The case of motivprints: balancing entrepreneurial instinct with managerial approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Kedar Bhatt ◽  
Abhinava S. Singh

Learning outcomes After studying this case, the students/participants would be able to: discuss important personality traits of an entrepreneur; understand specific challenges faced by a venture as it moves toward higher growth stage; discuss the importance of strategic planning and managerial style as the ventures move from establishment stage to growth stage. Case overview/synopsis The case is about MotivPrints, a two years old venture, offering custom designing and commercial printing to businesses in Gujarat, India. MotivPrints was established by Himanshu Dhadnekar in 2016 and had 85 SME clients and 35 vendors by 2019. Himanshu, a young entrepreneur had been involved in entrepreneurial activities since his school days and was also involved in a couple of business ventures during his MBA. However, he had been flip-flopping as an employee and entrepreneur, as then. At MotivPrints, he handled key responsibilities of developing client networks, generating business, marketing and managing relationship with vendors. With limited support of a team of freelancer associates, no permanent staff for assistance and lack of funds made it imperative for Himanshu to plan for scaling up his venture for survival and growth. Could he envision MotivPrints as a larger entity? If yes, what changes, mandated by growth, were needed to be made in both – the entrepreneur and the organization? Complexity academic level The case can be discussed in the class of entrepreneurship at the master’s level. It can also be used in the entrepreneurship specialization course in the second year of post-graduation. The case can be also be used for young entrepreneurs in an executive development program focusing on new ventures. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS: 3 Entrepreneurship.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Abhinava S. Singh ◽  
Mayur Shah ◽  
Priyanka Pathak

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes include to identify and discuss important personality characteristics of an entrepreneur, to explore the business planning pitfalls that torment many new ventures and to understand key concepts of business model thinking. Case overview/synopsis The case is about Fetakart, a one-year old venture, which offered custom designed and printed t-shirts in Gujarat, India. The venture was launched by Himanshu Dhadnekar in 2018. Himanshu was a young first-generation entrepreneur who displayed entrepreneurial characteristics since his school days. Later, he was involved with a few failed startups, worked as an employee in different companies and curated new ventures. Fetakart was born out of another venture, MotivPrints, which sold a large variety of custom designed and high-quality printed products such as visiting cards, office essentials, apparels, packaging and marketing material. At MotivPrints, Himanshu discovered the market for customized t-shirts in India but with very little knowledge of the business model or capabilities of leading players such as Bewakoof.com. The venture started struggling and faced several problems including high cost demands by manufacturers and lack of funding. Where did Fetakart go wrong? Was Fetakart born out of impulse? Did Himanshu have a viable business model for Fetakart? Complexity academic level The case can be discussed in the class of entrepreneurship at master’s level. It can also be used in entrepreneurship specialization course and strategic management elective(s) in the second year of post-graduation. The case can be particularly useful for young entrepreneurs associated as incubatees with a business incubator and for an executive development program related to new ventures. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Nitin Pangarkar ◽  
Neetu Yadav

