Tomato Jos: launching a tomato paste brand in Nigeria

Learning outcomes The teaching objectives of the case are as follows: to develop an understanding of the scope and complexity of strategy and marketing; to examine what is meant by purpose, direction, objectives and consider how these might be set and used; to help students think and act in a strategic way; to give faculty the opportunity to illustrate the strategist’s and marketer’s toolbox, namely, tools and frameworks, such as Porters 5 Forces – The attractiveness of the industry, Porter’s Generic Marketing Strategies, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats analysis, the 4P’s – with a focus on product and distribution. The case is intended for use in MBA and Executive education courses in strategy, marketing and leadership. The case offers relevant experiences and instructive lessons in formulating and implementing business strategies. The case highlights the importance of contextual leadership intelligence and competence in enabling entrepreneurial business activities. Case overview/synopsis Tomato Jos (Nigeria) is a large tomato processing business in Kaduna, Nigeria. Nigeria is the second-largest producer of tomatoes in Africa, with Egypt as the largest. The country ranks 14th overall as a world producer. In Africa, and specifically Nigeria, there is a strong push to support small-scale farmers as a source of employment creation, as well as meeting the needs of food security. The CEO, Mira Mehata, is an ex-pat graduate from the USA with strong Agri sector experience. The business has received extensive support from the Kaduna Government as the business has secondary objectives to assist small-scale farmers in the region. Farmers need consistent off takers and reasonable set prices to see a return on their investment and Tomato Jos plays that role of being the middle-man. This results in less wasted produce – the bane of farmers globally. The price for fresh tomatoes is about three times that of processed tomatoes IE in paste or sauce – so that is an added challenge for farmers to see the value in processed tomatoes. The business currently has a 2% Market Share in Nigeria with a target of 10% over the next five years. The business so far has invested three billion Naira and plans a further five billion Naira over the next few years. The business is seen as a high-profile success story with a supportive eco-system with a push from both the Nigerian Government and some major private sector players example Dangote. Complexity academic level The case is intended for use in MBA and Executive education courses in Strategy, Marketing and Leadership. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CCS 11: Strategy.

DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS THROUGH TRANSFORMATIONAL EXECUTIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The goal of executive education programs is to prepare the leaders to act in swiftly changing business and social environment. However, various research show that the program completion may not induce the expected change unless it has more transformational nature. In other words, the program curriculum should put more emphasis on soft skills development and incorporation of experiential learning methods. Therefore, the quantitative, longitudinal research was conducted among participants of executive education program at a highly ranked university which met the criteria of transformational education program. The study aimed to measure the change at the level of basic motivators among 71 Executive MBA students that occurred during 2 years of studies at the executive program using REISS Motivation Profile®. There were discovered significant changes in 5 motivators: Acceptance, Social Contact, Status, Order and Tranquility. The results indicate that the program participants become leaders that are more oriented towards collaboration with others and value more planning and balanced approach to management. The results bring valuable indication for both university management and educators calling for changes in the executive education curriculum. Keywords: executive education, leadership development, RMP®, quantitative research

Moving towards agile: managing Loxon solutions’ hiring strategy, organizational development and agile transformation

Subject area This case focuses on organizational development, leadership and HR management questions. Study level/applicability This case is mainly aimed at students specialized in leadership, organizational development and HR, or in MBA and executive education. However, undergraduate students can benefit from it as well and learn about key terms related to organizational development and HR. Case overview Loxon Solutions is a Hungarian technology startup founded in 2000 that develops various software solutions for the banking industry to improve processes such as retail and corporate landing, collateral management and monitoring, among others. The company grew significantly since being founded, and from a small IT company it became a significant player in the banking software industry all around the world. However, with rapid extension comes a drastic internal transformation as well: Loxon now employs 252 people, has 5 physical offices in 2 different countries and is trying to balance an effective organizational structure and a friendly startup environment. It is clear that the company needs to adapt its previously informal structure to fit the now middle-sized organization while maintaining the current benefits of their culture. Also, they require stability and maturity which the current team consisting of mostly junior employees and the significant fluctuation cannot provide. Tamas Erni, the CEO and Kristof Farkas, the founder of Loxon are now working on these pressing issues with the company’s HR department to rethink the company’s organizational structure and policies as well as their hiring and employer branding strategies. Expected learning outcomes Students should get familiar with typical organizational structure models, the meaning of Employee Value Proposition and main KPIs related to hiring and employee retention. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: HR Management.