They need to be able to provide their firms with a recommendation that can be used. We went back every day, asking questions and getting the information we needed. At the end of the week, the teams made presentations at the University of Maribor. When they returned to Virginia, the students continued research on the project, and submitted final reports about a month later. You have to focus on the pertinent information, analyze all the angles, and pull together an initial recommendation in four days.
Nobody can do that on their own.
It only works if everybody on the team contributes. Robinson also mixes business backgrounds and capabilities. While in Slovenia, the students work closely with company representatives, many of whom are in an executive MBA program at the University of Maribor. Because they were involved in a common project, the students were able to develop quick rapport with the Maribor representatives, according to Wilkinson. We spent the days with our companies and the evenings exploring the city.