Search results

This case tackles the diaper industry in a developing country and can be applied to three different undergraduate or graduate level courses, including Marketing Management, Strategic Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. The case describes the industry, the manufacturing process, along with detailed information about Novatis Group's business and functions and the overall improving economic environment in Morocco.

The Novatis Group case has several objectives that can be applied to three different courses within undergraduate and graduate studies including Marketing Management, Strategic Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management.

The case focuses on Novatis Group, a diaper manufacturing company located in Morocco which competes against multinational companies (MNCs) such as Procter and Gamble and Kimberly Clark in order to satisfy the rising diaper needs of the country. Morocco is a developing country that is strengthening its manufacturing industries. The rising economic conditions have given way to a growing middle class and an increased demand for disposable baby diapers. Novatis uses two distribution channels for the diapers: the multi-tiered distribution channel and the streamlined (straight to retailer) channel. Novatis Group is producing diapers at full capacity; still demand has exceeded supply.

Students will understand the business processes in a developing country and how a small, local company can compete against large MNCs.

Teaching notes are available, please consult your Librarian to access.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical factors that shape the green purchasing behaviour (GPB) of nursing mothers in their choice of baby diapers. The study also investigates demographic influences on GPB.

Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used in selecting 150 respondents for the study. Questionnaires were administered to nursing mothers in University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Creches within Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 124 questionnaires were returned, out of which 116 (77 per cent) were found usable. The data collected were analysed using mean, factor analysis and analysis of variance.

Results reveal that environmental attitudes and perceived effectiveness of environmental behaviour are the critical predictors of GPB of nursing mothers in the selection of diapers. Age was the only demographic that significantly explain nursing mothers’ GPB.

International green marketers planning to offer baby diapers in Nigeria should seek to influence nursing mothers’ attitude by emphasizing the perceived effectiveness of their GPB. In the same vein, the municipal waste management in conjunction with the post-natal and child healthcare needs to educate nursing mothers of the danger of improper disposal and selection of non-degradable diapers.

The study is unique and seminal in nature, as it is first of its kind possibly in Nigeria to examine the GPB and environmental sensitivity of nursing mothers in the selection of baby diapers.

Focus groups have become popular vehicles for generating new product ideas. Samples of target buyers are brought together at interviewing facilities, and moderators facilitate and lubricate group discussions which trigger insights as well as new product concepts among observers in the viewing rooms.

A consumer model of environmentally responsible purchase behaviour was tested using covariance structural analysis. The model successfully predicted the purchase of environmentally responsible and non‐responsible product alternatives. A hierarchial relationship from values to product specific attitudes to purchase intention to purchase behaviour was confirmed. Individual consequences, which take the personal implications of consumption into account, were found to be just as important in predicting intention as the environmental consequences of a product. The study empirically tested a values typology as a basis to explain attitude formation.

Absorbent disposable products, such as diapers and sanitary napkins, are mostly one-time use items and designed to absorb and retain body fluids and solid waste. The present research work deals with the development and characterization of baby diapers made from four different fibrous compositions namely, pure bamboo, pure cotton, bamboo/cotton (70/30) and bamboo/cotton (50/50). Antibacterial activity tests have been carried out on baby diapers against S.aureus and E.coli. The strongest antibacterial activity in terms of reduction of the organism is found in diapers produced from pure bamboo fibre and the weakest antibacterial activity is found in cotton diapers. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP), namely, sodium polyacrylate is incorporated into the diapers to enhance their absorption capacity. The diapers are subjected to tests such as absorption capacity, liquid strike-through, acquisition time under load and diaper rewet under load to study their performance. Upon an analysis of the results, it is found that the performance of diapers produced from a bamboo/cotton (70/30) fibre blend is superior in comparison to the other ones.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to illustrate issues in offline marketing and strategy for an in-store business, familiarize students with the challenges involved in the decision-making in integrating online and offline marketing strategies, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of online and offline marketing and motivate students to apply marketing strategies to real-world business situations

