1

IVEY FIELD PROJECT

BUSINESS 4569

Sections 7 to 9

HBA STUDENT HANDBOOK

and SYLLABUS

2015

Updated September 3, 2015

2

Ivey Business School Business 4569

HBA Ivey Field Project (IFP) Contacts

4569 IFP HBA: Faculty

IFP - 1 IFP - 2 IFP - 3 IFP - 4

Instructor Rod White Mary Crossan Adam Fremeth Fredrik Odegaard

Office 3366 2354 3320 2336

Phone 519-661-3252 519-661-3217 519-850-2439 519-661-4278

Email* rwhite@ivey.ca mcrossan@ivey.ca afremeth@ivey.ca fodegaard@ivey.ca

Assistant Ruth Shanahan TBD Tany Fernandes Terri Przewieda

Phone Ex. 84142 Ex.86177 Ex.83494

Email rshanahan@ivey.ca tfernandes@ivey.ca fodegaard@ivey.ca

IFP - 5 IFP - 6 IFP - 7 IFP - 8 IFP - 9

Instructor Kelly Raz Mark Zbaracki Dave Simpson Larry Plummer Larry Plummer

Office 2310 2314 2351 2351

Phone 519-661-4270 519-661-3080 519-850-2503 519-850-2503

Email* mzbaracki@ivey.ca dsimpson@ivey.ca lplummer@ivey.ca lplummer@ivey.ca

Assistant Ruth Shanahan Debbie Zoccano Allison Gulka Allison Gulka Allison Gulka

Phone Ex. 84142 Ex. 83275 Ex82901 Ex82901 Ex82901

Email rshanahan@ivey.ca d.zoccano@ivey.ca agulka@ivey.ca agulka@ivey.ca agulka@ivey.ca

Tony Cassetta IFP Director for Clients and EIRs tcassetta@ivey.uwo.ca

Ruth Shanahan IFP Coordinator Sections 1-6 rshanahan@ivey.uwo.ca Allison Gulka IFP Coordinator Section 7-9 agulka@ivey.uwo.ca

mailto:tcassetta@ivey.uwo.camailto:rshanahan@ivey.uwo.camailto:agulka@ivey.uwo.ca

3

Contents

Introduction 4 (a) Learning Outcomes 4 (b) Confidentiality 5 (c) Teams 5 (d) Executives/Entrepreneurs-in-Residence 5

Grading and Deliverables 5 (a) Peer Assessment 6 (b) Meetings 7 (c) Deadlines 7 (d) Communication 7

Plagiarism 7

Attendance 7

Research Ethics 7

IFP NEW VENTURE GUIDELINES 8

DEVELOPING YOUR NEW VENTURE CONCEPT 8 (a) Student and Team Responsibility 8 (b) New Venture Criteria 8 (c) Working with your Entrepreneur-in-Residence and the EIR Contact Diary 9 (d) Working with your Faculty Supervisor 10

COMPONENTS OF THE IFP EXPERIENCE 10 (a) In-Class Sessions Sept. 8-11. 10 (b) Meetings 10 (c) Submission #1: Work Plan/Scoping Document 10 (d) Submission #2: Interim Report/Analyses 11 (e) Submission #3a: Written Business Plan 12 (f) Submission #3b: Investor Presentation 14 (g) Progress Reports 14 (h) EIR Contact Diary 14

MATERIALS 14

IFP Community on eZone 14

APPENDIX A IFP ETHICS FORM FOR NEW VENTURES 16

4

Introduction The Ivey Field Project (IFP) presents an opportunity for students to put into action what you have learned. Each team will undertake a project of interest to them. It could be a project addressing a strategic issue at a large corporation, a business issue within a small enterprise, a not-for-profit organization, a new business, or a new venture idea of the teams own creation. In each case, students are expected to draw on the knowledge and skills gained in other courses to address an enterprise-wide opportunity. Each team is expected to fully scope their project and allocate work appropriately to all the members of the team in order to accomplish the stated objective of their project. Each team member is expected to put in a minimum of 100 to 120 hours of work over the course of the project. Students are expected to develop a broad understanding of the industry through various research methods, assess alternatives both quantitatively and qualitatively, and establish a detailed plan to implement their recommendations. Throughout students will make periodic progress reports to their faculty, executive/entrepreneur in residence (EIR) and where applicable, the client. Many Ivey alumni have found that the IFP experience was one of the most valuable and memorable parts of their education. The effort and dedication you put into your IFP project will be rewarded in terms of both learning and satisfaction in a job well done. The IFP staff, faculty and EIRs work together and are dedicated to providing your team with the support you need to succeed. IFP is your capstone course and we encourage you to make the most of this valuable experience. The objective of the IFP is either to assist the principal(s) of the enterprise in identifying and dealing with issues/opportunities affecting the success of the enterprise or work on starting your own new venture. This task requires you first gain a general overview of the business as a whole and its industry environment. Before you can determine if the critical issues for the enterprise are in the area of marketing, production, sales, R&D, or elsewhere, you must first undertake the initial size-up of the firms or ventures environment, its resources and capabilities, stakeholder preferences and internal organization. Even in those cases where the client requests that your team focus on a particular functional issue, you still need to be aware of how your suggested actions will affect the entire enterprise. Your team will receive targeted coaching on various topics pertaining to your project, along with evaluations of your project progress from your Faculty Supervisor

(FS) and Executive/Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) mentor. Your Faculty Supervisor (FS) is available to provide advice, guidance, and feedback related to academic matters throughout this process. He or she also serves the traditional role of conducting IFP classes and grading your work. Most of your interactions with your FS will occur during the three scheduled meetings. However you should contact your FS to address academic concerns should the need arise. Your Executive/Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) is a volunteer who will work as an advisor along with your FS to provide assistance and counsel to your team. All of our EIRs have been senior managers and/or successful entrepreneurs, and most have served on both sides of the consulting-client relationship. Your EIRs can serve as a sounding board and provide valuable advice on team dynamics, client management and other issues. Additional EIR information is provided in the document entitled, Role of the EIR posted on your IFP Community in eZone. Regular meetings and deadlines for deliverables throughout the year have been designed to provide the framework for successful completion of your project. Attendance at these meetings is mandatory for all team members. During these meetings, the FS and EIR will provide you with advice on the areas that pertain to your project, the framing of the projects parameters, the quantity and quality of your research, the sophistication of your analysis, your relationship with the client, and whether your report meets the standard of high quality consulting work. Your team can expect feedback from the faculty on most of your formal submissions.

