Action Learning – Page 2 – Asia School of Business

“There is nothing so practical as a good theory”– Kurt Lewin

Asia School of Business and Action Learning have become synonymous, thanks to ASB’s snazzy marketing. But what is it supposed to mean? I believe the proposition of learning through action is a strong one. I’m from ASB’s inaugural Working Professionals class, which means I’m earning an MBA while maintaining a full-time job. For me, Action Learning is a little different.

Instead of completing five different projects at five host companies, my Action Learning is done in-house with my employer. However, the process is largely the same. We still need to get buy-in from management, oversee execution, and present the results to various stakeholders. I chose ASB because of Action Learning. It’s what the school stands for and it guides the rudder of the ASB ship.

How to become an expert

I have a childhood friend who works in Vietnam, and on occasion we catch up at one of the world’s best pizza parlors, which somehow is smack in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City. After dinner and a few drinks, we often wonder aloud what learning means. These discussions, stemming from epistemology, a classical branch of philosophy, become annoying and incendiary as the night progresses.

How is knowledge acquired? How can we know something? How do we know that we know? And then, when it comes to careers: What is an expert? How can I be an expert? In order to preserve a friendship that is as old as our existence, we have come to agree that a mastery of anything resembles mastering a sport.

You can have the best strategy at your fingertips, but without practice you may not know your left foot from your right in the field. On the other hand, you could spend hours and hours playing a sport, but without a winning strategy, you may not score points even if your life depended on it.

Balancing theory and practice

There is a lot of tacit knowledge in every field, knowledge that cannot be written down or verbalized but is gained through repetitive immersion in an activity. Now, how can you learn business in a classroom without being in the thick of doing business? This is something ASB has tried hard to answer. ASB puts you in a room with experienced peers and MIT professors and allows you to download the best theory out there while gleaning valuable lessons from the storytelling of others.

And then they send you straight into the wild. I did exactly that – galloped into the wild. Operations Management (OPS101) was taught by our dean, Professor Charles Fine. When he taught us about the Economic Order Quantity model, I wasted no time and attempted to use it to manage inventory in my company the very next week. My gallop quickly slowed to a trot and then a walk. The theory worked for one product and didn’t work for the rest – but this was a model companies have been using for decades!

Learning to change

Here was an instance of when tacit knowledge is gained, when classroom models are tweaked to fit real scenarios or abandoned altogether. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but what works? How do you arrive at a relevant set of tools? Thus far, for me, it’s about understanding the scenario in front of you and discovering what works from the myriad tools given in class.

Also, the problem is that learning means change. Can you learn something and not change? In Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, a book recommended by our dear Associate Dean Sean Ferguson, Herminia Ibarra’s research suggests that learning and change often come from the outside in and rarely from the inside out. We rarely think ourselves into real change, since our worldview is defined by everything we experience.

Therefore, we need an external trigger. Perhaps we must be put in situations that nudge us, albeit a little forcefully, to change. Action Learning is supposed to effectively facilitate that learning and change. I still remember when Dong-Wook Lee, ASB’s Deputy Director of Action Learning, came to my hometown to publicize the program.

He said, “I have two things in my office for when students come to see me: tissues, to dry their tears, and candy, to keep them from falling asleep on the spot from exhaustion.” Ah, I thought to myself, so that’s Action Learning.

This summer, instead of choosing to be stuck in an office, I decided to develop a business plan for an eco-sustainable lodge for surfers on one of the islands in the Philippines. Asia School of Business (ASB) allows us to customize our Summer Associate Program experience. Depending on our career goals, we can choose to explore a company or industry of interest or complete an Entrepreneurship Track to research and pursue a business idea.

In the Entrepreneurship Track, we have access to faculty advisers and business coaches to guide us through our projects. I realized this was a perfect opportunity for me to focus on one of my career goals, which is to build my own eco-lodge on an island that provides opportunities for surfing and diving. The past three months has been both the most fun and the toughest time for me. Being your own boss is not an easy job.

No one will force you to work or give you deadlines, so a lot of self-determination and patience is needed to get things done. All in all, this experience taught me a lot about how I work and connect with my environment. My Entrepreneurship Track had two phases, both of which required me to stay on an island and immerse myself in island living. The goal of the first phase was to understand eco-resort operations and learn how a resort works from an owner’s perspective, so I worked in an eco-lodge similar to the one I want to build.

The second phase took place on another island where I plan to build the business. There, I spent several weeks understanding the market landscape and potential customers. For a month and a half, I stayed in Camiguin, the second smallest island in the Philippines and known as the “Island Born of Fire.” The island has seven volcanoes, two of which are active.

It boasts amazing rivers and waterfalls, with at least 31 marine protected areas, making it one of the best islands for diving in the country. There, I worked with Kurma Eco-Lodge, a mid-size lodge popular for its freediving services as well as the Kurma Kitchen, which serves local, fresh and handmade food. The lodge employees strive to adopt sustainability practices, which is why I wanted to learn from them.

