Incubator or accelerator – a tech start-up’s dilemma

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Raj K. Shankar
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Venture Capitalists ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Set Up

Subject area Entrepreneurship; Technology Transfer; Incubators; Accelerators Study level/applicability Postgraduate, Faculty Development Programs (FDP) and Management Development Programs (MDP) in areas of Technology Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Education, Incubator and Accelerator Management. Case overview Madras Mind Works Private Limited (MMW) is an entrepreneurial venture set up by four friends in Chennai (earlier known as Madras) in Tamil Nadu, India. MMW intends to use the emerging trends in virtual reality and exploit opportunities that arise from its application. MMW has received invitations to join both an incubator as well as an accelerator. After detailed deliberations among the four co-founders that yielded no conclusion, the team left the responsibility of taking the decision to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Srinivasan Krish (Srini). Srini now has to decide whether MMW must join the incubator or the accelerator. Expected learning outcomes At least five factors will be learnt based on which tech start-ups can decide whether they should join an incubator or accelerator. Two important players in the entrepreneurship ecosystem are incubators and accelerators. You will learn to define them, describe their characteristics and services and learn their similarities and differences. You will learn what constitutes an entrepreneurial ecosystem using the BEEP framework. You will learn about many ecosystem players including but not limited to – incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, technology transfer offices, research parks, angels, venture capitalists, government support schemes, university research centres, etc. Supplementary materials Board Plans, YouTube Video Links. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Balqis restaurant: how to move on?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Shazwani Binti Ahmad ◽  
Wan Nurul Syazwani Binti Wan Danial ◽  
Jihad Mohammad
Keyword(s):  
Subject Area ◽  
Marketing Mix ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Gradual Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
To Come ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Cost

Subject area This case can be used in marketing management as well as consumer behaviour courses. Study level/applicability This case is suitable to use in advanced undergraduate levels, MBA and MSc in marketing courses that cover topics related to market segmentation and marketing mix strategies. Case overview This case highlights the dilemma of an entrepreneur and a manager of a restaurant who were to take a decision about the sustainability of their restaurant business. Balqis Restaurant was owned by Danny who was a retiree from Telekom Malaysia. He wanted to open a restaurant business after he came back from his long holiday trip. He conducted market research to find a suitable place to open his Arabic restaurant. He assigned Waleed Masood Abdullah as the manager of Balqis Restaurant. Finally, in June 2010, he opened his long awaited restaurant at Gombak, Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant was known as Qasar before the name was changed to Balqis in 2015 because of copyright issues related to Saba’ restaurant at Cyberjaya. The restaurant was well managed under Danny’s supervision for 4 years and successfully won customers’ hearts and loyalty before he decided to give full responsibility to Waleed in March 2014. Danny trusted Waleed because he taught and trained him. However, under Waleed’s management, Balqis started to lose its customers. Waleed also started to branch out the restaurant to different places in different states; one in Ipoh, and the other in Perak. He invested much money on renovation for all three branches, but one of the restaurants closed down in September 2014. This is because of the fact that they could no longer bear the cost of operations for the restaurant. However, he failed to learn from the mistake; they set up another restaurant, which was in Kuantan, in the same month. The sales were not that encouraging but it did show gradual improvement; yet, they once again sold it to another Arab businessman. Waleed realized his failure in managing the restaurant business in August 2015. He again opted to open another new branch which was questioned by Danny. He was in a rush to open it by the end of December 2015 to ensure that the additional profits from the current restaurants could cover the variables costs if the new restaurants were launched. Based on that, the owner had to make a decision about whether a new branch should be opened or whether they should just retain their restaurant in Gombak. Expected learning outcomes The learning objectives of using this case are as follows. 1. Knowledge enhancement: to help students in understanding the problems faced by a restaurant in expanding its market; to make students aware that a properly blended marketing mix is the key to business success and to broaden students’ views and understanding in targeting the proper market segment in formulating an effective marketing strategy. 2. Skills building: to be able to identify the best marketing strategic decisions to manage the restaurant business for its survival and to develop students’ ability to analyse the existing situation to come up with a viable and effective solution. 3. Attitudinal: to help the students to have intellectual openness in accepting different ways of finding solutions for a particular problem and to assist students in making the right move at the right time. 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 8: Marketing.