(a) Learning Outcomes The educational aims of the project are multiple. The IFP has proven to be an effective means to make immediate application of your learning at Ivey. Working with other members of your team, your client or entrepreneur, your FS and EIR will allow you to refine your interpersonal skills and develop strong real-world business skills. There is a presentation and oral communication component to the project that affords you an opportunity to further enhance your abilities in these areas as well. Finally, the project provides the opportunity for you to develop your skills when working as part of a team on a large, complex, and relatively long-term project with the opportunity to affect the future of an enterprise.

5

(b) Confidentiality It is an expected part of the project that your team will collect information about the industry from various sources. When collecting data from third parties, customers, competitors, industry associations, suppliers, etc. you must represent yourself openly and honestly. In addition to offending your personal sense of ethics, information collected under false or misleading pretenses will damage the Schools reputation, jeopardize Iveys ability to carry out future projects, and could lead to potential litigation. When speaking with outside sources of information, indicate that you are a student team from the Ivey Business School doing a study of the industry for an industry participant, or potential participant. You need not, and probably should not reveal the name of your client. IFP Client Projects are very similar to a professional consulting relationship and require access to sensitive organizational information. Of all the factors involved in the IFP, none is more important than the strict observance of your promise to your client organization that all information will be handled on a 100 per cent confidential basis. No member of any team shall reveal to anyone outside their team, FS and EIR, anything reported to them by the client. You should never compromise a clients right to confidentiality as it is unprofessional, puts your ability to complete the project at risk, and negatively affects Iveys reputation in the business community. If your client requests a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) please use the standard UWO/Ivey NDA posted available in your IFP Community in eZone.

(c) Teams You are responsible for forming and registering your own team. Registration occurs during April of your HBA1 year. Each team completes and submits the form entitled, IFP HBA Team Registration, available in your IFP eZone Community. This assignment is a team effort and the final report will be viewed and graded as a joint project. Teams should consist of 6 students. The effective composition, organization and functioning of your team is important. This project is the responsibility of all members of your team and it will require teamwork, division of labor and co-ordination of your efforts. Bear in mind, the goal of the IFP is to be integrative, dealing with the entire enterprise, not just one functional area. How you choose to divide the tasks, assign individual responsibilities, work together to develop innovative solutions, and manage the overall effort will affect the end product. Give these points careful consideration when forming and organizing your team. Inevitably there will be differences

and disagreements. You are expected to attempt to resolve your own intra-team disputes. EIRs can often help you work through team issues. Your Faculty Supervisor should only be involved if the issue affects academic outcomes and only after exhausting your own internal efforts to resolve the issue. Organizational, team and interpersonal difficulties are not acceptable reasons for unsatisfactory results. One person in the team should be identified as the Team Contact so the IFP office has one primary contact. It is the job of the team contact to communicate messages to the rest of the team.

(d) Executives/Entrepreneurs-in-Residence The school has recruited a number of seasoned business executives and entrepreneurs to act as mentors (coaches) for IFP teams. Often these EIRs are former senior executives of large businesses, or a seasoned entrepreneur, and all have many years experience in dealing with the kinds of business challenges you will encounter. Using your EIR as a mentor/coach can bring significant additional value to the quality of your project report and to the experience you will gain from this process. All EIRs have Ivey email addresses and you can find the listing posted in eZone. When contacting the EIR directly, please copy the faculty supervisor. Please avoid emailing the EIR concerning administrative, academic or grading issues.

Grading and Deliverables

Throughout the course each team will be expected to meet certain key deliverables. These deliverables and the meetings associated with that deliverable have a grade assigned to them as follows:

IFP New Ventures

Deliverable Deadline Grade

Project Scope and Work Plan (see format below)

Sept. 25 (11:00am)

15%

Interim Report (see format below)

Oct. 19 (11:00am)

20%

Written Business Plan (see format below)

Nov. 20 (11:00am)

Optional: Dec. 4 (11:00am) 65%

Investor Presentation (see format below)

Nov. 27 (8:00am)

6

The simple sum of these three components becomes the team grade. Each team members grade is the teams grade adjusted by the peer assessment (as explained below) less any penalty for missing mandatory meetings or failing to complete peer assessments.

(a) Peer Assessment IFP employs the same mechanism for peer assessment and grading used for LTA teams in HBA1. IFP peer assessment can have a maximum impact of plus or minus 10% on any students final grade. Each team member is required to submit his or her peer assessments and commentary through eZone no earlier than 09:00 on December 7, 2015 and no later than 09:00 on December 14, 2015. In addition to a score, you are required to provide feedback and commentary to each team member. While this feedback will be anonymous it should be fact based and respectful. Any student failing to submit peer scores and helpful feedback for all their team-mates will have their final grade reduced by 2%. As you may recall from HBA1 the system works as follows. You provide feedback and peer scores for the other members of your team, but not yourself. The total number of points you must award is equal to 10 times the number of members of the team minus 1. So for a six-person team each member has 50 points to award (6 1 = 5 x 10 = 50). The minimum you can award any individual is 0 the maximum is 20. If everyone awards the same score (i.e. 10) than this process will have no differential effect upon the grades; everyone will receive the team grade. Assigning different peer scores will result in different grades being received. An example helps to show the effect. Assume Tom was given the following scores by his five other team-mates: 6, 4, 6, 2, 7 for a total of 25; if Tom had performed at the group norm or average he should have received 50. His scores would result in ((25-50)/50 x 10% =) -5%. If the team grade was 80% Tom would receive a grade of 80 less 4 (5% of 80%) = 76%. Of course other members of the team would in aggregate receive plus 4% (5% of 80%). You are encouraged to use this process to reflect differential contributions to the IFP. The following provides guidelines for your consideration when awarding individual scores.

IFP Peer Assessment Guidelines

Category Description Score

Exceptional Provided leadership for the team. Did substantially

17 - 20

more than their share of the project work. Contributed excellent ideas. and did very high quality work.

Very Good

Contributed positively to the team process. Did their share of the project work. Contributed excellent ideas and did very high quality work

OR; Contributed positively to the team process. Did substantially more than their share of the project work. Contributed good ideas and did quality work.

13 - 16

Satisfactory

Was an effective team member. Did their share of the project work. Contributed ideas and did satisfactory work.

8 - 12

Less than Satisfactory

Had neither a positive nor negative effect upon the team process. Did less than their share of the project work, and/or contributed few ideas and did lower quality work.

5 - 7

Unsatisfactory

Dysfunctional team mem-ber; or largely absent from the team process. Shirked their project responsibilities; did not do their work, or did very low quality or incomplete work.

