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The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: to understand the context of seaport logistics and supply chain design structure, to apply Monte Carlo simulation in the interface of the supply chain and to analyze the Monte Carlo simulation algorithm and statistical techniques for identifying the key seaport logistics factors.

It was 9:00 p.m. on November 10, 2020, and Nishadh Amonkar, the CEO of OCTO supply chain management (SCM) was glued to the television watching the final cricket match of the Indian Premier League, 2020. Amonkar’s mobile phone rang and it was a call from Vinod Nair, a member Logistics Panel of Ranji Industries Federation. Nair informed Amonkar that it was related to the rejection of several export consignments of agricultural products from Ranji (in the western part of India). The rejection was due to the deterioration in the quality of the exported agricultural products during transit from Ranji to various locations in Europe.

This course is suitable at the MBA level for the following courses: Operations research (Focus/Session: Applications on Monte Carlo Simulation). SCM (Focus/Session: Global SCM, Logistics Planning, Distribution Network). Logistics management (Focus/Session: Transportation Planning). Business statistics (Focus/Session: Application of Hypothesis Testing).

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and logistics.

The subject area is marketing strategy.

The case is well suited for MBA and executive MBA class on retailing management, strategic management, marketing strategy and brand management.

Retailers see private label as a strategic weapon against brand manufacturer to increase store profitability, but looking at the private label from brand manufacturer’s perspective, determinants and strategic choices are even more complex than that of a retailer. The case is about MegaTex Ltd.’s strategic call for private label production opportunity by Maximus Fashion and Retail Limited. The case discusses the dilemma of MegaTex for manufacturing private label in spite of having their own brand in competition. The case compels to drive strategic questions such as in what circumstances brand manufacturers should concentrate on manufacturing their own brand or should they concentrate on both private label and their brand? Or, as an alternative, should they purely dedicate themselves in manufacturing private label and stop manufacturing their own brand?

Participants will be able to understand the concept and economics of private label. Participants will be able to understand the determinants and strategic choices for private label from retailer’s and manufacturer’s perspective. Participants will be able to understand the rationale for which brand manufacturer opts for manufacturing private label in spite of having its own brand in competition. Participants will be able to identify the situations under which a brand manufacturer should concentrate on manufacturing his/her own brand or both private label and his/her brand.

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

CSS 11: Strategy.

This study aims to investigate the factors that contribute to the overall tour experience and services provided by Top Tier Holidays. The study is mixed in nature, and the researchers have used analytical tools to analyse the data factually. Multiple regression using MS Excel is used in the study.

This case is based on the experiences of a real-life travel and tour company located in New Delhi, India. The case helps understand regression analysis to identify independent variables significantly impacting the tour experience. The CEO of the company is focused on improving the overall customer experience. The CEO has identified six principal determinants (variables) applicable to tour companies’ success. These variables are hotel experience, transportation, cab driver, on-tour support, itinerary planning and pricing.

Multiple regression analysis using Microsoft Excel is conducted on the above determinants (the independent variables) and the overall tour experience (the dependent variable). This analysis would help identify the relationship between the independent and dependent variables and find the variables that significantly impact the dependent variable. This case also helps us appreciate the importance of various parameters that affect the overall customer tour experience and the challenges a tour operator company faces in the current competitive business environment.

This case is designed for discussion with the undergraduate courses in business management, commerce and tourism management programmes. The case will build up readers’ understanding of linear regression with multiple variables. It shows how multiple linear regression can help companies identify the significant variables affecting business outcomes.

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows: 1) identifying challenges confronting small businesses in emerging markets using the SWOT framework; 2) the application of the Porter’s five forces model in analysing industry dynamics for small businesses; and 3) evaluating business expansion decisions using the force field analysis framework.

Freshood Express Store was a convenience store owned and managed by Mr Cuthbert Tsikira. Freshood Express Store operated grocery convenience stores in partnership with a government-owned fuel retailer in Zimbabwe. It operated two grocery convenience stores in Harare and Bindura. Its business environment was a complex and highly competitive industry with large retailers such as OK supermarkets and TM-Pick n Pay. These large retailers enjoyed massive discounts from powerful suppliers, which enabled them to charge low prices in the market. However, Freshood Express Store, as a small business, sourced their stock from the same suppliers on a cash basis. The playing field was thus uneven. In early 2021, Freshood Express Store was offered two sites to open new establishments. These two sites were more than 200 km out of Harare, the major supplier hub for Freshood Express. In addition, large retailers had existing operations in the two proposed sites, thus adding serious competition. The dilemma confronting Mr Tsikira was as follows: Could he direct limited resources to existing establishments or new markets? He wanted a sound business analysis of the attractiveness of the proposed two markets before making a management decision to invest resources. The case focuses on the need to perform industry analysis before making strategic decisions. The use of the Porter’s five forces model and the force field analysis model to validate decisions after an industry analysis is the high point of the case.

