About This Course

This business and management course, led by Professor Tarun Khanna from Harvard Business School, adopts an interdisciplinary approach to tackle complex social issues. Within the structure of emerging markets, the course examines past efforts to solve these problems, identifies entrepreneurial opportunities, and encourages the development of innovative solutions. Focusing on individual action, the process begins with a deep dive into the problem and the integration of various perspectives.

Key areas such as finance, scaling operations, branding, management of property rights, and creating effective progress metrics in institutionally challenging settings of emerging markets are explored. While examples span healthcare, online commerce, fintech, and infrastructure across regions like India, South Asia, China, Africa, and Latin America, the course emphasizes actionable knowledge over broad coverage.

What You'll Learn

• Identify entrepreneurial opportunities in rapidly growing emerging markets.
• Use a conceptual framework for assessing these opportunities.
• Recognize problems that are amenable to entrepreneurial solutions.

Course Details

• Institution: HarvardX
• Subject: Business & Management
• Level: Introductory
• Prerequisites: None. This course is designed for everyone interested in solving complex problems via entrepreneurship.
• Language: English, with transcripts available in multiple languages including Arabic, German, Spanish, French, etc.
• Key Skills Developed: Financial Technology, Operations Management, Innovation, Infrastructure Development, LESS Framework, Value Systems, Branding, and Management of Property Rights.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is ideal for individuals aiming to understand and engage in entrepreneurship within emerging markets. It caters to aspiring entrepreneurs, business students, and professionals interested in innovation, social impact, and economic development across diverse sectors and geographical areas.

Real-World Application

Skills acquired from this course can be directly applied in launching new ventures or initiatives aimed at solving social problems in emerging markets. Graduates can utilize this knowledge in roles related to product development, strategy formulation, and operations management in diverse industries globally. Additionally, insights into proper metrics and frameworks could enhance decision-making processes within existing companies or new businesses.

Course Syllabus

1. Introduction to Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
2. Understanding Complex Social Problems
3. Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities
4. Frameworks for Evaluating Opportunities
5. Strategic Planning for Scaling Operations
6. Branding and Managing Property Rights
7. Creating Metrics for Assessing Progress and Social Value