0 - 4

An important part of the IFP learning experience is to manage your team dynamics. Integral to this process is receiving and giving feedback to your peers on your perception of their contributions to the project. If your team is experiencing problems these issues should be identified and addressed sooner rather than later. Periodically each team should discuss team dynamics and contributions. Concerns should be shared openly and respectfully. No one should be surprised by the peer assessment they receive at the end of this project. If there is substantial evidence that an individual student has persistently failed to attend team meetings, and/or has failed to communicate regularly with team members, and/or has failed to contribute significantly to the teams work, the Faculty Supervisor may further adjust an individual team members grade. In these exceptional circumstances, the Faculty Supervisor may

7

assign a grade of zero to any or all deliverables for the IFP course to an individual team member. The Faculty Supervisors respect the peer assessment process. However, if there is evidence of unfairness, bias or the arbitrary assignment of scores the faculty member may disallow any or all of the peer assessments in the calculation of an individuals grade.

(b) Meetings Following each deliverable will be a mandatory meeting with your faculty supervisor and EIR. The purpose of these meetings is to provide constructive feedback on your progress, follow-up on any area of your work requiring additional clarification, and guidance on the next steps. During these meetings one member of the team is expected to take detailed notes of the discussion. These meetings are the primary source of feedback to the team and students are encouraged to ask questions and solicit feedback.

(c) Deadlines Please note the deadlines and meetings schedule provided in this document and understand that they are firm. Your final IFP grade will be based on the submitted materials and formal oral presentations. All significant milestone dates and other useful information are also posted on the IFP Community on eZone and you will receive email notification from the IFP office should any changes occur. Late submissions will receive a penalty of 20% and any submission received more than 24 hours after the deadline will receive a grade of zero.

(d) Communication The IFP coordinators may email reminders of deadlines and meeting times, but only as a courtesy. Meeting the deadlines is entirely your responsibility. Please let the coordinator know if your team has any questions or concerns regarding the IFP process at IFP@ivey.uwo.ca.

Plagiarism

Students must write their essays and assignments (at Ivey this includes case exams, reports and presentations) in their own words. Whenever students take an idea, or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing, such as footnotes or citations. Plagiarism is a major academic offence (see Scholastic Offense Policy in the Western Academic Calendar).

All required papers (at Ivey this includes case exams, reports and presentations) may be subject to submission

for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All work submitted will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com (www.turnitin.com).

Attendance

Attendance at all classes and scheduled meetings in this course are mandatory for all team members. It is expected you will attend every mandatory meeting with your Faculty Supervisor. Without the prior written consent from your faculty, each absence from any of the three mandatory meetings will result in an automatic 2% deduction from that individuals final grade. Under University regulations, the faculty can determine at what point absenteeism has become excessive and thus can prevent you from passing the course. Specifically, any student missing more than 25 percent of the meetings and/or classes cannot have fully mastered the material. As a result, the faculty will refuse to evaluate all or part of that student's work, where attendance has not been regular.

Research Ethics An IFP team may collect publicly available information without submitting its research for ethical approval. Examples of such information would normally include visiting a competitor's retail store, conducting a traffic count, visiting internet web sites, etc If an IFP team wishes to collect data from human participants (e.g. interview industry participants, survey consumers, experiment, focus group), before carrying out such research it must:

a) Complete the form attached (see Appendix A) and submit for approval to the faculty supervisor;

b) Gain permission in writing from the client to conduct the research on the client's behalf; AND

c) Clearly communicate to all participants their rights and your affiliation (normally this information is conveyed in a Letter of Information provided to the human participants).

http://www.turnitin.com/

8

In some circumstances, the research you are proposing may have to be reviewed by the Westerns Research Ethics Board (REB). The information below outlines the conditions under which your research would have to be submitted to this board:

1. Sensitive Topics: Does the research propose to study topics that might be reasonably construed as sensitive (e.g. questions about illegal behavior, sexuality, medical information, potentially harmful to respondent if made public, etc.)?

2. Vulnerable Populations: Does the research seek

responses from people who lack the capacity to provide free and informed consent (e.g. children, prisoners, respondents with mental impairments, etc.)?

3. Use of Deception: Does the research involve

deception, concealment or covert observation (e.g. withholding the true purpose of the study, lying to respondents about research design, observing respondents where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, etc.)?

4. Conflict of Interest: Does the proposal place the

researcher or the course instructor in a position that might be reasonably perceived as a conflict of interest (e.g. potentially threaten respondents or researcher objectivity based on, for example, interpersonal relationships or financial considerations, etc.)?

5. Publication/Dissemination: Will the research

findings be made public or communicated beyond the class, the professor and/or the client (e.g. firm for which you are providing consulting)?

If any of the answers above are yes, then the proposal must be submitted to the Research Ethics Board (REB), which will review the proposal. Ethics forms and further information may be found at: http://go.ivey.ca/EthicsForms. No primary research may be carried out until the instructor has provided students with written approval or until you have received written approval from the REB.

IFP NEW VENTURE GUIDELINES

DEVELOPING YOUR NEW VENTURE CONCEPT

(a) Student and Team Responsibility You and your team are responsible for identifying, developing, and presenting your own new venture concept. Choice and application for approval of a project must occur sometime before April. The deadline to have an approved New Venture-based project is in early April. Although work on the New Venture project ramps up most earnestly in September, you are encouraged to work on your new venture concept over the summer. When, as you work on your new venture, you find it necessary to change or pivot your concept, doing so is your responsibility and at your discretion. That is, do not expect your FS or EIR to tell you explicitly when to modify your concept. Having said this, please consult with your FS and EIR when making any major changes to your concept. Further, if you do need to change or pivot your concept, do so as early in the IFP schedule as possible. The schedule allows very little room to accommodate a team making major changes late in the IFP schedule. You will be required to conduct primary and secondary research. For primary research, while the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship may be able to help you identify industry, legal, business, financial, and other related experts to contact, the responsibility of identifying and contacting such experts belongs solely to your team. For secondary research, you are expected to leverage the resources of the Johnston Library. Do not rely on internet searches alone to complete your secondary research! Although one person may have started the idea, your new venture concept is really the brainchild of everyone on your team. As such, if anyone plans to launch the venture after or during IFP, it is solely up to you and your teammates to resolve any (legal or residual) claims to the intellectual property contained in any of the project deliverables. Finally, for those who want to launch a new venture, the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, its faculty, and various programs at Western stand ready to assist you during or after your time here at Ivey. Please inform your FS as early in the IFP schedule as possible if you want to take a shot at launching a new venture.

(b) New Venture Criteria Carefully develop your new venture concept to ensure sufficient scope and that the range of activities and

9

issues likely to be confronted are of interest to the members of the team and will challenge your skills and abilities. Projects may include product-based businesses, service-based businesses, high- and low-tech businesses, international ventures, etc. as long as you receive approval from the IFP office. Additional criteria for your new venture are as follows.

1. The scope and depth of your new venture concept must be sufficient to allow each student to put in a minimum of 100 to 120 hours of meaningful work during the course of the project.

