It’s everybody’s business, Period
Publication date: 19 October 2019
Abstract
Supplementary materials
A pitch deck for Girlythings has been provided as a supplementary material for this case. Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes
Learning outcomes
In the light of the case and the accompanying case questions, the students should understand the following: socio-cultural perspectives in adopting the use of taboo products in an emerging economy and a conservative society such as Pakistan; role of government and non-governmental agencies in influencing policy framework; the application of the theory of planned behavior in channeling positive attitudes toward the use of personal hygiene products; peculiarities of formulating an expansion strategy for entrepreneurial ventures; and idiosyncrasies of developing effective business pitches.
Case overview/synopsis
Founded in early 2018, Girlythings was a young startup spearheaded by Tanzila Khan. It aimed at not only improving the availability of sanitary products in the emerging Pakistan market but, over and above, also removing the stigma attached to the topic of menstruation in the society. While the startup was still nestled at an incubation center, the protagonist faced the utmost challenge of deciding the fate of the venture due to the taboo nature of the product. This case is a rich description of the stigma that prevails on the topic of women health in conservative societies like Pakistan. It will help students appreciate the idiosyncrasies of operating in emerging markets and spearheading ventures that deal with sensitive issues.
Complexity academic level
This case is geared toward undergraduate students enrolled in courses of strategy, strategic marketing and entrepreneurship.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely thank the founder of GirlyThings, Tanzila Khan who was always available to answer questions, and their students Yusma Sifwat, Eesha Ehsan and Hareem Khalid who supported the authors on this endeavor.
Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have disguised names; financial and other recognizable information to protect confidentiality.
Citation
Taimoor, S. and Hameed, M. (2019), "It’s everybody’s business, Period", , Vol. 9 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-06-2019-0165
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited