Cupcakes by Lizbeth: flash in the baking pan or here to stay

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-155
Author(s):  
Sambhavi Lakshminarayanan ◽  
Savita Hanspal
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Married Couple ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Reverse Merger ◽  
Competitor Analysis

Synopsis Cupcakes by Lizbeth (CBL) was a “gourmet” cupcake‐focussed retail store chain founded by a married couple. Eight years after opening, CBL used the relatively uncommon process of a “reverse merger” to become publicly traded. At that time, it had seemed as if CBL was on track to be the largest among cupcake focused businesses. However, financial setbacks as reported by the company and change in top management gave reason for pause and closer examination. Did the CBL business model have staying power or did there need to be a serious reconsideration of the company's strategic choices? Research methodology This case was prepared from secondary sources. Relevant courses and levels This case is appropriate for courses in strategy and management at the undergraduate level. Theoretical basis Competitive positioning, competitor analysis, operations strategy, SWOT analysis, planning business strategy, business expansion (franchising vs company owned).

On a correlative and evolutionary SWOT analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charis Vlados
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Evolutionary Economics ◽  
External Environment ◽  
International Literature ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Dynamics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to counter-propose a new approach of SWOT analysis, which can be used in the strategic planning of the contemporary organizations. Design/methodology/approach This paper, after presenting the conceptual context of the existing (conventional) SWOT analysis, presents the existing criticism within the international literature. Then, it articulates gradually the new evolutionary and correlative SWOT analysis, by using the approaches and the literature of evolutionary economics, and the Stra.Tech.Man approach in business dynamics. In conclusion, it presents the new conceptual framework on which a new correlative SWOT analysis can be based. Findings Main finding of this research is that the interpretation of the conventional SWOT analysis tends to study the strengths and the weaknesses of the business with an analytical dichotomy. The conventional SWOT analysis conceptualizes, usually implicitly, the opportunities and threats of the external environment as having the same impact to all the socioeconomic agents, without exception. However, by using a correlative interpretation of SWOT analysis, we understand that the opportunities and threats are always “potential,” depending on the organization’s strategic capability to exercise its comparative strengths and weaknesses. Originality/value In the existing literature of SWOT analysis, despite the growing criticism, there is no critique that can give systemic and correlative answers to the articulation of business strategy in SWOT terms. The Stra.Tech.Man approach, also, is a conceptual framework to study the evolutionary adaptation of all the kinds of socioeconomic organizations.

scholarly journals Proposed Strategy for The Development of Turbomachinery Equipment Service in Indonesia (Case Study: PT XYZ)

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sitti Annisa Mandasari ◽  
Harimukti Wandebori
Keyword(s):  
Market Share ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Service Market ◽  
Sales Revenue ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Competitor Analysis

PT XYZ is one of the companies in Indonesia focusing on heavy rotating equipment, repair and manufacture Not only domestically, the company also plans to expand the business internationally to other countries in South East Asia. By increasing the company’s sales revenue and expanding the market share, PT XYZ might be able to achieve the goal. However, in the sales it is found that the current operational management strategy can no longer sustain profitable and it makes the sales revenue drops for the last two years. The purpose of this research is to find and identify the strategy of the turbomachinery equipment service business to keep on growing in Indonesia. The conceptual framework used this strategy begins with analyzing the external environment by using PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and competitor analysis. After external analysis, internal analysis is done by analyzing the resources and the value chain. Later on, all of the results will be summarized with a SWOT analysis. The results reveal that the company does not have a coherent business strategy. Thus, it evokes several problems in some internal parts of the company, such as an ineffective marketing strategy and improper resource allocation. The applied strategy in this research is the differentiation strategy. This differentiation strategy expansion will be the key to support the company’s development in the turbomachinery equipment service market in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the outcome is expected to extend PT XYZ’s market share, product development, and service development later in the future.

A new scorecard for strategic planning

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward William Wright ◽  
Yue Cai Hillon ◽  
Mariano Garrido-Lopez ◽  
Drake Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Business Student ◽  
Situational Analysis ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Resource Evaluation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose This paper aims to present several tools to facilitate strategic planning and to demystify the situational analysis and the selection of strategy. These tools include situational analysis scorecards for the environmental scan, market analysis, competitive bench-marking and internal resource evaluation along with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) fit matrix. Business student teams have tested these scorecards in capstone projects with good results; however, the concepts remain works-in-process. Design/methodology/approach This study introduces tools to assist planners in preparing the situational analysis and deriving logical strategic choices based upon the SWOT analysis. These aids include an environmental factors scorecard, a market favorability scorecard, a competitive benchmarking scorecard, a resource evaluation scorecard and a SWOT fit matrix. Planners can use these devices to produce a research-based situational analysis and as a guide to select the most appropriate strategy. Findings These concepts have been beta tested by business student teams in capstone projects with good results but remain works-in-process. Originality/value The introduction of these creative scorecards addresses a shortcoming in academic literature concerning the interpretation of situational analysis research data and provides tactical tools linking SWOT to the choice of grand strategy and strategy implementation.