2. Your new venture concept must afford sufficient growth potential and scalability to require sophisticated financial deals and investmente.g., external investment capital from angel investors, venture capital, private equity, and other. Pure equity deals are not required, but financing the venture exclusively through bank loans is disallowed.

3. Your new venture concept must in some way generate financial returns for investors. As such, traditional non-profit ventures are disallowed for IFP, but you can explore developing a social ventureagain, as long as investors can expect returns based on equity positions in your company.

4. Your investor presentation and business plan must also allow each member of your IFP team some role in the venture. That is, each member of your team must have some responsibility for leading, managing, or directing the new venture; these roles must be explicitly stated in the business plan.

5. Your new venture concept should be based on an idea generated by one or more of your team members. Concepts developed around IP owned or held by non-team members will rarely, if ever, be allowed. Contact the New Venture Project director for questions about this criterion.

Finally, all new venture concepts are not created equal, and do not provide equal challenge and scope. The quality of your IFP experience will be related to these factors. Challenge and scope are difficult to define but adhering to the above criteria should lead to the selection of a good project. The IFP-NVP director, in consultation with other staff and faculty, will make the final determination in accepting a new venture project.

(c) Working with your Entrepreneur-in-Residence and the EIR Contact Diary

Your EIR is your primary mentor and source of guidance. Once you are introduced / connected with your EIR via email, follow up with your EIR early (i.e., in early September, if not over the summer) to establish a

working relationship. Ensure the EIR understands the general orientation of your new venture concept. Your EIR has been selected and matched with your team based on several criteria including industry knowledge, length of time they have served as an EIR, and other related expertise. You should consider your EIR a member of your team and include him/her in early deliberations and developments of your new venture concept. The role of your EIR is NOT to help you polish your presentation or proofread your business plan, but rather to help you develop the core of your new venture concept, financial model, investment plan, market / sales strategy, and so on. It is entirely your teams responsibility to initiate and maintain contact and work with your EIR. Many EIRs are extremely busy professionals with hectic schedules and frequent (international) travel. With this said, the EIRs have committed to work with your team and will find it frustrating if you do not engage them for help. As such, keep the following in mind:

Neither your FS nor EIR view what youre doing as a class project. They see it as working with a team of entrepreneurs (you) on launching a real business.

No past EIR has ever complained that a team contacted them too much or was too aggressive in trying to reach them. Indeed, the EIRs seem to complain only when teams DONT engage them or reach out to them too late in the IFP schedule.

Dont just drop your EIR an email and think you have made contact. Call, skype, email, tweet, text, and generally sustain all efforts to stay in contact with your EIR throughout the project.

If you feel that your EIR does not understand some aspect of your concept, thats your fault not theirs. It is your responsibility to help your EIR understand what you are working on.

Heed your EIRs advice. If you dont follow your EIRs advice, be prepared to explain why.

Your EIR wont know the project schedule or requirements. You must explain to your EIR how, when, and why you need something from them.

As part of this process, you will be REQUIRED to maintain an EIR CONTACT DIARY, which is a record of your communications with your EIR. For each contact, please keep a spreadsheet log of the date, time, method of communication (e.g., skype, email, phone call), and a 2-5 word description of the topic of conversation. Please get your EIR to sign off on your EIR Contact Diary before submitting it with your final business plan.

10

(d) Working with your Faculty Supervisor Although your EIR is your primary source of guidance, your FS is available to provide advice, guidance, and feedback and will grade your work. Feel free to reach out to your FS as needed throughout the project, but be prepared for your FS to delay any meeting until you have consulted your EIR on a given matter.

COMPONENTS OF THE IFP EXPERIENCE

(a) In-Class Sessions Sept. 8-11. All IFP students are expected to be available for meetings and classes from Tuesday September 8, 2015 at 08:00 until noon on Friday September 11. Work will be assigned for completion on the eve of each days class. The following schedule (which is subject to some change) applies to IFP Sections 7 9:

IFP Sections 7-9 Class Schedule

Timing Activity

Tue., Sep 8: 08:00 12:30 20 min. Team meeting with FS or delegate

Tue., Sep 8: 13:00 17:00 Class / work session

Wed., Sep 9: 08:00 13:00 Class / work session

Wed., Sep 9: 13:00 17:00 Class / work session

Thu., Sep 10: 08:00 13:00 Class / work session

Thu., Sep 10: 13:00 17:00 Class / work session

Fri., Sep 11: 08:00 12:00 Wrap-up and Working with your EIR session

IFP teams will likely have 20 min. meetings with their FS or delegate on Tuesday morning. You will be assigned a half hour meeting time by the IFP coordinator. Your team will be notified about the time location and agenda for these meetings by email in late August. Class sessions and / or meetings for each IFP section will be conducted on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There is NO coursepack required for IFP sections 7-9. Instead, several deck files and class assignments will be posted on eZone. There is no pre-work required prior to the first class session, but we trust your team has used the summer months wisely. During the class sessions you will be asked to raise and discuss issues related to the scoping of your project. After the first week, there will no further class sessions.

(b) Meetings For sections 7-9 only, IFP includes two formal mandatory team meetings with your IFP faculty supervisor (FS) or delegate. Please contact your EIR to discuss your project materials no later than the second Friday in September.

1. Introductory team meeting for approximately 20 minutes with your FS or delegate on Tuesday, September 8 (8:00am-12:30pm).

2. A 30 minute interim meeting with your FS or delegate sometime during Tues. October 27 (5:30pm-8:00pm) or Wed. October 28 (8:30am-5:00pm).

In addition, your team will have deadlines to submit your project materials, so please review the sample document entitled, IFP HBA Quick Key Dates & Deadlines, posted in your IFP Community in eZone. Any changes to these requirements will be emailed to you via your Ivey IFP class distribution list. Additional details include specific times will be communicated to teams closer to the actual meeting dates. Formal meetings are mandatory for all team members. The IFP coordinators will schedule the meetings. Each meeting consists of a three-step process. Step 1 is a written submission to be handed in by a specified due date before the meeting. Step 2 is a discussion at the meeting about the written submission. Each team will designate a member who will record the minutes of the meeting. Step 3 is a submission of minutes of the meeting, including action items requested by the FS or EIR. The minutes should be emailed to the FS and EIR within two days following the meeting. These minutes will form the basis of your substantive feedback.

(c) Submission #1: Work Plan/Scoping Document In order to successfully prepare the scoping document and work plan, your team has to complete at least one in-depth discussion with your EIR. This meeting / conversation is to discuss the development of the new venture and establish a thorough understanding of the project at hand. To gain maximum benefit from this first meeting with the EIR, the team should prepare by conducting secondary research on the organization and the industry.

