Industrial relations in Botswana – workplace conflict: behind the diamond sparkle

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Motsomi Ndala Marobela
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Workplace Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Customers ◽  
The Right

Subject area Management: human resources management. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and postgraduate. Case overview This case gives critical insights in the complex issues surrounding the management of employment relationship in Africa, specifically focusing on Botswana. It is set in the context of explosive industrial relations involving Debswana Diamond Mining Company and the Botswana Mine Workers Union over the contentious issues of pay bonus and collective bargaining. Failure to reach an amicable compromise by both parties' results in a debilitating strike which costs the company millions of funds and affected it's the corporate image contrary to its well crafted social responsibility. More painfully, the end game is a loss of employment and dreams shattered for 461 dismissed workers who depended solely on this work as their only source of income. Expected learning outcomes At the end of reading the case students are expected to: understand the limits of managerial prerogative and the right to manage; appreciate the inherent conflict of interests between labour and capital; consider more equitable compensation schemes in dealing with collective bargaining; and discuss the concept of social responsibility in the context internal customers-employees. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

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.

A multiple attribute decision making approach in evaluating employee care strategies of corporate social responsibility

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jau Yang Liu ◽  
William Shiue ◽  
Fu Hsiang Chen ◽  
Ai Ting Huang
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Multiple Attribute Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Attribute ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Corporate social responsibility has gradually become an essential enterprise responsibility under stakeholders’ expectations. Employee care strategies involve both qualitative and quantitative factors and are receiving special attention with the advent of the information age. In previous studies, a company’s policy of employee care may not fit with the needs of the employees. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to investigate enterprises’ employee care from the employee’s perspective by adopting a hybrid multiple attribute decision making (MADM) model. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on 159 interviews with senior employees and/or department managers using a survey questionnaire. This study uses the MADM model to conduct the analysis. First, this research study used Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to construct an influential network relations map of the 4 dimensions and 13 criteria of employee care. Second, this study uses DEMATEL-based Analytic Network Process to conduct a weight analysis for each dimension and criterion. Third, this study uses VIKOR to calculate employees’ level of satisfaction as well as the gap from the “aspired level.” Findings The results of the study revealed the critical factors influencing employee care and proposed a systematic plan to be used as a reference for improvement. The improvement sequence revealed the following order: Equal employment opportunities→Good industrial relations and benefits→Responsibility to train and educate employees→Occupational health and safety. The empirical results showed there was still 35 percent room for improvement in the enterprises’ implementation policy of employee care. Originality/value The implementation of employee care has become an important issue for corporations since it helps to sustain and to increase an enterprise’s competitiveness in the business environment. However, the extant literature on employee care comes from enterprises’ perspectives instead of from employees’ perspectives. This research investigates the key factors of employee care and successfully shows MADM to be an effective model for the planning and implementation of corporate social responsibilities’ employee care from the perspective of employees.

Consumer responses to corporate social responsibility programs

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Lu ◽  
Xia Wei ◽  
Kungchi Li
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Consumer Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Evaluation ◽  
Corporate Associations ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The paper aims to establish a causal relationship model that helps to realize how consumer involvement with the cause moderates the effect of company-cause fit on consumers’ corporate associations, and how their corporate associations regarding a company’s social responsibility programs influence their satisfaction with the company and the company’s corporate image, in the backdrop that the use of corporate social responsibility initiatives to affect consumers’ preference has become a common strategy. Design/methodology/approach – In the main study, the authors conducted a between-subjects factorial design to test the research model. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed, and a valid sample of 389 participants was obtained. Findings – The results show that high-fit programs have a positive influence on the perceived corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations. CA associations directly influence corporate image and consumer satisfaction, while CSR associations indirectly impact consumer satisfaction through corporate image. Furthermore, consumers’ involvement with the cause increases the relationship between company-cause fit and CA associations. Originality/value – These conclusions have important implications for a better understanding of consumer evaluation of CSR initiatives. Theoretically, this research increases understanding of the interaction effects of perceived company-cause fit and consumer involvement with the cause on consumer evaluation of a company engaged in CSR, and a richer insight into the role of CA and CSR associations in consumer evaluations of companies engaged in CSR campaigns. Managerially, this research shows how managers can choose CSR programs causes that are most likely to promote favorable customer CA and CSR associations, thereby improving the company’s corporate image and customer satisfaction.

