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Teaching objective 1: Students are able to identify and apply characteristics of a social entrepreneur, and social enterprise, as defined by Dees (2001). Teaching objective 2: Students are able to identify and apply the four tensions identified by Smith, Gonin and Besharov (2013) that manifest in social enterprises. Teaching objective 3: Students are able to apply Institutional Theory to social entrepreneurship. Students are able to explain legitimacy and the influence of context on the social enterprise. Teaching objective 4: Students through using the Change Canvas, are able to distinguish between profit and purpose characteristics of the organisation; and are able to make recommendations based on the process they have followed.

Kovin Naidoo is the CEO Of a multi-national social enterprise, Australia-based The Brien Holden Institute. The case explores Naidoo's journey as a social entrepreneur, and the partnership forged with Brien Holden as they built their multinational social enterprise. Naidoo is catapulted to the position of CEO after the sudden death of his friend, and is trying to balance the competing pressures of profit and purpose. The case introduces the foundational characteristics of social entrepreneurship, before exploring Institutional Theory and the Change Canvas as a tool for managing tensions between profit and purpose.

This case study is aimed at students of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, corporate social investment, development studies, innovative health-care systems, sustainable livelihoods and asset-based development. It is written at an Honours / Masters level and is therefore also appropriate for use in customised or short programmes.

Videos (including a TedX by Naidoo), Web materials and a book chapter are included in the supplementary materials list.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

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.

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

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.

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.

Marketing, Retail Marketing and E-commerce.

Graduate and Post-graduate.

The Future Group is the most profitable retailer in India without having any foreign direct investment (FDI). In September 2013, the retailer launched its online retailing platform, “Big Bazaar Direct” (BBD). BBD is a franchisee-based model which aims to partner with people having rich customer networks to reach more shoppers. This novice idea of BBD is the result of Big Bazaar’s greater mind share over its market share. Mr Kishore Biyani, CEO Future Group, has lot of expectation from this business model.

The outcomes include: to familiarize students with Indian Retail Industry; to develop student’s skills in critically analyzing an online retail-based new business model; and to explain key factors that work for success of a retail-based business model.

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 8: Marketing

To develop the case, the authors used secondary sources including company annual reports, industry reports, news articles, social media sites, academic journal articles and company websites. This case has been classroom tested with students in the MBA Program and Master of Science in Management and Technology Program, and with undergraduates in an operations management course.

Movado Group, which has been a fierce competitor in the luxury watch market, has been facing unprecedented challenges posed by consumers’ enthusiasm for smartwatches and by their love of shopping online. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified these problems and brought new setbacks. This case examines these challenges to the company’s current business model. It then explores opportunities that could transform Movado into an innovative, digitally oriented organization capable of reaching consumers in a dynamic market while combating intense competition from the smart wearable devices that threaten traditional watch companies. The case also discusses the importance of building a robust supply chain through the lens of Industry 4.0 to guard against future supply chain disruptions.

Instructors can use this case in operations and supply chain management classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The focus of the case aligns with discussions of supply chain management and Industry 4.0. In particular, the case uses supply chain innovation theory to investigate the implications of Industry 4.0 in the watch industry and dovetails into discussions of omni-channel experience and virtual reality in retail that integrate multiple points of contact to reach consumers efficiently.

This paper aims to first, identify the external and internal factors that a company needs to analyze when formulating its digital platform strategy. Based on the framework of PESTNPG (political economic social and culture technological population and globalization) and internal analysis a company should analyze both internal and external factors to formulate its digital platform strategy. For companies from emerging markets the institutional-based market created by national or local governments is important for digital platform strategy. Second dynamic capability theory and its linkages to digital platform strategy. The dynamic capabilities view is considered as a primary theoretical lens in the strategy literature to analyze a company’s strategies to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. To carry out a successful digital platform strategy companies need to build strong dynamic capabilities to capture or create opportunities and reconfigure their resources simultaneously. Third the advantages and disadvantages of different digital platform strategies (i.e. an independent digital platform and online–offline integration platform) and the possible consequences and risks of different strategies. It is important to evaluate different types of digital platform strategies that require different capabilities in terms of business structure product structure revenue structure organizational structure and technology architecture. A company needs to link these capabilities to a digital platform strategy to enable the integration (or separation) of online business with offline business. It also increases the accuracy and efficiency of online business. Fourth key points of digital platform strategy implementation. Companies need to identify key profit models for their digital platform to promote business growth and financial returns. It is equally important to increase customer value by leveraging its digital exhibition platform and to learn to use digital technology to foster organizational dematerialization.