Due 11:00am September 25, 2015 The 6-page Scope and Work Plan is worth 15% of your final mark. You will receive a number grade out of 100 for your scope and work plan. Your grade will be based on the overall quality of your submission. Please upload an electronic copy as a single file (in MS Word Format) to the IFP course section in eZone (confidential team

11

uploads). *Please include the name of your venture, the names of all group members, your team number and your assigned EIRs name on the front page of your submission. Please use your company name and team number as the file name of your submission. Your submission should include the following:

In no more than 2 pages, the PRELIMINARY NEW VENTURE SUMMARY should articulate clearly the core elements of the new venture concept including the customer problem, market segment, competition, ecosystem, and 2 to 3 possible products / solutions. Using the highlight tool in Word (or other software), please color code your factual statements and numbers as follows:

GREEN facts or numbers have been verified from reputable sources

YELLOW facts or numbers are educated guesses / estimates (i.e., SWAGs) derived from information obtained from reputable sources

RED facts or numbers have NOT been verified from reputable sources

A 1-page SCOPING DIAGRAM (e.g., Gantt chart) decomposes the overall objective into component parts (and sub-parts). This submission provides a narrative explaining how these components will address the objective of the project. Choose font and margins that still make the scoping diagram legible when printed in black and white.

A 1-page WORK PLAN is related to the scoping diagram and clearly identifies those tasks required to complete the project, when each must begin and end, how the tasks relate to each other, and team lead and team members involved in completing each task. A good work plan should also communicate to everyone what the team needs from their EIR and what the EIR can expect from your team.

As part of your Work Plan, please delegate responsibilities and areas of expertise to each person on the team. At a minimum, please assign at least one person to the following roles:

market / customer / sales expert,

competition / industry expert,

money / financial model / funding expert,

product / solution / R&D expert, and

ecosystem / legal / general environment expert

A 1-page SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY RESEARCH should capture all research conducted to date.

Finally, use in-text citations to cite your ALL your work and include a 1-page list of references.

The new venture summary, scope, work plan, and research summary should have received EIR AGREEMENT prior to submission. Either through written correspondence or the EIRs signature on the scope and work plan, the team should be able to demonstrate that the EIR has received and reviewed the teams Work Plan and Scope.

More information about the structure, content, and format of your scope and work plan will be provided in class materials. Getting this first deliverable right is very important for two reasons. First, it helps establish expectations with your EIR and is crucial to managing your work and EIR interaction during the course of the project. Second, it forms the basis for your team and peer assessment. If your team executes with excellence the agreed upon work plan and fully address your projects scope then you can expect a good team and peer grade. Failure to deliver on key elements of your work plan and scope will result in a low team and / or peer grade.

(d) Submission #2: Interim Report/Analyses In order to successfully complete the Interim Report, your team should have strong buy-in from your EIR around the scope and direction of your work. In order to prepare a strong interim report, you need to have completed a substantial portion of your secondary (e.g., library) and primary (e.g., surveys and interviews) data collection efforts.

Due 11:00am October 19, 2015 Please submit this assignment in three parts:

First, upload an electronic copy of the written document as a single file (in MS Word Format) to the IFP course section in eZone (confidential team uploads).

Second, upload an electronic copy of the financial model as a single file (in MS Excel Format) to the IFP course section in eZone (confidential team uploads).

Finally, upload an electronic copy of the Supporting Docs as a single file (in PDF Format) to the IFP course section in eZone (confidential team uploads).

For all three parts of your submission, please include the name of your venture, the names of all group members, your team number and your assigned EIRs name on the front page of your submission and use your company name and team number as the name of each electronic file. The interim report is worth 20% of your final mark. You will receive a number grade out of 100 for your interim

12

report. Your grade will be based on the overall quality of your submission. Your interim report (maximum 20 pages) should include the following elements:

The REVISED NEW VENTURE SUMMARY (2 pages) should articulate the current best thinking regarding your new venture concept including the customer problem, market segment, competition, ecosystem, and product / solution.

The REVISED SCOPING DIAGRAM AND WORK PLAN (2 pages)this general deliverable should be broken into the key components that will fulfill the projects objective and speak to the key issues and challenges facing your team. As part of this revised work plan, be sure to:

- Describe the STATUS of all key objectives and deliverables. This flows directly from the original work plan. For each important deliverable: What has been done? What remains to be done in order to complete your project? Who is taking the lead on getting it done? If you have any reason to suspect the deliverable will not get done you should identify your concerns.

- Also provide a brief discussion of TEAM DYNAMICS. Is the team functioning effectively? Are all the team members doing their share of the work? Do we have an effective team leader? Do we need one? What else can we do to be a more effective team?

In 2 pages, summarize all SECONDARY AND PRIMARY RESEARCH completed to date. By the due date of this deliverable, your team must accomplish the following:

- Administer and analyze a preliminary customer survey. You must survey 5+ B2B customers or 15+ B2C customers.

- Conduct interviews with 5+ B2B or B2C customers. These customers may be included in your survey.

- Conduct interviews with 3+ industry, ecosystem, or product experts

- Prepare one-page summaries of your ventures top 3 competitors. Each summary should describe the rivals top product and a brief analysis of its (4 Ps).

In 12 pages or less, conduct INTERIM ANALYSES of Steps 1 through 4 of the NVP process. These steps include the customer problem, customer / market segmentation, industry and competition analysis, and ecosystem analysis. In these analyses, demonstrate that the thoroughness of your due-diligence in these steps. These are considered interim analyses because your research is ongoing and your concept may still change.

Prepare the FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR FINANCIAL MODEL, which should establish the general format of your spreadsheets and workbook. At this stage, focus on the format and categories related to your revenues, cash

flow, and P&L statements; the sales and pricing, COGS, M&S, R&D, and G&A workups; and your key assumptions. Dont worry too much about the dollar amounts at this stage. Please use MS Excel to build your financial model and submit only the electronic copy to eZone. The financial model is not included in your page limit for this deliverable.

For the SUPPORTING DOCS, please submit a scanned version of the following items in a single PDF file (see the section on secondary and primary research for more details):

- 5+ B2B customers or 15+ B2C customer surveys - Interview notes from 5+ B2B or B2C customers - Interview notes from 3+ industry, ecosystem, or

product experts - One-page summaries of your ventures top 3

competitors

Please include the name and contact information of each intervieweea random selection of these people will be contacted to verify the date / time of the interview

Your interim report and analyses should have received EIR AGREEMENT prior to your submission. Either through written correspondence or the EIRs signature on the scope and work plan, the team should be able to demonstrate that the EIR has received and reviewed the project as defined by the team.

