Capstone – Project

Promote Research-Driven Innovation at Leading Firm in the Competitive and Dynamic Field of Leadership Development

A Collaboration Between

Project Synopsis

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

CompanyWestwood International
HQStowe, VT
RevenueUnlisted
EmployeesUnlisted
StagePre-Revenue Startup
Hiring PotentialN/A
Websitehttp://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

SchoolDr. D Y Patil B School (DPU)
Engagement Format -
CourseDPU Student Consulting Experience
Level
  • All Graduate
Students Enrolled127
Meeting Day & TimeTBD
Student Time Commitment8-15 Hours Per Week
Company Time Commitment2 Hours
Duration7.14 Weeks

Program Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Due Date Type
PRE-KICKOFF Q&A @ 8:00 AM ET

PRE-KICKOFF Q&A @ 8:00 AM ET

July 23rd, 2021 Event na
REMINDER OF CONFIDENTIALITY

REMINDER OF CONFIDENTIALITY

During this program, you'll be working on a real project posed by a real industry partner. By registering for the CapSource system and participating in this Program, you are bound by the Rules of Engagement, including strict confidentiality of information shared with you. Please be respectful and professional.
July 23rd, 2021 Event na
Teams Finalized & Shared with Industry Partner

Teams Finalized & Shared with Industry Partner

 
July 25th, 2021 Event na
UPLOAD YOUR RESUME UPLOAD YOUR RESUME
 
July 26th, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
KICKOFF EVALUATION DUE

KICKOFF EVALUATION DUE

July 26th, 2021 Evaluation evaluation
Professional Development Session with Greg Zlevor, Westwood International

Professional Development Session with Greg Zlevor, Westwood International

July 27th, 2021 Event na
OFFICIAL PROJECT KICKOFF @ 8:00 AM ET

OFFICIAL PROJECT KICKOFF @ 8:00 AM ET

Industry Partner to Share Calendar Invite with Web Conference Details
July 27th, 2021 Event na
UPLOAD MILESOTNE #1 DELIVERABLE UPLOAD MILESOTNE #1 DELIVERABLE
August 3rd, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
TEMP CHECK #1 DUE

TEMP CHECK #1 DUE

August 10th, 2021 Evaluation evaluation
UPLOAD MILESOTNE #2 DELIVERABLE UPLOAD MILESOTNE #2 DELIVERABLE
 
August 18th, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
TEMP CHECK #2 DUE

TEMP CHECK #2 DUE

August 31st, 2021 Evaluation evaluation
UPLOAD MILESOTNE #3 DELIVERABLE UPLOAD MILESOTNE #3 DELIVERABLE
 
September 1st, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
Final Presentations

Final Presentations

Link provided by Industry Partner
September 14th, 2021 Event na
OFFICIAL PROJECT END

OFFICIAL PROJECT END

September 15th, 2021 Event na
UPLOAD FINAL PRESENTATION UPLOAD FINAL PRESENTATION
September 15th, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
UPLOAD FINAL REPORT UPLOAD FINAL REPORT
September 15th, 2021 Submission Required submission-required
PEER EVALUATION DUE

PEER EVALUATION DUE

September 17th, 2021 Evaluation evaluation
SELF EVALUATION DUE

SELF EVALUATION DUE

September 17th, 2021 Evaluation evaluation

Key Project Milestones

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

Industry Mentors

Company Admin

Janine Bower

[email protected]

Company Admin

Greg Zlevor

[email protected]

Academic Mentors

Instructor

Parminder Kaur 

[email protected]

Instructor

Suman Deokota

[email protected]

Instructor

Sonali Saha

[email protected]

Instructor

Tadnya Parab

[email protected]

Instructor

Dr. Atul Kumar

[email protected]

Instructor

Sachin Napate 

[email protected]

Instructor

MEENAL SONI

[email protected]

Instructor

Dr. Sheetal Darekar

[email protected]

Instructor

Rupesh Andhrutkar 

[email protected]

Instructor

Devvrath pancholi 

[email protected]

Instructor

Chandani Khan 

[email protected]

Instructor

Tanmay Tyagi 

[email protected]

Instructor

Dr. Rashmi Paranjpye 

[email protected]

Instructor

Dr. Madhura Pimplapure 

[email protected]

Instructor

Geetika Jha 

[email protected]

Instructor

sneha kulkarni 

[email protected]

Instructor

Tejaswinee Anil Kankekar 

[email protected]

Instructor

Shivendra Vikram Singh 

[email protected]

Instructor

Ishita sil 

[email protected]

Instructor

Prasanna Nilekar Nilekar

[email protected]

Assigned Students

Student

Harsh Mathur

[email protected]

Student

Harshita Kamal

[email protected]

Student

Harshvardhan Shrotriya

[email protected]

Student

Indrayani Sapkal

[email protected]

Student

AKSHMA SHARMA

[email protected]

Student

Nikhil Kumar

[email protected]