GENERAL PRESENTATION AND SWOT ANALYSIS OF AIESEC BUCHAREST

Oana Pascu
Masterado em Turismo ULHT

Contents
About AIESEC ...................................................................................................... 3 AIESECs Vision .................................................................................................. 3 AIESECs Scope ................................................................................................... 3 AIESECs Approach ............................................................................................. 4 AIESECs Values .................................................................................................. 4 AIESEC Network and History .............................................................................. 6 AIESEC Romania and AIESEC Bucharest......................................................... 10 The Programs ...................................................................................................... 10 SWOT analysis of AIESEC Bucharest ............................................................... 13 Bibliography ........................................................................................................ 18

About AIESEC
AIESEC has 60 years of experience in developing high-potential youth into globally minded responsible leaders. Present in over 110 countries and territories and with over 60,000 members, AIESEC is the world's largest youth-run organization. Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers young people the opportunity to participate in international internships, experience leadership and participate in a global learning environment. What makes AIESEC unique is the youth driven impactful experience that it offers to its members. AIESEC is run by young people for young people, enabling a strong experience to all its stakeholders. The members are part of an exciting, driven global network. They are able to

contribute to societal change while exploring their own vision for a positive impact on society. AIESEC is supported by thousands of partner organizations around the globe who

look to AIESEC to support the development of youth and to access top talent through the global internship program(exchange). The alumni are leaders within their organizations and communities. They use the

experience, skills and inspiration AIESEC has provided them to be agents of positive change within todays society. There are currently around 60,000 members and over 945,000 alumni.

AIESECs Vision
Peace and fulfillment of humankind's potential.

AIESECs Scope
AIESEC is a global, non-political, independent, not-for-profit organization run by students and recent graduates of institutions of higher education. The members are interested in world issues, leadership and management.

AIESEC does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, creed, religion, national, ethnic or social origin.

AIESECs Approach
AIESEC members live an integrated development experience. This involves leadership opportunities, international internships and interacting with a global network to support their development.

AIESECs Values
The values provide a way for AIESEC to encourage common behavior across the global network. Activating Leadership We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members. Demonstrating Integrity We are consistent and transparent in our decisions and actions. We fulfil our commitments and conduct ourselves in a way that is true to our ideals. Living Diversity We seek to learn from the different ways of life and opinions represented in our multicultural environment. We respect and actively encourage the contribution of every individual. Enjoying Participation We create a dynamic environment created by active and enthusiastic participation of individuals. We enjoy being involved in AIESEC. Striving for Excellence We aim to deliver the highest quality performance in everything we do. Through creativity and innovation we seek to continuously improve.

Acting Sustainably We act in a way that is sustainable for our organization and society. Our decisions take into account the needs of future generations.

AIESEC Network and History

One of AIESEC's greatest strengths is the organizations ability to bring together young people and partner organizations from all over the world through internships, conferences and its global learning environment. The membership base consists of more than 60,000 young people in over 2,100 universities in 110 countries and territories. Local, National and International offices are managed by students or recent graduates. AIESEC is run by youth, for youth. Together, the network manages relationships with well over 4,000 partners, facilitates more than 16,000 exchanges and 20,000 leadership roles, and organizes over 470 conferences each year. In the early years of the Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales1 (AIESEC), activities regarding exchange consisted of traineeships, study tours and the exchange of information on studies. Traineeships were organized during the months of November or December through careful selections by the 'local committees' (groups of AIESEC members) and training occurred during the following summer. Receiving Committee' members of the host country played a role, completing the whole experience by serving as a point of contact for trainees with the economic and cultural life of the locality. Efforts by the association for better organization could also be witnessed after the congress in Copenhagen (1952) addressing uniform procedures and employment contracts for exchange. Development of exchange was progressing well with an annual growth of 22% but there was a mounting concern for the quality of exchanges and thus the AIESEC Summer School Training Programmes (SSTP) were introduced in 1966. It was a movement of expansion from the traditional' traineeship exchange programmes and gave more meaningful experiences to the exchange participant. SSTPs engaged a limited amount of selected trainees, each undergoing unique training and education but in a common field or topic on a project. Every week they took time off from their firms to meet for lectures and group discussions and at the end of their traineeship period, joint and individual reports

