Anytime distribution – a case of gender differential in sales performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Farhan Shahzad ◽  
Abdul Rehman Shaikh ◽  
Asad Ali Qazi ◽  
Muhammad Muzamil Sattar
Keyword(s):  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Sales Team ◽  
Equal Opportunity Employer ◽  
One Year ◽  
Finance Department

Learning outcomes To understand how the external culture of an organization affects the internal decisions; to explore how employment stereotypes are used in recruitment; to grasp the general understanding of how line managers give more value to the bottom line than “non-discrimination statement”; to understand the challenges while managing a diverse workforce; and to critically analyze hiring decision and recommend practical solution. Case overview/synopsis Asma Malik was hired as a management trainee around five years ago. After successful completion of her one year as a management trainee, she was placed in the finance department. She outperformed all of her targets and received multiple rewards of a star performer. However, Malik was passionate and eager to work in the field and to work with the sales team. It was her dream to be an outstanding salesgirl. Based on the company’s policy of equal opportunity employer, she quickly got herself promoted to the position of wholesale manager and she was the first one to be provided such a challenging position. However, the market dynamics and market acceptability in a country like Pakistan were quite thought-provoking for a girl to be a wholesale manager. And it was observed that sales were constantly declining, as she had assigned this role. Now Country Manager (CM) had to make a decision, whether to transfer her to any other position or to retain her in the same position. Complexity academic level Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA. 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 1: Accounting and Finance.

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.

Skilled migrant employees' perceptions of support from line managers

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 931-947
Author(s):  
Rosa Faaliyat ◽  
Keith Townsend ◽  
David Peetz ◽  
Susan Ressia
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Skilled Migrant

PurposeThis paper explores the experiences of non-English-speaking background (NESB) skilled employees working in Australian workplaces, their perceptions of managers' actions and how a lack of employee involvement and participation (EIP) practices and performance appraisal (PA) is perceived regarding career progression.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research project is based on 26 semi-structured interviews with skilled migrant NESB employees based in Australia. Social exchange theory (SET) and labour market segmentation theory (LMST) are applied to help explain macro- and micro-level influences on NESB employees and their relationships with their line managers and the workforce.FindingsParticipants perceived line managers to be highly communicative and approachable; however, they indicated how a lack of EIP in decision-making and in their PA affected career progression opportunities for NESB employees. While they were satisfied overall with their jobs, the research indicated a need for improved practices and support from the broader organisation in these two identified areas.Originality/valueThere is relatively little research on how the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce are managed, particularly from NESB employees' perspective. Therefore, this research fills a gap concerning NESB employees' experience in Australian organisations.

Bureau de Eventos: internationalization of an emerging country event planning company

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-294
Author(s):  
Vivian Peuker Steinhauser ◽  
Angela da Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
International Markets ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Resources And Capabilities ◽  
One Year ◽  
Secondary Information

Theoretical basis The case can be used to examine the resources and capabilities of small firms considering entering international markets. It can also be a vehicle for examining typical barriers that such companies may face and must overcome when expanding abroad: liabilities of smallness, liabilities of foreignness, liabilities of emergingness and liabilities of outsidership. Research methodology The case is based on several interviews with both entrepreneurs over a one-year period and on secondary information from reports and documents. Case overview/synopsis This teaching case presents the trajectory of a Brazilian services company operating in the corporate events planning industry. The case explores the potential for the company’s international expansion, and the vision and engagement of the entrepreneurs, despite several barriers the company needs to overcome. Complexity academic level The case can be used in Entrepreneurship and International Marketing courses, both at graduate and undergraduate levels. It can also be used in training seminars for executives of tourism and events planning companies, and for employees of export promotion agencies.

