Search results

This article aims to examine the related effects between out-of-class activities, mediated by in-class activities, on the perception of course and teacher performance in a flipped classroom institutionalized setting.

The authors argue that institutionalized out-of-class (content) and in-class (learning) activities positively impact course and teaching quality perception. This study used a sample of 978 responses from MBA students to conduct a path model analysis to test four hypotheses developed from literature from flipped classroom proposing the positive relationship of out-of-class activities in in-class activities and its influence on the course and teaching performance.

The findings reported that out-class and in-class activities and educator performance influenced course performance perception. In-class activities mediated the out-of-class activities’ impact and directly impacted educator’s and course performance. Educator performance is positively correlated with course performance. Overall, executives have a positive perception on institutionalized flipped classroom for MBA courses as an effective provision form. The flipped classroom is able to mobilize their experiences and enrich learners’ educational experience.

Only one unit of the higher education organization was studied, and the authors do not consider indirect effects of the environment on variable’s relationships nor the indirect effects whose would be a suggested for future studies.

The present study provides new insights on flipped classroom. This study evidenced that flipped classroom planned and standardized in an institutional level positively impacts the outcome within the context of executive education.

This case study is best suited for courses in career management, stress management, work–life management or science of well-being in organization behavior (OB) or human resources management (HRM). This case study is targeted at the MBA or executive development programs. The learning outcomes of this case study are as follows: to analyze the challenges in balancing Suraj Kumar’s (the protagonist) work–life balance situation and identifying the main causes of such a conflict. What are some strategies that could be used to address these issues? To develop a plan to balance work responsibilities with family and personal life. What specific actions could he take to achieve this balance? To design a training program for employees that addresses work–life balance issues. What topics would you cover in the training, and what methods would you use to deliver the content? To create a proposal for a flexible work arrangement program that an organization could offer to its employees. What would be the benefits of this program, and how would it be implemented and managed? To develop a business case for why an organization should prioritize work–life balance for its employees. What are the potential benefits of doing so, and how can the organization measure the impact of its efforts?

This case study discusses conflicts due to competitive priorities that people face in balancing the pressures, roles and responsibilities between their professional life (careers) and their personal life, and the trade-offs that they make across these multiple aspects of their lives. This case study revolves around Suraj Kumar, a successful consultant, who was offered a promotion as the executive director for the social sector. This promotion would require extensive travel and time away from his family. Kumar was struggling to balance his work responsibilities with his family life and his involvement with the Smile and Shine Foundation, which supports the education of children from economically weaker sections of society. He was reflecting on his past and present and trying to figure out how to prioritize his commitments while also achieving his personal and professional goals.

This research has shown that a case discussion and role-play can be effective for a less experienced audience. Instructors can provide multiple perspectives to stimulate reflection and debate. For executive MBA or executive development programs, a self-reflection exercise is recommended. Participants in these programs may have personal experience dealing with or may know others who have dealt with work–life balance issues, making self-reflection a valuable tool.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human resource management.

This case study is designed to enable students to formulate the strategic planning process in relation to an organization’s resources; assess the critical tasks required for the company’s business planning for growth and market expansion; and examine the importance of the value delivery process for the company, its customer and its employees. At the end of the case discussion, students will learn how to plan their business in an emerging market by using their existing resources, where the business stands at present and where it may go in the coming future.