Learning outcomes The case illustrates the challenges of managing JVs in emerging markets. specifically, after going through the case, students should be able to: i.Analyze the contexts in which firms need to form JVs and evaluate this need in the context of emerging markets such as India; ii.Understand how multinational corporations can achieve success in emerging markets, specifically the role of strategic (broader than the product) adaptation in success; iii.Evaluate the impact of conflict between partners on the short-term and long-term performance of a JV; and iv.Create alternatives, evaluate each alternative’s pros and cons, and recommend appropriate decisions to address the situation after a JV unravels and the organization is faced with quality and other challenges. Case overview/synopsis McDonald’s, the global giant in the quick service industry, entered India in 1993 and formed two JVs in 1995 one with Vikram Bakshi (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Ltd or CPRL) to own and operate stores in the northern and eastern zones, and another with Amit Jatia (Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited or HRPL) to own and operate stores in the western and southern zones. Over the next 12 years, both the JVs made steady progress by opening new stores while also achieving better store-level metrics. Though CPRL was ahead of HRPL in terms of the number of stores and total revenues earned in 2008, the year marked the beginning of a long-running dispute between the two partners in CPRL, Bakshi and McDonald’s. Over the next 11 years, Bakshi and McDonald’s tried to block each other, filed court cases against each other and also exchanged recriminations in media. The feud hurt the performance of CPRL, which fell behind HRPL in terms of growth and other metrics. On May 9, 2019, the feuding partners reached an out-of-court settlement under which McDonald’s would buy out Bakshi’s shares in CPRL, thus making CPRL a subsidiary. Robert Hunghanfoo, who had been appointed head of CPRL after Bakshi’s exit, announced a temporary shutdown of McDonald’s stores to take stock of the current situation. He had to make a number of critical decisions that would impact the company’s performance in the long-term. Complexity academic level MBA, Executive MBA and executive development programs. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Sanjay Singh

Learning outcomes The present case study would help readers to understand paternalistic leadership behavior with its underlying theory. Readers would be able to appreciate the nature of experiences employees may have while working with a paternalistic leader high on authoritarianism. This case study would motivate readers to work out appropriate strategies for working under paternalistic bosses. The teaching note sensitizes readers about the complicated relationship between paternalistic leadership and culture. Case overview/synopsis Pyramid Globe Management Institute (PGMI) is struggling to generate revenue. PGMI founder, Tugmanshu Lakhani, has to find out new sources of revenue to keep the institute functioning. He constitutes a team of three professors for starting a new academic program with a foreign university. The initial success of the team brings favor from the founder but jealousy from the colleagues reeling under job threat. High authoritarianism and interference of the founder create a problematic situation for the three professors. When the new program starts showing promising results, the founder gets apprehensive about whether the new course may hurt the enrolment in the flagship program of the institute. The authoritarian and erratic behavior of the founder had a demotivating effect on the team working for the new program. Some team members resign under pressure while three professors stay to ensure the launch of the program. The professors have to resolve the conflict between their commitment toward PGMI in a troubled time and a career uncertainty if they continue working for it. Anticipating no change in the behavior of the founder and an uncertain future with PGMI, three professors quit after the start of the new program. The founder may continue losing committed employees if he is unable to balance his authoritarianism with benevolence and moral behavior. It will create more problems for PGMI in the future. Complexity academic level This case can be used in organizational behavior, leadership and team-building courses in the regular Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs. The case can further be used in the executive development program, especially for analyzing the leadership problem in higher education organizations. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management science.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-512
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Kaushik ◽  
Geetha Mohan

Research methodology The case collates secondary data pertaining to Maruti’s current position, Nexa, the premium retail sales channel of Maruti, and recent developments in the Indian automobile industry. It presents the facts and data published on websites, newspapers and magazines in the form of a case study. Case overview/synopsis Nexa was launched by Maruti in 2015 to enhance the buying experience of its premium customers and to re-position itself as a premium brand. It started offering customized services to car purchasers through its well-trained employees, attractive store environment and omni channel experience. Through all these facilities, though Nexa had a bumpy ride for selling its first product, it managed to pace up and perform better in the next few years. It remained to be seen how Maruti would handle competitor and cost challenges and how it would strategize its efforts to strengthen its footprint in the Indian automotive industry. Complexity academic level This case can be used in retail management, sales and distribution management, marketing management and related courses/modules at the master’s level.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Lin ◽  
Edward G. Rogoff ◽  
Check-Teck Foo ◽  
Xiaoyuan Liu