Note: Nowadays, the French acronym AIESEC is no longer used by the organization, since in the history AIESEC expanded to other backgrounds different to Economic and Commercial Sciences.

were produced. By the end of 1969, 22 SSTPs were successfully carried out in eleven different countries. In 1967, work began on a program dubbed Student Traineeship Exchange System (STRES) for an effective and fair approach to facilitate flow and standardization of information. Exchange numbers have already reached the 4500 mark and matching that large group of students to the diverse array of traineeships was stretching the capacity of AIESEC. To meet this need, an international committee of Electronic Data Processing (EDP) made up of AIESEC members was put together to create and implement a new computer matching program. As a result from that, STRES was developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the help of IBM donated computers. They undertook a great task of translating forms into something the computer could understand while enabling exchange controllers to familiarize with the codes and procedures involved. The Paris International Congress in 1969 saw people for the first time, anxiously waiting until the wee hours of the morning for matching by the mainframe computer with punch cards in deciles. A shift of focus to member education and talent development to prepare AIESEC members for a future in the business environment occured in the 1970's. Alignment of the global association as a whole led to the emergence of International Theme Programmes (ITP). Henceforth, these became a formal part of AIESEC. Pioneers to this new initiative were the programs; Management Education in the 80's (19761978) and International Trade (1978-1980). Under the umbrella' of the international theme, projects were run independently in a local, national and regional level in recognition of the rapidly changing world. There was not a truly international theme with involvement of all committees including those involved in researching the theme. Nevertheless, awareness across nations was attained through the engagement of students, business people, academia and the community. In the attempt to meet the challenges of tomorrow head on and become a change agent, AIESEC Global Seminar Series (AGSS) was initiated in 1988. AGSS then turned into a World Theme Conference (WTC) event. This series of seminars was conducted with the objective of educating youth and gathering their opinions on issues related to sustainable

development, such that they would be able to have an impact on society through their combined voice, and later in life as leaders. At the end of this the 80s, AGSS and ITP merged to become the Global Theme Program (GTP). GTP had a similar aim to AGSS, but with a more proactive approach, an example of a GTP theme being Entrepreneurship and Corporate Responsibility: New Opportunities for Global Development. The program at a point was functioning almost as a separate entity within AIESEC itself. Advancements in Information technology in the 1990's saw the ongoing development of communication and exchange tools. The emergence of the AIESEC Global Information Systems (AGIS) embraced new internet technology to connect operations across the globe. Further developments included the use of file type protocol (FTP) to retrieve materials, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to run real-time online meetings, and open access to the international website www.aiesec.org to 70 countries. Such changes meant that not only was the International Traineeship Exchange Program, (ITEP,) managed online, but also a large portion of local commitee budgets were now freed up from the costs of physical communications. AGIS would later become known as "Insight". Insight had the advantage of using the internet to send data, and continuous matching was able to take place, (previously matching was done at specified times.) Unfortunately the successes of Insight were outnumbered by issues with the system, so it became clear that a new version was required. Insight ll was born, and ended up being used for several years until the initiation of Insight XP in 2004. The introduction of Issue-Based Experiences Experiences (IBXPs) began as a way to ensure that young people who have identified a passion for a particular issue have the chance to live an experience that not only enables them to gain general leadership skills, but also expertise on a particular issue. This process supplements what AIESEC offers to its members; experiences to support them in developing needed competencies to lead positive change and a strong interest and knowledge in one of the key topics of the world that needs positive leadership. AIESEC Learning Networks (LNs) are part of IBXPs, consisting of: Finance, Education, HIV/ AIDS, Corporate Responsibility, and Entrepreneurship. AIESEC members get the

chance to lead teams and go on international internships, while organizations benefit from access to AIESEC's membership base. In the 2000's, the organization saw a steady increase in exchange performance with over 5000 students sent on internship in 2008. The introduction of development internships, as a distinct pool of exchanges, added to the diversity of experiences offered. During this period of time the introduction of further management and measurement tools for exchange have supported countries to increase the number of exchange experiences they are providing. The 60th anniversary celebrations of 2008 saw AIESEC celebrating the history and achievements of 60 years of activating youth leadership in over 100 countries and territories.