Learning the ropes

Before running my own eco-lodging business, I needed to know how each department worked. At Kurma, I worked in different departments every week, from booking and reception to guest services and resort management. I learned how to use their booking system, take orders from guests, cook (which, by the way, is one of my favorite tasks), clean rooms before guest arrivals, and build connections and good rapport with the staff and crew.

Through this immersion, I was able to discuss ideas and brainstorm with the owner to learn more about managing a business. In-between meetings, we went freediving and exploring hidden waterfalls and rivers.One of the most interesting conversations I had was during breakfast with the owner of Kurma. I discussed with him different ways to maximize their profit. He replied, “While the ideas are good, I don’t want to just maximize profit.

I have a small business. I don’t want it to be a corporation. I built this so I can sustainably live on the island while contributing to the community and economy. I just need enough.” This got me thinking about the philosophy of eco-tourism. What if the notion of “just enough” is key to opening up alternative ways of doing business, especially in markets that depend so much on fragile marine ecosystems?

How do you maximize profit for businesses while making sure they are sustainable? Do we really need big corporations, hotels, and resorts on small islands? These thoughts are still brewing in my head. I’m still trying to find answers. My Summer Associate Program also taught me the difference between small and big businesses, and that some strategies will work in one but not in the other. For example, successful small businesses thrive on personal relationships and a strong sense of community.

Their sales largely depend on word of mouth and referrals. This was interesting because, though these are more traditional marketing channels, they still drive the lodge’s occupancy rate and restaurant revenue. In between Kurma work, I began research on my business concept. By doing preliminary interviews with selected surfers, I was able to gather information on who to talk to, where to go, and what to do when I reached my next island destination.

Adopting the customer’s perspective

After leaving Camiguin, I spent two weeks in Siargao, a tear-drop shaped island in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It is known for its world-class waves and, in 2019, was named “the world’s best island” by Condé Nast Traveler. In this research phase, I adopted the perspective of an eco-resort customer to understand the pain points and trigger factors involved in choosing a lodging on an island.

Through ASB’s Action Learning Program, I learned the importance of immersing myself in my work, in this case with my target market. Being a participant instead of an observer allowed me to empathize with potential customers and island business owners. For two weeks, I did what the other surfers did. I woke up at 5:00 AM to catch the sunrise and surf, then ate breakfast. I was able to discover less well-known surf spots with good waves by making friends with the local guides.

Before I knew it, I ended up talking to other popular local and guest surfers, as well as business owners of hostels and restaurants on the island. For me, this was the best way to network, to identify the right places and times to have organic conversations. The interviews and immersions allowed me to put myself in situations that gave me deep insights about the market. By the end of my stay, I was able to get the first-hand data I needed to complete half of my business plan.

Pulling it all together

At ASB, I took courses in Entrepreneurial Strategy and Disciplined Entrepreneurship. The latter course included a workbook detailing the 24 steps to build a successful start-up. I decided to use this approach for my business plan, as each step encouraged me to make difficult choices that ultimately helped make the business idea clearer and stronger. It’s also an unconventional way of building a conventional business.

I must admit, at the start of my summer, I was overwhelmed with all of the questions the workbook was asking. After my 2-month journey, I found myself excited to complete each step. By the end of the summer, I fell in love with the idea of living on an island. It has its pros and cons, but having constant access to beautiful beaches and mountains is that most of us can only dream of.

I also felt a protective urge toward these islands, and understood why locals are wary of the growth of tourism and development. The island is their home. I was a visitor. As a business owner, I want to remind myself of this experience, to see the island as a home and to never forget to treat it as my own.

Meiyume, a global beauty solutions company headquartered in Hong Kong, was the host of my Summer Associate Program (SAP) project. The China plant where I was based manufactures beauty products such as blush, eye shadow, lipstick, lotion, shampoo, and shower gel.

Over the years, the sales team have worked to create “sticky” relationships with their customers with the goal of converting simple OEM accounts into turnkey ones, so that clients come to us for end-to-end solutions (ideation, formulation, production, filling and final packaging) instead of just manufacturing to order.

During my SAP, I worked on a commercialisation plan for a new machine that the factory was installing, gained exposure to the makeup sales cycle by working on an account with a multinational cosmetics company, and pitched a range of 30+ innovation products to a UK-based client. During my first plant tour, I learned that many brands do not wish to have their luxury fragrances and cosmetics labelled with the ‘Made in China’ stickers mandated for products that are finally packaged here.

As a result, these brands perform incredible logistical acrobatics to make products more palatable. A product might be made in China, but its retail price is justified because it was “formulated” in the UK. In Zhangmutou, where I am based, this sentiment that China-made products are synonymous with poor (or pirated) quality is echoed among locals. I am told people make the 1.5 hour trek to neighbouring Hong Kong when they wish to purchase bona fide baby milk formula and fine gold jewelry.

I learned during ASB’s US Industry Trek, via a talk on the global luxury goods industry, that the Chinese are afraid of purchasing “Made in China” products – authenticity concerns are one of the factors driving them to make 85% of their luxury good purchases abroad. However, the “Made in China” slogan is slowly being reclaimed by haute couture domestic luxury Chinese brands like Shang Xia and Shiatzy Chen.

