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1 – 3 of 3Chubashini Suntharalingam and Keng Kok Tee
Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Small-scale Dairy Farmers
Abstract
Subject area
Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Small-scale Dairy Farmers
Study level/applicability
This case is appropriate for undergraduate final year/senior as well as graduate-level programme students.
Case overview
This case explores the life of Saravanan, a small-scale dairy farmer in Malaysia. He inherited the business from his father. Small-scale farmers in Malaysia own farms with 30 (or fewer) milking cows. Over the years, milk consumption had been on the rise, but production was less than promising. Besides low-quality milk, Saravanan often experienced issues of low milk yield. Selling fresh milk as his only source of income and the milk collection centre as his sole marketing channel, Saravanan was caught in a financially tight situation when product diversification and marketing initiatives were limited. Saravanan’s problems began with rejected fresh milk, which landed him with zero income for the day. This issue was detected when the authorities identified a few contaminated batches of milk during a site visit. The problem compounded when Saravanan had to settle three months’ debt with the feed supplier on the same day. Saravanan’s predicament echoed the plight faced by small-scale farmers in Malaysia. After managing the farm for more than 30 years, Saravanan had plans to pass it to his son, Mugunthan. However, doubts about the sustainability of the business remained. Would Mugunthan suffer the same dire fate? Would he be able to find a way out? Based on the problem-solving framework, the case attempts to identify and assess the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia, and at the same time, to suggest solutions that will ensure the sustainability of their business.
Expected learning outcomes
After attempting the case, students should learn to empathise with the hardship small-scale dairy farmers endure in the pursuit of their businesses, analyse issues and determine the root causes of the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia based on the problem-solving framework, generate and justify sustainable solutions to solve the problems faced by these dairy farmers and present the case, discuss and work in teams, and critically offer sustainable solutions based on framework and theories.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Details
Keywords
Stephen E. Maiden and Elliott N. Weiss
In an effort to save his business, Paul Marciano, the owner of Italian family restaurant Maria’s Ristorante, runs a number of experiments focused on improving the customer…
Abstract
In an effort to save his business, Paul Marciano, the owner of Italian family restaurant Maria’s Ristorante, runs a number of experiments focused on improving the customer experience around his target customer segment. These experiments lead to a better understanding about his business and cause him to make specific changes to his business model that ultimately improve things across the board. The experiments are based on research from the academic literature on the use of behavioral variables to manage customer perceptions.
Ajay Chauhan and Rabia Rasheed
The case discusses Islamic Banking Principles and Products (Banking), Business Strategy for Niche Markets (Strategic Management) and Segmentation and Marketing Strategy (Marketing…
Abstract
Subject area
The case discusses Islamic Banking Principles and Products (Banking), Business Strategy for Niche Markets (Strategic Management) and Segmentation and Marketing Strategy (Marketing Management).
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate Graduate Training – Executives at junior level.
Case overview
This case is about the dilemma faced by Azhar Mehmud, a newly recruited Marketing Manager, Islamic Products (MMIP) in Bank Islam on six-month probation. Prior to Bank Islam, Azhar had an MBA degree from the UK and about 15 years of experience of business development in a multi-national bank in Indonesia. Looking at his experience, he was awarded to promote Islamic banking (IB) products in Malaysia where the competition was very intense. After his interactions with customers for about six to seven months, he prepared a report for his boss, General Manager, Consumer Banking (GMCB). In this report, he had summarized the challenges of marketing IB products in a market meant for conventional banking. When he presented the report to GMCB, he met with unfavorable reactions. GMCB was not convinced that IB products had any competition from conventional banking. He gave Azhar one additional month to either revise his thinking or quit the organization.
Expected learning outcomes
The expected learning outcomes are as follows: to enhance the awareness of IB products, principles and differences from the conventional banking products; to introduce the concept of business strategies for niche markets; to make students realize the importance of segmentation in view of niche market like IB.
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.
Details