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Case study
Publication date: 12 November 2018

Charles Krusekopf, Alice de Koning and Rebecca Frances Wilson-Mah

After three years in business together, Des Carpenter and Kees Schaddelee had a decision to make – should they double the size of their location, based on the opportunities and…

Abstract

Synopsis

After three years in business together, Des Carpenter and Kees Schaddelee had a decision to make – should they double the size of their location, based on the opportunities and competitive threats they perceived? The startup phase took longer than expected and access to distribution channels was more difficult than expected. Nonetheless, the business gained traction with online sales that proved the concept of custom-made counters using EnvironiteTM technology was viable. As they prepared to expand the business, the owner-managers needed to decide on a growth strategy that would let them leverage their strengths. In analyzing their successes so far, they needed to evaluate their business model including their product line, target markets, marketing strategy (including the pricing strategy, product lines, and channels of distribution) and operations.

Research methodology

Data were collected through interviews with business owners and a review of company documents, production processes and the company website.

Relevant courses and levels

This case exercise will suit strategy and entrepreneurship students at both the senior undergraduate level and graduate level. The case discussion will ask students to consider operations, supply chain management, marketing and other issues, all through the lens of a holistic vision for the company. This case may be taught as an example of a growth strategy or a business model in a capstone business strategy course or higher level entrepreneurship course. It is appropriate for both undergraduate seniors and graduate students.

Theoretical bases

This case may be taught as an example of a growth strategy or a business model in a capstone business strategy course or higher-level entrepreneurship course. The case may be used to help students understand external and internal analysis, identifying the sources of value creation and competitive advantage, and creating an appropriate strategy for growth. It provides a rich context to discuss and apply the following conceptual tools: the application of a value chain analysis and the application of a business model canvas (key partners, key activities, key resources, value propositions, customer relationships, distribution channels, customer segments, cost structure and revenue streams). The case may also be used to reinforce the applications of growth phases in a young firm that are part of the entrepreneurial setting, for example, value proposition, ideal customer, revenue streams and key performance indicators.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 14 no. 6
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Abstract

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Book part
Publication date: 12 September 2003

Alice de Koning

Over the last ten years, researchers have increasingly focused on the pursuit of opportunity as one of the central acts of entrepreneurship. This chapter proposes a model of…

Abstract

Over the last ten years, researchers have increasingly focused on the pursuit of opportunity as one of the central acts of entrepreneurship. This chapter proposes a model of opportunity recognition which emphasizes the process through which entrepreneurs interact with their social contexts to develop opportunities, that is, to develop and shape ideas into attractive opportunities. The central research question is “how does an individual use his or her social context to recognize opportunity?” The question can be re-phrased in two parts, highlighting the two sides of the influence process. First, how do the people around the individual affect both the entrepreneurial thinking process and the opportunity ideas? And second, how does the individual structure his or her social context and use the people surrounding him or her for recognizing and pursuing opportunities?

Details

Cognitive Approaches to Entrepreneurship Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-236-8

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2005

Jifeng Yu, Alice de Koning and Benjamin M. Oviatt

Accelerated internationalization occurs when a firm engages in international business early in its life cycle or when it builds international business experience with great speed…

Abstract

Accelerated internationalization occurs when a firm engages in international business early in its life cycle or when it builds international business experience with great speed, perhaps incorporating international activities in more parts of the firm's value chain than has occurred historically. Such acceleration seems to have been occurring since the late 1980s, and evidence indicates that it is not a temporary or abnormal phenomenon (Organisation for Economic co-operation and development (OECD), 1997). Many firms around the world experienced an era of accelerated internationalization in the 1990s (OECD, 1997) and many are continuing to do so.

Details

International Entrepreneurship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-227-6

Book part
Publication date: 12 September 2003

Abstract

Details

Cognitive Approaches to Entrepreneurship Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-236-8

Book part
Publication date: 12 September 2003

Abstract

Details

Cognitive Approaches to Entrepreneurship Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-236-8

Book part
Publication date: 12 September 2003

Jerome A. Katz and Dean A. Shepherd

Cognition has always been central to the popular way of thinking about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs imagine a different future. They envision or discover new products or…

Abstract

Cognition has always been central to the popular way of thinking about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs imagine a different future. They envision or discover new products or services. They perceive or recognize opportunities. They assess risk, and figure out how to profit from it. They identify possible new combinations of resources. Common to all of these is the individual’s use of their perceptual and reasoning skills, what we call cognition, a term borrowed from the psychologists’ lexicon.

Details

Cognitive Approaches to Entrepreneurship Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-236-8

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2005

Abstract

Details

International Entrepreneurship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-227-6

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2005

Abstract

Details

International Entrepreneurship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-227-6

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2005

Jerome A. Katz and Dean A. Shepherd

This eighth volume in the series Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth focuses on international entrepreneurship. We are fortunate to draw on scholars both new…

Abstract

This eighth volume in the series Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth focuses on international entrepreneurship. We are fortunate to draw on scholars both new to the field as well as some of those who founded this unique specialty. International entrepreneurship, perhaps more than any subfield of entrepreneurship, is a product of our particular zeitgeist. The last quarter of the 20th Century brought about one of the periods of the greatest internationalization in all phases of business.

Details

International Entrepreneurship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-227-6

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