PHP India: the e-commerce dilemma

Learning outcomes Through the analysis of the case, the students will be able to: 1. appreciate the dynamics in a multi-channel environment especially in the relatively new ecommerce space in India; 2. understand the decision-making process and the impact on various stakeholders in adopting a new ecommerce sales channel; and 3. evaluate financial implications of channel profitability and its implication on the decision. Case overview/synopsis Philadelphia Home Products (PHP) India was facing a sales slowdown and was looking at a foray into the e-commerce channel, as an answer for business growth. The decision was not an easy one, as it had implications on existing channel partnerships and the organization. Channel choice decisions had acquired a new dimension with the proliferation of ecommerce platforms and changing online consumer buying habits. It was January 2015 and Nandini Devgan, CEO of PHP India was with her experienced team, who clearly had differing points of view. She needed to put the organization back on a growth trajectory, but how does she balance the various differing views put forth by her team? Was entering the ecommerce channel the best option? Complexity academic level This case is designed for use at the postgraduate level in courses, such as sales management, channel management, e-commerce and strategic marketing courses, as well as in executive management programs. The case is relevant from the context of channel management of a Consumer-Packaged Goods company in India, where e-commerce is nascent yet growing. It gives students a practical hands-on decision-making situation, where there are complexities of quantitative and qualitative nature. It triggers a discussion where the chief executive officer (CEO) and her team are facing growth and profitability issues, and have to take a decision on whether or not to adopt the e-commerce channel while managing the existing channels. Supplementary materials Teaching note is available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Trying out loud: Leadership development as experimentalism

Where does leadership development turn if its heroic ideals are no longer tenable? This study takes leadership practice, not the classroom, as its point of departure. Leadership studies have demonstrated the romance in leadership theory of an individual, stable, and coherent leadership figure, even if this figure does not connect to actual practices. In other streams of research, practice increasingly appears to be a resource for less presumptuous theorizing about leadership. These more situationally sensitive approaches call for equivalent leadership development practices, and extant literature in particular has escaped the confines of the executive management classroom to only a limited extent. While experiential learning has proved an efficient means of instigating and harvesting in-classroom experiences for subsequent reflection and learning, translating these experiences into (later) leadership practice has proved problematic. The mundanity of practice rarely corresponds to the theoretical exposés emanating from classrooms. Using a leadership development program (LDP) as our case, we explore accounts from managers carrying out in-practice experiments and analyze these processes in light of Dewey’s notion of experimentalism. Identifying a series of attributes associated with the experimental intervention, we illuminate some future avenues for situated leadership development as well as offer considerations for leadership development practice.

Quantifying the Tangible Value of a Smart Field Asset Implementation Leveraging on Digital Technology and Automation, Taking into Account the Intangible Value Element

The value calculation for a new digital and innovative technology is often requested by the executive management to justify the cost required for the implementation and maintenance of the technology. The value is normally segregated into a tangible and intangible value that correspond to a quantitative and qualitative description of those value elements. As part of the Digital Oilfield (DOF) assessment, the solution value has been defined using two approaches. Firstly, qualitative value is described using a "FEATURE_BENEFIT_VALUE" model. The qualitative value elements have been grouped to align with the company strategic pillars to achieve its vision. Secondly, the quantitative value has been estimated using an NPV model. It estimates the value of the complete digital solution (combined investment for all domains) being proposed for the Asset. The model estimates the net present value (NPV) of the expected Asset investment in digital enablement and digital capability as defined in the assessment report. Net cash flow graphs are also calculated. The approach used is to calculate an NPV for a GO-NOGO decision. Therefore, a conservative estimate of NPV is made with the mind-set that if even being conservative, the NPV clears the company's hurdle rate for such projects, then the decision to invest is undertaken. Sensitivity analysis has been performed using conservative estimates of production gain enabled by digital and conservative oil prices. The paper will detail out the approach for the value quantification of a DOF solution that will also correspond to the industry guidance. Example on how the value is calculated will also be outlined.

