MBA Project Brings Human Element to Business
A recent class project in USF’s Graduate School of Business and Management helped students see the humane possibilities in their bottom-line-driven industry.
Last fall, Professor Leslie Goldgehn’s MBA marketing management class undertook an ambitious project: Rather than have students develop fictitious marketing plans, she asked them to design real-life business strategies for the Hanna Foundation, a Sonoma County nonprofit that provides a home for troubled 11- to 18-year-old boys.
Goldgehn was approached about the project by Don Feehan, director of Hanna, after the two met at a business luncheon last summer. Hanna needed a marketing strategy to attract financial support and enhance its public profile, including developing its Web site, organizing its advertising goals, and streamlining its planning of events and outreach. Goldgehn agreed to help, at the same time giving her students valuable experience.
She split the class into nine teams of three to devise individual marketing plans for the foundation. Some groups gave advice about the foundation’s Web site or its staff size. “My group focused on event planning, things like creating a checklist, partnering with other organizations,” said Pamela Baldger, a student in the class.
But the project didn’t end there. Goldgehn decided to open up a winter intersession class that would combine the best ideas and create a “super report” that Hanna could immediately implement.
Baldger said the three-week intersession class involved sleepless nights and pizza rap sessions in order to bring all the teams’ ideas together. “It was extremely difficult,” Baldger said “But the end result was impressive.”
The Hanna Foundation was so pleased with the report that it began implementing some of the plans immediately and consulted the students on follow-up questions. “They had new thoughts, creative ideas,” Feehan said. “I was impressed—they did a fantastic job.”
Golgehn is considering doing similar projects with other nonprofits. “I’ve had other nonprofits approaching me…because [Hanna] is really spreading the word,” she said.
All of Goldgehn’s intersession students said they hope the MBA program will follow Goldgehn’s example and offer nonprofit projects in other classes. Amy Lund, a student in the intersession class, said the Hanna project was important for anyone studying business.
“It’s so important to make an impact in business outside the financial realm,” Lund said. “You have to take time out to help people. The value of a USF education is really personified in this project.”
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