AIESEC Romania and AIESEC Bucharest

AIESEC Bucharest was the first active NGO in Romania, starting from March 1990, founded with the help of AIESEC Wien. Since then AIESEC Bucharest has constantly helped students and communities fill in the gap generated by the discrepancy between formal education and the desired ambitious one.

The aim of the activities has been unchanged in the last 20 years: empowering youth and developing their change agents potential. Nevertheless the organization has adapted its approach at the same pace as the market needs changed.

There are 15 local committees in Romania: Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Targu-Mures, Brasov, Timisoara, Pitesti, Ploiesti, Galati, Craiova, Constanta, Sibiu, Oradea, Arad, Suceava offering students an extended learning environment.

The Programs

The organization provides a practical learning and development experience to its members, through them being part of a team and taking responsibilities towards managing AIESECs performance and the delivery of its experiences. Duration of a Team Member experience: minimum 8 weeks What students gain through this program:

Practical team experience Hard and soft skills development Access to a global network An entrepreneurial and responsible attitude

10

AIESEC Bucharest provides practical learning and development through the experience of managing a team. Team Leader Program participants contribute to the development of others while ensuring AIESECs performance and Duration of a Team Leader experience: minimum 8 weeks What can students gain through this program:

A practical team leader experience Organizational and planning skills A network of contacts

AIESEC Bucharest provides an internship in a host company, through which a young person contributes to the goals of the organization, completes a job description requiring special expertise or skills, and receives supervision and evaluation on his or her professional development. Previous work experience is required. Duration of a GIP experience: the internship varies in length, from 2 to 18 months What can students gain through this program:

A professional development experience A cross-cultural living and working experience Access to the know-how of big companies

11

AIESEC Bucharest provides international volunteer experiences through which young people develop themselves while empowering individuals, communities or organizations. They focus on areas and issues with the need for direct social impact and sustainable solutions. Duration of a GCDP experience: minimum 6 weeks What can a student gain through this program

Possibility to work with young volunteers from around the world The opportunity to create positive societal impact Personal development Live in another country and experience their lifestyle

12

SWOT analysis of AIESEC Bucharest

SWOT analysis (alternately SLOT analysis) is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a convention at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies. Setting the objective should be done after the SWOT analysis has been performed. This would allow achievable goals or objectives to be set for the organization.

Strengths: characteristics of the business, or project team that give it an advantage over others Weaknesses (or Limitations): are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others Opportunities: external chances to improve performance (e.g. make greater profits) in the environment Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project

13

STRENGHTS
People : if there is a word that should define any AIESEC Local Committee, then the word that would define AIESEC Bucharest is PEOPLE. There are many development opportunities for the people, and they have taken advantage of them as much as they could. The results can be seen today, as the people in the local committee are very well prepared and they are ready to run for leadership positions and who want to have an impact through what they achieve. International network recognition: AIESEC Bucharest is known all around the world. The members of the international network have heard about the Local Committee of Bucharest. It is one of the committees renowned for exchange, but also for the highest number of applicants 3 recruitments in a row. Also, AIESEC Bucharest provides several GCPs (good case practices) in many of the areas, as well as when it comes to the projects organized which are very handful for the others. Because of this, but also because of the strong bonds our members have with people all around the world, LC Bucharest has a positive image. Motivation: In the local committee there are always many factors that bring motivation when it comes to the members. Each of the members triggers his or her motivation from somewhere else, but the most important is that every member is encouraged to find it. In most of the cases the members find their motivation in conferences, seminars, training sessions they attend, our reward and recognition system and personal satisfactions. They work in a healthy environment, surrounded by people who resemble them and in a very well established organizational culture. Development of opportunities for the members: AIESEC Bucharest has offered in the past year countless development opportunities. The members have participated in conferences (local, national, international), have had leadership opportunities, have been encouraged to think out of the box and contribute with their ideas, they have been attending trainings delivered both by other members, alumni or company representatives and have been involved in the organizing of the events and conferences. AIESEC is the number one choice of the students in Bucharest: due to the prestige among the students and companies, AIESEC has become the number one choice among all the other student organizations present in Bucharest. Exchange: AIESEC offers a valuable exchange (internship abroad) experience, different from the ones offered by other companies or NGOs due to the fact that is taking care of

