Reflections on the MAP and Working With Dr. C. K. Prahalad

The author had the opportunity of working with CK Prahalad during the course of his multidisciplinary action project (MAP), a field project integral to the Michigan MBA Program. CK's presence had a lot to do with the enduring impact of the experience. The personal lesson was that genuine impact begins with revolutionary aspirations that are undiluted by a fear of failure. In balancing the many demands upon his time, CK is almost contemptuous of bureaucracy, and yet he made an entire morning for a confused student who was wondering if Ph.D. was right for him. One way in which CK teaches Michigan MBA students that they can change the world and make a difference is through the XMAP program. CK's approach to the projects is more experimental in nature, thus dubbed XMAP, and involves working with firms to provide products and services to improve the living conditions of the poorest of the poor.