Capstone – Project
Promote Research-Driven Innovation at Leading Firm in the Competitive and Dynamic Field of Leadership Development
A Collaboration Between
Westwood International designs and delivers leadership programming to empower individuals and organizations to bring about enduring positive change. With clientele ranging from companies and executives listed among the top Fortune 500 to boutique firms and aspiring professionals, Westwood International has demonstrated their unique value to advancing leadership goals for individuals and organizations in a range of industries across a multinational landscape, including but not limited to health care, pharmaceuticals, law enforcement, energy, and automotive production. A recent publication in Fortune Magazine ranked 7 of Westwood International clients among the top 30 companies when measuring their return on leadership. In the highly competitive, dynamic landscape of leadership development, Westwood International aims to advance its position in the market and is looking for research-driven approaches and evidence-based strategies for making continuous measurable improvement in their products and services. They are looking for specific recommendations for designing, delivering, and evaluating their leadership programs based upon the latest research in the science of leadership and relevant disciplines.
Project Topics
Product Design & Development
Research & Development
Company Information
| Company | Westwood International |
| HQ | Stowe, VT |
| Revenue | Unlisted |
| Employees | Unlisted |
| Stage | Pre-Revenue Startup |
| Hiring Potential | N/A |
| Website | http://www.westwoodintl.com/ |
Company Overview
With over 25 years in the industry, Westwood International developed into a consulting collaborative that reimagined what it means to lead wisely in a global age. They develop leaders who are wise inside and smart outside through human-centered programming that emphasizes emotional intelligence and fosters community, all while tackling real business challenges. Westwood's signature, global-scale, action learning programs, and change management initiatives have energized the vision of global brands like Volvo, The Singapore Police Force, ConMed, General Electric, and Cochlear, Boston college, J&J, among others.
Experiential Learning Program Details
| School | Dr. D Y Patil B School (DPU) |
| Engagement Format | - |
| Course | DPU Student Consulting Experience |
| Level |
|
| Students Enrolled | 127 |
| Meeting Day & Time | TBD |
| Student Time Commitment | 8-15 Hours Per Week |
| Company Time Commitment | 2 Hours |
| Duration | 7.14 Weeks |
Program Timeline
Key Project Milestones
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August 3, 2021 - Quick Dive Into Westwood International
- Become familiar with the company’s mission, core competencies, and current portfolio and product offerings.
- How does the company categorize and organize their products?
- What is their value proposition?
- Who are the key stakeholders?
- Who is the target audience? What problem does the company help their customers solve? What needs are met?
- What are the company’s goals?
Suggested Deliverable:
Internal report
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August 18, 2021 - Research Innovations and Evidence on Leadership Development Programming & Practices
- What does the research in leading scholarly journals and trade publications reveal about the top 5-8 components for measurably effective leadership programming at multiple levels of impact?
- Be on the look-out for some of the key concepts of teamwork, presentation, coaching, leaders as coaches, servant leadership
- What delivery approaches, strategies, and techniques are aligned with these positive outcomes? For instance:
- What does the literature suggest about strategies for experiential learning and how these can be operationalized in leadership development programming?
- What are the implications for different modes of delivery (online, face-to-face, hybrid; live, with/without coaching)
- What are the top current and emerging trends in leadership development?
- What are some of the critical issues leadership development firms with a global reach need to consider and know when tailoring programs to meet the needs of their international customers?
- What are leaders in companies at the top of their industry saying about the gaps and needs for developing leadership in organizations?
- What approaches, strategies, components, and techniques have been shown to be ineffective, or less effective than once thought? Which ones should be avoided?
Suggested Deliverable:
Research Report & Presentation
- What does the research in leading scholarly journals and trade publications reveal about the top 5-8 components for measurably effective leadership programming at multiple levels of impact?
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September 1, 2021 - Competitive Analysis to Identify Opportunities for Differentiation & Advancement in the Market Space
- Who are the company’s top competitors? (e.g. BetterUp, Landit, CorpU)
- Who are their clients?
- How do their portfolio of offerings compare with competitors? What do their competitors’ clients say about their products and services?
- What product and services of competitors are in high demand? Have demonstrated effectiveness? Are endorsed by industry leaders?
- Are there companies that have recently lost their competitive edge, or companies on the rise in the marketspace? Why the change?
Suggested Deliverable:
Competitor Analysis
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September 15, 2021 - Make Strategic Recommendations for New Products and Product Improvements
- Based upon your research on the company and field, what opportunities do you identify for advancing their leadership development model?
- Are there components that should receive greater emphasis, be updated/revisited, or eliminated?
- Are there evidence-based or best practices for training you suggest they adopt?
- What topic areas or industries represent opportunities for the firm to extend their current portfolio?
- What are 2-3 new directions for leadership development program design you recommend given the company’s current product portfolio and desired goals?
- What recommendations do you have for improving program delivery?
- What is one innovative, cutting-edge component or feature do you think could elevate Westwood International’s position in the competitive market space?
- Create a roadmap for implementing your recommendations.
Suggested Deliverable:
Recommendation Report & Roadmap
Project Resources
There are no resources currently available