More information about the structure, content, and format of your interim report and analyses will be provided in class materials. The teams interim report effectively describes the teams progress and plans towards resolving the key components identified in the scoping document. It also provides an important touch point to identify and address the effective functioning of the team.

(e) Submission #3a: Written Business Plan After you have received feedback from your FS and EIR on your interim report, conducted additional primary and secondary research, and collected more information, you can prepare the written business plan. The written business plan can be as long or short as needed (but shoot for 15-25 pages, not including appendices) and should cover (1) the customer problem, (2) market segment, (3) industry and competition, (4) ecosystem, (5) your product / service / solution, (6) your operations plan, (7) your leadership and advisory team, (8) your financial model, and (9) risk identification and mitigation plan. More information about the structure, content, and format of your business plan will be provided in class materials.

13

The written business plan is worth 40% of your final mark. You will receive a number grade out of 100 for your written business plan. Your grade will be based on the overall quality of your submission. Please email your EIR your written business plan before the submission is due. Please allow enough time for your EIR to provide feedback before submitting the written business plan. Please submit the business plan in three parts:

First, submit your business plan as an MS Word or PDF document making sure to include a discussion of and key information from your financial model.

Second, submit your full financial model as an MS Excel workbook. This workbook serves as an appendix to your business plan, so be sure your written business plan includes all relevant information from the financial model.

Third, submit your EIR Contact Diary with your business plan as either a PDF document.

For all three parts of your submission, please include the name of your venture, the names of all group members, and your team number on the front page of your submission. DO NOT include the name of your EIR or FS on these documents. Then, include your company name and team number in the name of each electronic file.

Due 11:00am November 20, 2015 OPTIONAL: After the investor presentation (described later), you have the option of submitting a revised written business plan on the date and time listed below.

Due 11:00am December 4, 2015 Evaluation Criteria (Written Business Plan)

Your written business plan will be evaluated based primarily but not exclusively upon the following criteria:

Most important of all, the business plan effectively covers the 9 KEY STEPS of the new venture development process: (1) customer problem, (2) market segment, (3) industry and competition, (4) ecosystem, (5) your product / service / solution, (6) your operations plan, (7) your leadership and advisory team, (8) your financial model, and (9) risk identification and mitigation plan.

The BUSINESS PLAN IS FRAMED IN A MEANINGFUL AND STRATEGIC WAY. This project required the team to do some innovative thinking and integration, and it represented a challenging and demanding work plan. The team could have done the bare minimum to address

the objectives of this project, but instead they went above and beyond expectations to start the business.

The PROJECT DEMONSTRATES A THROUGH UNDER-STANDING OF THE MARKET OPPORTUNITY. It requires the team to show that they have done the work necessary to understand the various aspects the market need, the venture to be launched, the financial model, and the business environment. This is an important process for all projects.

The report makes strong use of EVIDENCE coming from secondary and primary research to develop meaningful insights. Speculation is minimized and evidence based analysis and recommendations maximized. In terms of interviews, the team has met with key stakeholders, and uses interview data to help shape its thinking and analysis. Whenever possible this project tests assumptions with evidence and strong logic.

The UNDERLYING LOGIC and structure of the business plan is excellent. The report takes the reader (e.g., investor) from the market need / problem definition to implementation of the startup in a way that is clear and easy to follow. During this journey, the team does an excellent job of substantiating their views and claims using primary and secondary data. During this journey, there are no leaps of faith nor do any of the recommendations seem out of place. The logic is strong, but not simplistic or boring.

From the written business plan, it is clear that the team has taken a great deal of time not only to collect data, but also to analyze this data from a variety of viewpoints. The sophistication with which issues are presented, discussed and resolved is impressive and shows high-level thinking and analysis. The team did not opt for the easy path, but instead, went for high quality ANALYSIS and innovative solutions.

The BUSINESS PLAN IS WELL-ORDERED AND STRUCTURED. Please note that you may structure or order the content of your business plan as you see fitas long as the 9 Key Elements are covered in the plan.

The OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE FACULTY member is an important component of the grade. This element of the grade taps into that part of the entrepreneurial process that is more art than science. The faculty members will ask themselves the following questions in allocating this grade: Did the team stretch their thinking skills in completing the written business plan? Did the team truly make a substantial effort in doing what is needed to start the venture FOR REAL? If I were the investor, would I be willing to support this team in launching this or any venture they propose? Was the business plan a student project or was it comparable to something investors are likely to see? Does the overall

14

quality of this project reflect the work of individuals attending a top-tier business school?

(f) Submission #3b: Investor Presentation After you have written the core of your business plan, you can prepare the investor presentation. This presentation should consist of 10 to 15 slides. Plan on giving a 20-minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A with our EIR presentation judges. You are required to have a physical representation (e.g., mockup, prototype, schematic) of your product / service / solution for the presentation. All teams and all team members are expected to do an investor presentation. *Do not include your EIRs or FS name on your investor presentation. More information about the structure, content, and format of your presentation will be provided in class materials. The investor presentation is worth 25% of your final mark. You will receive a number grade out of 100 for your presentation. Your grade will be based on the overall quality of your presentation and slide deck. The judges evaluations of your presentation are used in calculating your grade. Please email your investor presentation to your EIR before delivering the presentation. On the day of your presentation, please upload an electronic copy of the slide deck (PPT or PDF format) to the IFP course section in eZone (confidential team uploads). *Include your team number and your company name on the front page and file name.

Slide deck due no later than 6pm November 27, 2015 Evaluation Criteria (Investor Presentation)

The presentation should encompass the KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN. In addition, you presentation will be evaluated on the following criteria:

The slides in the presentation are CREATIVE AND INTERESTING. They should have a great deal of visual appeal and use graphs and charts in an interesting way to present key messages.

The slides are LOGICALLY ORDERED and the presenters develop a COMPELLING NARRATIVE. Wording is CLEAR AND CONCISE. Recommendations are clearly GROUNDED in research, EVIDENCE and analysis.

EVIDENCE is appropriately summarized and presented. Data is presented graphical and COMMUICATES a clear message. Sources are CITED.

The oral presentation should be natural and convincing, and most importantly PROFESSIONAL.

The team should aspire to READ THEIR AUDIENCE and looked and behave like professional consultants.

The presentation makes a STRONG AND PERSUASIVE argument that will convince the audience of the power of your recommendations.

The presenters are able to LISTEN to questions and feedback and respond appropriately.

All team members SPEAK and / or ANSWER QUESTIONS and are DRESSED appropriately.

The presentation ends ON TIME.

