INTERVIEWER: Tell us a little about yourself.
IKE ALDER: I am in my second year in the Professional MBA program. I currently work for Utah Retirement Systems in investing in real estate, agriculture, and timber. I also completed my undergraduate at the U in 2020 in Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations.
INTERVIEWER: What made you decide to register for the ENTP5800/6800 course that travels to Ghana?
IKE ALDER: It was a chance to go back to Ghana to visit and the class matched lots of my interests – thinking about entrepreneurship and creating businesses in up-and-coming economies. The course seemed like an interesting way to learn about the trials and struggles entrepreneurs are facing in developing countries versus a place like the United States.
INTERVIEWER: Tell us a little about the prep work you did before heading to Ghana for the business consultation portion of the course.
IA: During the preparation before travel we read two different books and several articles that focused on what it means to be a consultant and the consultation process. The Prosperity Paradox focused on how certain companies have done well in emerging markets and been prosperous in certain markets. The consulting books were helpful in making sure it is a collaborative effort that you are solving the problems at hand and engaging in work with the client and helping the client in the best way you can.
My group selected to work with the pig farmer and did some groundwork on what it meant to be a pig farmer and pig farming. We were hoping for something that could transfer to Ghana. We also researched the Ghanaian meat market. Pig farming is in the early stages in Ghana compared to the United States. Practices do transfer over. The pig farmer in Ghana had around 400 pigs on site which is very small compared to U.S. farmers.
INTERVIEWER: Why is pig farming so small in Ghana?
IA: There is a mix of things to raising pork – part of the country is Muslim (which may have been a barrier to entry for pig farmers), and it is expensive to eat and raise pork. There are cheaper food alternatives. Also, pork is not considered a native food in the country and may be in an early introduction phase. Some slaughterhouses may not take pigs because some of the butchers are Muslim and may not want to handle pigs
INTERVIEWER: Tell us about your consulting experience.
IA: The group made mistakes as consultants. We went back to the drawing board multiple times to understand what would help the client. One lesson was we need to get to know who our client was first and be open-minded during the process.
Overall it was a fun experience learning what it means to be a consultant.
INTERVIEWER: What was the most rewarding portion of the course and travel?
IA: The most rewarding for me was learning how I view the world and view problems and then how to confront those problems. I think it was good to go through this process thinking I know exactly what is going on and what is happening in this business and be humbled to know that I did not know what was going on in the business. I need to be questioning more often as I go through different interactions with people and think I know them based on the few pieces of information they have shared. Going through the whole process and I have missed it on this project, but still came away with something good.
INTERVIEWER: Why do you think other students should take part in this course or other courses that have student experiences in West Africa?
IA: I think Africa in general and West Africa specifically are very exciting places where businesses are going to move going forward. They have rapidly growing economies. From an opportunity standpoint, it is good to gain exposure in the region and be poised for future careers. Anytime you get out of your comfort zone, and go into new cultures and experiences to grow. Experiences like this in Ghana are a unique opportunity that the business school provides that led to more growth in a week-long trip to help you grow. Other students should take it to be able to gain access to pretty unique opportunities and learn more about the growing African economy, and it was really fun. You expand horizons and meet other students.
For students not in the business school, it is an opportunity to gain some insight into business to gain exposure and what the business world looks like for their respective career paths. It is a friendly way to gain exposure to the business world.
INTERVIEWER: Most fun/exciting highlight of the trip?
IA: Hard to pinpoint just one highlight, but here are a few.
I think getting to learn about the history and culture of Ghana is definitely a highlight. While we were staying at Ensign and getting to interact with faculty and staff at Ensign Global College – welcoming and kind. A few nights we played soccer with some of the Ghanaian students. We had fun with getting to rub shoulders with people in similar situations to us as students in a different country. The whole process of doing the work in such a short time and getting to see how much you can do in such a short time
And finally, the tourist opportunities are fun and getting to go to Zaina was so much fun.
INTERVIEWER: Any last thoughts?
IA: This is the most amazing opportunity for the price and experience you get out of it.