And in Meiyume, the R&D team channels its focus more on proactive research (formulating innovative new beauty products) rather than reactive research (replicating existing formulas to serve customer requests). This would allow its China plant to become a bigger player in the global beauty innovation space. But while China struggles to be recognized as an innovator in manufacturing, other sectors have seen rapid, noticeable innovations.

Digital payment methods such as AliPay and WeChat Pay have become ubiquitous. E-commerce platforms TMall, JDMall, Pinduoduo and Suning sell everything from 100% original international brands to fresh fruit. As a foreigner without access to a Chinese bank account, I’m precluded from enjoying many of these services. My first week here, the shopkeeper of a hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood beef noodle stall declined my offer to pay in cash for my meal and insisted on virtual payment instead.

The pervasiveness of technology through all levels of society in China is also illustrated by this anecdote from a colleague – she once saw a homeless man displaying his WeChat QR code for passers-by to make donations. Even in the workplace, parcels for delivery to customers are sent via WeChat apps. My colleagues simply print out QR codes and slap them on the boxes, no need for writing addresses.

And the newest wave of Meiyume’s Chinese customers are themselves digital disruptors, indie companies with rapid product development cycles that are comfortable selling on e-commerce platforms. These companies, which boast attractive packaging designs and rich marketing materials such as immersive mini apps, are winning out among the next generation of consumers. And, like the rest of the world, key opinion leaders (KOLs) in China have dramatic influence on which make-up brands are “in.”

One man named Austin Li, also known as the Lipstick Master, has made a career out of it, trying on and reviewing lipsticks so that his viewers don’t have to. My short glimpse into the world of manufacturing in China has been rich in contrasts. While China still has to fight for better perception among its global customers, there’s no doubt that quality, speed and innovation are alive and well here.

ASB students have many choices when it comes to how we spend the summer between our first and second years. Our Summer Associate Program is a lot like a regular MBA internship, but also includes an Action Learning project component and can take place anywhere in the world. And for those who don’t want to go the traditional route, ASB offers an “unconventional” option in the form of the summer Entrepreneurship Track.

This Track, designed for students interested in starting companies, gives us the freedom to explore and develop our own business concepts. Equipped with a research grant and assigned experienced entrepreneurs as our project advisors, we have the freedom to fully devote ourselves to a potential business without the inherent risks of actually starting a company.

As a part of this Entrepreneurship Track, I am completing an ASB-sponsored research project on the coliving industry in the United States and Southeast Asia. But what is coliving? If I asked ten different people this question, I would probably receive ten different answers. At its core, coliving isn’t a new idea. It describes a living concept that is specifically designed to increase human connection and create a sense of community.

Often, coliving units reduce the size of individual living spaces such as bedrooms and increase that of communal living areas such as living rooms and shared patios. This arrangement facilitates more face-to-face interactions between residents. Imagine that, instead of living in a large apartment building and not even knowing your neighbors, you lived in a building designed to create a close-knit community amongst all of its residents.

In the past six weeks, I have visited coliving locations in New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, and will be flying to Indonesia later this month to explore coliving companies in Bali. On June 7, I had the opportunity to attend Common’s Coliving Capital Markets Summit in New York City. The Summit was a fantastic way to begin my primary market research on the US coliving industry.

Here are a few of my main takeaways from the conference, as well as other lessons learned from my Entrepreneurship Track experience.

The Opportunity

The opportunity for coliving in the United States arose due to the interplay of several major trends that you have already heard about: urbanization, rising student loan debt, valuing experiences over things, and rent spikes in major US housing markets such as New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Common’s Coliving Capital Markets Summit told a story of why these trends are now coming together in the perfect storm of a housing affordability crisis.

It also showed why all arrows are pointing toward coliving as the best solution. One of the panelists at the Summit, Susan Tjarksen from Cushman & Wakefield, recently published an extensive research report that sheds more light on the situation. Let’s take a look at some of the staggering numbers found in the report:

Source: Cushman & Wakefield’s Survey of the Coliving Landscape, May 2019

Individually, each of these statistics is not troubling. Taken together, they paint a scary picture. More people are living in cities and they’re living there for longer. Rents are rising, wages aren’t keeping pace, and student loan debt has financially burdened many potential homeowners. Due to this financial instability, millennials are not buying homes at the same rate as their parents and they seem fine with it. Most would rather go on an annual trip to Europe than own a bunch of furniture in a nice suburban home.

As seen in 2008, when the housing market stumbles, it doesn’t typically bode well for the American economy. Given this, what can we do to solve the housing affordability problem? How can we house more people in cities, at lower price points, and provide them with the experiences they’re looking for? The answer is coliving.

The Solution

Coliving can provide urban populations with an affordable place to live AND the community lifestyle they are searching for. Coliving locations typically trade bedroom square footage for more shared living space, which allows them to house more residents than a typical apartment building of the same size.

