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Article
Publication date: 14 February 2020

James Welch

It is an unfortunate and sometimes entirely avoidable prospect that very successful companies can suffer self-inflicted reputational harm due to poor corporate executive decision…

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Abstract

Purpose

It is an unfortunate and sometimes entirely avoidable prospect that very successful companies can suffer self-inflicted reputational harm due to poor corporate executive decision making. One contemporary example is seen with the once popular and rapidly growing pizza chain, Papa John’s as the company has been facing an uphill battle to recover its reputational standing following recent scandal. This article examines the recovery process and the very specific complications with the company itself.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case study approach examining corporate reputational recovery using a four-pronged turnaround model of replacing the leadership, restructuring the organization, redeveloping the strategy, and re-branding the product.

Findings

While the four pronged approach of replace, restructure, redevelop, and re-brand, appears to be a model that can work across industries, there are some challenges depending on corporate specifics. The major challenge with Papa John’s seems to be in the ongoing connection to the founder with related problems dealing with the legacy of the corporate culture. After all, it is very difficult to move beyond reputational damage for a company still bearing the name of the corporate executive who had been the source of the scandal as well as a company that is largely intact structurally.

Originality/value

This article examines the corporate recovery process for Papa Johns Pizza using a four step model for corporate recovery. The new four pronged approach centers on replacement of the corporate leadership, restructure of the organization, redevelopment of strategy and the re-branding of the product. Papa Johns continues to struggle to regain traction following public relations stumbles in 2017 and 2018 and the four pronged corporate recovery model serves as a valuable analytical tool to examine the impact and effectiveness of their efforts thus far as well as their future prospects.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2021

Ibrahim Yahaya Wuni, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Adedayo Johnson Ogungbile and Jonathan Zinzi Ayitey

Industrialized construction (IC) is promoted to address some of the ills associated with the processes and products of the traditional construction approach. With several…

Abstract

Purpose

Industrialized construction (IC) is promoted to address some of the ills associated with the processes and products of the traditional construction approach. With several successful projects, IC is progressively becoming a preferred alternative construction approach and spurred the interest of contractors, developers and housing authorities in the technology. Increasingly, these stakeholders are keen to ascertain the compatibility and feasibility of using IC in their projects. This paper aims to develop a knowledge-based decision support framework for implementing industrialized construction projects (ICPs) that can facilitate better and informed decision-making when deciding to implement ICPs.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review was implemented to recruit 40 decision support factors (DSFs) and grouped into project requirements, location and site attribute, labour considerations and organizational factors. A 3-member expert panel validated the relevance of 35 DSFs, which became candidates for a structured questionnaire survey of experts in 18 countries. Statistical techniques are used to evaluate and prioritize the DSFs, leading to the development of a conceptual framework.

Findings

Statistical analysis revealed 33 significant DSFs. The top five most significant factors that could influence the decision to implement IC in a project include a stringent requirement for project quality control, suitability of the design for IC, organizational readiness and competencies in ICPs, client receptivity to IC and the need to minimize field construction time. A framework of project requirements, location and site attributes, labour considerations and organizational factors was proposed as decision support.

Practical implications

The proposed framework may help to inform decision-making regarding the implementation of IC in a project. It has wider applicability because it includes technical, managerial and operational aspects of and the required competencies for IC, which are shared between project types and territories. The prioritized DSFs could be used as a guide when implementing IC, especially in countries where bespoke decision support systems cannot be developed.

Originality/value

The paper delineated the most important DSFs that are shared between IC project types and territories and can be used to investigate the compatibility of using IC in a proposed project. This research constitutes the first exclusive attempt at delineating, quantifying and ranking the sets of decision-making factors, drawing on international data set and contributes to the empirical checklist of DSFs for ICPs.

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2022

James Welch

This paper aims to center on the analysis of corporate recovery from internal ethical failure with the examination of Wells Fargo and Company. To move beyond self-inflicted…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to center on the analysis of corporate recovery from internal ethical failure with the examination of Wells Fargo and Company. To move beyond self-inflicted reputational damage and regain sales traction, successful turnaround companies have embarked on a four-step corporate recovery process centered on four key words: Replace, Restructure, Redevelop and Re-brand. Wells Fargo is one recent addition to these recovery stories.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses Wells Fargo and Company as a case model to examine corporate recovery. Wells Fargo is just one example of multinational companies that found themselves victims of internal impropriety, poor leadership supervision and unethical strategic decision-making resulting in significant financial losses, drastic declines in stock price and damaged reputation. Using Wells Fargo as an example from the banking industry, the case study approach is an effective way of assessing the viability of the corporate recovery model in various industries.

