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Strategy.

MBA level. The case can be used primarily for the following courses: strategic management, competitive strategy. It can also be used for courses on: international business, international business environment, business marketing.

Intense competition and a turbulent economic environment posed problems for Infosys, a leading information technology (IT) company in India. Infosys lost market share and its second position in the IT industry to Cognizant. An adverse economic environment affected its clients' IT spending and introduced severe price-based competition in the market. Infosys' business model operated on charging price premium from clients, and the company never compromised on its margins. The company was forced to revaluate, as outsourcing, the main revenue earner for Infosys was experiencing commoditization, and other players were willing to compromise on margins. The Indian IT industry had moved up the value chain and competitors were offering consulting services, where there was huge scope for differentiation. Infosys did not have the requisite resources to compete in this domain. Decline in share prices, negative investor sentiments, downward revision of revenue guidance targets, loss of large clients, higher attrition rates, and visa problems in the US market (Infosys earned more than 60 percent revenues from this market) added worries for the company. In response to these challenges, Infosys initiated Strategy 3.0, wherein the company planned to move up the value chain and offer consulting services and other high-end solutions to clients. This was a shift from its predominantly outsourcing-based revenue model. The company acquired Lodestone to hasten implementation of Strategy 3.0. Initial analysis, however, suggested that Infosys was merely aping Cognizant's well-established strategy. Infosys also needed to tackle perceptual issues regarding its competencies.

The instructor can use this case to facilitate the understanding of: the impact of an intensely competitive environment on a company's strategy, how changes in the competitive landscape and business environment can erode sources of competitive advantage for an incumbent, the impact of a client's business environment on the vendor's business, the concept of value chain and analyze how companies in an industry move up in the value chain, the concept of business model, and how environmental changes can impact a hitherto robust business model of a company, evolution of business model over a period of time with changes in the business environment, the internal conflict between ideals and values versus revenues and market share for a company, key resources and capabilities that shape the differential advantage for an IT company, designing and implementing strategic solutions, the evolution of the Indian IT industry.

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

Business transformation processes, change management and business strategy.

The case can be used to study business transformation processes and would be relevant for courses on change management and business strategy. It shouldbe studied in the context of behavioral and organizational challenges in implementing an organization-wide change. The case is targeted at MBA students and/or executive participants with professional experience who would be able to link the learningto corporate experience. It can be used for courses on organizational change, business strategy, and change management.

The case, set in India in the year 2011, is positioned in the business consulting domain, and provides insight into managing change from the perspective of a consulting partner. The case discusses challenges and presents processes followed by Wipro Consulting Services (WCS) in conducting an integrated business transformation exercise at Brigade Enterprises Ltd (BEL), a leading firm in India's real estate sector. The BEL engagement had busted the myth that an integrated business transformation could not be conducted in an unorganized sector, and resulted in savings of overUSD 2 million for BEL. The case traces the journey of WCS into business transformation consulting, outlines the solution framework proposed by WCS, and discusses the decisive nature of the Brigade project for WCS' growth trajectory.

The case has been written with the following objectives, to: familiarize students with the processes and phases of a business transformation project; examine transformation barriers and challenges from a consultant perspective; and providestudents an appreciation of the complexities and challenges, decisional criteria and parameters of a large-scale, integrated business transformation exercise.

Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.

Used hypodermic needles were found in Stanton Convention Centre. The Centre’s department heads suggested installing secure needle receptacles. June Patterson, General Manager, quickly learned this was a divisive issue. Heated arguments focussed on two opinions: first, the Centre owed employees a safe working environment and needles constituted a significant risk to safety. Second, other department heads believed that presence of needle boxes would diminish customers’ perceptions of the Centre. According to one, “You wouldn’t find needle boxes in nice restaurants or golf courses.” Having promised a decision by the next meeting, Patterson mulled the question over and wondered how to proceed.

This case was written based on information obtained in interviews with the manager described in the case. The manager’s name, the name of the organization, and the city where it is located have all been disguised.

The authors use this case as the first contact with cases for our incoming MBA cohort in the summer pre-session to acquaint them with the basics of case analysis. However, this compact case could be used in many management courses, graduate or undergraduate, to illustrate difficulties in management decision making for different stakeholder groups.

