案例研究是商學院課程體系的核心組成部分,探索從財務到營銷的企業(yè)界概念。其中很多案例研究聚焦于應對復雜商業(yè)決策的大公司。一宗并購是否合理?為一款新產(chǎn)品定價的最佳方式是什么?現(xiàn)在是否該退出某個市場?
The traditional case study works well; business schools around the world rely on the teaching approach. But for new business school students it is important to evolve the curriculum. Many millennials are interested in having an impact. It is not just about maximising profit; these emerging business leaders want to make the world a better place. A Deloitte survey of millennials found that nearly nine in 10 believe success should be measured in more than just financial performance — an attitude that I hear more often from my MBA students. A business school curriculum focused solely on traditional cases might leave new students unsatisfied.
傳統(tǒng)的案例研究效果不錯;全球商學院依賴于這種教學方法。但對于商學院新生而言,有必要讓課程體系與時俱進。很多千禧一代希望產(chǎn)生影響。對他們來說,關鍵不僅是利潤最大化;這些嶄露頭角的商界領袖希望讓世界變得更美好。德勤(Deloitte)對千禧一代進行的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),近90%的受訪者認為成功的衡量標準不應該僅僅在于財務業(yè)績,如今我從自己的MBA學員中更為經(jīng)常地聽到這種態(tài)度。只關注傳統(tǒng)案例的商學院課程體系可能會讓新一代學員不滿意。
One promising area for new case studies is improving global health. This is an area where the need is both apparent and very human, which often resonates with students. Although most business school students will not be professionally involved in global health, taking on these challenges for a case study can be eye-opening as well as educational. 對于新的案例研究而言,一個頗有希望的領域是增進全球健康。這個領域的需求既明顯又人性化,經(jīng)常在學員中引起共鳴。盡管多數(shù)商學院學員將來的工作與全球健康無關,但對于案例研究而言,研究這些挑戰(zhàn)有望讓人大開眼界,也有教育意義。
Global health challenges are especially tough due to demographics, customs, and habits, among other factors. Addressing them requires multiple frameworks, especially an understanding of the stakeholders involved. The result is an innovative and engaging way to promote learning, broaden student perspectives, and raise awareness of issues affecting global populations.
由于人口結(jié)構、風俗和習慣等因素,全球健康挑戰(zhàn)尤為嚴峻。應對這些挑戰(zhàn)需要多個框架,特別是了解其中涉及的利益相關者。結(jié)果是用創(chuàng)新且扣人心弦的方式促進學習、擴大學員的視野,增進他們對影響全球人口的問題的認識。
Kellogg School of Management runs an annual Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition. This year, 11 teams of between three and five students must come up with a strategy to promote the more widespread use of chlorhexidine in Nigeria. Chlorhexidine is an inexpensive and easy-to-use disinfectant for umbilical cord stump care to prevent infection and sepsis in newborns, a critical health issue in Nigeria.
凱洛格管理學院(Kellogg School of Management)主辦一個年度生物科技和醫(yī)療案例大賽(Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition)。今年,11個團隊(每個團隊3到5個學員)必須制定出一套在尼日利亞推廣使用洗必泰(chlorhexidine)的戰(zhàn)略。洗必泰是一種不貴且容易使用的消毒藥品,用于臍帶殘端護理,以防止新生兒感染和敗血癥,這在尼日利亞是一個重要的健康問題。
The case study that underpins the competition was authored by myself and my colleague, Kara Palamountain. We partnered with USAid’s Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact while working closely with Nigerian health officials. The case study found that chlorhexidine was used in less than 5 per cent of births in Nigeria in 2016, despite being easy to transport and recommended by the World Health Organization in 2014.
支持這項競賽的案例研究是由我和我的同事卡拉•帕拉芒廷(Kara Palamountain)撰寫的。我們與美國國際開發(fā)署(USAid)的加速創(chuàng)新和影響中心(Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact)結(jié)成伙伴關系,并與尼日利亞衛(wèi)生官員密切合作。這項案例研究發(fā)現(xiàn),盡管容易運輸且在2014年得到世界衛(wèi)生組織(WHO)的推薦,但在尼日利亞,2016年洗必泰僅用在不到5%的新生兒身上。
Students working on the case will quickly learn that there are no easy answers to encouraging its greater use. To develop a plan, it is essential to complete detailed analyses, study insights and motivations, and ultimately compare different possible solutions, considering efficiency and efficacy. All of these actions are important lessons on a business school curriculum.
致力于該案例的學員將很快了解到,推廣使用并非易事。要制定出一個計劃,重要的是完成細致的分析、研究各項見解和動機,最終比較不同的可能的解決方案,考慮效率和效果。所有這些都是商學院課程體系中的重要內(nèi)容。
Through case studies like this, business schools can connect with millennials by addressing issues that are important to them. Instructors can use the case to teach core business school concepts.
通過這類案例研究,商學院能夠通過應對千禧一代關心的問題,與這個人群產(chǎn)生共鳴。導師可以利用這個案例來講授核心的商學院概念。
For example, stakeholder analysis is critical to understanding the situation in Nigeria, where stakeholders include patients, healthcare workers, community leaders, government officials, pharmacists and small shops, and manufacturers. As with traditional business case studies, identifying the motivations and beliefs of each stakeholder is essential for devising workable solutions.
例如,利益相關者分析對于理解尼日利亞的國情至關重要,這些利益相關者包括患者、醫(yī)療工作者、社區(qū)領袖、政府官員、藥劑師和小商店,以及制造商。與傳統(tǒng)的商業(yè)案例研究一樣,確定每個利益相關者的動機和信念,對于設計可行的解決方案是不可或缺的。
Another important concept is market segmentation. In Nigeria, segmentation is manifested in differences in birth settings; in some regions most mothers deliver their babies in healthcare facilities assisted by healthcare professionals, whereas in other parts of the country they give birth most frequently at home, sometimes assisted by a traditional midwife and sometimes on their own. Segmentation in Nigeria, as with a traditional business case, emphasises a tailored approach to increase the chances of success.
另一個重要的概念是市場細分。在尼日利亞,細分表現(xiàn)在生育環(huán)境的差異上;在一些地區(qū),多數(shù)母親是在醫(yī)療機構在醫(yī)療專業(yè)人士的協(xié)助下生產(chǎn)的,而在該國其他地區(qū),多數(shù)母親是在家中生產(chǎn),有時依靠傳統(tǒng)助產(chǎn)士的協(xié)助,有時只有自己的家人照顧。與傳統(tǒng)的商業(yè)案例一樣,尼日利亞的市場細分突顯需要采取量身定制的方法來提高成功幾率。
Tim Calkins is a clinical professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
本文作者是西北大學(Northwestern University)凱洛格管理學院臨床學教授