Achieving Scaled and Sustained Use of Client-Based Projects in Business School Marketing Education: A Proposed Suprastructure

Abstract

Business scholars agree that well-constructed experiential learning and specifically client-based projects (CBPs) provide an opportunity for students to apply concepts they learn to solve particular problems. As an additional outcome, they provide value for multiple stakeholders including the client, business community, university, and the instructor. However, CBPs can be inherently complex and demanding on instructors, impeding adoption and sustained use. As critical participatory action researchers, we worked collaboratively with faculty within our marketing department to examine and address the challenges of scaling capacity to support, effectively replicate, and grow use of CBPs in our business school marketing courses and subsequently other department curriculum. This article describes a unified view of project management and business development processes as a framework for effective scaled use of CBPs and outlines a suprastructure. It additionally offers “how to” guidance that can support use of a suprastructure as a means of achieving economies of scale, including description of roles and relationships.