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Strategic Management.

MBA, Executive MBA.

This case deals with Harsh Mariwalla’s struggle to develop an innovative company from scratch. The journey of innovation is not an easy one. Marico was forced to compete with multinationals in many markets where it operated. Constant pressure from rivals has made the company develop a new innovative business model, which is expected to generate profitability and sustainable competitive advantage.

Students will be able to appreciate the business models, understand the competitive moves by rivals, understand strategy formulation and implementation, understand product innovation and competitive advantage and understand the ability to tackle competition with innovation.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

The case is intended to be used by post-graduate students of Management in the courses of Marketing Management and New Product Management. This case may also be used in other courses like Consumer Behaviour and Strategic Marketing.

Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector set to reach an astonishing INR165.62 trillion (US$3.6 trillion) by 2012 gave a tremendous opportunity to Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to establish its footprint in all consumer packaged products. Dove, a brand of HUL, primarily catering to the premium segment of the market, launched Dove Elixir Hair Oil in November 2012 priced at INR185 (US$3.41) for 90 ml. This was five times higher than any other light hair oil in the market. The case brings out facts that describe market situations at that time and questions if a substantial market at higher end, for Dove hair oil, was available.

This case has been documented to help students understand the concept and applicability of brand extension strategy. The students shall learn the dynamics of this strategy in the market by answering the following questions: What are the factors that contributed to the growth of FMCG market in India? Evaluate HUL's decision to extend the brand Dove into other product categories? Was the market for Dove hair oil available at the higher end? What strategies should Dove use for its hair oil?

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Marketing-managing customer relationship, market positioning, target marketing, product strategy, distribution, retailing and supply chain management, integrated marketing communications.

Undergraduate and graduate students in international marketing; business administration; strategic decision making and general management courses.

The case study focuses on the current scenario within the Indian automotive lubricants industry, in order to provide an understanding of the marketing challenges, especially in retailing and distribution, faced by organisations within this highly competitive sector. The case examines the implementation of marketing strategies into practice and provides an insight into the importance of branding, market segmentation, market positioning, product and pricing strategies and customer relationship management (CRM).

The case study enables the students to understand and analyse: the current business environment and dynamics of emergence in the Indian automotive lubricants market; the critical success factors for doing business in the Indian automotive lubricants market and the associated opportunities and challenges; the importance of distribution and retailing strategies in the Indian context; Izo's growth and expansion strategy in India; and Izo's sales management and CRM systems and there importance to the success of the business.

Teaching note.

In 2014, PZ Wilmar announced a new oil palm business worth $650 million in Cross River State, which would aggressively expand Nigeria’s palm oil production. In July 2015, a year after the plan was announced, a report jointly released by Friends of the Earth US and Environmental Rights Action Nigeria alleged that Wilmar was not complying with Nigerian laws, and accused them of human rights violations, environmental destruction, fraud, and land grabbing. The multifaceted nature of the “Cross River State crisis” permits “close-ups” from different vantage points to analyze the economic, environmental, social, and governance implications of palm oil expansion from a corporate sustainability perspective.

The case was researched utilizing secondary data, all materials are readily available to the public. There is no disguise of any actual person or entity and no relationship between the authors and the organizations or individuals mentioned in the case.

The case is best used at graduate level. It is very well suited for a MBA-level sustainability, business and society, or corporate social responsibility, or business ethics courses.

The case is grounded on the stakeholder theory, yet offering a fresh perspective, leveraging on the uniqueness of the Nigerian context. The authors argue that, while the assessment of the stakeholder salience of environmental groups operating in Nigeria might be different vis-à-vis other countries with sounder institutional environments, the normative question on whether the company should address these claims persists. The authors also draw from the social movements literature and bring forth the idea that the characteristics of the Nigerian context may jeopardize the prospects of success of adversarial tactics such as the issuing of lawsuits and extensive media exposure, which have been deemed effective elsewhere.

The case highlights the initiatives that can be taken by the management of a large organization to bring more objectivity in promotion policies and to make the process of succession management more scientific. After completing the case, the following teaching objectives should be achieved. Students should be able to comprehend the industrial structure and the key challenges faced by oil and gas industry in an emerging economy – India; students should understand how a large organization can bring objectivity and transparency in its promotion policy by focussing on merit; students can analyse the challenges faced by a large organization in implementing changes in its promotion policy; and students should be able to understand the mechanism of alignment of assessment centres with the promotion policy.

The case deals with bringing change in the competency planning in a large organization. The focus of the case is to explain how a large organization can bring about a radical change in promotion policy especially for employees at the senior positions. The key issue highlighted in the case relates to building competency and linking rewards with merit. The case also highlights the kind of resistance by the stakeholders while enforcing the changes in the organization.