Aavaran: creating niche through contemporary traditional textiles

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jagriti Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Rural India ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Business Administration Students ◽  
Textiles And Clothing ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Management Students

Subject area Marketing. Study level/applicability The case is aimed at Business Administration students. Case overview Udaipur based Aavaran – the echos of rural India – is a concept by COS-V, a leading non-governmental organization (NGO), which aims at connecting the tribal women of rural India with the mainstream. The NGO, set up in 1988 by Smt. Girija Vyas, was initially involved in imparting vocational training to the rural poor. Later, COS-V was taken up by Alka Sharma, a graduate from the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur, who completely changed the direction of the NGO. Her interest in textiles and crafts led to the genesis of the concept “Aavaran”. Aavaran is a retail outlet which was opened with a vision to provide the Indian market with traditional yet contemporary textiles and clothing. It offers a collection of women's and children's clothing and home textiles using a variety of traditional textiles and crafts. It is an artisan driven concept where the supply chain incorporates the essence of Indian textiles and crafts at every level. From the dyeing, printing, sampling and assembly of garments everything is done by the local women trained by COS-V with the support of DC-Handicrafts. The raw materials – the textiles, grey fabrics, etc. – are sourced directly from the rural weavers and artisans across India. The case study discusses how Aavaran developed the unique positioning of a retail platform for contemporary products made from traditional techniques, skills and hand-based processes; how it could revive the diminishing arts of Dabu and Phetia and how it carved a niche through its channelized marketing efforts. Expected learning outcomes The case will familiarize management students with the concept of niche marketing with Udaipur based firm Aavaran as an example which developed a unique positioning through its traditionally developed products. It will also acquaint students with a basic understanding of a supply chain with a cooperative firm in focus. 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.

Noor Dubai Foundation: managing blindness in developing countries

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Linzi J. Kemp ◽  
Immanuel A. Moonesar ◽  
Shurooq Al Banna
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Logistics Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Educational Issues ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

TitleNoor Dubai Foundation: managing blindness in developing countriesSubject areaBusiness, management.Study level/applicabilityThis case is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying topics related to human resources, decision making, managing in multinational companies and crisis management. In addition, the case is useful study for practitioners in non‐governmental organizations (NGO).Case overviewDr Manal Taryam, the Chief Executive Officer, was discussing with Ms Shurooq Al Banna, Marketing Specialist, the achievements and challenges faced at Noor Dubai over the past three years. Noor Dubai is an international charity for the prevention and treatment of blindness. The problem facing these decision makers is the prioritization of their resources to support logistics management, operations, human resources, funding and educational issues. In addition, to meet the needs of the visually impaired, a long‐term mission is to establish permanent eye centers in areas of most need.Expected learning outcomesStudents will be able to: Describe the problems facing Noor Dubai in relation to logistics management, operations, human resources, funding and educational issues. Explain how the management strategies of Noor Dubai prioritize logistics management, operations, human resources, funding and education.Supplementary materialsTeaching notes.

Linking research and practice in the business world

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-35
Keyword(s):  
Business Schools ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Executive Development ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Provides an interview with Peter Chadwick, co-founder and chief executive of Ideas for Leaders Findings – Discusses the gap between academia and practice in business, and how to address this. Practical implications – Outlines the benefits of such channels as Ideas for Leaders for disseminating academic research amongst the business community. Originality/value – Draws on Chadwick's experience working with business schools and executive development programs, as well as his publishing background, to give an overview of the current situation, and suggest possible remedies.

Real Sound Lab: issuing a €300,000 bond

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Alexander Tarvid
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Chief Executive Officer ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Debt Ratio ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audio Technology ◽  
The Face

Subject area Financial Management. Study level/applicability Masters, Bachelors. Case overview In 2011, Real Sound Lab (RSL), an innovative audio technology company headquartered in Latvia, issued a bond to finance its needs. The face value of the issue was much smaller than what was typically encountered in the local market. The case describes how Viesturs Sosars, Chief Executive Officer of RSL, made this financing decision and how the difficulties at maturity were overcome. Expected learning outcomes Learn about financing options available for an small- or medium-sized enterprise in the case of inability to issue additional equity combined with an already high debt ratio. Learn about important considerations that should be made when deciding on the details of the bond issue and how these might impact the possible actions of the issuing company in case of being unable to repay the principal at maturity. 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.

