Action Learning at MIT Sloan

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“Our action learning projects fundamentally change people. Beyond engaging students in real business decisions, our projects develop resilient leaders who drive innovation, understand an organization’s purpose in the world, and experience the impact that a single individual can have.”

David C. SchmittleinJohn C head III dean

in the world

in the field

in the classroom

in the field

in the classroom

in the world

“Through G-Lab, you get access to very talented and motivated young people. When they come here, they don’t just talk to our executives, but to everyone in the company. The organization gets to be exposed to these students who are smart and interested and are going to apply what they’ve learned.”Luis Navas | CEO, Conexia

Buenos Aires, Argentina

48 100%COuntriEs whErE hOst OrgAnizAtiOns ArE lOCAtEd

MBA studEnts dO ACtiOn lEArning in thE OrgAnizAtiOnAl PrOCEssEs ClAss

G-Lab | Samba Tech, Brazil, 2012: Working with Brazil’s leader in streaming video, the G-Lab team was asked to help develop a potential platform strategy and embarked on benchmarking and competitive analysis of relevant businesses, evaluated courses of action, and developed a communications plan.

ThE ORIGInS OF ACTIOn LEARnInG

From the Application and Implementation of Industrial Dynamics class in

1964 to the core Organizational Processes course in the 1990s to the start

of Global Entrepreneurship Lab (G-Lab) in 2000, MIT Sloan has a long

history of sending student teams into companies to undertake a variety of

hands-on projects around the country and the world.

In the past decade alone, MIT Sloan’s commitment to action learning has

produced a bold expansion of courses that speak directly to the motto of

the Institute itself, mens et manus, or the connection of mind and hand. As

a result, Action Learning at MIT Sloan has irrevocably changed the learning

landscape at MIT Sloan and its peer institutions, creating a model that has

been imitated but not matched in the scope and popularity of offerings.

Each year, more than 500 students enrolled in over a dozen courses will

travel to upwards of 30 countries and work with dozens of host partners

in tackling some of the most pressing managerial issues of the day as they

take part in a rare opportunity to think, act, and reflect, in real time, in

real-world settings.

Today, with more than a dozen lab experiences to choose from, Action

Learning at MIT Sloan fosters academic, intellectual, and cross-cultural

exploration while also introducing students to a host of career options.

While knowledge integration is the overarching learning objective, so too

are the following:

to manage complex challenges and make reasoned decisions

in unfamiliar situations

to adapt to new or uncertain environments and exercise leadership

to think critically and creatively

to work collaboratively and productively on a team

to identify personal strengths and address gaps in knowledge

through reflection

400+ 75%ACtiOn lEArning PrOjECts At hOst OrgAnizAtiOns in thE PAst dECAdE

MBA studEnts ElECt tO tAkE At lEAst OnE ACtiOn lEArning lAB

THINK.

ACT.

REFLECT.

G-LAB CASE STuDy

Teams aid Conexia During Rapid Growth

For three consecutive years, the Buenos Aires-based firm, Conexia,

has utilized Global Entrepreneurship (G-Lab) teams in the midst

of the company’s rapid growth and as they looked to expand their

provision of electronic billing and reconciliation services beyond

the Argentinean healthcare market. “Our company is growing very

fast, 50 percent per year, so we have more problems than people,”

said Conexia CEO Luis navas. “Working with G-Lab is a great way to

address some of these problems, and we know they are going to be

addressed by people who are very qualified.”

China Lab | Corning Gorilla Glass, 2011:

The team was asked to develop a new market

strategy to provide stakeholders in the value

chain with incentives to adopt Gorilla Glass–

an exceptionally durable glass used for

screens in electronic devices–for the u.S.

and China markets.

THEoRy INTo pRACTICE

SAMPLE PROJECTS

L-Lab | Oxfam America and the UN World

Food Program (WFP), 2011: The L-Lab team

investigated ways to provide some of the

poorest communities with weather index

insurance and crop insurance in exchange for

work, by integrating into government safety nets

and WFP’s food and cash-for-work programs.

GHD-Lab | Daktari Diagnostics, 2011:

For a startup medical diagnostics company,

a GhD team performed research on uganda’s

CD4 testing market to inform the company’s

post-clinical, go-to-market strategy.

ThE EDuCATIOn OF EFFECTIvE LEADERS

According to Professor Richard Locke, who with Professor Simon Johnson

co-founded G-Lab more than a decade ago, Action Learning is the best way

to educate management students as well as the best method for MIT Sloan

to fulfill its mission.

“Action learning engages students in cycles of learning, acting, and

reflecting,” said locke. “students better understand the theories,

frameworks, and analytics from the classroom, their real-world application,

and the additional learning that is necessary to implement solutions.

it’s the best way to teach people how to be effective managers.”