MBA and other similar programmes at the post-graduation level.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human resource management.

This case study would help students in understanding the dynamics of logistics and logistics vendor roles and contributions to overall business operations. The case study covers real-time information for applying the theoretical knowledge students gain related to the selection of logistics vendor. It would help students to understand and evaluate the dynamics of a new start-up related to cost, profits and dependency; understand and analyze the importance of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers in the supply chain; become aware of the key performance indicators (KPIs) important in the selection of logistics vendor; and develop and create measures for selecting logistics vendors on the basis of KPIs.

This case study was about an innovative start-up operating in the field of organic edible oils. The company catered to end consumers with its indigenous technology and processes. The innovative and healthy products were appreciated by the consumers, as was reflected in the surging demand figures. With the increasing popularity of organic products, the orders were surging. At the same time, issues such as damaged product delivery, increased cost per delivery of small packages and failure to deliver because of unserved pin codes by their logistics partners were being faced by the company. The case discusses the dilemma faced by the protagonist regarding the selection of the right 3PL partner. The case study is suitable for teaching courses in operations and logistics, supply chain management and entrepreneurship-related courses.

This case study is appropriate for postgraduate courses in entrepreneurship, operations management, logistics and supply chain management and general management.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS9: Operations and logistics.

Maybelline is the world's leading mass cosmetic company. It enjoys tremendous success and a commanding market share, particularly in the eye makeup category. But Maybelline also acknowledges a weakness in the strategic face segment, most notably in the profitable foundations product lines. Approaches the challenge of successfully growing this important category by looking at every aspect necessary to make this move, including: consumer marketing strategy, consumer behavior and purchasing patterns, demographic analysis, segmentation and targeting, product management, distribution channels, pricing, advertising, and understanding the competitive environment.

On completion of analysis of this case, students would be able to: appreciate the context of a typical delisting decision of a public company that is part of a large business group; analyze the complex nature of the relationships among the promoter shareholders, minority shareholders, government-controlled financial institutions, independent directors and executive directors in such a situation of transfer of value; and develop the best possible course of action for the promoters, independent directors and public shareholders, keeping into consideration the principles of corporate governance and the objective of shareholders’ wealth maximization.

The case presents an opportunity to examine the corporate restructuring and governance issues associated with the delisting attempt of India-based mining company Vedanta Ltd., by its London-based parent company, Vedanta Resources. The case focuses on the conflict of interests between the promoters of a business group and the public shareholders of a subsidiary, and the pivotal roles independent directors and proxy advisory firms play in supporting the public shareholders.

The case can be discussed in a graduate-level corporate strategy course that deals with restructuring and governance issues in companies, especially large group companies. It can also be discussed in a course of corporate governance where students have the opportunity to understand the potential conflict between promoters and other shareholders, and the moderating roles the independent directors and institutions may play in resolving such conflicts.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

On May 27, 2020, a blowout occurred in Well No. 5 at Baghjan (Assam); the well, owned by Oil India Ltd., caught fire on June 9, 2020. For almost five and a half months, the company tried to douse the 200-foot high flame but failed to do so. Finally, on Day 173, Oil India Ltd succeeded in capping the well. Biswajit Roy, Director (Human Resources and Business Development), was tasked with investigating the nature and cause of the crisis. Roy pondered on the nature of the crisis: Had it been purely technical or stakeholder-induced? What had led to the chaotic condition? Could things have been done differently?

Steve Holder had already worked with Matsapha College for ten years as the organization matured its macadamia orchard to the point of yielding sufficient proceeds to assist in the support of the colleges educational endeavors in Swaziland. Now Matsapha College was entertaining the possibility of launching a separate entity, Kumnandzi Macadamia Importers, to be a stateside distributor of both Matsapha's macadamia nuts and that of other growers in the region, with the prospect of producing additional revenue to help sponsor education. The Board of Matsapha College is interested in the idea of having the College prosper from added macadamia sales, but members have mixed opinions about the direction and form this growth should take. Before any major decisions are made, Steve learns that the organization should do some self-reflection and decide what Kumnandzi Macadamia Importers is all about before proceeding. Specifically, the Matsapha College Board of Directors needs to articulate its vision for the proposed new entity, as well as craft the entity's mission statement and value proposition.

The case was based upon extensive interviews with the President of the organization being described.

This case is targeted to both undergraduate and graduate students in Strategic Management, but may include Marketing Principles, Marketing Management, Strategic Marketing, and Entrepreneurship, especially if the course includes the task of building a business plan or marketing plan that incorporates vision and mission statements as well as a customer value proposition.