Zhejiang Meorient Commerce & Exhibition Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Meorient”) was a leading company in the exhibition industry in China. The unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 plunged Meorient into a state of emergency that forced it to fight for survival. Further, China had launched a national strategy of Digital China, which created new market opportunities for Meorient. As a result, Meorient gradually developed and launched its digital exhibition services in 2015. Meorient suffered significant losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 and had to formulate a new strategy based on a digital exhibition platform in 2021. Chairman Pan Jianjun had two options. One was a purely digital platform strategy without the original offline exhibition business. The other one was an online and offline integration strategy. Which option was the best way forward for Meorient? Pan had to make a choice. Some of the top management team members believed Meorient should completely transform into a digital platform company and provide comprehensive online digital exhibition services. Over the previous 20 years, Meorient had accumulated a large amount of data from domestic and foreign exhibitors and professional buyers and had gradually developed a digital exhibition platform. It was one of the companies that pioneered digital transformation within China’s exhibition industry. More conservative thinking held that Meorient's strategy should focus more narrowly on the integration of online and offline exhibition businesses. Toward the post-pandemic era, China’s national strategy of “Digital China” accelerated the development of digital infrastructures. During such critical transitional period, Meorient had to choose wisely if it was to sustain its profits or even survive.

The case is aimed at students in undergraduate, MBA, short course executive, EMBA or other executive education programs, especially where digital transformation is featured subject matter.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy

Corporate Strategy; Strategy.

Post-graduate; Executive education; Under-graduate.

The case is based on Titan Company Limited (Titan), one of India’s profitable diversified companies. Set in April 2020, the case presents the evolution of Titan’s growth strategy in the last three decades. The company had grown by continuously exploring adjacent categories in the personal lifestyle space. The case asks whether the strategy that has guided Titan for the past three decades would continue to provide growth. What changes, if any, should be made by C.K. Venkataraman—the new CEO who had taken charge a few months back in October 2019—and his team?

The case describes Titan’s evolution from 1987 to 2020. ‘Winning times’, the first section of the case, describes Titan’s early choices in the watches business that helped the company achieve market dominance and its successive choices to expand the scope of watches businesses by entering new adjacencies. The section also details the evolution of Titan’s design, manufacturing, marketing and retailing capabilities in early years. ‘Looking for another gem’ describes Titan’s venture into the jewellery business – the failure of its early attempts to export and its pivot to domestic market and the successful turnaround of the business. ‘On the fast track to growth’ deals with Titan’s accessories business. The section ‘Eyeing new businesses’ describes Titan’s foray into prescription eyewear and precision engineering businesses and the company’s performance in these businesses. ‘A new identity’ details Titan’s adoption of a distinct corporate identity in 2013. ‘New businesses’ provides information on Titan’s recent foray into fragrances and sarees business. The case ends with the section ‘Years ahead’ which asks what changes, if any, should be made by the leadership team.

Upon completion of the case study discussion, participants will be able to: understand the concept of the ‘core competence’ and the three tests of core competence; how core competencies evolve in an organization over time; diversification (growth) strategy based on core competencies and adjacencies; and key managerial choices and organizational processes required to ensure effectiveness of diversification strategy based on core competencies.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

Entrepreneurship in emerging markets; the planning of survival and competition strategies of small businesses run by entrepreneurs against well established larger brands.

The case can be used at the post graduate level in principles of marketing, entrepreneurship or emerging markets courses.

The case looks at the antecedents and process of transformation of a small-scale firm into a marketing-oriented organization, through the lens of holistic marketing. The case focuses on a small-scale Bangalore based Indian company, Vishaal Natural Food Products (I) Pvt. Ltd that had used the concept of marketing orientation and holistic marketing to effectively make use of the advantages of its “smallness” and the characteristics of its entrepreneurial setup.

