The starting point of the Darden GEMBA program was the assertion that the world isn’t just flat. Rather, it is flat and lumpy, meaning that business is a mix of both global and local factors. The third residency in the Darden Global MBA for Executives started with a case about Wal Mart’s expansion in China which was followed by a visit to a Wal Mart Super Center in Shanghai. During the classroom discussion (team taught by our operations, economics and communications faculty) we focused on identifying Wal Mart’s value proposition and how that could translate to China.
Arriving at the local Wal Mart we were greeted with a welcome song and cheer from a group of the store associates. The shuttle bus that brought customers to this local store was just one hint of things to come. Walking through the store was a mix of familiar and new. We could buy Pampers, Colgate toothpaste and Apple products — all of which felt like home. But the availability of a special breed of black chickens and the limited options for frozen food were illustrations that “we weren’t in Kansas” — or Bentonville, Arkansas — anymore.
While in the U.S. we equate Wal Mart with low prices, the focus of Wal Mart in Shanghai is on satisfaction and quality. As the GEMBA cohort reflected on this experience, it demonstrated one of the underlying themes of the program: how can you be a global company while also localizing your value proposition? This theme will also be an important component of Term 4 and the upcoming GEMBA residency in Europe in September.
I look forward to sharing more of Darden’s GEMBA experiences from China soon!
Maureen E. Wellen
Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives
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