Having visited rural Africa previously, I knew the significance of ensuring our students placed “boots on the ground” during the CEL practicum project with The Women’s Bakery (TWB) in Rwanda. Business does not occur within a vacuum and, thus, understanding the culture in which a business exists is vital.
The practicum team fully expected Rwanda to differ from U.S. business culture which is built around profitability through efficiency and service. However, identifying where these differences might manifest and how that might affect the work of The Women’s Bakery was impossible to gather from a phone call and Google search.
Guest Blogger: Micah Northcutt, The Women’s Bakery Practicum Team Advisor and 2nd year MBA student
The students are diligently working to capture as much information as possible in the brief time they are here. They met with stakeholders from TWB management to micro-financers and architectural firms to gather a full understanding of all constituencies. This will enable them to propel forward with their action plan once back in the United States.
In the two days since landing, the students have already gleaned a greater understanding of cultural differences. I, too, have a more thorough grasp of each stakeholder’s motivations and a change in some of my key assumptions.
For example, after reading of an utter lack of customer service among Rwandan businesses, we watched as two incredibly kind men from the rental agency drove to our house and changed a flat tire in the pouring rain. This awareness helps direct the strategies that our team will recommend to the client. Spending time on the ground in Rwanda already has generated important insights that will inform and guide the practicum team’s success with The Women’s Bakery.
Project Scope: The CEL Practicum team will understand The Women’s Bakery’s current successful business model and design a plan for model growth and expansion. The Practicum team will consider the differing competitive landscapes, the business’ existing core competencies, investment required, existing infrastructure, and the maximization of social good.