Purpose – This empirical study aims to test the impact of four types of entrepreneurial context on the growth and success rates of new ventures in China and related the findings to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship dating back 2,500 years to ancient China. Design/methodology/approach – After describing the business guidelines given by Fan Li, an entrepreneurial merchant selling Chinese medicines in ancient times, a conceptual framework was extracted as the basis for a discussion of the relationship between entrepreneurial context and entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurial context was conceptualized as being composed of family, social, business and institutional components. Five hypotheses about the influence of these different context variables on entrepreneurial activities were developed. From data compiled from the sampling of 239 business entrepreneurs in Beijing, a hierarchical regression was formed and the hypotheses tested. Findings – The impact of entrepreneurial context on entrepreneurial activity can be divided into two layers, internal factors (e.g. family context) which are similar to “yin” (?) in the traditional Chinese philosophy while external factors (e.g. business, social and institutional contexts) were like “yang” (?). The two factors play different roles in entrepreneurial activities, while different contexts mediate and moderate each other in complex ways. Research limitations/implications – Research limitations pertain to the size and locale of the sample. A larger sample that involved subjects from different regions would facilitate a wider understanding of the effects of entrepreneurial context upon the entrepreneurial process. Originality/value – The theory of entrepreneurial context is in its beginning stages, and the paper completed a systematic study of entrepreneurial context through theoretical model building using large-sample empirical research. In addition, the paper is the first ever to relate the theory and practice of entrepreneurship back 2,500 years. Through a multi-research methodology, the study clearly shows the critical importance of integrating Chinese history into the development of management theory.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-308
Author(s):  
Miaomiao Yin ◽  
Bingyu Zhou

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to reveal how to improve the quality of entrepreneurship by exploring the key factor, opportunity development, impacting the innovation strategy of new ventures. It also introduces political and business ties as moderating variables to reveal the uniqueness of entrepreneurial activities in the Chinese context.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data from 215 entrepreneurs and top executives in Chinese new ventures were gathered through a survey and the statistical method used is the regression model.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that: (1) new ventures' opportunity creation positively impacts innovation strategy, while opportunity discovery has a curvilinear (inverted U-shape) impact on innovation strategy; (2) the relationship between opportunity development and innovation strategy is moderated by political and business ties.Originality/valueThis research analyzes and compares the effect of opportunity discovery and opportunity creation on new ventures' innovation strategy. This research further offers an in-depth understanding of the influence mechanism between opportunity development and innovation strategy among Chinese new ventures. Further, the results provide practical guidance for new ventures to develop innovation strategies and for Chinese governments to make entrepreneurial policies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
Bob Harrison

Purpose The education of police executives has been a priority of criminal justice agencies for more than 40 years to address the need to professionalize law enforcement in America. Since the 1980s, programs for this purpose have existed, one of which is the California POST Command College. Command College is an academically oriented executive development program intended to “invest in the future” as its students – mid-career police managers – acquire the tools and skills necessary to be promoted to executive positions. This paper aims to answer the question, “Does the Command College achieve its intended goals?” Design/methodology/approach A survey instrument was used to obtain perspectives of recent graduates and of those who had graduated from the program more than four years before the survey. An assessment of the frequency of promotions to command and executive roles was completed, and an external academic assessment of the program’s curriculum was completed by a university. Findings Support for the program by graduates increased over time, graduates were promoted at a rate of three times higher than baseline averages for police managers and the program’s curriculum was vetted as being equivalent to graduate-level courses at the university level. Research limitations/implications As its value is validated through this assessment, others can learn how they might better prepare their police executives for the future. No similar law enforcement program has been similarly assessed, so others may also learn ways to ensure they are achieving their intended outcomes from this example. Given the differences in other law enforcement leadership programs in terms of student selection and specific goals, direct comparisons would be limited, both by the program differences and the research design used by others as they work to validate their success in meeting their goals. Originality/value Although law enforcement executive education has existed since 1935, and leadership training programs for the police since 1982, no research has been conducted to validate the outcomes and impact of such programs on the graduates of such programs and their agencies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Adrian David Saville ◽  
Philip Powell ◽  
Tashmia Ismail-Saville ◽  
Morris Mthombeni

