General Information
Instructor Bio
Professor Anil Verma earned a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from I.I.T. (Kanpur, India), an M.B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan and a Ph.D. from the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T. in Cambridge, MA. He has taught previously at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Los Angeles. Professor Verma’s research and consultancy activities are in the area of human resource management and industrial relations systems. He introduced the South American Study Tour at Rotman in 2010 and has led it almost every year since then. He has been a Visiting Professor at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza (Brazil) several times where he has taught and supervised research theses. He has published research on social enterprises in the north-east of Brazil. Currently, he divides his time between Fortaleza and Toronto. http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Verma.aspx
Target Audience
The course is relevant and applicable for students who plan to work in international business, multinational enterprises and/or compete with businesses that operate in emerging markets. This course is intended for students who are keen to learn about emerging markets and specifically about the South American business environment. The course will focus on countries such as Brazil and Peru but an overview of the region will be an integral part of the learning to understand the context of business locally and nationally. Students will gain a better understanding of the dynamic nature of doing business in South America and apply that learning to the global arena.
Format
This course will take place daily across 2 weeks in 8 sessions of 3.5 hours each.
Course Mission
Today’s organizations require students to have knowledge and understanding of domestic and international markets. Doing business is more interdependent than ever before and this course will help students understand the scope and context of doing business in South America. This year’s course will focus primarily on Brazil and Peru as exemplar economies of South America. These two countries have been chosen because they offer exceptional opportunities to observe these dynamic emerging economies with potential for trade, investment, and innovation. Peru is a medium-size, open economy like Canada while Brazil is much larger than Canada and but not as open in terms of free trade.
Course Scope
The Rotman South America Global Practicum is designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities that the region presents to Canadians and by extension, to the rest of the world. The underlying premise of the course is that without an adequate understanding of the region’s social, political and economic institutions, one cannot be innovative in pursuing potential opportunities available to entrepreneurs, managers, social entrepreneurs and others interested in the region. The underlying philosophy of the course is to give students a holistic view of various aspects of the country (and region). The linkages between and among these parts needs to be better understood. Thus, for example, we explore the linkages between the private and the public sectors, between the government and business, between foreign multinationals and home-grown business models, between non-governmental organizations and businesses, etc. Although our course, directed to MBA students, emphasizes business opportunities, this course puts an equal emphasis on understanding both social and economic developments.
Evaluation and Grade Distribution
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Class Participation | 25% |
| Project 1 | 35% |
| Project 2 | 40% |
Required Resources
Readings are posted on the Quercus course page. Please check periodically as new material is added throughout the duration of the course.
Experiential Course Limit
There are limits to the number of RSM27XX range courses that students may take for credit toward their degree. Please refer to the Experiential/International Course Eligibility Specifics and Limits section on the RO website for all details.
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