Field Study in International Business (a.k.a Tuck Global Consultancy) is a prestigious program at Tuck that is organized under the aegis of the Center for International Business. Multinational companies that are looking for assistance in developing their overseas competitive / market entry strategies sponsor teams of Tuckies to work on specific issues within geographies of interest.
In order to be considered for FSIB projects, we had to submit our applications back in early spring quarter – which seems like it was eons ago. Since there typically are many more applicants than there are spots on projects, FSIB coordinators conduct a detailed matching process to put together student teams. Client companies spend about $100K per project and expect these teams to do some ground breaking work for them, so the stakes are quite real.
There are generally a couple of projects that start in late summer (just as we finish our internships) and there are some projects that start around Thanksgiving (just as the second year students wrap up the fall quarter at Tuck). All of these projects are organized into three phases. Phase 1 is the scope development part where the teams negotiate with the client as to what the project deliverables entail. Next is Phase 2 during which the student teams travel to their assigned countries for a three-week, on-the-ground research and data gathering exercise. Phase 3, which includes synthesis, recommendations, and presentation to the client, happens after the teams come back to Tuck following the in-country phase.
I was thrilled to find out late last month that I’ve been selected to be on one of the two FSIB projects that are happening this summer. I finished my internship on Friday and flew that evening to India to join a team of seven other Tuckies in order to kick-off the in-country phase of the project. The next three weeks should be a lot of fun and a great learning experience.
Needless to say, I’m psyched about the opportunity!
Read the full article: Field Study in International Business