Are residents willing to make this trade-off? During the conference, I learned that Common received over 20,000 applications last month to fill the roughly 1,000 rooms they currently have on the market. Residents are certainly willing to make the trade-off and it appears the supply of coliving units is nowhere close to keeping up with demand.

Example of a 4 Bedroom Common Coliving unit

When compared to traditional urban apartments, coliving stacks up favorably. Considering coliving’s slightly higher development and building costs, higher operating expenses (weekly events, fully furnished rooms), and additional gross revenue from rent (more beds, higher occupancy rates), Common estimates that coliving drives a 10%-30% increase in net operating income.

This increase in net operating income creates a favorable investment for lenders as well as a stronger value proposition for real estate developers. The coliving operator will benefit from the extra revenue generated and the tenants will pay a lower rent price and benefit from the community lifestyle. So who wins in coliving? Well, everybody involved.

The Future

Due to this “win-for-all” approach, many of the nearly 300 people at Common’s Summit are bullish on coliving and expect an explosion in the number of coliving developments in upcoming years. In fact, Cushman & Wakefield’s survey reports that global investments in coliving have skyrocketed from around $0.2 Billion in 2017 to $2.2 Billion in 2018.

For the remaining two months of the Summer Associate Program, I plan to visit many more coliving spaces in the US and Southeast Asia to understand industry best practices and outline the different coliving practices across the globe.

Without the Entrepreneurship Track opportunity at ASB, I would not have had the chance to attend the Summit or network with some of the biggest names in the industry. More MBA programs should develop similar summer tracks to give their students a risk-free way to explore business ideas and encourage more graduates to become entrepreneurs.

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia School of Business (ASB) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, held the 2nd annual research workshop on refugee studies and forced migration in Southeast Asia, with a specific focus on Malaysia. The Workshop highlights the importance of producing high-quality research to support policy-making and the creation of impactful community interventions in this country and the region.

“The vast majority of academic work on refugee studies has been Euro-centric and has focused on the movements of refugees from the Middle East into Europe,” said Melati Nungsari, Assistant Professor of Economics at ASB, who is also the organiser of the event. “The documentation of socio-economic conditions, challenges faced, and proposed solutions for refugee problems in the Southeast Asian region has not been tackled to the same extent.

In Malaysia alone, we have more than 175,000 refugees and asylum-seekers. It is extremely important that we understand this population by conducting rigorous and ethical research in order to ensure policy-making or advocacy work done is relevant.” The main goal of the workshop, held for one and a half days on 23 and 24 July 2019, is to serve as a platform to connect local academics in hopes of expanding the body of ethical, well-informed, and evidence-based academic literature surrounding refugee studies and migration in Southeast Asia.

The research workshop was attended by some 75 participants from12 countries including Malaysian and international academics involved in research related to forced displacement in Malaysia and the region, civil society members working with refugee communities, as well as members of the refugee community themselves. “UNHCR is encouraged by the interest for more research work in the area of refugee protection in Malaysia,” said Thomas Albrecht, UNHCR Representative.

“The changing political landscape in Malaysia now presents unique opportunities to look at innovative new approaches to address both the legitimate interests of Malaysians and the protection needs of refugees, in ways that are mutually reinforcing. Working more closely in partnership with academics towards solid, evidence-based advocacy is critical in strengthening the foundations for policy change.”

The workshop covered academic poster presentations and relevant issues such as translating research into advocacy, as well as research on the impact of legal work for refugees, and issues around healthcare and livelihoods. 13 organisations run by or for the benefit of refugees also showcased their products to the public and the participants at a social enterprise marketplace that was held in conjunction with the workshop.

“We hope this annual Workshop becomes a space for networking and cross-fertilisation of ideas, and for strengthening of the collective knowledge base on refugee issues in the country, and where research gaps lie,” said Albrecht. “Beyond that, we hope this will be the start of a community of researchers and academics working to strengthen the work of civil society, humanitarian and development agencies, refugee communities, and the Government in Malaysia, through evidence-based refugee advocacy.”

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For more information, please contact:

Pek Ee Siew
Director, Marketing
Asia School of Business
E: eesiew.pek@asb.edu.my
M: +6012-4353095

For UNHCR:
Yante Ismail
UNHCR Associate External Relations Officer
E: ismaily@unhcr.org
M: +6013 352 6286

About Asia School of Business
Asia School of Business (ASB) was established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan Management to be a premier global business school, a knowledge and learning hub infused with regional expertise, insights and perspectives of Asia and the emerging economies. ASB is committed to develop transformative and principled leaders who will contribute towards advancing the emerging world.

About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is mandated to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers worldwide. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum in another country and rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.

UNHCR seeks long term solutions for refugees including finding them new homes in third countries or helping them return home voluntarily when it is safe to do so. While they are seeking temporary protection in Malaysia, UNHCR strives to create a safe and secure environment for them where their basic needs are met. UNHCR cooperates with its Government and civil society partners in humanitarian support for refugees including in education, healthcare and community support.

To find out more, please visit www.unhcr.org.my.