(g) Progress Reports As a matter of process, you will be required to provide reports to keep your faculty supervisor and EIR informed on your progress. The Progress Report Form is available on eZone. Each team must submit a progress report by email to your EIR and faculty supervisor on or before each of:

Due 11am 2015 -Sept. 25

Due 11am 2015-Nov. 6

We suggest each team appoint one member to be responsible for the timely and accurate completion of the progress report. All that is required is a update of your prior workplan; making note of any changes. Information from the progress reports will be shared with the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship to help the team with needed resources.

(h) EIR Contact Diary As part of this process, you will be REQUIRED to maintain an EIR CONTACT DIARY, which is a record of your contacts with your EIR. For each contact, please keep a spreadsheet log of the date, time, method of communication (e.g., skype, email, phone call), and a 2-5 word description of the topic of conversation. Please get your EIR to sign off on your EIR Contact Diary before submitting it with your business plan.

MATERIALS

For sections 7-9 of the IFP, there is no coursebook. Materials for these sections (including documents, decks, videos, and / or weblinks) will be provided via eZone. IFP Community on eZone The IFP coordinators maintain a community on eZone dedicated solely to IFP related matters for your current

15

IFP year. It includes submission templates; information about making conference calls to EIRs, room bookings, and myriad other important information. Please visit the community for IFP HBA in eZone, click on Community, IFP HBA 2015, and then review all the information under Shared Files regularly for the IFP process. By September on eZone, the IFP community will be replaced with a team assigned 4569-IFP course section (with IFP Faculty Supervisor).

16

APPENDIX A IFP ETHICS FORM FOR NEW VENTURES

An IFP team may collect publicly available information without submitting its research for ethical approval. Examples of such information would normally include visiting a competitor's retail store, conducting a traffic count, visiting internet web sites, etc

When an IFP team collects data from human participants (e.g. survey, experiment, focus group), before carrying out any research it must: (a) Complete the form below and submit for approval to the faculty supervisor and EIR; (b) Clearly communicate to participants their rights and your affiliation (normally this information is conveyed

in a Letter of Information provided to the human participants).

In some circumstances, the research you are proposing may have to be reviewed by the Ivey Research Ethics Board (Ivey REB). The information below outlines the conditions under which your research would have to be submitted to this board: 1. Sensitive Topics: Does the research propose to study topics that might be reasonably construed as

sensitive (e.g. questions about illegal behavior, sexuality, medical information, potentially harmful to respondent if made public etc).

2. Vulnerable Populations: Does the research seek responses from people who lack the capacity to provide

free and informed consent (e.g. children, prisoners, respondents with mental impairments etc)? 3. Use of Deception: Does the research involve deception, concealment or covert observation (e.g.

withholding the true purpose of the study, lying to respondents about research design, observing respondents where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy etc)?

4. Conflict of Interest: Does the proposal place the researcher or the course instructor in a position that

might be reasonably perceived as a conflict of interest (e.g. potentially threaten respondents or researcher objectivity based on, for example, interpersonal relationships or financial considerations, etc)?

5. Publication/Dissemination: Will the research findings be made public or communicated beyond the class,

the professor and/or the client (e.g. firm for which you are providing consulting)? If any of the answers above are yes, then the proposal must be submitted to the Western University Research Ethics Board (REB). No primary research may be carried out until the instructor has provided students with written approval or until you have received written approval from the REB.

17

Answer all questions. Completed forms must be submitted to the instructor for approval. (All forms can be found posted in Word Format for team customizing in your eZone course -Shared Files) Project Start Date: Project End Date: Student(s) Name(s): Supervisors Name, Title and Affiliation: 1. Registration Information

Question Answer

What is the source of funding for this study? If there is no funding, indicate "NONE".

Provide a brief summary in lay terms of the study.

If you have plans for providing feedback of results to participants*, describe here.

*a participant is someone who is a source of data, such as someone who completes a survey.

2. Methodology

Question Answer

Please provide a clear statement of objectives of this project.

Describe the study design/methodology (e.g. survey, focus group etc).

Indicate the inclusion criteria for participant recruitment. That is, on what basis are you selecting your sample?

Are you planning to actively exclude certain participants? If so, on what basis?

What is the sample size?

3. Risks and Benefits

Question Answer

List any potential risks to study participants.

4. Recruitment and Informed Consent

Question Answer

How will potential participants be contacted? (provide a copy of all recruitment tools at the end of this document). Explain.

Who will be recruiting participants? What is this persons relationship with participants and does he or she hold any authority over them?

Do any of the students have a relationship with participants? If so, describe.

Describe what method of obtaining consent will be used (append a copy at the end, if applicable)? If you do not plan to obtain written consent, explain and describe how you will otherwise obtain consent (e.g. verbally).

What compensation, if any, will be provided to participants?

18

5. Confidentiality and Data Security

Question Answer

How will data without personal information be stored and protected?

How long will study data be kept? If it will not be archived, describe how and when you plan to destroy the data.

Are you collecting any personal information from participants (e.g. name, email addresses)? If so, describe specifically what personal information you are collecting it.

Please list any agencies/groups/persons outside of your research team who may have access to any personal information and indicate why such access is required.

Describe any coding system used to protect personal information or explain why the data must remain identifiable.

Students must append: (1) The recruitment tool (e.g. announcement, email etc). (2) The finalized research instrument (e.g. your questionnaire, interviewing guide etc). (3) The letter of information (required) and, if applicable, your consent form.

======

The following section is to be completed by the supervisor named above.

Confirmation of Responsibility Student Projects

As the supervisor of this student project, I do not have a conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest that would prevent me from objectively overseeing this research project. I have read the Tri-Council Policy Statement and Western University's Guidelines on Non-Medical Research involving Human Subjects1 and agree to abide by the guidelines therein. I will ensure the students associated with this project adhere to the Protocol and Letter(s) of Information as I have approved. I agree that if I encounter any changes or adverse events/experiences associated with this research, I will notify the Western University REB in a timely manner. Supervisors Signature Date:

1 http://www.uwo.ca/research/ethics/non-medical/guidelines.html

19

Ivey Business School at Western University 1255 Western Road, London, ON, Canada, N6G 0N1

Ivey Field Project (IFP) ivey.ca

{Date} {Name} {Address} {Address} Dear {Name}, The implementation of XYZ technologies holds great promise for product delivery but also presents unique challenges. Our team is working to understand the benefits and challenges of XYZ technologies in practice. We would like to invite you to take part in our research. The goal of our research project is to better understand how current adopters of XYZ view the benefits, challenges and opportunities associated with the technology. We are working with {organization} on this project, in order to provide suggestions for future implementations of XYZ and other similar technologies. A report of our findings will be prepared for this organization.

We are inviting you to participate in this project because your {brief description of inclusion criteria}. We would like to interview you about your experiences to date with {name of technology}. This interview will take about 40 minutes of your time and, with your permission, would be audio recorded. If you prefer not to have the interview recorded that is also acceptable. We can meet you at your office or at another location if it is more convenient for you. We can also talk by telephone if you prefer.

