Uber Sub-Saharan Africa: contextual leadership for sustainable business model innovation during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Caren Brenda Scheepers ◽  
Jill Bogie
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Sub Saharan

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: to gain insight into the importance of location, in terms of spatial and temporal context and the capability of leadership to tune into and strategically adapt to context; to understand and explain the sharing economy and explain how the Uber business model fits into this new way of doing business; to evaluate how Uber South Africa has adapted its business model in the period of the COVID-19 crisis and discuss the nature of the business model innovations that is has made; and to understand business model for sustainability and how it differs from the general understanding of business models. Case overview/synopsis On 15 May 2020, Alon Lits, General Manager of Uber Africa was considering his dilemma of adapting their business model to the demands of COVID-19, without losing their core business model as a multi-sided technology platform business. Uber was asking their riders to stay home to ensure social distancing during the lockdown, rather than booking a ride with Uber. The question was how they could support their driver partners, while they were discouraging riders to make use of Uber. Uber had taken initiatives to create additional revenue streams for drivers. The case highlights how Alon Lits and his executive team prioritised the health and well-being of their Uber community and quickly adapted their technology to meet the evolving needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. They customised their offerings to the different needs in the seven Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries in which they operated. Uber supported businesses by using the Uber-X sedan vehicles to deliver necessities like food, medicine and parcels to the frontline and poor communities. Uber globally offered their drivers in quarantine 14 days of financial assistance. Serving communities also involved offering free rides to women and children who were victims of domestic violence to get them to a safe space. The multi-sided platform technology business had to consciously adapt, to the “next normal” as the COVID-19 era evolved. Complexity academic level The case is most suitable for Post-Graduate Master’s level courses, MBA, MPhil in Corporate Strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS: 11 Strategy.

Saregama Carvaan: a phoenix that rose from the ashes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Tausif Amir Mulla
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Smart Device ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Profit Center ◽  
Academic Level

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case are product innovation, the importance of consumer insights and data in marketing and the role of consumer insights in brand revival. Case overview/synopsis This case study is a fascinating look into how the shift from music compact disc (CDs) to streaming has completely changed consumer behavior. This change in attitude led many music labels down one of two paths as follows: shutting down the business or embracing new business models. The case study aims to bring out essential learning from a company, Saregama, that was on the verge of shutting down because of the losses incurred with the shift in consumer behavior from buying music CDs to streaming music for free on every smart device. This shift led most record companies to become shuttered. However, not all were as fortunate as Saregama, who threaded its way toward profitability. This case analyzes how Saregama turned from a loss-making business unit into a profit center by launching a breakthrough product backed by innovative thinking and strong consumer research. The researcher opted for secondary research based on reports from Deloitte and McKinsey & Company and other credible sources to understand the music streaming market in India. The study also includes excerpts from the interview of Vikram Mehra (MD of Saregama India Ltd.) to various media houses and customer reviews on e-commerce sites. Complexity academic level The case is relevant for learners studying for an undergraduate or graduate program and for discussions for modules such as marketing management and international marketing with a focus on product development and strategy. Applicability the case will provide the following exposure to the learners: the difference between corporate and marketing objectives; Using frameworks such as valuable, rare, inimitable, and organization and SAP-LAP to understand the rationale behind strategic decisions; An understanding of the importance of listening to consumers; Using the right marketing elements such as segmentation, targeting and positioning and marketing mix for a competitive marketing strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS: 8 Marketing.

“It’s better I’m dead”: oppression and suicidal ideation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Reber
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Context ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Temporary Migrant ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
First Time

Purpose Anecdotal accounts of suicide among temporary low-wage migrant workers in the UAE are numerous, but unofficial and qualitative accounts remain unexplored. This study aims to examine how the socio-environmental context can lead some low-wage migrants, irrespective of their nationality or culture, to contemplate suicide for the first time after arriving in the host country. Design/methodology/approach The findings draw from ten months of qualitative fieldwork (2015–2016) and in-depth interviews conducted with 44 temporary migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, earning in the lowest wage bracket in Dubai. The study used a non-probabilistic, purposive sampling approach to select participants. Three criteria drove eligibility: participants had to reside in the UAE, be non-national and earn Dh1500 (US$408) or less a month. Otherwise, diversity was sought in regard to nationality, occupation and employer. Findings Eight (18%) of the 44 study participants interviewed admitted to engaging in suicidal thoughts for the first time after arriving in the UAE. The findings suggest that for low-wage migrants working in certain socio-environmental contexts, the religious, gendered or other cultural or group characteristics or patterns that may be predictors of suicide in migrants’ country of origin may become secondary or possibly even irrelevant when one is forced to survive under conditions that by most objective standards would be deemed not only oppressive but extremely exploitative and abusive. Originality/value This study contributes to understandings of how the emotional and psychological well-being of temporary foreign low-wage migrant workers can be impacted by the socio-environmental context of the host country. It is a first step in understanding the intimate thoughts of low-wage migrant workers on the topic of suicidality, furthering our understanding of suicidal ideation and the factors that can contribute to it.

