Overview

Customers at higher levels of the socioeconomic pyramid are usually served by businesses who synchronize value creation for customers with profits for shareholders. That is not the case for customers who are in the bottom quarter of the socio-economic pyramid who cannot afford to pay for services to yield profits for shareholders. It is often the case that governments and nonprofits/aid agencies step in to serve such customers’ needs. It has become increasingly clear that business approaches have an important role to play in the mix. The course will explore business opportunities, challenges and limitations. We will also consider how new philanthropy attempts to serve that segment. The backdrop for class discussions will be sectors such as youth development, housing, hunger, and healthcare, both domestic as well as international. One of the main goals of the course will be to develop an understanding regarding when and how businesses and nonprofits should participate in serving the poor; throughout we will discuss the role of government. A secondary goal of the course is to stoke your own leadership style towards making a positive difference in the world.

Target Audience

This is a General Management course offered jointly with the Marketing Unit because of its focus on poor customers. The course is intended to bring a social context to the many careers that students wish to aim for. Thus, it should have broad appeal to private sector and public sector entrepreneurs and managers. However, students taking this course should be forewarned that the course materials are not intended to address students’ career needs, including those who wish to go into the nonprofit sector.

Syllabus

Through a mix of cases, readings/book chapters and guest speakers the course will attempt to identify the principal opportunities, challenges, and limitations of businesses and nonprofits in serving the poor. It is a short course, so we cannot reasonably cover the vast array of topics that are relevant. The course will alternate between U.S. poverty and Global Poverty and examine the multiple ways in which business approaches could and should participate in serving the poor. Throughout the course, we will explore the intersection and overlaps of business with civil society and government, all three of whom have key roles to play. A complementary goal of the course will be to develop a manifesto for personal development as you all go out to stake a successful career in business, government or civil society.

Course Evaluation and Grading

50% of the grade will be based on class participation, 25% for the short final paper, and the rest of the 25% for the four short response write ups.