The case study discusses how Byju’s, an Indian multinational educational technology company, revolutionized student learning programs through its innovative strategic implementation. It explores the company’s growth and expansion strategy by considering a strength, weakness, opportunity and threats analysis. It elaborates on how Byju’s acquired various companies in India and other countries to become an international technology-based educational brand with 150 million users in 2022. The case study also highlights the marketing and promotional strategy used by the company on online and offline platforms. The case study elaborates on the value delivery process and its importance for customer and employee satisfaction. Despite its success in the Indian market, Byju’s faced tough challenges in the US and European markets, such as lower-than-expected growth rates and lower subscription numbers, even though it followed the same strategy as in the Indian market. The acquisition and celebrity strategy works in emerging economies such as India but not in developed countries. The company’s return on investment was down owing to the high costs it had incurred over the years on market acquisitions and marketing promotions. The growing competition was also expected to bring more challenges for Byju’s. New players such as Tata Studi and YouTube planned to enter the market. Byju Raveendran and his management group had to decide whether to maintain or change the current market offering to reflect market developments to satisfy their customers and employees. They also had to determine whether the main components of the marketing strategy, such as the company’s ongoing value delivery process and ongoing strategy toward the target audience, partners and rivals, are advantageous to the firm or not. The team was in dilemma whether the marketing planning process was going in the right direction and how to make all elements of its businesses more efficient in dealing with the issues. Raveendran kept asking questions about to what extent it is still possible to alter the marketing plan.

The case study is appropriate for discussion in courses such as marketing management, service marketing and strategic marketing management, whether they are part of an undergraduate program (Bachelor of Business Administration [BBA]), a postgraduate program in business management (Master of Business Administration [MBA]) or an executive-level program (executive MBA). The breadth of business topics addressed and the intricacy of the scenario make this case study best suited to be used after the semester as either a culminating project or as a seminar discussion for undergraduates (BBA). The case study can also be discussed in the marketing management course (graduation level) under the marketing and service strategy chapters.

CSS8: Marketing

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

This study investigates the main factors that lead to students’ satisfaction toward executive education blended learning.

Merging five theories (consumer satisfaction theory, self-determination theory, investment model, happy-productive student theory and service quality model), the author used quantitative research to develop a model, explaining executive education satisfaction taught in a blended learning approach. Administrated questionnaires were physically distributed in various business universities that offer education to mid-career executives in Egypt. Two hundred and seventy questionnaires were examined through structural equation modeling path coefficient analysis.

Results show that satisfaction with executive education in traditional classroom boundaries are due to three internal factors (personal/psychological): self-regulated learning, perceived future financial rewards and perceived ease of course; and two external factors: quality of instructor and course design. When courses are given online, satisfaction is developed due to two internal factors (personal/psychological): self-regulated learning and perceived future financial reward; and one external factor, course design.

Marketization signifies students as consumers of universities; student’s satisfaction is increasingly important for educational entities to attract and retain students. Thus, this study develops a coherent student’s satisfaction model to better manage and market executive education, leading to students’ contentment in theory and practice.

Student’s satisfaction has multiple facets that are stochastic as education evolves and develops. The contribution stems from the incorporation of various theories to explain student’s satisfaction of executive education taught in a blended approach: traditional classroom boundaries and digital platforms that offer access to online education. The research extracts significant set of reasons, showing executive education satisfaction is not entirely similar to other education programs; and satisfaction toward blended learning in executive education is not entirely similar to education offered solely online or physically.

The data has been provided by the protagonist in the form of interviews, tables and figures.

Abdul and his team, comprising MS Finance graduates from Lahore University of Management Sciences, embarked on a transformative process that led to the inception of their startup, Ingine. Originating from a discarded idea of importing recycling machines, the team pivoted to address a significant gap in the influencer marketing industry. They envisioned a subscription-based software-as-a-service platform that streamlines interactions between influencers and businesses, emphasizing secure payment processing, messaging and feedback features. The narrative underscores the intricate connection between influencer marketing and the return on investment for small businesses, recognizing the challenge of decoding tangible financial gains. Ingine’s mission is to unravel this puzzle, optimizing small businesses’ investments in influencer marketing while navigating the complexities of crafting a competitive influencer compensation model. The team’s background, strategic considerations and commitment to fostering sustainable relationships between influencers and businesses serve as a compelling backdrop to Ingine’s entrepreneurial aspirations.

The case can be used in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance. The case can be used in undergrad, master’s, MBA, executive MBA and short executive programs. The complexity of a case can be increased or decreased depending on the level of class, i.e. start, middle or end of the course, and the time allocation, i.e. 90 min.