The “how” begins with a one-semester core to provide a base of knowledge

essential for participation in the portfolio of course and curricular activities

that fall under the action learning umbrella. These offerings, Locke said,

“teach substantive knowledge, so if you do G-Lab, you have to know about

entrepreneurship. If you want to do product development design, you have

to know organizational processes. These experiences teach you how to

respond to the most pressing challenges in the new world.”

Action learning opportunities also teach students how to function

effectively in teams under dynamic, fast-paced, and unpredictable

circumstances. Students are likely to face risk within their projects, but

it is risk within a resilient learning environment.

In addition, Action Learning at MIT Sloan also has both desired and realized

outcomes from the host of local, domestic, and worldwide opportunities.

Faculty cite the chance for students to apply what they’ve learned in

courses to date which will shape their managerial experience, while

students often cite the inspiring, life-changing experiences where they

were able to put theory into practice.

32% 30+MBA studEnts tAkE twO Or MOrE ACtiOn lEArning lABs

FACulty tEACh And MEntOr studEnt tEAMs ACrOss ACtiOn lEArning lABs

“On the whole I enjoyed the time I invested into G-Lab — perhaps more so than any classroom learning, it is a holistic experience that helps open your eyes to the great diversity and challenge of being a global citizen and business person.”MiChaeL CheN | MBA ’12, smowtion team

Buenos Aires, Argentina

S-Lab | Gillette, 2010: The S-Lab team was

charged with helping Gillette’s South Boston

Manufacturing Center understand its energy

usage across the plant, identifying the major

loss areas, and recommending efficiency

improvements with the potential for application

at other P&G plants.

“ The world is always changing and we’re trying to change with it, and the best way to do that is to give the students a lot of voice and have them tell us what they want to do and why. We want to create an environment where students really want to work hard; they want to create relationships with companies that are extremely strong and then see where that takes them.”siMoN JohNsoN | ronald A. kurtz (1954) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Professor of global Economics and Management

India Lab | Akshaya Patra, 2011:

Working with one of the world’s premier

nonprofit organizations, the India Lab team

recommended the structure for a strategic

roadmap to achieve Akshaya Patra’s vision

of feeding 5 million children by 2020.

3 96nEw ACtiOn lEArning lABs AddEd in 2011-12 — P-lAB, PuErtO riCO lAB, And gO-lAB

studEnts On FOur intErnAtiOnAl study tOurs visitEd Eight COuntriEs in 2012

500 493studEnt sEAts PEr yEAr FOr ACtiOn lEArning lABs

Mit slOAn studEnts tOOk ACtiOn lEArning lABs in 2011-12

ouTComEs

ANd

REsuLTs

LASTInG IMPACT

Time and time again, those involved with Action Learning at MIT Sloan

say that while case studies provide structured static scenarios, student

learning is strengthened by hands-on, real-world experience. While some

institutions may rely upon the building of knowledge by relating past

corporate experiences or through short-term internships, MIT Sloan has

built a framework of experiential opportunities that provide real settings

with real problems to be solved; a combination of the theoretical and the

practical come engagingly to life.

While the School’s model has been replicated both domestically and

abroad, no institution to date has the variety or flexibility of offerings

currently available at MIT Sloan, where nearly 500 degree candidates

per year enroll in Action Learning courses that may take them to new

york, Washington, D.C., or as far as emerging markets in Asia, South

America, and Africa.

Among the most valuable outcomes, Action Learning builds a sense

of confidence when students tackle a problem, come up with a creative

solution that leverages their knowledge and access to MIT resources,

and make a difference to their host organization. The experiences also

reinforce teamwork on a deep level of engagement.

Students can also make or change career directions or choices, as one

student traveling to vietnam may be enticed by the available

entrepreneurial opportunities, while at the same time another taking

the Finance Research Practicum may decide that leaving a post at the

Federal Reserve Bank was a spot-on decision.

“People really do come back from santiago or the Philippines or uganda with

a sense that business activity can be a tremendous engine for the delivery

of society’s needs,” said dean david C. schmittlein. “that comes together

with a sense that a single person, with the right set of tools, can make a

positive difference, so that further develops their set of values, personal

empowerment, and impact.”

GhD-LAB CASE STuDy

Problem solving in sub-saharan africa

Initially charged with the development of a new staffing model for

the Warmbaths hospital in Bela Bela, South Africa, Kelsey McCarty,

MBA ’10, and her Global health Delivery Lab (GhD-Lab) teammates

had their task change upon their arrival to focus solely on staffing

for the maternity ward, as well as other general recommendations.

“We feel that the changes we were making could really help, and on

another level, this is a hospital that receives no attention from anyone

most of the time,” said McCarty. “The staff … had this renewed energy

about doing their own work. They were not going to let our efforts be

in vain. That kind of energy and commitment was inspiring.”

south africa

brazil

chile

portugalusa

haitimexico china

japan

russia

nigeriaindia

uae

australia

REAL-woRLdImpACT

GLOBAL REACh, GLOBAL IMPACT

With a host of laboratory courses and experiential opportunities that take students

around the united States and the world, Action Learning continues to serve as a

cornerstone of the MIT Sloan experience, providing opportunities that create a depth

of knowledge developed by hands-on exploration, innovation, and leadership.