The concepts most central to our discussions of the case are management decision making and the influences of diverse stakeholder opinions on those decisions.

Management of Innovation and Technology/Management Information Systems.

Information Systems.

SER (Sugar, Energy & Rum) was a company belonging to the Grupo Pellas Corporation. The company operated in four countries, had six subsidiaries, employed more than 25,000 people, had more than 43,500 manzanas of sugarcane crops in Nicaragua alone and had global annual sales of more than US$400m. In 2008, due to the negative effects of the crisis on the company’s business model (increasing costs due to higher prices for fuel and decreasing income because of low international sugar prices), the company decided to implement a business intelligence (BI) system to optimize its processes to reduce costs and increase productivity. At that time, the company had more than 100 years of data, information systems that fed into their main business processes and a culture that appreciated data as the basis for decision-making. However, there were inconsistencies among data systems, users received highly complex reports in Excel or green screens and process monitoring happened long after the tasks had been completed. As a response, SER used extract–transform–load to collect and clean data that would be used in the BI system (the case leaves the questions regarding the systems selection unsolved for discussion). Based on their business model, they selected the most critical processes and defined key performance indicators to measure the impact of changes in those processes. They considered graphic design as a tool to make the system more accepted by users and worked together with users so that reports only offered the most important information. The result was improved costs and productivity. They decreased manual time spent by 14 per cent, automated time spent by 10 per cent, and eliminated 1,556 hours of dead time for equipment in the field, which allowed them to increase productivity by US$1m just in sugar. They saved 20,000 trips from the fields to the factories, which represented more than US$1m in savings by monitoring the weight of wagons loaded with sugarcane in real time. They improved client perceptions about the company both locally and internationally by implementing a sugar traceability system.

The case “Business Intelligence at the Grupo Pellas SER Company” has as its objective to respond to the question: How does a company make its BI system implementation successful? As such, the case: Discusses what a BI system is and what it provides to a business analyses challenges, benefits and context when implementing a BI system; analyses success factors and recommendations in the BI system implementation process; analyses the process of implementing a BI and highlights the importance of the system priority questions and technological alternatives.

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

At the end of the case discussion, students would be able to: design key account selection criteria for the organization’s vast clients; analyse the application of key account management (KAM) strategies in a business-to-business (B2B) segment for revenue growth for a medium-scale enterprise; recognize the significance of KAM in a B2B space for a scale enterprise; and assess the proficiency of Univ Manufacturers (UM) for KAM in addressing the existing challenges and managing business growth.

Tarun, the proprietor of UM, has recently received two big orders, one from Ram Enterprise, a long-standing client since 2011 of INR 2m (10% profit margin) and another order from a new client based in Chennai, a growing pharmaceutical products company, of order size of INR 2.3m (15% profit margin). Both the orders were required to be completed within 15 days. The new client with higher value and better returns could help UM enter the south India market, whereas business from the existing client was also profitable. Despite both orders being necessary for business survival and expansion, fulfilling them on schedule posed a huge challenge. Tarun wanted to fulfil both orders. He knew similar situations might arise in future. He advocated prioritizing customers, which made him contemplate KAM. On what basis he should categorize his customers was a big question. Tarun felt that it was time for UM to strategize relationship management with his customers. He wanted to optimize the partnerships. Tarun knew he wanted to introduce KAM, but was firm-level internal capabilities were enough for key account execution. What would be the feasible outcomes if KAM is applied at UM? What must he do to prevent such situations in the future?

This case can be used in B2B marketing and sales management courses. The dilemma can be explained as part of a marketing course for postgraduate and executive programs.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

In 2009, Brigade Enterprises Limited, with operations in the real estate sector and construction in South India, prepared a blueprint for implementing Total Transformation in the organization. A central communication channel was identified as a “must” area for improvement. Aided by Wipro Consulting Services, active and passive measures were adopted to make the internal communication vibrant, which would, it was envisioned, change organizational culture and bring about attitudinal change. However, the review after 18 months pointed towards gaps in the existing model. Should BEL continue with the existing strategies or amend? Given the organizational dynamics, what new changes, if necessary, can be initiated?