Deepa Kumar, the founder of Yashram Lifestyle, had successfully built a niche brand with a strong online presence in the lingerie industry. Yashram Lifestyle was known for its innovative products and commitment to addressing the real-life vulnerabilities faced by women at different stages of life. With a vision to be a one-stop destination for all intimate and practical needs of women and girls, Yashram had introduced unique products such as period panties, starter bras, incontinence underwear and hygiene panties. On the contrary, Kumar acknowledged that offline marketing strategies, such as pop-up stores, collaborations with physical retailers and participation in industry events, could provide valuable insights into customer preferences, enhance brand visibility and foster direct customer engagement. Offline channels might also enable Yashram Lifestyle to better understand the market dynamics and further drive product innovation. However, owing to the associated costs, logistics and potential risks, Kumar was apprehensive about venturing into offline marketing. She wondered whether Yashram Lifestyle had the necessary assets and expertise to successfully scale up its operations while making these alternate decisions. Furthermore, she questioned herself whether offline marketing efforts would be worth the investment and whether they could lead to substantial growth and increased market share for Yashram Lifestyle.

The purpose of this case study is to provoke critical thought among undergraduate and postgraduate business and management students about Kumar’s potential course of action for Yashram Lifestyle to engage in offline marketing. It applies to the implementation of marketing strategy.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

A new non-woven material is developed by using chitosan blending fibers via a spun-lacing method, which can be used as the inner layer of baby diapers for providing good permeability, water transmission, insulation, antibiotic protection and anti-odor functions. In the trial production process, the right blending ratios of chitosan, lyocell and bicomponent fibers of 45:45:10 are chosen by experiments. Then, through a close coordination of blending, carding and spun-lacing processes, the best production parameters are filtered out. The new non-woven material is thus made uniform with many oval holes that have a thickness of 0.5 mm. Tests show permeability and absorbency properties of the non-woven material are 212.26% and 121.07% respectively higher than those of ordinary materials (through-air bonding and calendar bonding) used in present baby diapers, and its strength is just proper enough for diaper materials. Moreover, the new non-woven material is also inherently antimicrobial, with a micro-organism resistance to both staphylococcus aureus and epiphytes that is above 95%, whereas in comparison, the ordinary material falls below 70%.

This paper aims to study the motivations for purchasing protective products.

Empirical microeconomic research.

The results show that comparing with ordinary families, families vulnerable to environmental conditions, including prepregnant, pregnant and postpartum families, are not intended to consume more protective products. Among the above three types of families, postpartum families consume the most, followed by pregnant families, and prepregnancy families consume the least. The results also showed that a higher level of economic development, more prevalent Internet access and higher levels of education also increase the consumption of protective products.

New dataset and new empirical results.

In addition to being one of the most commonly purchased items by infant caretakers, disposable baby diapers (DBDs) are among the most detrimental products to the environment. Shifting to a diapering method that is less harmful to the environment is an example of pro-environmental conduct. Hence, this study aims to examine how motivation, subjective norms, perceived benefits and perceived threats influence pro-environmental behavior (PEB) intention.

This research uses a two-stage disjoint approach of partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the data. In the conceptual model, a combination of reflective-reflective second-order constructs is used in the motivation, perceived benefits and perceived threats. A total of 233 respondents from a developing economy in Southeast Asia provide the data.

This study suggests that perceived benefits (i.e. environmental, monetary and symbol) and threats (i.e. susceptibility and severity) are significant determinants of PEB. Surprisingly, motivation and subjective norms had no significant relationship with consumers' adoption of non-DBD alternatives.

To persuade caretakers to act in an environmentally responsible manner, the findings of this study imply that, where relevant, considerations for a wide variety of benefits and health risks should be made apparent. Environmental, financial and symbolic benefits should be shared with prospective target audiences. Caretakers should be warned of probable health effects of not being environmentally friendly. This study argues that caretakers' lack of information of non-DBD options may explain the insignificance of subjective norms and motivation.

This study contributes to the social marketing literature by examining the influence of motivation, subjective norms, perceived benefits and perceived threats on the intention to use more-environmentally friendly alternatives to DBDs as a manifestation of PEB.

The objective hand measurement of the materials used for disposable diapers has been looked into, with consideration given to aspects of both dermatitis and comfort. The subjective hand of the commercially produced diapers both at the leg gatherings and at the center was assessed by mothers and female students. The mechanical and surface parameters of the diapers were measured with the KES‐FB system. The equations that connect the material properties to the subjective hand were obtained by using the stepwise block‐regression analysis method. It became clear that the hand of diapers could be predicted from the physical parameters, for which the calculated error was within the range of the standard deviation of the subjective hand value of each diaper. In a dry condition, it is expected that the hand of diapers could be satisfactorily evaluated by using only the surface and compression parameters.