Exploration of patriotic brand image: its antecedents and impacts on purchase intentions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yufan Li ◽  
Weichen Teng ◽  
Tien-Tien Liao ◽  
Tom M.Y. Lin
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Integrity ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeThe recent rise of economic nationalism intensifies consumers' patriotic attitudes toward goods or services and thus encourages enterprises to build patriotic brand images. Nevertheless, few studies have discussed how a patriotic brand image is developed. The purpose of this study aims to fill the gap by examining whether and how a positive corporate image helps a domestic brand establish a patriotic brand image and in turn enhances consumers' purchase intentions in relation to domestic brand products.Design/methodology/approachA research model identifying the antecedents of patriotic brand image (the components of corporate image) is proposed and empirically tested using structural equations with a questionnaire investigating Taiwanese college students' attitudes toward Taiwanese smartphone brands. Three competing models are also proposed and tested to confirm the appropriateness of the research model.FindingsIn addition to the widely recognized impact of perceived quality on purchase intentions, patriotic brand image is found to be effective in enhancing local consumers' intentions to purchase domestic brand products. To shape a patriotic brand image, perceived quality, perceived corporate ability and perceived corporate integrity are the direct approaches, while perceived corporate social responsibility works through perceived corporate integrity, and perceived employer brand enhances only perceived corporate social responsibility.Research limitations/implicationsPotential sampling (college students) and subject (smartphones) biases may limit the generalizability of the presented findingsPractical implicationsWhile patriotic appeals have long been used in marketing communication, they are also likely to precipitate negative brand associations (e.g. nationalism), offending consumers in other countries. By contrast, the development of a positive corporate image serves as an implicit and neutral approach to building a patriotic brand image and can help domestic brands attract local consumers with less harm to foreign markets.Originality/valueThis study is one of notably few studies discussing patriotic brand image and its impacts on purchase intentions. This study also identifies the antecedents of patriotic brand image and how each of them affects patriotic brand image. The findings can help guide domestic brands in building a patriotic brand image.

Taska Kyrana Sdn. Bhd.: to change or not to change its operating days?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Hazirhah Hashim ◽  
Rohaida Basiruddin ◽  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Maizaitulaidawati Md Husin
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
The State ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Marketing Management ◽  
Promotion Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Marketing management, Consumer behaviour Study level/applicability Undergraduate students, taking courses of entrepreneurship, marketing management and/or consumer behaviour that cover the topics related to entrepreneurial challenges, institutional support, growth strategy, market segmentation and marketing promotion strategy. Case overview This case demonstrates the dilemma of a founder, cum entrepreneur dealing with the issue related to a change in operating days that would affect her business profitability in the kindergarten industry. The case begins with the problem faced by Azizah Ayob, the founder and entrepreneur of Taska Kyrana when she hears that the state minister of Johor has announced that business operation days will be changed from Sunday to Friday with effect from 1 January 2014. The change would be applicable to government institutions in the state. However, businesses and corporations in the private sector can choose to continue observing Saturday-Sunday weekends or switch to the new official rest days of Friday-Saturday. As customers of Taska Kyrana consist of parents working in public and private sectors, as well as Singaporean parents, Ayob needs to choose either to follow the state requirement or to maintain the usual operation days. Expected learning outcomes Using this case, the students should be able to understand the need for institutional support for an entrepreneur; understand a possible growth strategy to cope with the volatile situation; understand the importance of a proper segmentation strategy to target the right group of customers; and understand the importance of a promotional strategy to attract new customers and to retain the existing one in a volatile situation. 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.

Do corporate social responsibility practices yield different business benefits in eastern and western contexts?

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 556-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chen Wei ◽  
Carolyn P. Egri ◽  
Carol Yeh-Yun Lin
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Employee Commitment ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which societal culture has a moderating effect on the business benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach – A cross-national research design was conducted using survey data collected from 164 firms in Taiwan and 196 firms in Canada. Findings – We found societal differences in the positive influence of CSR on corporate image and employee commitment. Specifically, we found that the relationships between CSR (customer-oriented and employee-oriented) and corporate image were stronger for Taiwanese firms than for Canadian firms. In addition, employee CSR was found to be more strongly associated with higher employee commitment in Taiwan than in Canada. While customer CSR was associated with enhanced customer loyalty, this relationship was similar for firms in both countries. Research limitations/implications – Multi-informants for data collection and longitudinal research design in future research would be required for further understanding of the relationships among the variables in this study. Practical implications – This paper suggests that the business benefits of customer and employee CSR practices may yield relatively greater competitive advantages in East Asian countries where CSR is not as established or taken for granted as in Western countries. Originality/value – This study draws on the strategic perspective to investigate the value of CSR practices yielding different business benefits in contrasting cultural contexts.