“ There was a great deal of learning on the ground which you can’t do out of books. You also get amazing first-hand success cases on business which you don’t hear as much of in the press. It is good for students to meet with these successful businesses, even in a country where the government is not working and the infrastructure is not there, and realize that the issues are very different.”TavNeeT suRi | Assistant Professor of Applied Economics, study tours Faculty Mentor

GO-Lab | Sistole, Colombia, 2012:

The GO-Lab team addressed some of the key

challenges of expansion and integration as

Sistole, the leading below-the-line marketing

agency in Colombia, looked to increase its

activities, clients, and influence in Latin

America and beyond.

118 9% 100%Mit slOAn MBAs tOOk twO Or MOrE ACtiOn lEArning lABs in 2011-12

OF MBA studEnts tAkE thrEE Or EvEn FOur ACtiOn lEArning lABs

OF MAstEr OF FinAnCE And EMBA studEnts tAkE ACtiOn lEArning lABs

argentina

australia

Brazil

Cambodia

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Germany

Ghana

haiti

hong Kong

hungary

india

indonesia

israel

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Lesotho

Malaysia

Mexico

Nepal

New Zealand

Nigeria

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Rwanda

senegal

serbia

singapore

south africa

swaziland

Taiwan

Tanzania

Thailand

Turkey

uae

uganda

uK

uruguay

usa

vietnam

Zambia

CHINA lAB

Mit sloan students and international MBAs

from some of China’s leading universities

collaborate on multinational business teams to

consult with emerging Chinese entrepreneurs.

E-lAB

Entrepreneurship Lab

teams of science, engineering, and manage-

ment students participate one day a week,

on-site, with the top management of high-tech

startups to gain hands-on experience in

funding, starting, and running new ventures.

EM-lAB

Enterprise Management Lab

small teams of students learn to apply

integrated management perspectives

and practices within large for-profit and

nonprofit organizations.

FINANCE in ACtiOn

within the Finance group, several action

learning opportunities are available, giving

students a rare firsthand look at a wide array

of fiscal challenges facing organizations in

different parts of the world.

Finance Research Practicum

An academic course held over the independent

Activities Period (iAP) in january in which

students work in teams on projects proposed

by external sponsors.

Proseminar in Corporate Finance and

Investment Banking

students tackle original research problems in

financial engineering that have been posed by

leading experts from the financial community.

Proseminar in Capital Markets and

Investment Management

this proseminar has two principal goals: to

bridge the gap between finance theory and

finance practice; and to introduce students

to the broader financial community.

G-lAB

Global Entrepreneurship Lab

g-lab immerses students in a one-semester

classroom and one month, on-site consulting

experience working alongside entrepreneurs in

emerging nations.

GHD-lAB

Global Health Delivery Lab

teams of students work directly with partner

organizations in the health sector spending

two weeks on-site to carry out an intensive,

practical improvement project designed with

Mit faculty and other expert guidance.

GO-lAB

Executive MBA Global Organizations Lab

teams of high-performing, Executive MBA

students work on the cross-border integration

challenges their multi-national host companies

want to fix.

INDIA lAB

students work on projects with indian

companies and non-governmental

organizations to share insights and

recommend strategic directions.

STUDy TOURS

International Study Tours

Organized by students, study tours offer

Mit sloan students a chance to work

with organizations to explore business

practices within global cultures.

L-lAB

Leading Sustainable Systems

l-lab combines classroom learning on

sustainability and leadership with action

learning on real-world projects with

partner organizations.

LGO

Leaders for Global Operations

dual-degree candidates working toward a

master’s in engineering and their MBA bring

a unique perspective to organizations by

utilizing their engineering skills to define

problems and analyze solutions, coupled with

their business acumen developed through

the Mit sloan curriculum.

P-lAB

Managing Sustainable Businessesfor People and Profits

P-lab integrates classroom learning with

real-world team consulting projects where

students examine the challenges, concepts,

and emerging practices at the intersection

of people and profits.

S-lAB

Sustainable Business Lab

s-lab crafts business approaches to

environmental and social issues while

working with all types of organizational

structures: from traditional manufacturing

firms and new startups to nonprofits and

governmental organizations.

CONTACT US If you would like to be a host

company for an Action Learning

opportunity, or if you have

any questions about hosting a

team, please contact us by

calling +1 617-324-9615 or

emailing actionlearning@mit.edu.

On behalf of the faculty and staff

of Action Learning at MIT Sloan,

we look forward to partnering

with you.

Action learning at a glance

mitsloan.mit.edu/actionlearning

MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT | ACTION LEARNING

One Amherst Street, E40-196, Cambridge, MA 02139

TEL +1 617-324-9615 EMAIL actionlearning@mit.edu