Arnetta technologies: minimum viable product

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-145
Author(s):  
Puran Singh ◽  
Suryani Sinha Ray
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Research Management ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
To Come ◽  
One Year

Theoretical basis The case fosters discussions on basic concepts of entrepreneurship that include building a minimum viable product before launching a finished product, the importance of doing market research for early-stage startups, challenges in understanding an unfamiliar domain or industry and understanding the dynamics of business to business market. Research methodology Team Arnetta’s founders were interviewed in relation to the case. After the initial round of interviews, a product demonstration was given by Arnetta. Follow up interviews were conducted to delve-deeper into the problem while secondary research was conducted to understand the market dynamics and competitive landscape at the point in time in the case. Case overview/synopsis The four founders of Arnetta Technologies debate go-to-market timing for Integrated Breeding and Research Management Software, a data handling software for the R&D process followed by seed enterprises in India. The founders had spent over US$75,000 on the product development on which they had been working for more than one year. Two of the founders had given up their full-time jobs to work dedicatedly on the venture. The product was being customized to the requirements of their only client. Product development was taking longer than anticipated. To add to the challenges, international competitors had started capturing the Indian market. The founders had two options. First, they could wait and finish the product development before reaching out to their prospective clients – leading to delays and losing out on the market. Second, they could reach out to prospective clients and convince them to use the work-in-progress version of the product – which could turn out to be a deal breaker. The founders had to come to a consensus soon. Complexity academic Level The case is intended for students in undergraduate or graduate-level courses related to entrepreneurship, new venture creation, innovation management and business management.

Leaving first-line managers to sink or swim will hit your bottom line

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 2-4
Author(s):  
David Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
First Line ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Important Group

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to look at how investing in the skills development of first-line leaders can improve overall business performance. First-line leaders are the largest and arguably the most important group of leaders in any organization; yet recent research shows that they are one of the most neglected in terms of training and development, which is impacting businesses’ bottom line. Design/methodology/approach – This study involves literature review and Forum Europe, Middle East and Africa’s own survey data. Findings – It is the companies that take the time to invest in developing the essential skills of their first-line leaders that will reap the rewards generated through their ability to create a highly motivated, engaged and results-driven team. Originality/value – Focusses on the skills required by first-line leaders, and the five “engagement needs” they must understand in order to motivate the workforce.

Pitfalls of a fledgling venture, Fetakart: in search of a viable business model

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Abhinava S. Singh ◽  
Mayur Shah ◽  
Priyanka Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business Model ◽  
First Generation ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Executive Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
One Year ◽  
Viable Business

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.

Chohan Decoration Services Pakistan – survival amid COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Abdul Rehman Shaikh ◽  
Asad Ali Qazi
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Daily Wage ◽  
One Year ◽  
Internal And External Factors ◽  
The Impact

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this paper is as follows: understand the impact of macroeconomic challenges on startups; gain insights into the effects of self-management attribute over entrepreneurial effectiveness and performance; create a conceptual framework for customer satisfaction; analyze the internal and external factors affecting the entrepreneurial journey of new startups. Case overview/synopsis This case revolves around the entrepreneurial journey of Mr Khursheed Chohan who belonged to Sukkur (Pakistan). He started his journey as a daily wage worker in the year 2002 at the age of 17 years. After one year he acquired a rickshaw on rent and would drive the same as a taxi. In the year 2006, he started the job as a private driver. For achieving his dreams, he moved to Karachi (the land of opportunities) at the age of 27 years. During his stay in Karachi, he learned about insights into the wedding decoration industry. Keeping in view the market requirements, he also took some training courses on learning computers. By the age of 34, he returned to his hometown with the will to start his business venture of wedding decoration services. It had been around one year, he was successfully running his business. However, the emergence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the imposition of lockdown over businesses were his most recent challenges. While Chohan had pre-booked several orders and secured advance money, shall he be able to survive the COVID-19 effects? Shall he be able to continue his entrepreneurial journey? Complexity academic level Undergraduate. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