Can Chipotle compete by delivering “food with integrity”?

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-252
Author(s):  
Pauline Assenza ◽  
Michael S. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Food Contamination ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
First Case ◽  
Strategy Process ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Contamination Events

Research methodology The case data were obtained from secondary sources including academic, newspaper and periodical sources. Case overview/synopsis The Founder of Chipotle Mexican Grill, CEO Steve Ells, was a restaurant innovator credited with creating the fast-casual experience. He believed that food, sourced and prepared responsibly, could help “cultivate a better world.” Unfortunately, he had to step down after a continuing series of food contamination events drove away both investors and customers. In 2018, new CEO Brian Niccol was brought in from Taco Bell to reposition the brand and regain confidence. Was it possible to continue with Chipotle’s mission of “food with integrity” or was another strategy necessary? Complexity academic level This case was prepared for an undergraduate strategy course. It can be used to illustrate all the key points in Chapter 1 of a traditional undergraduate strategy textbook. This case would be best placed in the first weeks of the course, as a first case to introduce to students the idea of strategy as a process that continuously assesses and revises strategic directions and decisions. It introduces a discussion of the role of mission, vision and values as part of the strategy process, and addresses the responsibility of leadership to do an ongoing evaluation of a firm’s strategic choices.

Strategic management in cartelized environment: case of Hisham Packaging, Dubai

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Mohammed Laeequddin ◽  
K. Abdul Waheed
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Management ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Sales Manager ◽  
Content Type ◽  
B2b Marketing

Subject area Business-to-business (B2B) marketing, microeconomics and strategic management. Study level/applicability Target audience can be MBA students who are taking B2B marketing, microeconomics and strategic management courses. Case overview On 1 January 2015, Hamza joined Hisham Packaging, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the CEO. Hisham Packaging specialises in production of corrugated boxes of various sizes, both in plain and printed forms. Most of Hamza’s experiences have been in the automobile industry, where his focus was on Lean operations rather than marketing. After joining Hisham Packaging, he learnt that in service industry like printing and packaging, the business focus is more customer-oriented than process-orientated. In the packaging industry, each customer’s requirement is unique and customised with variety and small volumes. What was shocking to him was that there is an informal cartel arrangement among major corrugated box suppliers in the country and without the consent of the cartel members, he cannot take any major decision like expanding the business or accepting or dropping a customer. Hamza discussed the scenario with his sales manager Ahmad to see what strategy to adopt for the growth of the company. He was trying to figure out what next? Like any other newly joined CEO, Hamza also had plans to increase the market share and make the operations Lean. He quickly found that it would be difficult for him to make any major impact on the existing business due to the constraints and he needed a different strategic move to grow the company. Expected learning outcomes The outcomes include understanding of market dynamics, cartelization of companies based on market structure and strategy building. Students learn that an organization’s performance is just not dependent on how the managers plan, organize and control but it also depends on the competitors and customer’s strategies. Students learn how to apply strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, Porter’s Five Forces analysis and PESTEL analysis in developing business strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching note is attached. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing

iDE in Nicaragua: quest for sustainability

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-86
Author(s):  
Vijaya L. Narapareddy ◽  
Nancy Sampson ◽  
S.R. Vishwanath
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Base Of Pyramid

Synopsis International Development Enterprises (iDE), a non-profit organization, won numerous awards for its poverty alleviation efforts through the sale of low-cost irrigation technologies to the Base of Pyramid (BoP) farmers around the world. This case discusses iDE’s entry into Nicaragua and the challenges this global social enterprise faced in bringing drip irrigation and other water technologies to the rural subsistence coffee farmers in Nicaragua. It presents the tough decisions it faced in 2012 regarding the future of its for-profit social business, iDEal Tecnologias, in Nicaragua. This case captures the tension in hybrid social enterprises. Research methodology This case was developed through the following primary sources as well as some secondary sources. Primary: discussions with iDE’s CEO Doerksen, Urs Heierli (Coordinator of iDE’s operations in Nicaragua), and Skype conversations with iDEal Tec’s Country Director, Nadja Kränzlin. Secondary: documents provided by the company and other publicly available sources. Relevant courses and levels This case is intended for use in undergraduate, graduate, and executive courses in: social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, and managing sustainable businesses. It may also be used in the sustainability module of courses in international business/management/marketing, and business strategy and policy. It would be best to position this case toward the middle or latter half of the course as it is an integrative case that challenges students to evaluate the sustainability of a social enterprise from multiple perspectives. Theoretical bases The theoretical bases for this case are: defining and implementing a sustainable strategy in hybrid social enterprises. Serving BoP customers with a vision of enabling prosperity.