Financial well-being of customer-to-customer co-creation experience: a comparative qualitative focus group study of savings/credit groups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkosinathi Sithole ◽  
Gillian Sullivan Mort ◽  
Clare D'Souza
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Financial Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Sub Saharan

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the effects of the customer-to-customer co-creation experiences of savings/credit groups in the African context and how savings/credit groups influence financial capability and enhance financial well-being.Design/methodology/approachUsing purposive sampling, a study of a total of 18 focus groups was conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine urban-based savings/credit groups were drawn from across South Africa and additional nine, rural-based savings/credit groups were studied in the Monduli district of Tanzania.FindingsFindings demonstrate that the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which promotes customer-to-customer interaction, is the cornerstone of the customer-to-customer co-creation experience. Ubuntu philosophical principles were found to influence the dialogue, access, risk and transparency model of co-creation and customer-dominant logic. The results show further that customer-to-customer co-creation experience positively influences the cognitive, financial, personal and social experiences of members. Specifically, it was found that cognitive and financial experiences positively influence financial satisfaction, financial self-esteem, financial self-efficacy and financial capability, all of which enhance financial well-being. In addition, personal and social experiences positively influence equality, self-confidence, entrepreneurial skills and motivation that in turn enhance social well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has implications for many different stakeholders concerned with the financial inclusion of low-income consumers, particularly in the southern part of Africa.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the effects of customer-to-customer co-creation experiences in traditional financial services settings in order to understand how these indigenous financial services influence the financial capability and financial well-being of co-creation members.

Bean There: coffee as a vehicle for change

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-63
Author(s):  
Richard Thomson ◽  
Katherine Hofmeyr ◽  
Amanda Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Business Model Canvas ◽  
Market Outlook ◽  
A Company

Case overview At midnight on Thursday, 26 March 2020, the South African government ordered a three-week lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently extended this lockdown for a further two weeks until the end of April 2020. Among other measures, businesses not classed as “essential” had to cease operation. This meant that Jonathan Robinson, founder of the Bean There Coffee Company had to close his trendy Cape Town and Milpark coffee shops, as well as the company’s hospitality and corporate business. At the same time, Bean There’s costs increased by 25%, as the rand: dollar exchange rate worsened substantially. A glimmer of hope was that the company was able to continue roasting coffee and supplying its retail clients. Unlike most captains of industry, Robinson was not driven by the bottom line and clamouring shareholders. His corporate strategy was driven by a single, simple purpose: to achieve ethical sustainability aspirations while still running a profitable business. The question for him now, however, was how to ensure that his company could survive in the short term, so that it could achieve these goals in the longer term, and whether he could take this opportunity to think about whether his business was best positioned to achieve these goals when things returned to normal. Expected learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: conduct a thorough analysis of a specific company and its industry, including its markets, competitors, and other aspects of the internal and external business environment, using a range of tools, including a Business Model Canvas (BMC), SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis; analyse and explain the market outlook of a company; identify and analyse a company’s competitors; discuss and explain a detailed implementation plan showing the way forward for a company, considering its current challenges, including integrating a range of conceptual and analytical fields of knowledge to assess a management dilemma, and arrive at a creative and innovative management solution; and be able to present information and defend substantial insights and solutions to a management dilemma in oral and written modes, appropriate in standard for both the academic and business communities to analyse and appreciate. Complexity academic level Postgraduate Diploma in Management, MBA, Masters in Management, Executive Education. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Establishing a start-up in Saudi Arabia: the Innosoft story

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Riaz Ahmed Mohammed ◽  
Mamon Horoub ◽  
Husam Walwil
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Business Success ◽  
It Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level

