An Experiential Supply Chain Management Field Study: Effectively Bridging the Gap Between Classroom and Practice

Abstract

Employers want new college graduates to relate theory to practice when they begin their careers. Experiential learning opportunities provide occasions to develop such skills. However, internships and single factory tours rarely provide more generalizable insights about the competitive nature of business across a range of firms. We conceptually explore an experiential field study that addresses this shortcoming: a supply chain management course of the brewing industry. We describe the development of our course, its execution, its learning outcomes, advantages of our approach in the brewing industry, and suggestions to replicate it at other schools and with other industries.