An empirical longitudinal study of adoption of lean management in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1285-1306
Author(s):  
Jayaraman Rajagopalan
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Indian Industry ◽  
The Status ◽  
One Year ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeTo identify the factors that need to be addressed by Indian industry to steeply ramp up its production and productivity in the coming years, so as to achieve the goal of the country becoming a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025.Design/methodology/approachLean Management Leaders in Indian Industry (LMLII), i.e. those companies in India who are well known for having adopted TQM, BE and Lean methods for many years, and achieved success in their business) in Indian industry were selected and surveys were done between 2013 and 2017, to assess the status of LM adoption, by using the LESAT (version 2.0) survey tool. A longitudinal empirical study has been done, over a period of five years, so that the identification of factors is based on a few years’ data rather than a one year, spot-check or snapshot view. A new method, titled the ‘Three Step Reverse Exploratory Factor Analysis Procedure (TSREP)’, has been attempted to identify the ‘root causes’.FindingsLMLII's have improved in their adoption of LM over these years by about 10%. The root causes that can help in further advancement in adoption have been identified and classified under six component factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe identification of LMLII's has been done based on the experience and views of experts in TQM/ BE/ Lean in India. Since this is a first of such study (viz., the term LMLII is being defined and used for the first time), this methodology has been adopted. However, in future, a systematic way to assess the criteria for LMLII's could be designed. Secondly, the sample size of LMLII's needs to be fully representative of the industry.Practical implicationsBy using the results of this study, Indian companies can accelerate their LM adoption programmes, leading to quantum jumps in production and productivity, so as to achieve the 5 trillion USD economy by 2025. The practical implications are immense.Social implicationsSince LM is a bundle of Lean, TQM and BE, companies adopting LM will, due to the inclusion of waste reduction through 5S, JIT, kaizens and continuous improvement, address the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) protocol of the UN. TBL has comprehensive implications on society and environment, climate change and sustainability of business.Originality/valueThis work is original, at least in three ways. First, in the use of the concept of ‘LML’. Second, there is no previous longitudinal study done on Indian industry in LM. Third, the TSREP is being used for the first time. The value of this research is in its findings, in the identification of key factors for future growth and the use of a novel technique for improving upon the accuracy, analytical rigour and legitimacy of the results.

Dhuan ‘n’ Dukhaan: a case of successful green venture start-up in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tehreem Fatima ◽  
Ahmad Raza Bilal ◽  
Muhammad Kashif Imran
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainable Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level

Learning outcomes The case will offer insight to the students regarding the idea generation and development of a viable sustainable venture. It will promote the understanding of students regarding SDGs and how SMEs can contribute towards their attainment. They will learn to develop the action plan for a green business venture and understand how each of the business activity in each phase of value chain contributes towards environmental, economic and social sustainability. Case overview/synopsis Rana Waseem, a young business graduate started a small ecopreneurial venture to offer sustainable food from raw material till disposal in developing nation context named as Dhuaan ‘n’ Dukhaan (D ‘n’ D) in Sargodha, Pakistan. He had an aim to create a model of business that not only supports the local economy in terms of offering decent employment but also promotes a food business that generates nutritional self-sufficiency as per the triple bottom line concept. This case gives an exploratory insight into the actual sustainable operations that have survived eight months successfully and on the path of growth without profit being the sole aim. D ‘n’ D has benefited the lives of people in Sargodha by offering job opportunities, a decent wage, healthy food at affordable rates, reduction in diseases, reducing food wastage and efficient resource usage with a positive impact on the environment. Complexity academic level The case is suitable for undergraduate and post graduate students studying entrepreneurship and small business management. 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

scholarly journals Case study on the effects of a disability inclusive mindset in a large biotechnology company

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chase Ochrach ◽  
Kathryn Thomas ◽  
Brian Phillips ◽  
Ngonidzashe Mpofu ◽  
Tim Tansey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Employees With Disabilities ◽  
Group Interviews

PurposeEmployers increasingly seek a competitive advantage through inclusive hiring practices and recruitment of persons with disabilities. Early research indicates when employers consider individuals for their strengths rather than solely for their needs, the organization prospers. However, details about how companies pursue a disability inclusive workplace and the effect of those efforts are poorly understood.Design/methodology/approachAn inductive qualitative case study approach was utilized to understand one biotechnology corporation and their approach to recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted.FindingsResults suggest that when the company lives its mission around wellness and inclusivity, they benefit from working with and learning from a range of perspectives, furthering their growth. Placing equal emphasis on hiring a diverse workforce and prioritizing supports and wellness practices lead to greater productivity and innovation.Practical implicationsThis study illustrates how one company successfully recruits and hires persons with disabilities, resulting in benefits to their financial bottom line and to the organizational culture.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights for other companies intentionally hiring persons with disabilities, providing accommodations in the workplace, and creating an organizational culture where all employees feel valued and supported. These steps have a direct impact on employee engagement, productivity, and retention.

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