After studying and analysing this case, students would be able to evaluate and understand the importance and need of an infrastructure sector in a country, its inherent risks and scope of infrastructure investment and financing in India – National Infrastructure Pipeline and the important role of Non-Banking Finance Company’s (NBFC) vis-à-vis banks in infrastructure financing in India; critically analyse and recommend alternative decisions in a business problem situation using multi-criteria decision analysis, which is a tool used for business portfolio analysis; understand and evaluate the corporate portfolio management (CPM) tools used for an optimum portfolio mix to turn around companies; identify and suggest an optimum portfolio mix to turn around a finance company using CPM assessment applied to Pidun matrix; and recommend operational and strategic levers for successful turnaround implementation by using the integrated canvas on turnaround.

On 10 May 2020, in New Delhi, India, J. Ray took charge as a full-time director of an Indian Non-Banking Finance Company – Infrastructure Finance Company (NBFC-IFC). The NBFC-IFC of the Indian Government extended long-term financial assistance to infrastructure projects in India. During the financial year (FY) 2017–2018 till FY 2019–2020, the company suffered substantial losses to the tune of US$13.7bn, with profitability experiencing a notable decline – return on assets at a negligible 0.11% and return on equity of only 0.68%.

The NBFC-IFC had a declining yield on advances at 7.05%, net interest margins (NIMs) of 2.08% against a high cost of borrowing at 7.66%, a declining loan book (by 4.35%) of US$336.27bn and a fast-deteriorating asset quality with highest ever non-performing assets (NPAs) at 19.70% of its loan book. Such financial parameters, compared with that of the industry average of banks and finance companies, meant that the NBFC-IFC Ray had taken over was fast bleeding and was on the brink of being declared a sick company. In comparison, private and other government players had profitable and much healthier financials, and Ray felt that there was a need for improvement. To make things worse, Ray got to know that the Indian Government was in the final stages of setting up a new development finance institution focused on long-term infrastructure financing in India. Ray realized the question was not only of the NBFC-IFC remaining relevant but also of its existence in the fast-evolving sector. Ray wondered what could his his integrated canvas be for a turnaround strategy that could include effective management of an optimal portfolio mix.

With a healthy capital-to-risk (weighted) assets ratio of 30.85% and a satisfactorily improved net worth of US$103.1bn, in the given Reserve Bank of India regulatory provisions for the NBFC-IFC including restrictive exposure norms and NBFC-IFC’s operational mandate prescribed by the Indian Government, Ray had to shift the product and sectorial investment of the NBFC-IFC to reduce the NPAs, increase loan book size and improve the yield of advances and its NIM to effectively turn around the company’s profitability. Ray realized that he needed his team to evaluate and select a product and sector strategy for this change.

The present case of financing investment in infrastructure is interesting for implementation in developing economies because a lack of infrastructure is a common problem and there is a necessity of achieving a more developed infrastructure system to support accelerated economic growth in these countries. This case can be used in elective courses on corporate finance strategy and corporate portfolio management for infrastructure finance companies. This case can be taught in elective courses in post-graduate and MBA programs. This case can also be included in management development programs (MDP), executive MBA programs and executive-level courses that have subjects such as corporate finance strategy, corporate portfolio management and strategy management that focus on turnaround strategies including portfolio management for banks and finance companies.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

The learning outcomes are as follows: learning about the concept of informal innovation in comparison with the formal innovations; understanding the drivers and barriers of informal innovation in an organisation; identifying the enablers of informal innovation in an organisation; and analysing the outcomes of informal innovation in non-monetary/non-financial/non-pecuniary terms.

The case study emphasises the importance of informal innovations in the manufacturing industry. The case is an attempt by the authors to bring about a clear distinction between the formal and informal open innovations.

The teaching case can be used for undergraduate- and post-graduate-level courses such as BBA, MBA and executive MBA.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

The data used to present this case was collected from secondary data sources. These sources included media reports associated with Michael Jordan and his trajectory since entering the sport, as well as specific information published about his time at the Chicago Bulls. Another key source of information is the ESPN documentary conducted specifically on Jordan’s relationship with his National Basketball Association (NBA) team.