The impact of public scrutiny on executive compensation

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-323
Author(s):  
Andrew Glen Carrothers
Keyword(s):  
Executive Compensation ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Executive Pay ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
The 2008 Financial Crisis ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of public scrutiny on chief executive officer (CEO) compensation at Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 firms. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the unique opportunity provided by the 2008 financial crisis and, in particular, government support and legislated compensation restrictions in the US Department of the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). It aggregates monetary and non-monetary executive compensation information from 2006 to 2012, with firm- and manager-level data. It presents univariate summary compensation results and uses multivariate regression analysis to isolate the impact of public scrutiny and legislated compensation restrictions on executive pay. Findings Overall, the results are consistent, with increased public scrutiny having a lasting impact on perks and temporary impact on wage and legislated compensation restrictions having a temporary impact on wage. Changes in specific perk items provide evidence on which perks firms perceive as excessive and which provide common value. Originality/value The paper contributes to the discussion of perks as excess by introducing a novel data set of perk compensation at S&P500 firms and by studying how firms choose to alter levels of specific perk items in response to increased public scrutiny and legislated compensation restrictions. The paper contributes to the literature on executive pay as there has been little inquiry into the impact of public scrutiny on compensation. Public scrutiny could be an important source of external governance if firms change behavior in response to explicit and implicit scrutiny costs.

A business incubating unit to sustain technology transfer: Vyas’s Dilemma

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Baljeet Singh ◽  
Kushankur Dey
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
World Bank ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Indian Council ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World ◽  
Innovation Project ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The University

Learning outcomes: The paper aims to understand the process of transfer of agricultural technology, which comprises incubation of the technology business, valuation, evaluation, licensing and commercialization, to examine various dimensions of the process of technology transfer and the effectiveness of transfer object use criteria, to explore ways of sustaining incubation and commercialization through an autonomous unit responsible for technology transfer, to peruse the role of agribusiness incubators in creating an effective agri-entrepreneurship eco-system and to study the factors that promote or inhibit the sustainability of business incubators in an academic or research institution setting. Case overview/synopsis: An innovative technology for production of liquid bio-fertilizers was developed and nurtured to market levels by Anand Agricultural University (AAU), a State Agricultural University in Gujarat. The technology for production of liquid bio-fertilizers, developed during 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 was licensed to some of the state public and private sector undertakings under the World Bank-financed National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) implemented through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). For commercializing the technologies from the University, a Business Planning and Development (BPD) Unit was set up at AAU along the lines of a technology transfer office, under the aegis of NAIP during later part of 2009. The NAIP funding from World Bank for BPD Units ceased in June 2014 with closure of the project. With funding no more available, Rajababu V. Vyas, a research scientist at the Microbiology and Bio-fertilizer Department of the University and Head of the BPD Unit, had serious concerns about the BPD unit’s sustainability, as well as sustaining the process of technology transfer from the University. Complexity academic level: Anand Agricultural University (AAU), a state-run university in Gujarat, developed and incubated a technology to produce liquid biofertilizer, licensed the technology and marketed its product through a few state-run and private fertilizer firms. The technology was developed between 2009/2010 and 2013/2014 as part of the National Agricultural Innovation Project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research with funds from the World Bank. A unit to incubate agri-businesses, referred to as Business Planning and Development Unit (BPDU), was set up in late 2009 to expedite the process of technology transfer from AAU to agribusiness firms. Rajababu V. Vyas, a research scientist at the Microbiology and Bio-fertilizer Department of the university, was concerned about the unit’s sustainability, because funding from the World Bank had ceased from June 2014, and wondered how to sustain the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the field in the light of the data available to him. 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 Entrepreneurship

Crediamigo: partnering with Vivacred?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Frédéric Lavoie ◽  
Emmanuel Raufflet
Keyword(s):  
Subject Area ◽  
Organizational Capabilities ◽  
Loan Repayment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Microfinance Institution ◽  
Strategy Acquisition ◽  
Entry Strategy ◽  
Low Performance ◽  
Set Up