Industrial relations (Union) issues at Asian Paints Ltd.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Nikunj Kumar Jain ◽  
Subhashis Sinha ◽  
N.S. Iyer
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Union Leader ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Graduate ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
The Impact

Subject area Human Resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations and Strategic Management. Study level/applicability Post-graduate students or executive post-graduate students, Core course in Human resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations or Strategic Management or in elective courses in Industrial Relations and Strategic HRM. Case overview The Personnel manager of Asian Paints Ltd., Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) factory, found himself in a Catch 22 situation when a Union leader of the manufacturing unit refused to work. The Union leader had been transferred from the Quality Assurance department to the Production department. The case describes the sequence of events and the backdrop in which the aforementioned situation had unfolded. Given the circumstances that prevailed in the factory, the personnel manager’s decision was likely to have significant impact on the factory’s output. Expected learning outcomes The student will be able to understand the industrial relations/Union issues in a company and the role of different stakeholders, namely, management, Union, workmen and the government in a conflict scenario. The student will learn the application of principles of natural justice and will be able to evaluate the Industrial Relations (IR) strategy adopted by the organizations to prevent labor unrest at the workplace. The student will understand the impact of critical management decisions on the organization’s performance in an uncertain global environment. 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 6: Human Resource Management.

Homegrown Kenya: the horticultural industry under fire on CSR

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
George O. K'Aol ◽  
Francis Wambalaba
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labor Policies ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Subject area Corporate social responsibility (CSR). Study level/applicability The Homegrown case is designed for teaching corporate social responsibility and business ethics at undergraduate and graduate levels. The case may be used on a variety of courses including: corporate social responsibility, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, and business ethics. Case overview In May 2003, the headline of the East African newspaper screamed “The Kenyan Horticultural Industry under fire.” The industry was accused of exploitative labor policies with respect to working conditions, workers' welfare, sexual harassment, and exposure to harmful pesticides by the key stakeholders led by the Kenya Human Rights Commission. The stakeholders had announced plans to conduct national and international campaigns against the flower growing and exporting companies in Kenya. Mr Richard Fox, the Managing Director of Homegrown was worried that the publicity had adversely tarnished the image and reputation of the horticultural industry in Kenya as a whole, including Homegrown. He wondered how best to respond to these allegations. Should Homegrown wait to see what the competitors and other stakeholders would do, as these were industry-wide problems or should Homegrown take the lead? And if so, what should be the scope of the programs, given the diverse nature of the issues? He had to make decision quickly. Expected learning outcomes The case provides opportunity for students to analyze, discuss, and debate topical issues in CSR. At the end of the case, students should be able to: identify emerging CSR and ethical issues facing the horticultural industry in Kenya; analyze the cost of implementing CSR programs in business organizations; evaluate the impact of CSR programs on business performance; justify and defend choices on CSR, and ethical decisions. Supplementary materials Not included.

Kick Andy, The Oprah Winfrey TV Show of Indonesia

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Amalia E. Maulana ◽  
Lexi Z. Hikmah
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Oprah Winfrey ◽  
Entertainment Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Tv Shows ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Right ◽  
Tv Show

Subject area Social Marketing, Entertainment Education Program. Study level/applicability Postgraduate program. Master in Strategic Marketing and Master in Business Administration. Case overview In the midst of the many TV shows that do not provide enlightenment, Kick Andy TV Show appeared to provide answers to the public unrest. In the spirit of “Watch with Heart” Kick Andy serves Entertainment-Education and Social rarely glimpsed by the television station. Success of Kick Andy TV Show made this brand doing brand extension such as Kick Andy Foundation, Kick Andy Magazine, Kick Andy Enterprise and others. Challenge for this program is to maintain the right balance between social, entertainment and education. Expected learning outcomes This Case Study illustrates that Kick Andy TV Show filled the value gap that viewers experienced from existing TV show. This show is similar to the offer of Oprah Winfrey Show in the USA. Student is expected to understand social marketing primarily related to entertainment-education TV show. 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.

Background and rationale of collective bargaining around work-family issues in Italy

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egidio Riva
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Available Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline and assess the role of industrial relations in introducing work-family-related policies and investigate the drivers, nature and scope of contract provisions that were bargained in the following domains: flexible working arrangements, leave schemes, care services and other supportive arrangements. Analyses draw on information filed in a unique and restricted access repository, the SEcond-level Collective Bargaining Observatory (OCSEL) held by Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL), one of the major trade union organizations in Italy. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents and examines, by means of descriptive statistics and content analysis, available information on 285 company-level agreements around work-family-related issues that were signed in Italy between January 2012 and December 2015, in the aftermath of the great recession. Findings Work-family issues do not seem to be a major bargaining concern. The availability of specific arrangements is mostly limited to the domain of working time flexibility and it is not quite innovative in its contents. Besides, there is little evidence that the mutual gains rationale is embedded in collective bargaining in the field. However, mature and well-established labour relations result in more innovative and strategic company-level bargaining that is also conducive to work-family-related arrangements. Research limitations/implications The sample is not representative. Thus, the results obtained in this study cannot be extended to make predictions and conclusions about the population of collective agreements negotiated and signed in Italian companies in the period under scrutiny. Originality/value Research on the industrial relations context that lies behind the design and implementation of work-family workplace arrangements is still limited. Furthermore, the evidence is inconclusive. This manuscript intends to address this research gap and provide a much more nuanced understanding.

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