Economics and Business student Faculty association International Business Research

IBR 2012 Indonesia Buddy Project

Dear student, In May 2012, twenty-five students of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, will come to Indonesia for 5 weeks to conduct field research for 11 Dutch companies. The study association of the Faculty of Economics and Business organizes this business research trip, named International Business Research (IBR), for the 23rd time. Like past years, we would like to cooperate with local students. Every year, IBR is organized to conduct research in different countries all over the world. Past experience has taught us that the quality of the researches can only be enhanced by attracting local knowledge to the research. Therefore, this year IBR has the focus to set up a Buddy Project in order to combine the knowledge of Dutch students about the companies for which we will conduct research, with the knowledge of Indonesian students about culture, language, sectors, companies, and ways of doing business. In this manner, we hope to create a high quality research with the best of two cultures. Finally, we hope to create a great group of Dutch and Indonesian students and have an amazing time together! In this document we will first introduce IBR to you and in the second half all the specifics of the Buddy Project will be explained further. We hope that, after reading this document, you are enthusiastic about the project and are willing to take part in the Buddy Project! Regards , On behalf of IBR 2012 Indonesia, Kim Broeders, Chairman

IBR
History IBR is a part of the study association of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of the University of Groningen. IBR is a non-profit organization which offers research for cost price to companies. It is the oldest international research project of its kind in the Netherlands. It has started in 1988 and has had various destinations such as India, South-Africa and Argentina. In 2012 IBR will go to Indonesia for the 2nd time since 1988. Over the years, a successful business model has been developed. Goal The goal of IBR 2012 Indonesia is to conduct research in Indonesia for 11 (Dutch) companies. Research set up The IBR research consists out of 3 phases (Figure 1.) In phase I, the Dutch students will start with the preparation. They will conduct a literature study and follow courses on conducting research and about the culture of Indonesia. In phase II, the students will have more in-depth contact with the companies which would like to have research conducted. In January, the Dutch students will be divided in pairs. Each pair will be assigned a research and together they will perform the preliminary investigation by desk research and the field research. The research proposal and research framework will be refined. At the end of this phase, the students will travel to Indonesia for 5 weeks to conduct the field research. In this phase, the buddy project will start. The first contact will be during the desk research phase, but especially during the field research the Buddy Project will play a big part of the research. Phase III is the closing phase in which the research report will be finalized and presented to the companies.

F. 1. Student Research Phases

Jakarta and Surabaya Currently, our travel plans are not finalized yet. However, it is sure that we will go to both Jakarta and Surabaya. Our travel schedule at this point is as follows: 1st of May 23th of May at Jakarta 23th of May 6th of June at Surabaya Therefore, we are looking for Indonesian students in both cities, who would like to take part in the Buddy Project. The actual dates may varry little from the above mentioned. Organization IBR consists out of an Executive Board (5 members), a Board of Recommendation (22 members), an Advisory Board (28 members), students of the Faculty of Economics and Business (20 members) and three supervising professors. Executive Board The Executive Board of IBR 2012 Indonesia consists out of 5 senior students of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Groningen. Supervising Professors Three professors of the FEB supervise the research project from the beginning till the end. They will help with the research set up and framework and give specialization courses on how to conduct research. Furthermore, they will join the students on their journey to Indonesia in order to also supervise the field research. Board of Recommendation The Board of Recommendation consists out of 22 senior business relations which like to add a dimension of professionalism to our project by linking their name to it. Advisory Board The Advisory Board of IBR 2012 Indonesia consists of 28 people. All these people have a link with Indonesia. Either they are employed in sectors which are booming in Indonesia or they are experts of the Indonesian market and know where to find chances for Dutch companies. Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business Twenty students (together with the Executive Board) will conduct research for 11 companies in Indonesia. They have been selected in October 2011 and in November they will start with the specialization courses on research. All are in the age of 20-26 and they are either in their final year of their bachelor or in their master program.