Learning outcomes For discussion of social entrepreneurship in middle-income economies, emerging markets generally and Africa, specifically, Quali Health presents interesting questions about entrepreneurial funding, scaling and the interplay between social entrepreneurial activities and the informal sector. Case overview/synopsis South Africa’s primary health outcomes do not correspond to the country’s spending on public health, with South Africa ranking among the worst globally in the incidence of tuberculosis, HIV prevalence, infant mortality and life expectancy. In part, this poor outcome can be explained by high inequality in access to healthcare, which reflects South Africa’s grossly skewed income and wealth distributions, with the bulk of the country’s population reliant upon an underfunded, inefficient and poorly managed public health system. This substandard service for the working poor in South Africa’s townships with high population densities offered a profitable entrepreneurial opportunity to provide affordable and effective primary care with vast gains in quality and outcomes improved dignity for patients. After receiving her MBA, physician and entrepreneur Dr Nthabiseng Legoete self-funded the launch of Quali Health in 2017. The business model set out to disrupt healthcare delivery for South Africa’s poorest citizens. Drawing patients from the working poor in Diepsloot, Quali Health’s inaugural site was cash flow positive within five months when the facility hit only 30% of installed service capacity. With quick success, Dr Legoete faced the strategic question of how fast to scale and finance the expansion. She also considered a new micro-insurance product for her clientele. Complexity academic level For discussion of social entrepreneurship in middle-income economies, emerging markets generally and Africa, specifically, Quali Health presents interesting questions about entrepreneurial funding, scaling and the interplay between social entrepreneurial activities and the informal sector. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS: 3 Entrepreneurship.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-20

Purpose – Evaluates the impact of an executive-development program at Standard Chartered Bank. Identifies the contribution of the different program phases to its impact. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the program, the form it takes and the effects it is having. Findings – Discovers a positive impact of the program, with many objectives transforming into outcomes. Recommends improvements to the pre- and post-program phases which could increase effectiveness. Practical implications – Shows critical success factors and specific areas for maximizing leadership-program effectiveness. Originality/value – Gives a comprehensive view of which areas to enhance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Tiwari ◽  
Anil K. Bhat ◽  
Jyoti Tikoria ◽  
Kaustav Saha

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial intention (EI) among nascent entrepreneurs in the Indian context by using Shapero’s theory of entrepreneurial event as the research framework. Design/methodology/approach A 34-item questionnaire was responded to 250 nascent entrepreneurs who are engaged in executing the new business idea or creating new ventures and enroled in the universities in India. The questions measured perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, entrepreneurial educational background, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, perceived social pressure and previous work experience in entrepreneurial activities towards entrepreneurship intention. The data were collected by employing a systematic random sampling method. The sample represents 174 male and 76 female nascent entrepreneurs belonging to various disciplines. Structural equation modelling has been used for data analysis. Findings The results show that the proposed model in the present study explains 51 per cent of the variance, explaining the entrepreneurship intention. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy was found to be the strongest predictor of EI (β=0.397 at p<0.001) followed by previous experience in entrepreneurial activities (β=0.285 at p<0.001). Research limitations/implications More than limitation this research study adds to the existing literature of the EI by using a different set of the sample. Mostly EI studies used student sample to measure intentions. Kolvereid and Isaksen used a sample of entrepreneurs to measure EI and achieved very different results. Therefore, this research study extends the work of Kolvereid and Isaksen by using a sample of nascent social entrepreneurs. Practical implications The finding of this research study will facilitate policy makers and educators to promote entrepreneurial activities at the university level. Based on the results and findings of the study, the educators may improve upon the support system to help and motivate students to opt for social entrepreneurship as their career choice. Originality/value Ajzen (1988) emphasised that the relative significance of the antecedents of intention will vary depending on which stage of intention is under scrutiny. This is one of its kinds of research study that used a sample of nascent entrepreneurs in the Indian context. Findings of this research will be helpful in predicting how the intention process of nascent entrepreneurs works especially in developing countries.


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