This case study can be used to teach the environmental analysis topic in emerging markets in the small business management course.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

This case introduces the context of seaport logistics supply chain management with a focus on the issues of risk management in handling and transportation of dangerous goods (DG). The authors present the following learning objectives under the overarching framework of Bloom’s Taxonomy as follows: To understand the severity of handling and transportation of DG in the export supply chain context. To understand the relevance of multi-criteria decision-making in risk assessment. To apply Delphi Technique to appropriately explain the process of risk assessment in a supply-chain context.

It was midnight on December 21, 2020, and Nishadh Amonkar, Chief Executive Officer, Yorokobi, was still awake recollecting his telecon with Tushar Rane, the Head-Materials, Western Maharashtra site of Crop Life Pvt Ltd. The organization was developing and manufacturing pesticides and other specialty chemicals for its clients worldwide. As new and diverse products were being manufactured in the organization, transportation of the products was becoming challenging. The case highlights the need for a data driven risk assessment approach to manage supply chains that were prone to product driven risks such as the handling and transportation of DG.

This course is suitable at the Master of Business Administration level for the following courses: Supply Chain Management (Focus/Session: Supply Chain Risk Management), Logistics Management (Focus/Session: Risks in Logistics and Supply Chain), Research Methodology (Focus/Session: Application of Delphi Technique).

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and logistics.

Discussion of the case will enable students to:

• explain what are the five specific dimensions that are important determinants of an environment conducive to entrepreneurial behavior;

• analyze how to measure the internal environment on the five dimensions critical to creating an entrepreneurial/innovative environment;

• devise a profile of the firm across the five dimensions – top management support, work discretion, rewards and reinforcement, time availability and organizational boundaries;

• explain how to attempt to identify the perceived gaps at the unit or division level and then work to rectify the specific areas; and

• describe models of corporate entrepreneurship.

explain what are the five specific dimensions that are important determinants of an environment conducive to entrepreneurial behavior;

analyze how to measure the internal environment on the five dimensions critical to creating an entrepreneurial/innovative environment;

devise a profile of the firm across the five dimensions – top management support, work discretion, rewards and reinforcement, time availability and organizational boundaries;

explain how to attempt to identify the perceived gaps at the unit or division level and then work to rectify the specific areas; and

describe models of corporate entrepreneurship.

Mexicali is a border city in the state of Baja California, Mexico. It was in the month of May 2022. The President of Prodensa Consulting Services (PCS), Marco Kuljacha (Marco), was sitting in his office thinking about a way forward to create an intrapreneurial culture by identifying more “Marcos or Marcias” among his current PCS employees. As he contemplates the future of the company, he is hoping to identify individuals within the organization who exhibit an entrepreneurial mindset through generating and leading new business initiatives for PCS. He desires to support people who have the potential to emerge as future leaders within the organization. He is striving to identify those individuals who want to proactively develop their career trajectories in ways similar to Marco’s earlier professional experiences. After starting with Grupo Prodensa in 2006 as a Junior Project Manager, Marco, by pursuing an intrapreneurial path, worked his way up to become President of the PCS in 2022. According to Marco, such individuals should exhibit the willingness to foster opportunities for new business ventures for PCS and possess traits such as innovation, proactivity, risk-taking, accountability and networking.

With an eye toward the need for continuous innovation and change, Marco was thinking about ways to identify and develop entrepreneurially minded individuals among his employees working at PCS. Corporate entrepreneurship was of great importance for him and the future of the company. The case provides an opportunity for students to step into the shoes of Marco and find an appropriate intrapreneurship model to implement the intrapreneurship culture. In doing so, students should take into consideration the data regarding the existing corporate entrepreneurship processes and teams at Grupo Prodensa that helped it to innovate and make assumptions to analyze the feasibility of implementing intrapreneurship culture by finding more Marco or Marcia.