Buddy Project

The Buddy Project is a new project intended to enhance the quality of the researches which IBR will conduct. In this part of the document the specifics, for you, as a Indonesian student, will be explained. Why to participate as a buddy in IBR 2012 Indonesia? Participating in the Buddy Project of IBR 2012 Indonesia means that you will work together with 2 or more Dutch students in conducting a research for a Dutch company which is interested in the Indonesian market. You learn to look at the Indonesian market from an international perspective and focus on a specific sector. You will keep close contact with the Dutch students concerning the research and will help in answering the research questions. Furthermore, you will interview people and companies in Indonesia, together with the Dutch students. What we offer you is the following: A great intercultural experience! Gaining international business research experience Learning to view the Indonesian market from an international perspective Interview experience Working together with motivated Dutch senior students Certificate signed by our supervising professors as proof of your participation and help Certificate with the final grade of the research (the researches will be graded by our professors in August 2012) Goodbye Activity and/or Dinner What IBR 2012 Indonesia is looking for In order to participate as a buddy in IBR 2012 Indonesia, we ask for students who are, in the first place, enthusiastic about the project. We hope to create a close group of Indonesian and Dutch students whereby everybody participates actively and enjoys the process of doing research. Furthermore, we are looking for Indonesian students who like to make contact with Indonesian companies to arrange interviews or get information. Next to that, during the field research in Indonesia we are looking for students who have the time to go to interviews and make contacts with companies. During this period of 5 weeks field research, your participation as a buddy will probably be more active than during the desk research, as in this period the actual personal contacts need to take place. Finally, we look for Indonesian students who can act as interpreters during interviews with people who do not speak English. In summary: Enthusiastic Good English skills Make contacts with companies Possible to go to interviews in Indonesia together with the Dutch students (focusing on time) Act as interpreter

Two cities, two Indonesian students, two Dutch students, one research As mentioned, we will conduct 11 researches. 10 pairs of students will conduct a research and the executive board will also conduct a research, which makes a total of 11. Furthermore, the field research will take place in Jakarta for 3 weeks, and in Surabaya for 2 weeks. Therefore, per research we are looking for a Indonesian student in Jakarta and a Indonesian student in Surabaya who would like to participate in the Buddy Project. In this manner the research can be conducted in the same qualitative manner in both cities. The Dutch students will contact the Indonesian students and from that moment on you will work together with 4 students in total: two Dutch students, one student in Jakarta and one student in Surabaya. Participation in the research The buddy project will start when the Dutch students (who will work in pairs) are assigned to a research. Then they will contact you, as a buddy, via telephone or email. The Dutch students will inform you about the research and when you would like to work on this research you will become the buddy for this research. In Indonesia, you and the Dutch students will meet personally. For these upcoming five weeks the contact will be more intense. All students have a good idea of what kind of field research should be conducted and together you search for appointments with companies and conduct the companies. In the end, the company has to be satisfied with the research which is conducted. The main tasks for both Indonesian and Dutch students are; keeping close contact with one another, search for companies to interview and actually interview them, refine interview questionnaires, and work on the final research. Thus, participation in the desk research phase entails: Searching for sector specific information in line with the researches (general information, customer behavior, competitors, possible agents, etc) Mail or Skype contact with Dutch students to stay informed and exchange information Search for companies to interview and try to make appointments with companies to interview Search for companies or institutions which might provide useful information Participation in the field research includes: Personal contact with Dutch students Information gathering Arrange interviews with companies or people Write parts of the final research report Interview companies and/or people Act as interpreter

Contact with the Dutch students As mentioned, the contact with the Dutch students during the desk research phase will take place via email, Skype and if necessary, telephone. During the field research phase, you will meet personally with the Dutch students. Contact will take place via e-mail, telephone and of course via personal contact. At the end of the research period, a Goodbye Activity and/or Dinner with all Dutch and Indonesian students will be organized by us. Workload During the desk research phase, the workload will start from the moment that you have agreed to work with the Dutch students on a specific research. From that moment on, you will keep contact via mail or Skype and perform the tasks mentioned above. This will cost you about 1-2 hours a week. During the field research phase, the workload depends on what has already been performed during the desk research phase, the amount of interviews with companies and people, the need for further information gathering and the specific agreements you have made with the Dutch students. The most important and time consuming activity is personal interviews. These take up the most time and are an important and big part of the field research. Some interviews will be conducted by the Dutch students themselves, others will be conducted by yourself, but the most you will conduct together. It is hard to say in advance what the workload is during the field research phase, because it is dependent upon so many factors, but we estimate that it will cost about 10 hours a week. Contact data and apply We hope that after reading this document you have a more clear view of the buddy project and are enthusiastic about participating as a buddy. Besides the learning experience and CV building, we trust that via this project we can have a great intercultural exchange between our students of both countries. In case you are interested, please contact us at E: indonesia@ibr-groningen.nl W: www.ibr-groningen.nl T: +31 (0) 6 11 28 14 45 +31 (0) 50 363 4212