How can an entrepreneur survive in a dynamic environment? How should the company conceptually finalize its growth avenues? How can holistic marketing have an impact on the entire functioning of the organization when radical changes to handle the environmental changes, are made? How does the concept of holistic marketing which in textbooks fits in with the complexities of large corporations when they plan their strategies, have an impact on the functioning of these small businesses. The case delves into the conceptual linkages posed by these questions.

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

Strategic management.

Upper-level undergraduate courses or introductory MBA courses.

The need to diversify the financial risks of his scrap metal business based in Georgia led Levan to invest in a diamond trading company in the UAE. He agreed to be a sleeping partner and provide the capital to Kewon, a diamond specialist with a wealth of experience in the field, in their joint attempt to build an international network of diamond trade. Despite several difficulties faced on the way, their company seemed to generate stable returns for more than five years. Yet following the surprising discovery of multiple organizational inconsistencies, Levan decided to end the partnership with Kewon and establish his own retail jewelry store to be managed by the members of his family. Ultimately, he was confronted with two important decisions regarding both his jewelry business and the diamond company in which he had previously invested a significant amount of capital. The decisions he was about to make were of critical importance for the future of these companies and the people who managed them. By walking readers through a series of triggering events, this case offers the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of managerial actions through the application of various strategic management tools and frameworks.

Upon completion of this case study analysis, students should be able to: estimate the complexities associated with the management of a partnership-based venture in the context of emerging markets; perform a detailed diagnosis of an entrepreneurial venture, applying relevant strategic management tools and techniques; evaluate the effectiveness of managerial actions and decisions at different stages of the organizational lifecycle; and demonstrate the importance of the strategic adaptation of organizations through the deployment of viable decision-making skills.

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.

International business and/or strategic management.

This case is useful for undergraduate and postgraduate level students majoring in international business management and/or strategic management.

Etihad Airways was established in 2003, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the UAE government as sole owner. It is the national carrier of UAE with Abu Dhabi as its centre of operations. Etihad is recognized as a fast-growing player in the aviation industry, and has become one of the dominant international players in the industry in a relatively short time. Etihad's fleet now contains more than 67 planes, with more than 1,300 flights per week to diverse destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. The company describes its business strategy as “sustainable growth”. Looking through a practitioner's lens, strategic partnerships have been the critical activities through which Etihad has delivered its strategy. The purpose of this case study is therefore to elaborate on its major and successful partnerships and the critical benefits of these. Secondary data were collected from credible sources including academic studies, relevant Etihad publications and industry reports published by official aviation associations.

Students will be able to understand the theory of strategic partnerships, their roles and benefits and critically evaluate the pre-staging “requirements” of such partnerships. In this case, the specific learning outcome of it is to help students to understand the importance of successful strategic partnerships for Etihad Airlines and how partnership strategies can improve the performance of Etihad Airlines.

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

MBA, advanced undergrad, entrepreneurship and technology commercialization classes.

Entrepreneurial diversity, equity and inclusion, medical device innovation, and models of business accelerators.

The first half of the case explores Kathryne Cooper’s professional and personal journey and the ways her life experiences inform the goals she helps set for The West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP). As an African-American woman codirector of a medical device accelerator focused on the pediatric market, Cooper was acutely aware of the lack of diversity in the tech industry. The second half of the case explores the medical device market and the need for organizations such as CTIP. Cooper implemented a revised application process and system to encourage applications from underrepresented minority founders. CTIP was in a unique position to support concept stage products and nontraditional founders. The case concludes with a description of seven companies that have applied to join CTIP’s portfolio. Students are instructed to consider, as Cooper, which companies to support and what type of support to offer.

Explore the ways personal backgrounds inform leadership positions. Analyze how ventures are evaluated from a grant-funded accelerator (in contrast to an investment-fund accelerator). Examine the wide range of support that nontraditional founders require in the underserved pediatric market.

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

A model to support diversity of gender and race in entrepreneurship.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.