This case can be used as an introductory case in a postgraduate class on corporate entrepreneurship, as it delineates the challenges faced by Marco in finding an appropriate intrapreneurship model and finding in PCS more Marco or Marcia has qualities such as innovator, proactive, risk-taker, accountability, networking, for implementing corporate entrepreneurship culture in PCS. The case can also be used in a corporate entrepreneurship course and an innovation management course. The case allows students to learn about the model of corporate entrepreneurship; strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results analysis; pros and cons analysis; and challenges faced by the company during the implementation of corporate entrepreneurship. Thus, the case can be used for covering multiple perspectives related to measuring the internal environment or managers’ perception of the five dimensions critical to implementing corporate entrepreneurship (e.g. the application of the Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument), and is ideal for teaching the different corporate entrepreneurship models.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The case describes an impasse that arose when two professors from diverse backgrounds were co-teaching a course in IMC-M, a reputed business school. Professor Agrawal, who has been educated in the western context, is more research oriented. Prof Yadav, on the other hand has rich industry experience and is an alumni of IMC-M. The case highlights the coordination issues and conflict that occur when there is a lack of communication between two faculties, who had considerable differences in attitudes, beliefs, and expectations. The case illustrates how a conflict unfolds and that effective management of conflict should begin with the design of task itself. The case emphasizes that the important determinants of conflicts are lack of communication and improper management of expectations of the key stakeholders.

International business.

The case is suitable for Bachelor and Master level students of business studies.

In the actual global economy context, firms are trying to be more competitive by accelerating their efforts to integrate foreign markets. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from emerging markets are increasingly internationalizing to capitalize on opportunities in foreign markets. To get into internationalization SMEs can use different successful expansion strategies. One of these strategies is the establishment of a win-win partnership with partners that distribute the company products on the foreign markets. The case deals with a successful experience of a win-win partnership from an emerging country SME, the Tunisian food industry firm GIAS, which began its internationalization in 1996. The case presents first the reasons of internationalization of GIAS. Then an explanation of the strategic choices of internationalization of the firm is provided. The selection of the most appropriate foreign markets is described later. The win-win partnership approach is then detailed and the case finishes with the future internationalization plans for GIAS.

The expected learning outcomes include: the selection of a foreign market; the determinants of the foreign mode of entry; the process of integrating an internationalization strategy; how to choose the most appropriate partner; the follow up and the management of the relationships with foreign partners; and the monitoring of international markets. The case provides a space to think about practice and help learners, therefore, to connect theory and practice.

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

Strategic and organisational change, adaptation responses under competitive pressure and uncertainty and transformational process.

For Executive MBAs or MBA programs.

Founded in 1948 by Adrian Urquía, Aceitera General Deheza (AGD) transformed itself from a small oil-processing factory into the biggest indigenous firm in the industry. Nowadays AGD is a leading edible oil export company and also one of the frontrunners on the retail market for bottled oil with several successful brands. It ranked 40th among the 1,000 top companies in terms of turnover in Argentina in 1999 (Revista Mercado, 1999), and it is considered the fifth most important exporter in the country (Revista Mercado, 1999).After the changes the country went through in the 1990s, the company was able to adapt and thrive in an industry in which most indigenous businesses did not manage to survive. Nevertheless, the roots of AGD's success do not date from the 1990s but long before, in their thinking ahead about ways of improving technology, scale and cost-effective measures – a trio of decisions that would prove to be the right combination for survival and success.

An understanding of the process of business transformation: type and pace of change. The study of the transformation process of a firm will be complemented conceptually with the understanding of the adaptation process under the Argentinean context characterised by uncertainty. Students will also examine organisational flexibility. Defining organisational flexibility, the determinants of whether a firm is flexible or not and why we can consider AGD as a flexible firm.

Teaching note.

Gender Roles, Human Resource Management.

HRM-related courses at undergraduate and MBA level. Can be used in executive training.

Nida Akhtar, a 29-year-old factory unit supervisor and a labor union leader of one of the biggest private textile manufacturing companies of Pakistan, faces a crucial decision regarding her personal and professional life. She is getting married in a few months and may need to move to another city. She has been working at Shanza Textile Limited (STL) for the past nine years. In spite of several social pressures and sometimes unfavorable circumstances, she has continued working because of her determination and endurance. She has earned appreciation and respect from her organization as well as from her family and friends. She has an option of moving to STL’s female hostel if she wants to continue working. However, she will have to gain her husband’s consent to do this. Alternatively, she can look for another job in the new city, but in this way, she will not be able to enjoy the same rank and position which she currently enjoys. She is exploring possibilities, and she knows that this decision will not only affect her own future life but will also have a significant impact on her married life and on her future generation.

Introducing students to an important aspect of labor economics: determinants and demographics of female labor force participation rates, in the context of an emerging market like Pakistan. Enabling students and other participants to engage in a meaningful unbiased discussion regarding gender roles in workplaces of emerging markets. To make students familiar with related characteristics, issues and challenges faced by working women in developing and emerging economies. To devise and present policy suggestions for making work environment more conducive for the female workers.

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 6: Human Resource Management.