Subject area The case is suitable for undergraduate and MBA courses: strategic management, social entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability Masters, Bachelors. Case overview In Fortaleza, January 2008, an urban microfinance manager and the planning committee of Crediamigo, Brazil's largest microfinance institution need to devise an entry strategy to Rio de Janeiro's microfinance market. A part of the Banco do Nordeste, and a regional development bank for ten years, Crediamigo has 400,000 clients in the Northeast of Brazil. Its objective is to double its clients base for 2011; Rio de Janeiro's market was the next priority. Crediamigo has two options. The first consists of partnering with VivaCred, a small experienced microcredit non-governmental organization (NGO) which operates in Rio de Janeiro's slums. VivaCred was a microfinance NGO with relatively low organizational capabilities and with a low performance in terms of loan repayment. Its lending methodologies were different from Crediamigo's experience. The second option was to set up a new branch of Crediamigo in Rio and to shape it in Crediamigo's image. The committee was aware that this, “far away from home”, would be a costly and slow venture. Expected learning outcomes After using this case, students will: have been exposed to the strategic, managerial and operational challenges of microfinance expansion in an emerging country; understand better the market entry strategy (acquisition/integration of an organization vs green field) in such a context; have discussed the conditions related to the replication of microcredit methodologies (individual, group and village lending methodologies) in their contexts of operations. 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.

Dilemma in hiring

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Seema Bhatt
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Recruitment And Selection ◽  
The Right ◽  
Management Students

Subject area The recruitment and selection process, human resource planning, talent management and succession planning. Study level/applicability The case has been tried and tested in the classroom setting with management students pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM). Case overview The case is set in the southern part of India in a manufacturing organization, Plomsom Ltd (a disguised organisation). Plomsom Ltd manufactures tractors and has a pan-India presence. The sale of tractors in India fluctuates over time. Sales are largely dependent on the seasonal harvests which in turn are heavily dependent on the monsoon rains. The case is designed for understanding the importance and necessity of finding the right man at the right time with the right skills in a manufacturing set up where production output is a factor of many interdependent variables. Expected learning outcomes The learning objectives of the case are: critical analysis of recruitment and selection; importance of job analysis in recruitment and selection; understanding the role of HR planning in running the operations; understanding problems in the manufacturing sector in an Indian context. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available. Consult your librarian for access.

The Express Tribune: touching the tricky price point

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Lalarukh Ejaz ◽  
Amber Gul Rashid ◽  
Khadija Bari
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
First Year ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oligopolistic Market ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Pricing Decision ◽  
Set Up

Subject area Economics, entrepreneurship, pricing and marketing strategy, print industry in Pakistan. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and first-year graduate level. Case overview The main theme of the case revolves around decision-making by the publisher, Bilal Lakhani, as he operates in conditions of an oligopolistic market. The case focuses on the set-up of a major English-language newspaper, The Express Tribune, in conjunction with the internationally branded and well-regarded International Herald Tribune by a well-known business group of Pakistan. The group already has a major Urdu newspaper, which has been operational for 15 years, and three television channels, as well as a host of other non-media-related businesses. The case tries to go behind the reasons for setting up an English-language newspaper in a market which already has at least five major existing ones and where literacy is not that widespread. Also, experience in much of the rest of the world would suggest that newspapers – i.e. the print media – are in decline, especially because of the rise of the Internet and social media as means for providing news, information and entertainment. The case is set in Karachi, Pakistan's media capital and, in particular, in an organization that has been involved in the business of media for several years. It currently runs the country's second most-circulated Urdu newspaper, Daily Express. Specifically, the time period is three weeks after the paper, The Express Tribune, was launched into a market with a few competitors and high brand loyalty for existing competitors. The publisher of the paper, Bilal Lakhani, is questioning his pricing decision right after the launch of the paper and there are a series of reasons he is looking into on how he set the original price and why should he reduce the price of the paper now. Expected learning outcomes Students should be able to see, understand and analyze: challenges faced by entrepreneurs of starting an initiative which has a largely unreliable and untested audience; the extent of interdependence in an oligopolistic industry and how it influences the current and future decision-makings of an entrepreneur or any other firm for that matter, especially in a developing economy; the personnel, financial production and regulation issues involved in setting up assembly/ delivery systems that deliver a product for mass use, i.e. a newspaper; and the pricing and marketing strategies involved in the launch and subsequent successful operation of a product, in this case, a newspaper. 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.

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