This case is about El Gran Proyecto Salta (Salta), a multi-year collaborative experiment among financial institutions,a foreign government aid agency, and a global management school.

Binding goals of Salta were to provide practical business information in sessions of short duration to women micro-entrepreneurs operating at or near the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, while keeping sponsors costs exceptionally low. Salta serves as a test case and potential template for organizations investing in educating micro-entrepreneurs via lessons that are informative, engaging, memorable and affordable.

Details are provided regarding the origins and setting of the Salta program, its targeted participants, and parameters for the roll-out of the program. Students using the case are challenged to think creatively about how they would translate their understanding of basic business knowledge into the fundamentals needed to thrive as a micro-entrepreneur in a developing country.

The case is especially relevant to individuals or organizations considering or engaging in corporate social responsibility opportunities. It is also highly relevant to empowerment of women at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid, as well as micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. Lessons center on challenges and advantages of educational philanthropy for these populations.

Teaching Objectives

This case has three objectives: To understand the development and implementation of a very economical, large-scale, customized business education program for micro-entrepreneurs.

To consider the challenges and rewards of investing in educating and developing women entrepreneurs living at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid. To deliberate varied and innovative pedagogical choices driven by the demographics, resources, and constraints of a targeted population.

Relevant Subjects Developing countries, educational philanthropy, empowerment, pedagogical customization, women micro entrepreneurs, work and family responsibilities, bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, telenovelas. Use of the Case This case provides a grassroots perspective of an education CSR program/experiment targeted for micro-entrepreneurs at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid. Background information is provided regarding costs and benefits of investing in women micro-entrepreneurs. Challenges, strategies, and outcomes of Salta are detailed.

A second theme regards identifying pedagogical challenges of adapting basic business principles to enhance micro-entrepreneurial ventures in developing countries. Included here are creative responses to sponsors practical decisions to sharply limit program expenses and tightly control time investment of participants.

This case lends itself to two-part preparation and discussion (as detailed below), but will be used in this class effectively as one continuous case.

Preparation/Discussion Questions, Part A The following questions help students develop deeper awareness, understanding, and connection to the challenges faced by micro-entrepreneurs at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid, as well as by those who designed this CSR program. 1. Search the Internet to gather information about, and photos depicting, workers living at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid. Consider, in particular, the lives of female entrepreneurs within this demographic. Paste 5 photos inside a word document. Save the document as "photos". Upload this document separate from the main document with questions answered. 2. Consider an industry that you know well. In what ways does that industry connect to the base of the pyramid? What sorts of investments in workers at or near the base of the pyramid would be fitting for that industry? What sorts of workers at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid touch or are touched by that industry? 3. What are the pros and cons of corporate investments in women micro-entrepreneurs at or near the base of the socio-economic pyramid? As a corporate leader, what would your perspective be regarding such investments? 4. What specific challenges are particular to educating the Salta participants? 5. Create a list of learning objectives that reflect the Salta goals and are fitting to the Salta participants and to the low-cost, short-term (three-hour) delivery of this program. Note this course has had many "learning objectives", both at the macro (syllabus) and micro (cases) level. This might be an interesting way to develop an understanding of learning objectives and how they are written.

Each question will be thoroughly answered, with references to the case. The instructor will ensure that student responses demonstrate having read and understood the case. Place your answers to these seven questions into the Case 5 dropbox.

Preparation/Discussion Questions, Part B 6. Create a broad, creative list of pedagogies that would be fitting to the target audience and the low-cost, short-term nature of the Salta program. Be prepared to defend your choices in the online discussion. 7. Which business functions should be addressed in the Salta curriculum? Why do you recommend these choices? 8. Given the nature of the Salta participants and the scarce resources of the program, which specific business topics are essential? Which would you recommend teaching and applying within each functional area? Why?

Each question will be thoroughly answered, with references to the case. The instructor will ensure that student responses demonstrate having read and understood the case. POST your answers to the online discussion. Go to Communication/Discussion.