Brand intrapreneurs and brand managers: in search of disruption

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deryck J. van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Real Life ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Variables ◽  
Entrepreneurial Action ◽  
Life Phenomena ◽  
Brand Portfolios ◽  
Internal Venturing

Purpose – The paper aims to postulate as to whether the brand manager function and role is best placed for creating high growth, disruptive brand portfolios. As a potential solution toward resolving this, prescriptions for nurturing brand intrapreneurs are advanced to accelerate corporate entrepreneurial thinking and action based on the empirical case material. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws from seven case studies of six large global consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms involved in strategic brand venturing activity. Interview quotations are used to provide an invocative account of key ideas and arguments in the paper. Data gathering comprised extensive documentation and observation, and 21 semistructured interviews with senior-level executives and entrepreneurs. Interviews ranged in length with a mean interview time of 1 hour 23 minutes. All interviews were recorded with interviewee permission and, subsequently, transcribed and analyzed. Within-case and across-case analyses were performed using the spiral methodology espoused by Creswell (2007). Findings – Findings are clustered under three themes: galvanic and savvy leaders, entrepreneurial program design and nuanced operating models. In particular, the simultaneous practice of external and internal venturing inside a single venturing unit was noted to generate unique learning and promote corporate entrepreneurial action. Research limitations/implications – While case studies offer a way of investigating complex real-life phenomena with multiple variables, their ideographic nature suffers from an inability to generalize findings to other populations. This research design is no different. Nevertheless, rigorous within-case and cross-case analyses were performed involving world-class CPG marketing corporations to arrive at the findings presented. Practical implications – Numerous prescriptions for implementing brand intrapreneurship are advanced in the paper. Originality/value – Although technology venturing is a well-researched topic, ambidextrous brand venturing groups among CPG corporations renown for their marketing and branding prowess are only beginning to catch-on in practice – this is one of the first empirical paper to enumerate the practices of brand intrapreneurship within a strategic brand venturing framework.

Viewing organised crime and terrorist organisations through the financial threats they pose to society

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 940-950
Author(s):  
Thomas Ren
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Meaningful Difference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Perspective ◽  
Enterprise Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a meaningful difference, viewed from a financial perspective, in distinguishing between organised crime and terrorist organisations, with regard to the control and mitigation of the threats that they pose to society. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses conceptual models obtained from enterprise theory and economics, as well as criminology, and makes use of case studies through the application of these models. Findings The paper finds that when viewed from a financial perspective, there is no meaningful difference in distinguishing between the groups because many have undergone processes of convergence and transformation, such that they assume each other’s operational and motivational characteristics. However, the answer also depends on how precisely one defines each type of illicit group as well as the transitions they undergo. Originality/value The value of this paper is that it applies two separate models on interactions between organised crime and terrorist organisations, the terror–crime continuum and interaction spectrum, to real life situations. After assessing their validity for more recent examples of such illicit groups, it then provides a balanced argument as to distinguishing between organised crime and terrorism. One limitation towards the paper’s originality, however, is that it draws mainly from pre-existing literature.

Site planning and design of green residential building projects: case studies in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Xiaosen Huo ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Wu Zezhou ◽  
Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Site Planning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present site planning and design (SPD) relevant variables and items in practice for practitioners to better understand and implement SPD in green building projects. Design/methodology/approach The research methods include questionnaire survey and case studies in the context of China. A questionnaire survey was adopted to identify the importance of 13 variables and the corresponding 38 items in SPD of green residential buildings. Three green residential projects including one in Hong Kong and two in Mainland China were selected to investigate the SPD considerations in practice and to discuss the necessary improvement. Findings The results show that 12 out of the 13 variables of SPD in green buildings are involved in the three case projects to some extent, thereby underscore the importance of these variables. The potential improvement in real-life SPD of green buildings is also discussed such as adopting design-build and integrated project delivery methods and preserving and protecting cultural characteristics on site. Originality/value The research findings may serve as a reference for practitioners to better conduct SPD in green building projects.