Subject Area Entrepreneurship. Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are to explain the importance of passion in entrepreneurship, develop an understanding of the business model canvas and its elements, identify typical challenges faced by a startup (during early days and while growing), explain the role of seed fund and customer feedback for small business success and identify the appropriate hiring strategy for startups. Case overview/synopsis The case traces the journey of two Saudi under-graduate software engineering students, namely, Loai Labani and Riyadh Al-Tayib, who had a vision to establish the best information technology (IT) services company in Saudi Arabia. With no previous experience of establishing a company or working for a startup, coupled with the fact that the culture of entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is still in its ascendancy, they knew it would be challenging. Nevertheless, at the same time, they were convinced it would be totally up to them to do the hard work needed to propel their vision into reality. The case, after introducing the founders, talks about their respective backgrounds and how it complemented their goal/vision of establishing an IT services company. The case, with references from the literature, also throws light on the entrepreneurship culture in Saudi Arabia but the focus is the various challenges faced by the team in setting up their business and the strategies they used in dealing with the challenges. Some of the challenges discussed are securing early customers, initial financing to support startup, business model development, managing daily operations and hiring and marketing strategy. The case ends with another challenge faced by the founders, for the readers to think about the possible ways of dealing with the challenge at hand. Complexity academic level The case will be used for under-graduate level students. 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 3: Entrepreneurship.

Gaston Acurio: business model innovation and creation of a Peruvian gastronomic brand

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ontaneda ◽  
Guillermo Quiroga
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
New York Times ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Business Model Canvas ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality

Learning outcomes Identify the types of innovation that Gastón Acurio’s proposal has created. Understand the key strategies developed to grown and consolidate Peruvian food as a category internationally and as part of Acurio’s business. Identify elements of the business model using the business model canvas. Explain how elements of a business model are related, reinforce each other and drive results. Evaluate strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats to a business model. Analyze changes to the model that can capitalize upon or mitigate these factors based on evidence. Case overview/synopsis Gastón Acurio is a successful Peruvian chef and restauranteur who was key in shaping the country’s gastronomic industry. His innovative business model distinguished him from other Peruvian restauranteurs and allowed him to grow and take advantage of opportunities in Peru and internationally. His success and growth attracted US$52m in investment funding. However, his model’s challenges surfaced during a difficult restaurant launch exacerbated by a harsh review in the New York Times. Students must identify and analyze the key elements of Acurio’s business model to evaluate and propose changes to better take advantage of its strengths and opportunities, as well as to mitigate weaknesses and threats. Complexity academic level Master’s or MBA. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 12: Tourism and hospitality.

Last mile farm inputs: farm shop delivers

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Monica C. Diochon ◽  
Yogesh Ghore
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Inputs

Subject area The subject areas are social entrepreneurship and marketing in social enterprises. Study level/applicability This study is applicable to undergraduate or MBA-level courses; possibly executive programs as well. Case overview Farm Shop was established in 2012 as a not-for-profit trust, with an aim of developing a distribution platform for poor, rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa so that smallholder farmers could get the farm inputs and services needed to increase their productivity and income. Attempting to reach scale, this social enterprise is in the process of building a micro-franchise network. Unlike franchises in industrialized countries where the franchisor starts with a vetted and replicable turnkey business, Farm Shop was created from scratch. After prototyping the shop concept and validating the business model in Kiambu County of Kenya, Farm Shop has 10 fully operational shops and is keen to start its growth phase, aiming to have 120 shops in its network within the next 12-18 months. It is only at that point that break-even will be achieved. Recognizing the key role of marketing in Farm Shop’s growth efforts, the founders are now focused on finalizing their go-to-market (GTM) strategy. Having initiated and measured the results of a number of marketing activities over the past six months, it is now time to decide which of these activities should be incorporated into their micro-franchise system. The management team knows that to provide advice, training and quality products to farmers, they first needed to develop awareness, interest and desire for what Farm Shop has to offer, not to mention the need to gain the farmers’ trust. Fundamentally, farmers needed to be convinced that Farm Shop can help them improve their productivity and income. Expected learning outcomes The study enables to gain an overall understanding of the range of challenges and opportunities associated with establishing a micro-franchise in an emerging market context; to gain a better understanding of social marketing, including the four types of behavioral influence it attempts to achieve and the similarities and differences between social and commercial marketing; to introduce the “theory of change” concept, providing a framework for understanding how and why change will occur; to introduce the concept of business models and explore the differences between “traditional” and “social entrepreneurship” business models; to understand how a competitive advantage is created; to introduce basic marketing concepts and the GTM concept and its role and application in a business model for a new social enterprise and to understand how marketing contributes to the social enterprise’s strategic goals and sustainability, thereby gaining an understanding of how “social marketing” is differentiated from commercial marketing. 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 3: Entrepreneurship.