No identifying information gathered in this study will be released to your organization or to anyone else. The data will be held for the duration of this study, planned for one year, and only the Ivey Field Project (IFP) research team will have access to the raw data. Interviews will be transcribed, with your name replaced by a pseudonym. These transcripts, along with the audio recordings, will be stored on a password protected file and accessed only by the team.

You will not directly benefit from this project and there are no known risks to you from participating. However, it is our aim to improve the effectiveness of XYZ technologies through our research and thus you may benefit indirectly.

Participation in this study is voluntary. You may refuse to participate, refuse to answer any questions or withdraw from the study at any time with no effect on your employment. If you withdraw from the study prior to the submission of results, your data will be withdrawn from our analysis. After the submission of research results to the IFP faculty, it will not be possible to withdraw your data from our analysis. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the conduct of the study you may contact the Office of Research Ethics at (519) 661-3036 or by email at ethics@uwo.ca.

mailto:ethics@uwo.ca

20

This letter is yours to keep. Feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or thoughts regarding the research.

Signature of Student: __________________________ {Name please print}:__________________________ HBA Candidate Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number} Signature of Ivey Faculty: ________________________ {Name-please print}: ___________________________ Ivey Faculty Supervisor Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number}

21

Ivey Business School at Western University 1255 Western Road, London, ON, Canada, N6G 0N1

Ivey Field Project (IFP) ivey.ca

CONSENT FORM

I have read the Letter of Information, have had the nature of the study explained to me and I agree to participate. All questions have been answered to my satisfaction. PARTICIPANT:

SIGNATURE

NAME (please print)

DATE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING CONSENT:

SIGNATURE

NAME (please print)

DATE

22

EMAIL INVITATION Dear {Name}, The implementation of XYZ technologies holds great promise for product delivery but also presents unique challenges. Our team is working to understand the benefits and challenges of XYZ technologies in practice. We would like to invite you to take part in our research. The goal of our research project is to better understand how current adopters of XYZ view the benefits, challenges and opportunities associated with the technology. We are working with {organization} on this project, in order to provide suggestions for future implementations of XYZ and other similar technologies. A report of our findings will be prepared for this organization.

We are inviting you to participate in this project because your {brief description of inclusion criteria}. We would like to interview you about your experiences to date with {name of technology}. This interview will take about 40 minutes of your time and, with your permission, would be audio recorded. If you prefer not to have the interview recorded that is also acceptable. We can meet you at your office or at another location if it is more convenient for you. We can also talk by telephone if you prefer.

Participation in this study is voluntary. You may refuse to participate, refuse to answer any questions or withdraw from the study at any time. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the conduct of the study you may contact the Office of Research Ethics at (519) 661-3036 or by email at ethics@uwo.ca.

I will contact you during the week of {approx. 1 week after sending} to answer any questions you may have about the project, and if you are willing, to schedule a time for the interview. Please also feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss the project further. Regards, Signature of Student: __________________________ {Name please print}:__________________________ HBA Candidate Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number} Signature of Ivey Faculty: ________________________ {Name-please print}: ___________________________ Ivey Faculty Supervisor Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number}

mailto:ethics@uwo.ca

23

TELEPHONE INVITATION Hello, my name is XXX and Im a researcher at the Ivey Business School. I am undertaking research on the implementation of the {name of technology} implemented at your organization. This research is part of an academic study to develop a better understanding of the benefits and challenges in implementing {name of technology} and other health care technology projects. Are you familiar with the {name of technology} project? Your involvement would be to meet with members of the research team for a personal interview. Your participation is completely voluntary and confidential. You can refuse to answer any question or withdraw at any time. Any analysis and results that we prepare will be about summary findings about the {name of technology} project (not about individuals) A report of our findings will be prepared for this organization. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the conduct of the study you may contact the Office of Research Ethics at (519) 661-3036 or by email at ethics@uwo.ca. Would you be willing to set up an interview for this research? Signature of Student: __________________________ {Name please print}:__________________________ HBA Candidate Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number} Signature of Ivey Faculty: ________________________ {Name-please print}: ___________________________ Ivey Faculty Supervisor Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number}

mailto:ethics@uwo.ca

24

Ivey Business School at Western University 1255 Western Road, London, ON, Canada, N6G 0N1 Ivey Field Project (IFP) ivey.ca

{Date} {Name} {Hospital Address} {Hospital Address} Dear {Name}, The implementation of XYZ technologies holds great promise for product delivery but also presents unique challenges. Our team is working to understand the benefits and challenges of XYZ technologies in practice. We would like to invite you to take part in our research. The goal of our research project is to better understand how current adopters of XYZ view the benefits, challenges and opportunities associated with the technology. We are working with {organization} on this project, in order to provide suggestions for future implementations of XYZ and other similar technologies. A report of our findings will be prepared for this organization.

We are inviting you to participate in this project because your {brief description of inclusion criteria}. We would like your feedback on the benefits you may have observed from your practices adoption of XYZ as well as the challenges you may have encountered along the way. The survey (link below) will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete. If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the survey, you may contact me and Ill be happy to send one to you.

Your responses to this survey are completed confidential. You have been assigned an ID number so that we can match your survey with your practice. This information is kept in a locked cabinet and on a password protected drive, separate from the survey data. The survey data includes only the identification numbers. No names or other identifying information are kept with the survey responses. No identifying information gathered in this study will be released to your organization or to anyone else. The data will be held for the duration of this study, planned for five years, and only the university research team will have access to the raw data.

You will not directly benefit from this project and there are no known risks to you from participating. However, it is our aim to improve the effectiveness of technologies through our research and thus you may benefit indirectly. Please contact me by email or telephone if you would like to receive a copy of the findings.

Participation in this study is voluntary. You may refuse to participate, refuse to answer any questions or withdraw from the study at any time on your employment. If you withdraw from the study prior to the submission of results your data will be withdrawn from our analysis. After the submission of research results to IFP faculty, it will not be possible to withdraw your data from our analysis. Completion of the survey will be taken as your consent to participate. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or the conduct of the study you may contact the Office of Research Ethics at (519) 661-3036 or by email at ethics@uwo.ca.

mailto:ethics@uwo.ca

25

This letter is yours to keep. Feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or thoughts regarding the research. {survey address} Signature of Student: __________________________ {Name please print}:__________________________ HBA Candidate Ivey Business School at Western University {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number} Signature of Ivey Faculty: ________________________ {Name-please print}: ___________________________ Ivey Faculty Supervisor Ivey Business School at Western University, www.ivey.uwo.ca/IFP {Email Address} {Contact Phone Number}

http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/icp