Abstract:

Description: Students from first courses of Business Administration organized in groups of a maximum of 10 members supervised by a Professor and a Company Director work during 9 months on a research project on a relevant issue for the company, the University and the society.

Objectives:
• Development of the innate curiosity of the students in order to reinforce their nature of “Homo quaerens”. Somebody with a natural instinct to question everything trying to find new answers and perspectives to resolution of any problem.
• Early development of the basic research capabilities and methods in the students.
• Professional interaction with the management of top companies in order to identify and develop the basic competencies to be successful in the first job.
• Creation of multidisciplinary groups formed by professors and professionals in order to identify areas of real cooperation to generate together new and practical solutions that create value to the University, the Industry and the society.
• Bring to the classrooms, both in the University and the Company, business cases created by the research groups. Cases are discussed with the students or the employees under the supervision of a professor and an Executive following co-teaching methodologies.

Success Stories:
1. Contribution of Social Responsibility to the strategy of Ferrovial.
Education Area: Social Responsibility, Business Strategy.

Subject:
The group analyzed the Social Corporate Responsibility Policies of the big Spanish multinational Ferrovial measuring the impact on the global strategy and results of the company. Special focus was put on Finance, HR and Innovation areas.

Team:
A group of students supervised by two professors of HR and Finance worked with the Quality Director, the Training and Development Manager and the responsible of the Corporate University for middle management.

Results:
Business Case used in the Training Center of Ferrovial with middle management and in the classrooms on Social Responsibility area of the University.

Publication of different blogs written by the students about Social Responsibility.

2. New Book-Store concept for La Casa del Libro.
Education Area: Marketing, Innovation.

Subject:
New market tendencies on the book store business make necessary to redefine the traditional big store model. While keeping the physical space in order to have a real contact with customers and to create spaces of cultural exchange new marketing models are needed to combine traditional selling with digital innovations.

Team:
A team of students and store managers with a Professor of Marketing worked with the General Manager and the Sales Director of La Casa del Libro (Grupo Planeta)

Results: Still working on it. Some articles and blogs published internally.

3. Sensorial Marketing. The KFC Case.
Education Area: Marketing, Customer Experience.

Subject:
Impact of the KFC restaurant’s design, decoration and ambience (music, aromas, etc.) on the customer experience.

Team:
Students, Marketing Professor together with the Country Manager and the Marketing Director of KFC Spain.

Results: Some field research has been already done with the cooperation of the restaurant managers. The findings will be described in a Business Case to be used as the Ferrovial one. Changes will be made in the restaurants following the results of the research project.

Keywords:

Innovation, co-teaching, community, business case.