Drivers of successful international business strategy

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karim Marini Thomé ◽  
Janann Joslin Medeiros
Keyword(s):  
International Business ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Company Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trading Company ◽  
Resources And Capabilities ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the drivers of trading company strategy that explain trading company success in international business. Design/methodology/approach – The strategy tripod that results from combining the industry-, resource- and institution-based views, each of which proposes specific drivers of strategic success, was used as the framework for investigating, in a longitudinal perspective, the drivers of the strategy of a trading company and its success in emerging economies. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation and analyzed using content analysis techniques. Findings – Rather than a single driver, the authors found that strategic choices were driven at times by the demands of industrial competitiveness, at times by firm resources and capabilities, and at times by institutional conditions. There was evidence neither of a linear chronological order for these drivers, nor of driver obsolescence. On the contrary, findings suggest that drivers are cumulative and interactive. Changes in organizational resources and capabilities or in competitive or institutional environments can force review and re-thinking of strategic objectives. Research limitations/implications – Generalization is affected by the fact that the study focusses on the experience of one individual trading company. Practical implications – From a pragmatic, managerially oriented perspective, the findings show the importance to be alert to all the tripod legs over time, and not belittle the institutional context. This fact is noted by the data, which not realize a timeline or order between the drivers and the strategies adopted by the firm. Originality/value – The paper is of value in showing the drivers of trading company strategy and the determinants of trading company success in emerging economies using a longitudinal perspective rather than the more usual sectional perspective. In addition, the study is original in simultaneously investigating all three legs of the strategy tripod and providing empirical evidence about how the respective drivers interact over time.

A study of facility management operation strategy in shopping malls

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarich Chotipanich ◽  
Sittiporn Issarasak
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Shopping Mall ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Operation Strategy ◽  
Shopping Malls ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Functional Scheme

Purpose This paper is a continuing exploration into facilities management (FM) strategy through the arrangement of its decision choices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the existence of FM operation strategy and to add empirical evidence to this subject to the field of FM and property management. Its main objectives are to gain insights into the arrangement of the FM strategic choices in operation and its relationship with business strategy. Design/methodology/approach The study investigated the configurations of operational approaches and activities that should reflect strategic decisions. The investigation was undertaken through a study of four reputed shopping malls located in Bangkok. The relevant data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the key FM persons of each case study, plus archival document searches, and observations of operational processes. Subsequently, the data were examined in a cross-case analysis to identify the key patterns of relationships between the FM operational arrangements and the business strategy of the mall. Findings This study found that the functional scheme of FM adopted in operations was deliberately related to the needs of business strategy and the operations of the given shopping mall. A range of strategic choices for FM operations was also found. Certain choices are shared among the case studies, while their arrangements varied according to the particular business strategy and context. Research limitations/implications The number of case studies was rather limited, while the results were predominantly involved with a single type of facility. Originality/value The study identified the pattern of strategic choices entailed in the FM operations in shopping malls. The findings add to the understanding on FM strategy by widening the perspectives about the strategic choices of FM operations and how they are connected with the business strategy and operation model of retail estate. It adds empirical evidence and case studies regarding FM operations and its strategic features.

scholarly journals Business Strategy Improvement for PT. XYZ to Achieve Competitive Advantage in Construction Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takara Tantarto ◽  
Harimukti Wandebori
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Company Strategy ◽  
Competitor Analysis ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Strategy Map ◽  
Construction Services

XYZ has been engaged in the construction services business for 48 years in Indonesia and this company pioneered its work as executor of building construction. At present, PT. XYZ is experiencing challenges due to the decrease in project targets per year set by the company so that it has an impact on revenue decline. Since the business problems occurred, the company has not developed a new strategy to increase the company's target. This study aims to determine and improve company strategy based on the problems that occur and is expected to have an impact on increasing project targets. The methodology used in this study uses qualitative data obtained from interviews with the company’s employees. Secondary data analysis was performed using the company's Annual Report and literature study. The conceptual framework used begins with an analysis of the external environment using PESTEL analysis, Porter's 5 Forces, and competitor analysis. All analysis results are summarized in the SWOT analysis. The proposed strategy based on the results of the study with the TOWS Matrix, Authors provides an overview of the Strategy Map to achieve a competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Proposed Business Strategy for Hotel in Airport City (Case Study: Kualanamu International Airport)

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e98911671
Author(s):  
Andi Septiant
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
City Area ◽  
Final Project ◽  
International Airport ◽  
Internal And External Factors

This final project is made to analyze the current business of PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero), by analyzing the internal and external factors of the Hotel business environment in the Airport City area of Kualanamu International Airport today. Then, it is expected to analyze the Hotel Business Model Strategy that is appropriate for hotel businesses in the Airport City Area of Kualanamu International Airport to be developed and the final step is to analyze the results of the implementation hotel strategies in the Airport City Area of Kualanamu International Airport in the face of competition in the current era of global competition. To achieve the objectives of this study, the proposed business strategy used by the author is SWOT Analysis, then proceed with the decision-making stage. The technique in question is the quantitative Strategy Planning Matrix (QSPM) technique. QSPM analysis tool is an analysis tool used to evaluate alternative strategic choices objectively according to internal and external factors that have been identified previously. Finally, the conclusion is based on the results of the analysis that has been done.

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