The Korean tech giant Samsung has a lot of meaning behind its name. The two syllables, sam meaning “three” and sung meaning “stars,” were chosen to inspire a vision of a company that would become as powerful and eternal as the stars in the sky. In my second Action Learning project, I got to experience this meaning for myself. I had experience with Samsung products before the project as a result of my sales background.

My family’s retail business sold Samsung electronics, which were often fast-moving products with high inventory turnover regardless of the salesperson’s expertise. It all comes down to the brand image. There are some brands to which the question of how you learn about them doesn’t apply, because you have always known about them. Samsung is one of these brands, and I have been impressed by the company for this reason.

I was glad to have the opportunity to complete an Action Learning project with Samsung. Because I was familiar with the brand, especially its Samsung Electronics business segment, I gave the project a high rating on my list of preferences.

I have always found it important to learn about a wide range of different industries and business areas. I enjoy gaining in-depth knowledge about new and vibrant industries and developing solutions that make a significant impact. For this reason, the growing smartphone industry in Malaysia seemed more than appealing to me. Furthermore, the Samsung project itself was even more attractive because it focused on high-level marketing strategy, one of my areas of interest.

I hoped that the diverse perceptions, skills and experiences within my group would help Samsung better plan and implement its marketing strategy. The smartphone industry in Malaysia is saturated and competitive. It is a constant challenge to remain a top player in the market. My team observed the fierce competition and continuous sophisticated upgrades in Samsung models, as well as those of its rivals, during our Action Learning project.

I learned that Samsung Malaysia Electronics was the leading player in Malaysia’s smartphone industry in 2018. It didn’t come as a surprise to me. The company owes its success to its well-established brand and comprehensive portfolio of products in different pricing categories. But success comes with other challenges. As the dominant industry player, the company has a greater need to meet customers’ expectations and even outperform them.

In particular, consumer preference is important for marketers to understand to ensure a brand’s continued dominance. This issue became the focus of our Action Learning project, which I enjoy for its challenging yet compelling nature. There were many directions in which my team and I could have taken the project. We had to think of creative and unconventional ways to find out consumers’ preferences in Malaysia. From there, we determined the consumer buying path and identified the reasons that trigger the decision to upgrade to a new phone.

We had to think of the most efficient ways to collect data to conserve time and resources. We went outside the office to different locations around Kuala Lumpur, talking with people and “stalking” them to find out which have Samsung phones. I learned the design, look and size of a Samsung phone to the extent that I became able to recognize it from a distance.

I was even able to identify Samsung users themselves, regardless of whether they were holding their phones. Yes, that person in a suit drinking his afternoon Americano must be a Note user! We approached people in cafes, restaurants (some girlfriends weren’t happy), in the street, in train stations, you name it. We conducted interviews in taxis and in the queue of a pretzel shop.

I broke the record for the number of times a team member was approached by security guards in shopping malls because of the impermissible interviews I conducted. We had fun along the way, managing to gather a lot of important information for our analysis and observations regarding which factors influence consumers’ buying decisions. I am excited to see the final outcome of our project based on the unconventional approach and findings we derived from it.

I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to work on a project with a prominent brand that has always been at the forefront of technological advancement and innovation. Through this project, I learned not to turn a blind eye to marketing. In today’s globalized world, everyone is competing for the same market, and each company must place great emphasis on its brand, reputation, communication, competition and values to stand out. The market leaders are those who understand what consumers value most, and often all they need to do is ask.

Grab, the Malaysian-born ride-hailing app, was recently dubbed Southeast Asia’s first ‘decacorn’—the rare marvel of a start-up worth over $10 billion. In the six years since it launched in 2012, Grab has expanded into 168 cities in eight countries. Having bought out Uber’s regional operations, it currently occupies a 97% market share in Southeast Asia. In the last two years, the app has grown rapidly, doubling its number of users, with daily rides increasing from two and a half million to six million.

Grab’s achievement is part of a wider Southeast Asian tech revolution. Since 2015, over  90 million new internet users have come online, a number that is increasing exponentially and at unheard-of speed. Frontier-minded MBA students need little encouragement to relocate to Southeast Asia. At its epicenter is Kuala Lumpur, where  Asia School of Business (ASB) is offering students the lucrative opportunity to access the fastest growing tech market in the world.

Using tech to solve problems

One student who took the leap into Southeast Asia’s tech market is Jack Farrell. From selling lemonade to buy baseball cards, to reselling second-hand college textbooks at Duke University, Jack has always been entrepreneurial in his attitude. “I look for problems that I can build businesses around,” Jack says. Applying to ASB was an easy decision for Jack. Southeast Asia’s rapid growth, ASB’s link to MIT Sloan, and a long-term desire to earn an MBA made the opportunity attractive to him.

With experience in tech startups in the US, including co-founding pet services platform PawedIn, Jack benefitted most from the immersion in Asian industry as part of the school’s Action Learning curriculum. Throughout the program, students undertake five extended consultancy projects with leading organizations in up to five countries, working closely with their employees to deliver impactful change.