Construction and Validation of Occupational Stress Scale for Public Prosecutors

Occupational stress has the adverse effects on personal and work-related life of workers. Public prosecutors experience specific stressors at work, but no scale has yet been designed to measure occupational stress among public prosecutors. The present study was carried out to construct and validate an indigenous Occupational Stress Scale for Public Prosecutors in Pakistan. An inductive approach was used for item generation. After ensuring the construct fidelity and content validity: the items of the scale were subjected to principal axis factoring, using a varimax rotation method on a sample of 416 public prosecutors and 32 items were retained in a well-defined 5 factor structure, which collectively accounted for 54.39 percent of the variance. Moreover, a confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 350 public prosecutors was performed through AMOS modeling and the final scale consisted of 26 items was obtained. The relationship of scale with job satisfaction was found to be the negative (r = -.30, p<.01) that determined its divergent validity. Furthermore, the relationship of the scale with Health and Safety Executive Management Standard Indicator Tool was found to be the positive (r = .52, p<.01) that determined its convergent validity. The final scale is a promising measure with good items homogeneity, internal consistency and optimum validity

Yahoo! Egregious driving on the information superhighway

Theoretical basis This case draws upon the literature on appropriate leadership behaviors that Yahoo’s Founders or CEOs could have adopted. It discusses the process of environmental analysis that would have an impact on Yahoo!’s strategy. It discusses and depicts the levels of environmental analyzes that Yahoo! as a firm ought to have undertaken in mapping its competitive environment. Further, this case discusses transformational leadership factors and those behavioral traits that exemplify each of these factors. Finally, the four elements of aspiration in discussing future firm direction are identified. These include an appropriate vision translated into a clarifying mission reflected in specific objectives grounded in explicit value statements. Research methodology This case is based on secondary data sources that include official company records, online reports and commentary, newspaper reports, public interviews and books. All such information has been appropriately referenced. Case overview/synopsis Yahoo!, in its 22 years of existence, has demonstrated remarkable tumult. It has witnessed a succession of six CEOs, exhibited a roller coaster trajectory in its stock price and, for the most part of its existence, played “catch-up” with its strategic competitors. It has also struggled to define its core purpose, its industry category and its very essence of being. In early 2016, CEO Marissa Mayer announced that Yahoo! would be willing to sell its core internet business and that its board would “engage on qualified strategic proposals.” However, the board also reiterated that turning around Yahoo! to prosperity continued to remain a top priority. What went wrong, so terribly wrong, with Yahoo! in an otherwise lucrative industry? Does Yahoo! suffer from a fundamental, essential malaise which, if addressed, could restore it to wealth and vibrancy? This case focuses on the period 1994, the inception of Yahoo!, to early 2016. The acquisition of Yahoo! by Verizon, completed in 2017, is not to be considered for purposes of this case study. Complexity academic level This case is particularly suited to be taught in a capstone strategic management course for MBA/Master’s level business students, after they have been exposed to core courses in Marketing, Business Law, Accounting, Supply Chain, Corporate Finance. It may also be taught in an advanced strategy course for undergraduate business students, typically in their final year of study. Finally, this case can be used to teach senior management in executive management programs.

Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the internal audit of an economic entity

The article raises issues related to the need and possibility of evaluating the effectiveness of the internal audit system. The directions of internal auditors 'audits are formed, the procedure of actions of various structural divisions within the framework of effective corporate governance is described, the key factors of the effectiveness of internal auditors' work are given, their essence is revealed. The necessity of creating an internal audit committee is justified, and the provisions of the internal audit committee are prescribed, according to its supervisory role in the activities of an economic entity. The role of the internal auditor and its interaction with external auditors who carry out control measures are described, arguments are given about internal cooperation between the board of directors, the internal audit committee and the executive management of an economic entity in relation to the control system.