JD.com: leveraging the edge of e-business

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Allan KK Chan ◽  
Caleb Huanyong Chen ◽  
Long Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
The Self ◽  
Logistics System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Run ◽  
New Business ◽  
Internet Finance ◽  
To Come

Subject area E-Business; Corporate Strategy; Strategic Management; Operation Management. Study level/applicability Senior undergraduate; MBA; EMBA. Case overview After development for 10 years, JD was now China’s second largest business-to-customer (B2C) e-retailer and the largest in self-operated sector. It was September 2015 when Liu Qiangdong was deciding whether to persist with JD’s self-operated model and the heavy investment in the self-built logistics system. JD’s business model had been functioning well. However, as JD grew bigger and bigger, it became too expensive to expand its logistics system. JD had not made a profit since it raised funds from investors. Liu had to come up with a good proposal before the next monthly meeting to convince them that JD would finally overtake its biggest rival, Alibaba which ran on a different business model. In addition, JD was exploiting the rural and the global markets, as well as a new business in internet finance. Facing challenges and dilemmas, should JD persist with its model? How could Liu align short-term profitability with long-run development? How could JD overcome attacks from Alibaba and other competitors? Expected learning outcomes This case is appropriate for courses in e-business and strategy, particularly those with a strong focus on doing e-business in emerging markets (e.g. China). After studying the case, students should be able to: understand the e-commerce market in China; understand business models and key strategies of e-retailers; identify and analyse the pros and cons of the self-operated business model and self-built logistics system in e-commerce; learn how to evaluate performance, strategies and business models of e-commerce companies; and extract key trends in the market and compare different strategies. 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.

WinChannel’s digital gambit to revitalize rural China

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-43
Author(s):  
Peter Moran ◽  
Daniel Han Ming Chng ◽  
Liman Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Decision Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Trade Channel ◽  
The Right

Learning outcomes Following are the learning outcomes: to understand how the tools and frameworks of strategic analysis can be applied to understand the evolution of value creation and capture in the FMCG industry; to analyze the core competencies of a company and understand their relevance in this fast-changing industry; to understand how to evaluate the pros and cons of a certain strategy and business model; and to develop strategic recommendations. Case overview/synopsis The case series traces the developments in China’s FMCG industry from the early 2010s to 2017, in general, and the efforts of Beijing WinChannel Software Technology Co., Ltd. (WinChannel) and its affiliated company, Huixiadan, in their attempt to apply new digital technologies to transform the traditional trade channel, in particular. The decision point of Case A, in early 2015, is how WinChannel can help improve the reach and efficiency of the traditional trade channel and wonders if the emerging online/mobile B2B FMCG platforms are the right solution for the increasingly digitized FMCG retail industry in China. The decision point of Case B, at the end of 2017, is how could Huixiadan’s business model be sustainable and what it should do to withstand the competitive threats even as it tries to exploit opportunities in the traditional FMCG industry in China. Complexity academic level It can be used with MBAs, EMBAs and senior executives. 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.

HMSolution and the search for product-market fit

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Fernando Leiva ◽  
Katherina Kuschel
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Continuous Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Return On Equity ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Business Creation ◽  
Burn Rate

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: business model pivot, minimum viable product, strategic alliances, return on equity and burn-rate. Case overview/synopsis HMSolution’s (HM’s) mission is removing arsenic from drinking water. The case tells how HMS pivoted its business model between 2014 and 2015 and its challenge when faced with several growth opportunities. The first possible partner company proposed adopting HMS’s technology through either an alliance or outsourcing. The second company wanted to acquire HMS. However, Margaret – the founder and CEO – managed to find a third option in the form of an important sanitation sewage treatment company in Chile with international presence, with which she could reach a wider territory in her country of origin, as well as in other countries where that company had a presence. This case study presents Margaret’s dilemma of deciding the best course to follow and finding the best fit for her product and the needs of the market. Complexity academic level The instructor can adapt the requirements and depth of the topics addressed, ranging from an undergraduate audience to an executive training audience. Undergraduate courses, namely, entrepreneurship, business creation, administration and strategy. For students of business careers, administration, commercial engineering, industrial civil engineering and industrial engineering. Continuous training, namely, entrepreneurship, business creation, administration and strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

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