The case follows the story of Michael Jordan, who took his team, the Chicago Bulls, to fame in a rather controversial manner. To do so, Michael Jordan had to alter his leadership style over the years to be respected as a leader and motivate his team to win one NBA championship after another. On 20th April 2020, ESPN’s “The Last Dance”, a 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and his time playing for the Chicago Bulls was released to much acclaim. The documentary became highly noted as Jordan himself, both directed and starred in the documentary. Jordan’s great achievements stood out, but so did the conflicts that the basketball star had with The Bulls’ management team and mainly, his teammates. Relationships between teammates were far from harmonious, which led to questions around whether Michael Jordan was as good a leader, as he was a star player. Cultural change within the organisation was primarily linked to the often-contested leadership of Jordan.

The case can be used at UG, MSc and MBA levels. It works for in-person teaching and for online teaching. It is most suitable in leadership, strategy and strategy in practice courses. However, it is critical to note that the case can shed light on the dynamics that leaders and teammates have within their teams. Therefore, this case may be valuable to students studying courses where they themselves must work in groups and oftentimes encounter challenges in managing their team. These challenges can arise at all levels of experience. As such, the case provides particularly useful reflection for decision makers who may be beginning to develop their leadership skill (UG), those who have already experienced working in teams (MSc) or leading teams themselves (MBA, Executive MBA). The case addresses the challenges associated with achieving high team motivation and performance. It also sheds light on the challenges associated with leading a cultural change within a team and the approaches of different actors involved. It may be best to introduce the case in the context of a (1.5–2 h) workshop once students understand the basic frameworks and tools used to analyse leadership styles and their characteristics.

This study draws on the systems perspective to study the individual and combined interaction effect of lean management (LM) and sustainability management (SM) on the organization's triple bottom line (TBL) performance.

The study employs structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses using data from the sixth version of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI).

The study finds that LM is positively related to all dimensions of the TBL performance. In contrast, SM is positively related to social and environmental performance and negatively related to economic performance. Finally, by finding that the interaction between LM and (SM) is positive for social and environmental performance, this study not only confirms that LM is an enabler for sustainability, but it also supports that the two paradigms are mutually compatible and reinforcing.

The findings imply that practitioners pursuing both LM and SM should leverage their mutual positive effects and balance the unintended effects of implementing isolated bundles by implementing them together as a complete socio-technical system. Their combined impact on the TBL performance will outweigh the sum of their individual effects in the case of isolated implementations.

In contrast with the extant literature, this study proposes that LM and SM make parts of one system as opposed to one correlated with the other or having a positive causal effect on the other. Taking an integrated systems approach, the study empirically verifies the “mutual compatibility” of the lean and sustainability paradigms argument, with regard to their effect on the TBL performance.

The objective of this paper is to employ a model to expand the literature's comprehension of the organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) phenomenon in the Indian banking sector. The authors examine OCB as a mediator of the relationship between job embeddedness (JE), self-efficacy (SE) and organisation effectiveness (OE). The authors also verify the moderating role of affective commitment (AC) on the JE, SE and OE relationship.

Data for the purpose of this paper are collected from 568 employees in 89 branches of banks located in North and Central India using a survey questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).

The findings confirm the positive association between JE, SE and OE. The results also suggest that OCB mediates the association between the independent and dependent variables. Furthermore, the authors observed that AC moderates the OCB and OE relationship.

The results of this examination will assist the employees to realise the substance of OCB in directing their performance towards OE. This investigation will inspire bank managers to notice that employee readiness to put in extra effort in a bank is primarily the effect of apt individual characteristics, namely JE and SE, that can be shaped and developed. Furthermore, this study draws the attention of bank managers towards the significance of AC, as an essential phenomenon to emotionally attach the employees to their organisation.

This study contributes to the existing literature on OCB by examining how OCB leads to desired outcomes and the conditions that promote the effect of OCB. The authors address these questions by building on a more contemporary perspective, i.e., PsyCap.