Following the recommendations, here by is the action plan.

1. Before starting the process of expansion, we must build better

relationship with the Cuban universities. We need to seek greater

support at university level.

2. The pedagogy needs to be customized a bit, keeping in mind the

largely socialist mind set of the Cuban Government. We need to

teach only the fundamentals of management to enable the Cuban

businessmen tackle with the growing business demands from their

European and Canadian counter-parts.

3. We must also talk to groups similar to ours but working in Cuba so

that both may benefit from each other’s foreign experience.

4. After the steps 1, 2 and,3 have been achieved, with a strong

emphasis on our customized course-plan we can approach the

external affairs ministry of Cuba for its approval.

REFERENCES
.

Case of “Cuba and Kathy Engle” Keenan, Frederick(2007), Richard Ivey

School of Business.

(word count: 1036)

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