From strategy to numbers: how to penetrate overseas market for ChinaSoft, when Chinese ITO and BPO industry being re-structured in 2012

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Victor Jun Zeng

Subject area Business strategy. Study level/applicability This case study is appropriate for MBA and EMBA courses, especially for courses oriented to emerging markets such as China. It can be used in Business Strategic Management or similar courses, combined with the methodology lectures of Managing Entry Modes and Competitive Strategy. This case study provides material for understanding/studying the development of a large Chinese software enterprise. Case overview As a result of Chinese ITO and BPO market in the face of re-structuring in 2012, Huawei invested in ChinaSoft in May and Vance info merged with HiSoft in August, both of which make ChinaSoft the third largest market-share owner. However, ChinaSoft has a dilemma in its strategic planning for the next three years. If it cannot break through the suppression from the first and the second placed companies, it may lag behind very soon. If it strives for the No. 2 position in market share, is organic growth or M&A strategy the right approach to adopt? Thus, ChinaSoft is now in need of strategic reform and restructuring. The case study analyzes the approaches that Chinese enterprises can adopt in order to sustain overall cost leadership strategies and avoid the related risks in the ITO and BPO industry. Expected learning outcomes This case study intends to encourage students to learn and use methodologies such as Porter's competitive strategy framework; Rugman and Collinson's theory, selecting and managing entry modes; four basic global strategies, by Hill and Jones. 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.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Audrey Catherine Depeige ◽  
Stavros Sindakis

Subject area The case study reflects issues and challenges in the fields of strategy, management, competitive intelligence and new organizational designs. Study level/applicability The case study is recommended for MBA and postgraduate courses in strategy, management, competitive intelligence and new organizational designs. The case can also be used in executive development programs focusing on business strategy and innovation. Case overview It is 2009. LK Company has newly been established as lighting products manufacturer. Based in Thailand, the firm commences its business operations with an aggressive pricing strategy (low-cost products). At the time of the establishment and launch of operation activities, the market leader [an international multinational company (MNC)] has above 35 per cent market share, leaving LK with an initial 2 per cent market share. While the share of LK grew from 2 to 10 per cent in the past five years, competition in the industry nevertheless remains harsh. Companies are confronted with pressures to invest in the development of new energy-saving lamps, and in this context, LK's company executive board needs to make a strategic decision on which way to follow to sustain the business: shall this be with or without foreign MNCs. Expected learning outcomes Students will be able to better understand; analyze and assess the importance of resource management in highly competitive environments, as well as the importance of designing alternative growth strategies by identifying and assessing changes in the market/environment. They are introduced to characteristics of co-opetition strategies, advantages and disadvantages of co-opetitive business structures and impact of the choice of business partners over 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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1595-1613
Author(s):  
Hana Bor ◽  
Rebecca Shargel

PurposeThe study aims to learn how a small private university dedicated to Judaic studies successfully merged with a large public university? Our study investigates how Baltimore Hebrew University (BHU) successfully integrated into the much larger Towson University (TU), while maintaining its unique Jewish identity.Design/methodology/approachHow did leadership facilitate a successful merging of a small private university with a large public university? Our case study investigates how BHU successfully integrated into the much larger TU. Given that past research has focused primarily on the financial aspects, the purpose of the present study is to analyze how leaders successfully navigated the complex processes of integrating the two institutions through envisioning, communicating and planning effectively. This research uniquely investigates the role of leadership as the driving force in moving the merger forward and facilitating the process. The authors analyzed the circumstances that facilitated the merger and discovered that leadership pushed this merger forward, particularly the confluence of three approaches—visionary, transformational and servant leadership. This research has implications for guiding future mergers of smaller colleges with larger universities. This case study is particularly timely, during this uncertain age of COVID-19, when many universities are considering creative solutions, including potential mergers with other institutions, in the face of increasing financial difficulties.FindingsImplications of this research can help illuminate future mergers of smaller colleges with larger universities in cases where the smaller institution desires to retain its strong cultural or historical identity. The authors found that the “right leadership on the ground” is a crucial component needed for a successful merger, particularly in a higher education setting.Research limitations/implicationsOur research provides a concrete example that can be used help campus administrators assess whether they have the leadership structure in place to successfully navigate a merger as a path forward.Originality/valueThis case study is particularly timely, during this uncertain age of COVID-19, when many universities are considering creative solutions, including potential mergers with other institutions, in the face of increasing financial difficulties.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban R. Brenes ◽  
Carlos Martínez ◽  
Caleb A. Pichardo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss Centrolac, a Nicaraguan company engaged in processing ultra-pasteurized milk, and provides abundant information for readers to decide on vertical vs horizontal integration to deal with the changing competitive environment. It has been prepared to simplify discussion and knowledge about the competitive field (where to compete); generic cost-leadership and high-perceived-value strategies (how to compete); and the action required to attain positioning (how to implement it). Design/methodology/approach The case study is based on primary research conducted in conjunction with the company, including interviews with senior management and a broad document review. Secondary research was also conducted into the relevant environmental, industry and competitor trends and characteristics. Findings The case study presents topics of competitive positioning and how current company strategy can have a significant impact on future growth decisions. Originality/value This case study is for use in an MBA-level business strategy course with a focus on strategic positioning and growth paths. However, it can also be used for MBA corporate strategy courses in relation to corporate expansion on issues linked to organic growth within the same business (expansion into new dairy products) or vertical integration (integration into dairy-farming).