“It was a chance to go into different countries and see how different they are—their stages of development, their habits, the ways people buy,” Jack recalls. At Hotel Equatorial, a hospitality group, Jack created a digital marketing strategy to increase on-site conversion for bookings. At Ananda Development, Thailand’s largest condominium developer, he advised on how to increase the price per square foot by developing internal and external technology.

While the problems were different, both projects played to Jack’s interest and skill in using technology and entrepreneurship as problem-solving tools. Jack, a self-proclaimed ‘Southeast Asia Evangelist’, has used his time at  Asia School of Business to produce his own video series—‘Jack SEAs Tech’—on regional digital trends and innovations.

After graduation, Jack is deciding between the equally enticing opportunities of venture capital and starting his own enterprise—perhaps to be a part of the next decacorn like Grab. Either way, his gaze is firmly fixed on Southeast Asia. “Everywhere I look, there is so much opportunity to build business, because of how quickly everything is growing,” Jack enthuses.

“Everyone wants to enhance digitally”

Saloni Saraogi’s (pictured) path to Southeast Asia’s tech revolution was slightly different—born in India, and raised in the Middle East, a bachelor’s in finance and accounting at the University of Nottingham paved the way for a career in finance. Choosing to earn an MBA was a way of advancing her own business competency, at the time based at BNP Paribas in Mumbai. “As I started to get more leadership roles in the bank, I started to think, ‘I need to expand my toolkit.’”

The Action Learning program at ASB, as Saloni remembers, gave her the opportunity to get actively involved in industry, and to get her hands dirty. It also exposed her to developments in the finance industry—in particular, the growing role that fintech plays in modern financial institutions, even in long-standing establishments such as Bangkok Bank. Last year, she completed an Action Learning project with the firm that involved leveraging existing technology platforms to help it attract more customers.

“[In finance], there is an understanding that everyone wants to enhance digitally,” Saloni remembers. As someone with digital literacy, Saloni found Southeast Asia to have abundant opportunities to work in technological developments. A summer placement at the consultancy Frost & Sullivan found her working alongside the APAC head of fintech, building an index that measured the digital readiness of insurance companies in Malaysia.

In the meantime, Saloni produces her own newsletter, ‘Exploring Digital’, which details digital and technological trends and thought-pieces. It is currently distributed to all ASB students monthly.

The transformative power of tech

While the digital boom is good news for tech companies, Jack and Saloni both recognize the transformative implications for the region. Jack believes that initial public offerings (IPOs) for successful start-ups like Grab could start in the next few years, using that wealth generation to reinvest in and grow the Southeast Asia tech economy.

Saloni, meanwhile, sees the ability of technology as a development tool, closing the vast gap between countries like Malaysia and developing countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where around 90% of the region’s impoverished population is based. It is worth considering that, while only 27% of Southeast Asia’s population has bank accounts, there are roughly 1.4 mobile phones per person.

“Tech can be used to promote financial inclusion,” Saloni notes, an ambition which is driving her own career, and which she plans to explore further through a research project with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), which she landed through Asia School of Business.

Read the full article here.
This article was originally published on BusinessBecause, a network helping MBA students make connections before, during and after their MBA.

There is no better way to learn than to do. Since embarking on my MBA journey at Asia School of Business, I have completed two out of five required Action Learning projects. Every project presents an opportunity to apply the toolkits learned in the classroom to real-world environments. The learning curve is steep from the get-go, with immersive and intense projects that require navigating new industries, functions, and cultures.

During the 4 weeks we spent onsite throughout the semester, we developed a full understanding of our host company’s business challenges and delivered tangible recommendations. This semester, I had the opportunity to learn In-Flight Operations via an Action Learning project with Thai AirAsia in Bangkok. The goal of the project was to assess the effectiveness of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology for In-Flight Services (IFS).

Our task was to identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of IFS by automating the manual stock counting process of merchandise through implementation of RFID. My team was not only culturally diverse, but also professionally diverse. What we had in common, though, was the fact that this was our first foray into the aviation industry.

Go & See

It was important for us to understand the entire process of moving goods from the warehouse to the flight before brainstorming solutions. During this stage, we observed, identified and analysed the issues to be addressed. This involved us camping out one night at the IFS warehouse from 10 pm onwards to see how carts are unloaded at the end of the day and replenished with new merchandise before being loaded on the flight the following day.

Given the focus of the project, we got comfortable with the warehouse in no time. One of the highlights of the project was the airside visit, where we went behind the scenes to observe the turnaround process. We observed how carts were lifted and loaded into the plane by the inflight crew and marvelled at how the cabin crew swiftly powered through a series of tasks from stock-counting and onboarding passengers to cleaning the aircraft cabin, all with smiles on their faces.

We learned that it was crucial for cabin crew and the inflight team to work together seamlessly to achieve AirAsia’s goal of minimising turnaround time to achieve high aircraft utilization.

Plan Before Action

Once we were able to understand the situation at hand, we utilised the theories and frameworks taught in class to develop a feasible Plan of Action. Over the course of the project, we mapped out multiple process flows, carried out time studies and conducted surveys and interviews with the IFS team and cabin crews. This helped us identify gaps and areas of opportunity before coming up with recommendations.