14

the EP(exchange participant) before, during and after their internship. Our members are helping the future interns abroad to find their internship, assist them when applying for it, offer all the support with all the documents and procedures before departure including future accommodation. During their internship, the hosting local committee offers reception activities for the interns and support when they have problems or challenges both where they are working and for all the social issues that might occur due to the cultural shock they might have. At the end, the home local committee offers reintegration activities and support. Also, in 2010 we have reached the highest number of Exchange opportunities offered to our members in the whole 20 years of experience. Members retention rate: it has been growing in the past year, reaching around 40% for the old members (at leat one year of experience in AIESEC Bucharest) and 98% for the new members. Addressing to several age groups: AIESEC Bucharest offers development opportunities for each cycle: kindergarten (Grady Project), Elementary school (Stepping Stones Project), Highschool (Grow Project) and students (all the other projects such as AIESEC Universiy, Leadership Talks, CSR Bridge etc)

WEAKNESSES
Local Group of Supporters: AIESEC Bucharest doesnt have a group of supporters as high as it should be. This is why the Local Committee is missing some opportunities and sometimes the quality of the events decreases due to the lack of funds. Moreover, the plans for signing a once again with the current partners should be applied sooner (regarding the duration, the support methods, promotion etc) Financial Management issues: AIESEC Bucharest has at the moment some expenditures (fixed costs) which are too high External environment visibility: the visibility of AIESEC Bucharest has decreased in the past years because of the inefficient media partnerships signed Infrastructure: is inappropriate in relation with the number of members and activities Product development: AIESEC Bucharest doesnt have currently a healthy product development process.

15

OPPORTUNITIES
Issue Based Projects: currently there are no members in AIESEC Bucharest with experience on certain issues, therefore we are encouraging them. The people who are working on such projects (like the CSR project) have the chance to understand better the issue and to have a full image of it. Around them there can be created Learning Cyrcles, events, activities for all our members. Moreover, AIESEC Bucharest can be closer to the current reality of the market in Bucharest. PBoX: Projects Based on Exchange- this is an easy way of rising the exchange numbers of the Local Committee on one hand. On the other hand, taking into consideration the international network and the market in Bucharest, they are very useful for AIESEC Bucharest, promoting one of our values: Living Diversity. By this we understand bringing internationalism in Bucharest and offerting the students in Bucharest the chance to experience it without travelling. The market in Bucharest is emergent: this leads to the creation of new companies every day, rising the target of companies that we can address to, as well as creating a good environment for the issue based project with the topic Emerging Markets. Students are more interested in extracurricular activities: the students are more and more interested in participating at different conferences and events organized by NGOs and companies as well as being part of an NGO due to the importance of them in the end in the CV. Therefore, the number of applicants is constantly around 600-700 in every autumn recruitment although the number of NGOs is growing annually, and our events always have enough and qualitative participants.

THREATS
Working abroad opportunities: at the moment there are several specialized agencies which offer students working opportunities abroad such as Work and Travel. They do not offer though the same type of experience, being based usually on the financial gain, not on the personal and professional growth. Financial crisis: it affects the companies which are in our target, which leads to fewer corporations with the corporate sector. Moreover, it might affect our number of applicants, as more and more students need a financial support during their studies other than the one offered by parents or scholarships, therefore choosing to work during the 3-5 years spent in the university.

16

 Establishment of several NGOs in Bucharest: in the past years there have been founded several NGOs in Bucharest which are attracting a significant number of students every year. These might grow in a more rapid pace and attract the students who are in our organizations target, therefore diminishing our monopoly.

17

Bibliography
www.aiesec.org www.aiesecbucharest.ro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis

18