Reliability analysis of underground mining equipment using genetic algorithms

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Vayenas ◽  
Sihong Peng
Keyword(s):  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Mining Equipment ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reliability Centered Maintenance ◽  
Potential Applications

Purpose – While increased mechanization and automation make considerable contributions to mine productivity, unexpected equipment failures and imperfect planned or routine maintenance prohibit the maximum possible utilization of sophisticated mining equipment and require significant amount of extra capital investment. Traditional preventive/planned maintenance is usually scheduled at a fixed interval based on maintenance personnel's experience and it can result in decreasing reliability. This paper deals with reliability analysis and prediction for mining machinery. A software tool called GenRel is discussed with its theoretical background, applied algorithms and its current improvements. In GenRel, it is assumed that failures of mining equipment caused by an array of factors (e.g. age of equipment, operating environment) follow the biological evolution theory. GenRel then simulates the failure occurrences during a time period of interest based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) combined with a number of statistical procedures. The paper also discusses a case study of two mine hoists. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not GenRel can be applied for reliability analysis of mine hoists in real life. Design/methodology/approach – Statistical testing methods are applied to examine the similarity between the predicted data set with the real-life data set in the same time period. The data employed in this case study is compiled from two mine hoists from the Sudbury area in Ontario, Canada. Potential applications of the reliability assessment results yielded from GenRel include reliability-centered maintenance planning and production simulation. Findings – The case studies shown in this paper demonstrate successful applications of a GAs-based software, GenRel, to analyze and predict dynamic reliability characteristics of two hoist systems. Two separate case studies in Mine A and Mine B at a time interval of three months both present acceptable prediction results at a given level of confidence, 5 percent. Practical implications – Potential applications of the reliability assessment results yielded from GenRel include reliability-centered maintenance planning and production simulation. Originality/value – Compared to conventional mathematical models, GAs offer several key advantages. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has not been a wide application of GAs in hoist reliability assessment and prediction. In addition, the authors bring discrete distribution functions to the software tool (GenRel) for the first time and significantly improve computing efficiency. The results of the case studies demonstrate successful application of GenRel in assessing and predicting hoist reliability, and this may lead to better preventative maintenance management in the industry.

Construction project productivity evaluation framework with expanded system boundaries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Zhan ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Le Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
System Boundaries ◽  
Content Type

PurposeWhile the investment in construction projects has increased over the past few decades, low construction project productivity (CPP) appeared to be persistent, thereby reflecting an “investment-in-failure” paradox between the investment and CPP. Hence, this paper aims to develop a systematic and holistic CPP evaluation framework to explain the apparent paradox in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first reviews the literature about the theories of system, production, principal–agent and project success evaluation to re-conceptualise the CPP and proposes a two-stage CPP evaluation framework. The framework is subsequently explored through a sequential qualitative mixed-methods design within the context of the Hong Kong construction industry by combining 32 semi-structured interviews with senior industry experts and exploratory case studies, with three real-life construction projects.FindingsThe paper identifies three system boundaries for CPP evaluation, that is, parameter, timeframe and stakeholder, and develops a two-stage CPP evaluation framework to indicate site efficiency and utilisation effectiveness, thereby accessing the productivity of both the construction and post-construction stages. The “investment-in-failure” paradox associated with current CPP evaluation approaches is primarily attributed to the narrowly defined CPP boundaries.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative exploration of the evaluation framework only focusses on the Hong Kong construction industry. Further case studies within other urban contexts could be used to improve the generalisability of the findings. Quantitative research is also necessary to advance theoretical development of the two-stage CPP evaluation.Practical implicationsThe systemic CPP conceptualisation and the two-stage CPP evaluation framework support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders and enable them to formulate holistic strategies for long-term CPP enhancement.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates the needs to expand the system boundaries of CPP to reflect its systemic value and to shift the paradigm of CPP evaluation from being output-orientated and quantity-focussed to being outcome-orientated and value-focussed.