The media consultant for the Reagan-Bush '84 campaign identifies his goal as stopping and reversing a strong decline in support for President Reagan. The case describes the results of some of the motivational research used, and introduces a framework for evaluating advertising strategies. The case also introduces the MECCAS framework for evaluating advertising copy and discusses theory-driven communication strategies.

AfrobitLink Ltd was an information technology (IT) firm with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. AfrobitLink started as a very small IT firm with less than two dozen staff. Within a few years of its founding, AfrobitLink established itself as a dependable organization known for delivering high-quality IT services. However, starting in 2004, AfrobitLink experienced rapid growth as it expanded to serve the telecommunications firms taking advantage of the deregulated market. This rapid expansion resulted in many challenges for AfrobitLink. The firm rapidly expanded into all 36 states in Nigeria, hiring a manager to oversee the company’s operations in each of the states. Poor hiring practices, inadequate training, excessive spans of control, low accountability, a subjective reward system, and other cultural issues, such as a relaxed attitude to time, resulted in low motivation, high employee turnover, poor customer service, and financial losses. By 2013, the firm was operating at a loss and its reputation was in shambles. Generally, the culture was toxic: employees did not identify with the firm or care about its goals, there were no performance standards, employees were not held accountable, self-interest and discrimination prevailed. The organization was in a downward spiral. Consultants were hired to help sort out the firm’s problems but these efforts yielded few results. Ken Wilson, the founder’s son, was hired in 2014 as VP of Administration to help get the firm back on track. As a change agent, Ken had to decide how to address the issues facing the firm and how to achieve profitable growth.

Primary sources included interviews with the company CEO, his wife, his son, and a volunteer staff member. Secondary sources included the company website. The names of the people and the firm in the case have been changed to provide anonymity.

This case is intended for use in graduate courses (although it can also be used in upper level undergraduate courses) in change management/organization development, organizational behavior, leadership, or international management. For graduate courses, students may focus on application or integration of several theories or concepts. For upper level undergraduate courses, students may focus on application of a single theory or concept. Below are suggested texts or readings for each type of student by subject.

Change management theories (e.g. Lewin’s force field analysis (Schein, 1996), Kotter’s eight-step change management process (Kotter, 2007), The change kaleidoscope approach (Balogun and Hailey, 2008)), social identity theory (Tajfel, 1981), attribution theory (Kelley, 1972), leadership theories (e.g. Hersey and Blanchard, 1969), intercultural/international management theories (e.g. Hofstede, 1980, 1991).

This case features an entrepreneur striving to rapidly grow a successful chain of hair salons that serve women with afro hair. After doubling from 13 to 26 salons across Brazil in 2014, the founders' expansion plan called for 120 Beleza Natural salons and R$1 billion in sales by 2018. CEO and cofounder Leila Velez is considering various fundamental marketing strategies to catalyze growth: Should Beleza launch a new mass-media campaign, increase promotional discounts, expand its target market to serve men, broaden its service offerings, streamline processes to reduce wait times, expand distribution channels, or franchise? Students assume the role of Velez and are asked to recommend which growth strategy would be their top priority. In doing so, they are required to evaluate how these strategies pertain to the company's business model and value proposition. They are also challenged to consider what a brand is and what makes a strong service brand in order to verify if their strategies are consistent with Beleza's brand. The teaching note outlines a framework for developing or evaluating a business model as well as developing strategies for managing growth. The case is accompanied by a series of video interviews with Velez that support case preparation, in-class discussion, and key learning points.

When established markets in the West are stagnating or in crisis, companies increasingly look to emerging markets, especially the so-called BRICs, for growth potential. However, these new markets also pose unique challenges, for which the best practices and assumptions of Western managers are not automatically suited. Setting up supply chains in new regions confronts firms with multiple challenges in terms of regulation, resources, culture, and infrastructure. In this case study, students will accompany a successful German FMCG manager as he plans his company’s expansion into Russia, and is forced to look at the opportunities and challenges from a new perspective.