It Takes Two: Developing a Successful Partnership between Clients and Students in Client-Based Projects

Abstract

Both faculty and employers are motivated to advance learning beyond the classroom in order to teach skills required by graduates to succeed in business careers. The authors use a client-based project to build a bridge between marketing theory and practice, allowing students to develop their skills within a course while working with a real company. The authors demonstrate how a client-based project can succeed in the classroom with motivating incentives, positive client engagement, and earning real-world experience—all of which positively enhanced students’ participation, project deliverables, and enjoyment in the class project