Launch and closure of an Indian cement plant

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Margie Parikh

Subject area Decision making, behavioural decision making, heuristics, optimistic bias, confirmatory bias, anchoring bias, ready mix cement (RMC) business in India. Study level/applicability Post graduate management course, executive training program in the subject areas. Case overview Arco is a Projects and Infrastructure-sector company. Some of its key officials, believing that entering the RMC can be beneficial for Arco, plan entry into the manufacturing of RMC but order a feasibility report. The report confirms the hunch and Arco starts the business under the aegis of its associate, EG Ltd (EGL) which is into equipment rental business. At this time a new dimension of reality opens up but the senior officers refuse to accept a revised proposal which is adjusted to the new realities. After a few months and some losses, EGL closes down the RMC plant and rents it out. Expected learning outcomes This case study is developed with a purpose to provide a basis to discuss how decisions are taken in real life and how various behavioural elements affect the quality of decisions that affect not only the decision makers but many others and their organizations. Focus is especially on prejudice, heuristics and bias that creep into important organizational decisions such as venturing into new business. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boon-In Tan ◽  
Garry Wei-Han Tan ◽  
Keng-Boon Ooi

Subject area Management, marketing and branding and strategy. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and postgraduate management courses. Case overview This is a real-life case involving a confectionery manufacturer in Malaysia where it has grown over the years. As the market becomes more competitive, more challenges are confronting the company. Although there is still profit to be made, the margin is declining. Hence, the management of King's Biscuits Berhad must embark on the marketing environment scanning to prepare the company for future challenges and to ensure continued existence. As in the case of most strategy cases, little guidance was available for the students to reflect upon. Expected learning outcomes With the completion of this case study; student will be able to familiarize with the exercise of marketing environment scanning, determine the branding, product lines and positioning issues, adopt the marketing mix concept into real practice, and have the opportunity to visualize a true business scenario and simulate their minds and thinking towards managing a business. Supplementary materials Teaching note.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Margie Sutherland ◽  
Hayley Pearson ◽  
Greg Fisher

Subject area Company turnaround, General Management. Study level/applicability Executive education, MBA. Case overview This is a four-part case study in which the case of a company turnaround emerges as the students work through a series of decision-making processes. In teaching the case, the students would only be given Part A to begin with, about which they need to make decisions as to what they would do, as preparation for the first part of the lecture. After that has been discussed, they are provided with the second part which tells them what in fact happened in the situation and leads them to the next decision point, and so on. The case deals with an entrepreneur hearing about a business that has gone insolvent; it then tracks the process from investigating the small manufacturing and sales company through the various stages of its subsequent remarkable turnaround to the point where the protagonist was voted Entrepreneur of the Year in South Africa. It covers the period 2007 to 2012 and includes the annual financial statements. Expected learning outcomes Following are the expected learning outcomes: an understanding of the broad range of management competencies; an understanding of how to turnaround a small organisation; and to experience group-based decision-making. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Starbuck ◽  
Sharon Purtee

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a three-year case study of the extent with which altmetrics compare to traditional metrics in certain subject areas for selected departments at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine (COM). Design/methodology/approachA three-year analysis of peer-reviewed papers and invited editorials from 2009 to 2013 written by tenure-track faculty from 20 COM departments was done to explore what subject areas received the highest altmetric scores. Research output was searched in PubMed; articles were quantified by subject area, times cited in Scopus, and its altmetric score over each of three successive years. FindingsThe topics of the highest scored altmetric papers (n = 40) sample focused on stroke, obesity, and diabetes for all three years. Analysis of high initial altmetric scores over the course of the three years shifted from a possible predictor of future impact in the second year to no indicator of long-term interest in the scientific community as the public interest waned over time. Research limitations/implicationsThe authors used Scopus Times Cited and Altmetrics.com to gather data. Originality/valueInitially assessed a total of 3,678 unique publications and worked with the 40 highest altmetric scores in subsequent years. Data showed that subjects of interest to the public receive the highest altmetric scores and the topic areas did not change over the course of the study. These initially high altmetric scores do not indicate long-term interest by the scientific community.