As part of our goal to reduce the manual labor required for stock-counting, we also got a chance to test out our recommendation by carrying out an RFID (radio frequency identification) simulation, enabling the counting of goods to take a matter of seconds rather than minutes.

Throughout the process, we made sure to consistently follow up and check in with our host to ensure the project’s success. During our final visit, we delivered an RFID implementation strategy where parts of IFS’ process would be automated using RFID, leading to time savings of 75% and man-hour reduction in manual stock-counting.

Reflection and Takeaways

There are two main takeaways from my Action Learning experience with Thai AirAsia. First, there is strength in diversity. Each team member’s unique experiences inspire myriad ideas and allow us to look at the issues at hand through multiple lenses.

Second, don’t embrace the status quo. As a company, AirAsia is agile and constantly pushing its boundaries, and it is important that we did the same. Throughout the course of the project, we learned to be curious, adaptable and challenge convention.

Thank you for the immense learning, Thai AirAsia. Onwards and upwards!

To the class of 2019: I know today is a super super exciting day for you: Today I am going to give you a speech.

Why ASB?

This question was asked many times before I came here. It was asked many times while I was here and I’m sure it will continue to be asked many more times after today. Having now gone through the entire experience as a student, today I would like to do one thing and one thing only – to answer this question: Why ASB? But first, I’d like to begin with a delightful story about a man who is known to be right about a thing or two, Albert Einstein…

In 1951, Einstein was teaching physics at Princeton University. One day he gave an exam to his senior class. After the exam, the teaching assistant, looking very puzzled, came up to Einstein and said “Dr Einstein, something is not right. The exam that you just gave, isn’t it exactly the same exam that you gave to exactly the same class a year ago?” “Yea yea” said Albert Einstein “it’s exactly the same”.

The assistant was baffled. He said “But how could you possibly do that?” Einstein smiled and said “Well the answers have changed” … The answers have changed. In other words, what was true in 1951 is even more true today, and even more true in this part of the world where the answers are changing not by the years or months but sometimes every day. This became evident to us through Action Learning.

Having collectively done almost 200 projects across all sectors, industries and countries, we could clearly see that organisations today, big or small, government or private are all struggling with to find new answers to the same old questions in this era of globalization, of the internet of things, of digitalization. What has got us here will no longer get us there. What works in Europe or US might not work in South East Asia.

And even within this region, what works in Singapore might not work in Malaysia or Vietnam. And there are simply too many variables to solve for. So, if you ask me Why ASB, the first part of my response is “because the answers have changed”. And it is ASB that equips us with not the answers but the thinking, the methodologies, the moral and ethical principles, the cultural and social awareness, the patience and determination, the sharp and smart skills to figure out these new and constantly changing answers, particularly for this region and to really make major footprint in the rapid development of South East Asia.

For that, I want to thank everyone at ASB for affording us this invaluable learning opportunity. Special thank you to Tan Sri Dr. Zeti, to our Board of Governors, to Bank Negara and MIT for your incredible support and to Charlie for your great leadership. My second part of the answer is because ASB is in Malaysia. Malaysia might not be the obvious choice for many when thinking about getting an international MBA or just getting business and management education in general.

But having been here for 20 months, I know that it has to change. There is no better place to be if you are serious about learning and making an impact in this part of the world. It is not just because of the geographical location, the diversity or the openness of the country, it is also because of the wonderful people that you have here in Malaysia. Malaysia welcomed us with open arms.

Your kindness, your extraordinary hospitality, your irreverent sense of humour, your brilliantly unique way of using English – everything has become so familiar and I’ve truly fallen in love with this country. At least I know my love is real when I was on an overseas trip recently and suddenly had a craving for Nasi Lemak …They say home is where the heart is. And if that’s the case, I will be very happy to call Malaysia and KL home. So, thank you Malaysia. Terima Kasih!

And lastly and also most importantly, it is because ASB is the place where I get to meet people like you, class of 2019. It has been an absolutely incredible ride and to be honest I would not have it any other way. I’ll admit that I’m feeling a bit sad that today is our last day at ASB. But hey you know what they say. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.

And if I think about the memories that we’ve shared and the waves that we’ve ridden over the past 2 years, I know that I should be smiling non-stop for the next few months (Maybe even longer if I don’t have to get a job…) When I left Vietnam 10 years ago, my mom told me this only one thing. She said, “wherever you go, the most important thing is that you leave those with whom you cross paths with a little more happiness and a little more hope”.

Today I’m leaving ASB feeling more hopeful and happier than ever and I think that’s all because of you. I hope that you feel the same too and I hope that I have contributed to that in some way. And if you think that I did, please tell my mom – she’s seating over there – so that she can be proud of me… It is truly amazing how 36 people from 12 different countries in 5 continents with different backgrounds, cultures, religions became so close.