Women entrepreneurship and sustainable development: select case studies from the sustainable energy sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Mahajan ◽  
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it discusses the role of entrepreneurship, in general, and women entrepreneurship, in particular, in advancing the cause of sustainable development. Future research directions that emerge from the body of knowledge that the paper relied upon have been identified. Second, it presents unique cases of eight women-led enterprises in energy sector spread across three continents, namely, Asia, Africa and the USA; identifies the constraints and opportunities, analyses the business models and their impact on the quality of life pointers to demonstrate the role of women-led enterprises in sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines a schematic review of literature at the interface of entrepreneurship and sustainable development coupled with select relevant case studies addressing the interface. The real-life case studies, which are consciously chosen and compiled from secondary data sources, complement and testify the insights drawn from the schematic literature review. The framework for analyzing the case studies is designed around multidimensional drivers and factors that steer the women-led enterprises. Findings The paper identified the need to look at entrepreneurship through the gendered lens not only for studying entrepreneurship as a discipline, in general, but also to gauge whether the inclusion of women as entrepreneurs is actually advancing the cause of sustainable development. Besides analyzing real-life case studies of accomplished women entrepreneurs to gauge their motivations and mindsets, the process of identification of pain points, identifying differentiating and innovative features, or studying the impact on society, economy and environment, the paper eventually created a schematic framework of key enablers, constraints and strategic response of women entrepreneurs. Originality/value Given the dearth of adequate theoretical and empirical contributions on the study of effectuation, mindsets and drivers of how women entrepreneurship steers the process of sustainable development, the paper is an endeavour in that direction.

The evolution of data analytics through the lens of business cases

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepanta Sharafuddin ◽  
Ivan Belik
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Real World ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Business Cases

PurposeThe present study provides a comprehensive review of the evolution of data analytics using real-world cases. The purpose is to provide a distinct overview of where the phenomenon was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies were selected to represent three different eras of data analytics: Yesterday (1950s–1990s), Today (2000s–2020s) and Tomorrow (2030s–2050s).FindingsRapid changes in information technologies more likely moving us towards a more cyber-physical society, where an increasing number of devices, people and corporations are connected. We can expect the development of a more connected cyber society, open for data exchange than ever before.Social implicationsThe analysis of technological trends through the lens of representative real-world cases helps to clarify where data analytics was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading towards. The presented case studies accentuate that data analytics is constantly evolving with no signs of stagnation.Originality/valueAs the field of data analytics is constantly evolving, the study of its evolution based on particular studies aims to better understand the paradigm shift in data analytics and the resulting technological advances in the IT business through the representative real-life cases.

scholarly journals Unlocking innovation in the sport industry through additive manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlon Meier ◽  
Kim Hua Tan ◽  
Ming K. Lim ◽  
Leanne Chung
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Products ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Fast-changing customer demands and rising requirements in product performance constantly challenge sports equipment manufacturers to come up with new and improved products to stay competitive. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, can enhance the development of new products by providing an efficient approach of rapid prototyping. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current adoption of AM technologies in the innovation process of the sports industry, i.e. level of awareness; how it is implemented; and it impact on the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach This work followed a qualitative research approach. After conducting a research of the current literature, this paper presents findings that include case studies from different companies, as well as a semi-structured interview with an outdoor sports equipment manufacturer. Companies from all over the world and of different sizes from under 100 employees to over 70,000 employees were considered in this research. Findings Literature research shows that AM brings many possibilities to enhance the innovation process, and case studies indicated several obstacles that hinder the technology from fully unfolding. AM is still at the early stage of entering the sports equipment industry and its potential benefits have not been fully exploited yet. The findings generated from the research of real-life practices show that AM provides several benefits when it comes to the innovation process, such as a faster development process, an optimised output, as well as the possibility to create new designs. However, companies are not yet able to enhance the innovation process in a way that leads to new products and new markets with AM. Limitations, including a small range of process able material and an inefficient mass production, still restrain the technology and lead to unused capability. Nevertheless, future prospects indicate the growing importance of AM in the innovation process and show that its advancement paves the way to new and innovative products. Research limitations/implications Limitations exist in the qualitative approach of this study, which does not include the quantitative verification of the results. Originality/value Very few studies have been conducted to investigate how firms can harvest AM to increase their innovation capabilities. How firms can use AM to shorten product development time is an emerging topic in business and operations but has not been studied widely. This paper aims to address this gap.