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Roger Moser ◽  
Abhishek Raju ◽  
Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy

Subject area Business internationalization into emerging markets. Study level/applicability BA Level. Case overview On March 23, 2014, Yves, Patrick and Pascal were on their flight back from Udaipur, India, to Zurich, Switzerland thinking about all the experiences they had during the last 12 months and especially in the last three weeks when they visited India to do the feasibility study for their water shop concept. They still had many questions that were unanswered before leaving India. Do they have the sufficient Indian contextual knowledge and expertise to run a business? Are they considering all relevant aspects to successfully establish a water shop in rural India? Have they developed the conducive mindset? Are they ready to leave their comfort zone, friends and family behind to embark on an once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Do they have enough social capital to assist them in the process of setting up the water shop? Shortly before landing at Zurich airport, Yves knew that they now either had to become serious and really spend at least a year in India to turn their concept of a water shop into reality or stay back in Europe starting with their masters studies. The case offers a true story about three BSc students that decided to evaluate whether they could implement a business opportunity that they had identified during a “Doing Business in India” course at their university and subsequently developed into a serious business case. Based on this situation, the case study offers the opportunity for students to better understand what it takes to create the right mindset (i.e. “Triple I” mindset) before actually implementing a market entry or expansion project in India. Expected learning outcomes The case focuses on teaching the “Triple I” mindset to discuss the prerequisites of a successful market entry or expansion in India: investment mindset, intercultural mindset and infrastructure mindset The case study also highlights the importance of networks and networking locally (i.e. building social capital) as a prerequisite for a successful market entry or expansion. This approach including the “Triple I” mindset, the role of social capital as well as the actual market entry or expansion project is summarized in a metaphor that we call the “Archimedes’ Screw of Internationalization”. The case study proposes to work on the following five assignment questions to drive the intended learning objectives by discussing the different prerequisites of a successful market entry or expansion in India. 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: 5: International business.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad ◽  
Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar

Subject area Strategic marketing, Business strategy, Product diversification strategy and/or Market entry strategy. Study level/applicability This case is useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students who are pursuing majors in marketing, business management and/or strategic management. Case overview The Emirates Dates Factory commenced operations in 1989 in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), as a 100 per cent equity held by Mr Abdullah Al Shamsi. Over time, it has become one of the best and renowned factory for date production and processing. Emirates Dates derives its strength from its own plantations in Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain, as well as from a wide variety of date products that it develops, including date syrup, dates in different packing and stuffed dates. The company seeks to be the leader of dates production and processing in terms of sales. However, the management is facing issues pertaining to determining the area of growth that it should pursue. This case study illustrates the growth options that Emirates Dates could pursue along with its opportunities and challenges that the firm faces. Expected learning outcomes This case study expose student to Ansoff growth matrix in general and the application of the market penetration strategy in specific. Accordingly, the case illustrates how one could develop other growth strategies to improve its revenues through product diversification and/or market development. 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.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Prashar ◽  
Harvinder Singh ◽  
Kranthi Kiran Gude ◽  
Saif Uddin Shaik

Subject area Marketing. Study level/applicability The case is intended for students pursuing post-graduate program in management and studying courses like marketing, brand management and product management. Case overview This case discusses marketing decisions taken by Royal Enfield Motors Ltd for its popular motorcycle brand Enfield. Starting from the genesis of the brand and the company, this case deliberates the stage when it faced the dilemma of whether to shutdown, sell-off or revive the business. The situation was the outcome of unfavourable environmental forces and inappropriate strategies adopted by the company. This case notes how the company evolved its marketing mix to revive the brand. Expected learning outcomes The case study has been documented with the aim of helping students to: understand the making of an aspirational brand, analyse how a static offer and positioning can become obsolete in a dynamic marketplace, appreciate how pertinent marketing-mix improvements may lead to the revival of a decaying brand and company, learn about the risks associated with entering into a new market segment at the cost of an existing segment, analyse the viability of the business strategy in light of the competition from international players. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
Nik Maheran Nik Muhammad ◽  
Marhaini Hassan ◽  
Suryani Awang ◽  
Anidzan Ariffin