We’ve seen each other in our best moments and not surprisingly our weakest moments too. We pushed each other to the limits and beyond. We argued, we fought and we learned from one another. And at the end of the day, we supported each other through thick and thin no matter what. You are among the smartest, funniest and bravest people that I have the privilege to call friends and I cannot be more grateful to be a part of this incredible family. I will miss all of you so dearly.

“There are good ships, and there are wooden ships. There are ships that sail the sea. But the best ships, are friendships. And may they always be!”

Congratulations class of 2019 and from the bottom of my heart I wish you the very very best.

When I woke up in the middle of a rainforest one month into the MBA program, I knew this wasn’t going to be the typical business school experience. For my first Action Learning project at Asia School of Business, three of my classmates and I worked closely with the Orang Asli, Malaysia’s original inhabitants, in the Belum-Temengor rainforest. While the Orang Asli had no problem living off the rainforest in the past, recent increases in poaching, pollution, and illegal logging have threatened their way of life.

Working alongside our host organization, Yayasan EMKAY, we were there to design a business that would benefit the Orang Asli. Considering only one of us spoke Bahasa Malaysia and none of us had ever been to the rainforest, it was destined to be a tough challenge.

The Brains at BRainS

Our first week in Belum coincided with the second ever Belum Rainforest Summit (BRainS). Our team had the chance to meet an amazing group of people who were experts in a wide range of fields such as tiger conservation, sustainable eco-tourism, and rainforest genetics. The Summit taught us two important lessons:

We’re not experts in most areas and that’s normal.
When you’re not an expert, find somebody who is and steal as much of their time as possible.

With only four weeks to create a business from scratch in an unfamiliar environment, access to experts and their wealth of knowledge was crucial to our project’s success. One of our most informative meetings was with professor Kamal Solhaimi from the University of Malaya, who had spent over 20 years working with the Orang Asli on various projects.

Kamal informed us that tour groups who visit the villages do not treat the Orang Asli with respect and view them as “another tourist attraction in the rainforest.” This caused many people in Semelor to view outsiders as untrustworthy and it became clear that we would have to work hard to gain their trust.

Facing Challenges

For social impact projects around the world, two of the most significant challenges are defining the scope of the project and managing a diverse set of stakeholders. Our project with the Orang Asli was no different. We started our project with the broad goal of finding a sustainable source of income for the Orang Asli. After several brainstorming sessions, we came up with dozens of approaches ranging from setting up a Conservation Fund to selling honey from stingless bee farms.

We then analyzed the various options for their feasibility and degree of impact, deciding to establish an eco-tourism package for Belum visitors.One of the most important things we learned from the scoping challenge was that our project didn’t have to save the world.

While building 10 schools and getting the entire rainforest protected as a UN Heritage site would have been great, we didn’t have the time or resources to achieve such lofty goals. A step in the right direction is better than no step at all. Small wins can lead to bigger wins. To say our set of stakeholders was diverse is an understatement. When developing our business plan we worked with a nonprofit organization (Yayasan EMKAY), a for-profit business (Belum Rainforest Resort), a government agency responsible for Orang Asli development (JAKOA), and the indigenous village of Semelor. Each group had their own desires, opinions, and restrictions.

After experiencing firsthand the complexities involved in getting so many different organizations to agree with each other, our team was able to see how difficult social impact projects can be. Despite this formidable challenge, there were many signs that our project was having a significant impact and we were excited to see the project implemented by Yayasan EMKAY.

Memorable Moments

While it’s difficult to narrow down the best moments from our project, there were two experiences that seemed to stick out from the rest that involved a blow-dart gun and a single sheet of paper. The first promising experience for our project came during our second onsite when we spoke with the Orang Asli about the potential for an eco-tourism experience in Semelor. While they had some reservations about the logistics and how often guests would be coming, the idea was met with excitement.

So much excitement, in fact, that the next time we went to Semelor the Orang Asli walked us through tourist activities that included learning to shoot a blow-dart gun, tapping a rubber tree, and cooking rice and chicken inside a bamboo stalk. We even built a campfire and stayed the night in one of the village chalets. We were proud that we had managed to gain the trust of a people that didn’t even speak our language in such a short period of time.

The best moment of the entire four weeks, however, came on our third onsite visit when one of the village leaders showed us a printed “pricing sheet” for the eco-tourism packages. While a single sheet of paper might not seem like a big deal, it was the process behind the pricing sheet that really mattered.

To produce a physical copy of the pricing sheet, village leaders had to discuss and agree on a pricing structure, travel an hour and a half to the nearby town of Gerik to print the pricing sheet, and prepare to explain it to us upon our return to Semelor. Although past projects with the Orang Asli had mixed results due to a lack of engagement, this single sheet of paper proved that they had bought into our plan and were ready to execute.

Saying Goodbye

When it came time to say goodbye during our last morning in Semelor, it was bittersweet for our team. While we were proud of the relationships we formed and the plan we had put in motion, we felt as though we could work on the project for another few months and have an even larger impact.

We felt lucky be part of such an amazing Action Learning project. Now, we are already in the midst of planning a return trip to Semelor to spend another night in the rainforest, this time with some old friends.

Category: Action Learning