scholarly journals Why replication studies are essential: learning from failure and success

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Wil Harzing
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
International Business ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
First Case ◽  
Learning From Failure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pervasive problem of a lack of replication studies in international business based on van Witteloostuijn’s (2016) commentary “What happened to Popperian Falsification?” Design/methodology/approach The author presents two short case studies from her own research, one in which no replication studies took place, and one in which a replication study was conducted shortly after the original study was published. Findings The author shows how the lack of replication in the first case study example resulted in the creation of research myths, whereas the judicious replication in her second case study strengthened arguments for a new – less biased – measure of research performance. The author also discusses why most journals in the field are not open to replication studies and provides recommendations on how to move forward. Originality/value Using two real-life case studies provides a vivid illustration of the problems created by a lack of replications and illustrates the benefits of good replication studies.

The applicability of blockchain technology in healthcare contexts to contain COVID-19 challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Raihanul Hasan ◽  
Shiming Deng ◽  
Neegar Sultana ◽  
Muhammed Zakir Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Real Life ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Era ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Control And Prevention

PurposeBlockchain technology, a key feature of the fourth industrial revolution, is receiving widespread attention and exploration around the world. Taking the coronavirus pandemic as an example, the purpose of this study to examine the application of blockchain technology from the perspective of epidemic prevention and control.Design/methodology/approachExploring multiple case studies in the Chinese context at various stages of deployment, this study documents a framework about how some of the major challenges associated with COVID-19 can be alleviated by leveraging blockchain technology.FindingsThe case studies and framework presented herein show that utilization of blockchain acts as an enabler to facilitate the containment of several COVID-19 challenges. These challenges include the following: complications associated with medical data sharing; breaches of patients' data privacy; absence of real-time monitoring tools; counterfeit medical products and non-credible suppliers; fallacious insurance claims; overly long insurance claim processes; misappropriations of funds; and misinformation, rumors and fake news.Originality/valueBlockchain is ushering in a new era of innovation that will lay the foundation for a new paradigm in health care. As there are currently insufficient studies pertaining to real-life case studies of blockchain and COVID-19 interaction, this study adds to the literature on the role of blockchain technology in epidemic control and prevention.

MobiPSE

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khoi-Nguyen Tran ◽  
Hong-Quang Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exploration Process

Purpose – This paper aims to solve the stated limitations through (i) exploring usages of scenarios and (ii) proposing a lightweight iterative requirement exploration process that utilizes scenarios to transform the vague ideas of the developers into concrete application’s vision. The explosive growth in pervasiveness, programmability and computational capability of smartphones and tablets unlocks the possibility for many uses of technology, including end-user development (EUD) where end-users create applications as pragmatic tools for their work and hobbies. An extensive amount of research effort has been done to solve EUD challenges; however, the focus of such research lies mainly on designing and implementing software applications. Design/methodology/approach – Based on review on existing application of usage scenario in software application development, we proposed SRE – a scenario-based requirement exploration method and MobiPSE – a lightweight software process that applies SRE. Two EUD projects performed by undergraduate students were used as case studies to test and fine-tune methods. Findings – This paper proposes MobiPSE – a lightweight iterative software process that resolves around our proposed SRE method. Through case studies on MobiPSE, we confirmed that MobiPSE works in real-life scenarios and emphasized two points: ad hoc training has limited effect and lack of technical expertise can still leave a negative impact on requirement exploration process. Research limitations/implications – Because of the limited number of case studies performed for testing and tuning purpose, the proposed methods may not be able to satisfy all cases of EUD. MobiPSE can be fine-tuned further with additional case studies of different scale and team structure. Originality/value – This paper fulfils the need for a lightweight method for exploring requirements and ideas in a EUD project based on creating and analyzing possible usage scenarios.

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