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 906-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Alsmadi ◽  
Ahmad Almani ◽  
Zulfiqar Khan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to implement an integrated activity-based costing (ABC) and theory of constraints (TOC) approach to enhance decision making in a Lean company. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature, this paper proposes an integrated ABC and TOC approach and applies it to a Lean plastic manufacturing company to improve its product-mix decision. Findings – The results of the case study show that the current conventional product-mix decision used by the company and the proposed integrated approach can give significantly different results concerning the optimal product-mix and the associated bottlenecks. Moreover, the paper suggests that managers who implement Lean production without utilising a supportive management accounting system may experience disappointing financial results. Research limitations/implications – The validation of the suggested method is based on a single case study with an action research approach. For future research, the authors suggest the implementation of the approach in different industries. Practical implications – Overall, the integration of ABC and TOC provides managers with an accurate, timely and reliable tool that can help in making decisions about pricing, production line development, process improvements and product-mix. Originality/value – This paper contributes to Lean and management accounting literature by demonstrating the value of a method of integrating ABC and TOC. Also a case study is chosen for the empirical aspect of the study as there are no case studies available in the literature that illustrate a real life case of integrating ABC and TOC within Lean companies as an alternative to the current used cost accounting systems.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Devendra Dhagarra ◽  
Mohit Goswami ◽  
PRS Sarma

Subject area Forecasting. Study level/applicability The case is intended for Postgraduate level management students. Case overview The purpose of this case study is to explain various forecasting techniques, their applicability and the importance of forecasting to the students. This case also explains the management situations where the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions. The case is focused on the district of Etah of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The real-life situation of elections in this district of an Indian state has been taken to explain the critical nature of forecasting accuracy in a management situation where the manager has only one chance to execute his project. Discussion in this case is limited to explaining various techniques available for forecasting and their applications and does not provide a solution to a management problem. Expected learning outcomes The students are expected to understand various forecasting methods and the managerial situations where these can be applied. The case also explains situations where it becomes extremely important to have fairly accurate estimates of future requirements and the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Abderrahman Hassi ◽  
Giovanna Storti

Subject area This case study may be used in the following academic courses: Theories of Leadership; Leadership and Leaders Organizational Leaders Roles; Management Skills Ethics and Governance; and Ethics and Management Entrepreneurial Management. Study level/applicability This case study may be used in the following academic programs: Bachelor's in Business Administration; Master of Science in Business Administration; and MBA Programs. Case overview There is little doubt, if any, that values shape the decisions, behaviors and corporate moves that business managers and leaders make in their day-to-day operations. The following case study sheds light on the influence of personal values on individuals in leadership positions. To do so, concrete examples of observed behaviors, in cases where values have been honored and positive outcomes have been attained, will be reported. From hiring practices, contract bidding, compensation policies and/or customer service, the Ynna conglomerate group, a Moroccan holding corporation, has been led by a visionary who patiently started his life journey as a shepherd tending ewes, and decades later has emerged as an extraordinary business legend to emulate. Virtually all the decisions taken within his companies are influenced by his moral convictions and his values. Miloud Chaabi, listed in Forbes Magazine as one of the top 40 richest billionaires in Africa, is a principled and revered individual who has been spiritually leading his businesses in various sectors since 1948. Expected learning outcomes In general, the objective of the case study is to further enhance the understanding of leadership in general and values-based leadership in particular. The case study will assist students in developing their leadership-related skills through the discussion of a real-life situation and experience, and proposing solutions to a challenge face by the company in the area of leadership approaches. The case is designed to provoke and stimulate students' personal reflections about a particular approach of management, especially in a transition period. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mohamed Al Hosani ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad

Title – Fuala: a success story of an entrepreneur. Subject area – This case can be used in entrepreneurship, small business management, project management, strategic planning, and strategic management courses. Study level/applicability – The case is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate business students (bachelor and master levels). Case overview – People ' s relationship to chocolate starts in childhood. Parents often motivate their kids simply by promising them a piece of chocolate. The making of candy is more of an art than a business, and managing a chocolate business requires more than just management skills. This case study highlights the success story of an entrepreneur called “Radwan Al Hosani”, who managed to transform his dream into practice through insistence and hard work. His chocolate shop “Fuala” was the first in this field to be made in the UAE, and he managed to enlarge his business from small shop in 2002 to 16 branches locally and internationally within ten years. The story in this case study serves as a source for imitation for those willing to start a new business as it illustrates real-world challenges that beginners may face. Expected learning outcomes – This case study will expose students to a strategically successful example of expansion and critical thinking beyond the daily operation of a business. The students will be able to apply five forces business models. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Zeenath Reza Khan

Subject area Ethics in IT, community informatics, management. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and postgraduate information technology and citizens' rights, strategic decision making. Case overview This case spotlights Athlete Sports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It focuses on the malfunction of the company's equipment that is rented from ABC Sports Equipment. Athlete Sports has been in the UAE over a decade and has positioned itself fairly at the top due to its qualified coaches and quality of facilities it provides. The case highlights the company's transition from owning equipment to leasing equipment that increases profits. However, it also sheds light on ABC Sports' venture into code reusability in order to upgrade equipments faster. The case looks closely at the ultimate consequences of ABC Sports' practice and the impact it has on Athlete's Sports' clients and the subsequent decisions the managers are expected to make. Expected learning outcomes This case can be used to teach strategic decision making, and ethics in information technology. Supplementary materials A teaching note is available on request.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Miroslava Ivko Jordović Pavlović ◽  
Siniša Ranðić ◽  
Lidija Paunović

Subject area Management, Information technologies. Study level/applicability Courses at the senior university level in social and organizational sciences. Case overview This case aims to observe modes, levels and specific problems in application of information technologies in informing, information sharing and collaboration as important aspects in ensuring quality in control of the processes that occur at school. Some deficiencies in application of information technology within these processes have been identified and alternatives to solving them have been offered. The discussion concerning the solutions was performed according to the parameters that were singled out as important in the analysis of the problems. A school that is recognized in Zlatibor region and elsewhere in Serbia for its advanced development tendencies was selected for the case study. The proposed solutions are practically applicable in any work collective. Expected learning outcomes Modern management strategy in education; the importance of process management in insuring quality of whole management system; the importance of implementation of modern information technologies in school management system. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


Author(s):  
Sanna Ilonen ◽  
Jarna Heinonen ◽  
Pekka Stenholm

Purpose It is unclear how nascent entrepreneurs make decisions during the venture creation process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate decision-making logics and their transformation over time among student entrepreneurs who aim to create new business ventures in the higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach The study employs the mixed methods approach through the use of survey and observation data. The longitudinal survey data comprise three surveys collected via an internet-aided tool. The constructs of causation and effectuation are measured using previously tested scales (Chandler et al., 2011). Non-participant observation data were collected during the course, focussing on the venture creation processes of four different start-ups, and were analysed thematically. Findings The findings show three transformation patterns – doubts in how to proceed, unwillingness to proceed, and unsatisfactory team dynamics – that led individuals towards a coping decision-making logic in which no causation or effectuation is emphasised. The findings illustrate that, despite this stage of decision-making logic, the learning process continues: Even if no new business venture is launched, entrepreneurship education can still generate learning outcomes that improve students’ understanding of entrepreneurship as well as understanding of themselves as entrepreneurs. Originality/value This study brings the theories of causation and effectuation into the teaching of entrepreneurship. Of particular value to scholars is the fact that the study generates new understanding of the decision-making logics during new venture creation. Accordingly, this study sheds new light on the transformation and complementarity of the decision-making logic of an individual as new ventures emerge in an educational context reflecting the real-life start-up context.


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