Stakeholder Analysis in Tourism Development Bintan Regency During the Pandemic COVID-19

In improving the welfare of the people in border areas, the development of the tourism sector has an impact on long-term economic growth which has been the largest regional income source in Bintan Regency. The importance of interaction and stakeholder actors involved in tourism activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to analyze the condition of stakeholder actors in tourism management in Bintan Regency. The research method used a qualitative approach with stakeholder analysis using NVivo 12 with data collection techniques in the form of interviews with stakeholders and using existing secondary data which was carried out in-depth analysis. The results showed that 3 components (who, when, and how) showed a significant correlation between stakeholders in tourism development in Bintan Regency, namely the local government which regulates the executive management as a facilitator. Then the involvement of community groups as active participation to support the development of travel bubble-based tourism in the border region of the country, then the involvement of the private sector who maintain and regulate health protocols in the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, the alternative is to improve stakeholder relations in the future to make efforts to approach harmonious communication between stakeholders in the tourism sector in Bintan Regency.

1523Early political actions on education and healthcare sectors against COVID-19 in five Latin American countries

Background The first Latin-American COVID-19 case was reported in Brazil on February 26, 2020; since then, all regional governments tried to set-up sanitary measures to avoid COVID19 and lower mortality rates among susceptible population. Main goal here is to describe early political decisions and actions on education and healthcare against COVID-19 in five regional countries. Methods Qualitative study based upon intersectoral policy content analysis of bills, plans, and ministry-level documents issued in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador during February – April 2020; political actions and social reactions as depicted in broad news agencies (CNN, DW) were considered also. Analysis was categorized by three document levels (government, corporate, news), two dimensions (education, healthcare), five measures (quarantine, curfews, social distancing; hands washout, face mask). PDF/DOC/DOCX files were downloaded from their respective webpages, compiled in Google Drive, and analyzed to obtain both emergent categories and compacted texts for integration in a narrative way. Results Emerging categories included political/legal context, rationale, choice of approach against COVID-19, timeline, recurring concepts. Healthcare and education reflected citizens’ perception, states’ strength, and reactive/proactive congressional or ministerial responses. Lack of preventive measures - laboratory tests, low to none contacts’ follow-up, insufficient vaccines/biological products development, and failure in long-term education or science programs triggered a negative cascade effect. Conclusions Depending on each country, there was either compromise on social science to bolster executive management or negation, political polarization, and corruption/corruption of state structures; these issues are complex demanding long-term inter/transdisciplinary approaches solutions against a new pandemic in the future. Key messages Social and political structures and organization have had direct incidence in national response to COVID-19 pandemic. In Latin America, long term research in both health and education is required facing a future new pandemic.

The ascension of executives' tenure, corporate risk-taking and corporate performance: evidence from Malaysia

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the implication of top executives’ number of years of experience (tenure) on corporate risk-taking behaviour and corporate performance in Malaysian corporations.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypothesis efficiently, the authors have extracted the data from Bloomberg for 788 listed companies of the Malaysian Stock Exchange. The methodology entails ordinary least squares regressions, quantile regression and dynamic system generalized method of moments model.FindingsFirst, the authors show that executive management tenure has a significant negative relationship with corporate risk-taking. It means that the long-tenured executives tend to undertake less risky strategies and decisions. Second, this study reveals that the longer executive management tenure has a positive relationship with corporate performance. Third, the moderating effect of corporate risk-taking with executive tenure (Tenure dummy*Risk) has a negative relationship with the corporate performance by 1%.Practical implicationsIt implies that the appointment of experienced executive management contributes towards corporate performance directly. However, experienced management trends take less risk, which eventually results in mitigating the corporate performance. On that basis, the findings are significant in highlighting the usefulness of executive leadership term and offers insights to academics, practitioners and policymakers.Originality/valueThis paper is novel since it is unique in evaluating the executive tenure and the preferences to handle risk strategies and how that impact the firm performance.