TitleAn unforgettable journey: a story of corporate‐social transformation of Huntsman Tioxide (Malaysia)Subject areaLeadership style and organizational change.Study level/applicabilityThe case study level is rated medium to difficult depending on the depth of the analysis undertaken. Managers and executives who undergo training in leadership related issues will benefit from the case study through development of analytical‐ and decision‐making skills. In addition, this case study is written for high level managers and postgraduate students in business courses.Case overviewThis case study revolves around a man whose name is Rozano Saad. He was a man with strong will, imagination, and ready to explore the new world of Huntsman Tioxide. To him, development of people was necessary. Development of people is the process of getting people to progress from dependent to socially and economically self‐reliant. This man with positive views saw difficulties with enthusiasm and noted obstacles as opportunities. He was brave enough to go that extra mile into moulding the organization in the “right pattern.” He was an optimistic angel who was sent to the bleak area of Teluk Kalong, though others might just pack their bags and leave. He was eager for improvement and never stopped looking for ways to make the situation better.Expected learning outcomesThe target users of the case study are expected to:Identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of successful leader. Examine the leadership and decision making styles employed by the leader. Develop the competencies or capabilities of a leader. Determine programmes or initiatives and strategies used by the leader in transforming the organization. Apply the lesson learnt of a successful leader to their organization.Supplementary materialsTeaching notes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Saroj Koul

Subject area Operations and human resourcing. Study level/applicability This case study is intended for use in graduate, executive level management and doctoral programs. The case study illustrates a combined IT and HR driven participative management control system in a flexible organization structure. It is intended for a class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Case overview The case describes the situation of managing unskilled workforces (≥14,000 workers) during the construction phase of the 4 × 250MW power plants both for purposes of turnout as well as due compensation, in the event of an accident. The approved labour forces appointed for 45 × 8 h. Man-days after a rigorous fitness test and approvals of the safety officer are allocated housing and other necessary amenities and a commensurate compensation system. Expected learning outcomes These include: illustrating typical organizational responsibility structure at a construction site of a large power plant; illustrating the planning and administrative control mechanism in implementing strategy at a construction site of a large power plant; offering students the opportunity to understand and view a typical operational (project) structure; allowing students to speculate adaptations in the wake of an ever-changing business and company environment; and providing an opportunity to introduce a power scenario in India, Indian labour laws and radio frequency identification technology and to relate this to the case in context. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.


Author(s):  
Renata Maria de Almeida Bastos Gomes ◽  
Fabio de Oliveira Paula ◽  
T. Diana L. van Aduard de Macedo-Soares

Purpose The shopping center (SC) industry in emerging countries has grown fast over the past decade; however, recently, it is showing signs of slowing down. Nevertheless, some SC-companies perform well. As those firms operate in alliance networks, relational opportunities and risks should be considered in their strategic analyses. Although there is a significant amount of research on SC from a marketing perspective, there is a dearth of research on strategic alliances from an SC management perspective. This paper aims at answering the following question: How do characteristics of the alliance networks of leading SC-companies contribute to their success by mitigating the structural threats the SC-industry in Brazil is facing? Design The case study method was adopted for analyzing two leading Brazilian SC-companies. Several data sources were used to allow for data triangulation. The lack of literature on strategic alliances and the SC-industry, as well as the research’s exploratory nature, justified this choice. Findings The research made evident that the SC-companies’ alliance network characteristics not only mitigate some of the structural industry threats but also enhance opportunities. It illustrated how firms can conduct a strategic analysis from a network perspective with the right tools. It also made evident how much more accurate the results of a comprehensive relational analysis are compared with traditional analyses that do not consider the strategic implications of relational factors. Practical implications The research contributed to SC management by highlighting the importance of taking into account the network characteristics of their relationships with key partners and of considering these as alliances and not merely contractual arrangements. Originality/value There is a dearth of research on the strategic implications of alliances of firms that own and manage a portfolio of SCs, as well as of their relationships with other actors in the industry, such as retailers and real estate owners, from a network perspective.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Shazwani Binti Ahmad ◽  
Wan Nurul Syazwani Binti Wan Danial ◽  
Jihad Mohammad

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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document