MBA Students Travel to South Korea

The Rollins MBA offers many opportunities for students to obtain real-world international business experience abroad.  This summer, our executive-in-residence and professor of international business, Allen H. Kupetz, led a student consulting team that included a one-week business trip to Seoul, South Korea.  Prior to departure, the students conducted initial research for the project and prepared a detailed action-plan for the visit and the final deliverable to the corporate sponsor, uBid.com Holdings, Inc.

uBid.com provides solutions for world-leading manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who cannot sell off their excess merchandise.  According to the team, consumers using uBid’s online platform can have easy access to new electronics, computers, televisions, watches, jewelry, etc. at prices far below their original retail value. 

The students were responsible for conducting research to better understand the role that Korean manufacturers, distributors, and retailers play in the excess inventory market.  During the various interviews and meetings conducted in Seoul, it was important that the students understood what method Korean business conglomerates see as the best solution for getting rid of excess inventory globally.

MBA team member Wayne Marcus commented, “Professor Kupetz did a great job of making sure we had the right mix of business and culture-related activities to keep us busy.  We had the opportunity to meet some of his contacts, who were very willing to answer our questions about Korean culture and its impact on the business environment.”  Marcus added, “Other than the absence of English, walking in Seoul was very similar to walking around New York City.”

Ultimately, it was the team’s mission to conduct a market assessment of Korea for uBid.com and prepare a deliverable with the team’s findings and recommendations. Although it varies year-to-year, there about 6-8 such global consulting projects available to Rollins MBA students each year.