Findings

The corporate recovery model has served Wells Fargo well over the past few years as the stock price climbed nearly 60% in 2021. In addition, increasingly less public discussion about the account fraud scandal has allowed the reputation of the bank to recover as well. By the last quarter of 2021, the bank saw a 15% increase in revenue and an 86% increase in net income over the previous year. It appears that CEO Scharf is well on his way to turning around the prospects for Wells Fargo and the recovery model has proven again that there is a way through self-inflicted corporate damage.

Originality/value

The recovery story of Wells Fargo and Company adds to the litany of successful corporate recoveries where companies have achieved unprecedented turnarounds by following the model of replacing the leadership, restructuring the organization, redeveloping the strategy and re-branding the product. Implementing this four-pronged recovery strategy can help a company not only survive their specific scandal but also move away from reputational harm and get back on a growth trajectory.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2009

Daniel Mahler and Adheer Bahulkar

For many firms the problems of manufacturing, marketing and distributing a complex product line persist, and it is driving up costs in an economy where cutting costs is essential

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Abstract

Purpose

For many firms the problems of manufacturing, marketing and distributing a complex product line persist, and it is driving up costs in an economy where cutting costs is essential to survival. This paper aims to promote the innovative concept of “Smart Complexity.”

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explains how a firm can adopt this new complexity management concept. It is an approach that challenges the notion that every new product variant drives growth.

Findings

Recently, a company that adopted this approach increased margins by 1 to 3 percent and set the foundation for ongoing improvements in profitability.

Practical implications

This four‐pronged approach to complexity management starts with consumer research to find the right level of variety. It adds richer SKU‐based data on costs across each step of a newly transparent value chain. It brings this data to a cross‐functional, integrated decision process. Finally, it implements process changes to ensure complexity is governed and managed over time.

Originality/value

The leadership lesson: desirable complexity drives consumer buying decisions. Undesirable complexity unduly complicates internal processes without making a whit of difference to the consumer. The new concept of Smart Complexity distinguishes between the two.

Details

Strategy & Leadership, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1087-8572

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 May 2009

Rob van der Spek, Eelco Kruizinga and Annelies Kleijsen

The purpose of this paper is to outline a methodology for strengthening an organisational design by identifying knowledge risks introduced by organisational structure and

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline a methodology for strengthening an organisational design by identifying knowledge risks introduced by organisational structure and addressing those risks by implementing knowledge management measures.

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing two anonimised case studies and by structuring personal experiences of the authors, the paper presents a four‐pronged process to deal with suboptimal organisational design.

Findings

Two case studies demonstrate that pro‐active knowledge management can help to alleviate weaknesses introduced by dominant orientations in organisational design.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this paper are that in organisational design and restructuring processes, knowledge management principles should be taken into account to prevent weaknesses to slip into the final structure. A simple yet powerful methodology that looks at knowledge risks can be used to defend against suboptimal designs.

Originality/value

Although there is extensive literature on networked organisations, this paper adds value by its knowledge risk‐based review of current organisational structure and its subsequent focus on using the knowledge factor as a prime design criterion of new organisational structure.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2003

Jeffrey Hickman and Karl J. Mayer

This article uses a case study approach to examine how human resource practices affect the delivery of guest services at a large theme park. The theme park uses a four‐pronged

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Abstract

This article uses a case study approach to examine how human resource practices affect the delivery of guest services at a large theme park. The theme park uses a four‐pronged approach in managing its human resource function to ensure that service quality standards are maintained. Other hospitality firms can compare their human resource policies to those outlined in this article to guide their own efforts.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 July 2020

Di Xie and Xiao Kong

The proportional distribution of social labor is a general law governing human social and economic activities, also a law discovered by Marxist political economy that governs…

Abstract

Purpose

The proportional distribution of social labor is a general law governing human social and economic activities, also a law discovered by Marxist political economy that governs socialist economic operations and development based on public ownership.

Design/methodology/approach

This law draws on Marx's vision of future society, but how it is adopted is not only subject to the way a country's economy interacts but also to the influence of a country's historical and cultural traditions. Generations of the CPC and state leaders since Mao Zedong have made unremitting explorations for its application.

Findings

As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core adheres to the standpoints, viewpoints and methods of Marxist political economy, draws from the splendid Chinese traditional culture that values integrity, peace and harmony of all, builds on the reality of China's socialist market economy development, has summed up the features of socialist economy development with Chinese characteristics, and has proposed the five-sphere integrated plan, the four-pronged comprehensive strategy.

Originality/value

The new development concept of “innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing” for socialism with Chinese characteristics, all reflecting the Party's deepening understanding of coordinated development, the gradual formation of the general thought and policy methods of the country's economic regulations based on the coordination and balance of economic structure, the continuous explorations to open a new chapter of contemporary Marxist political economy, China's experience and wisdom, and the Party's confidence in the theories it applies, the road it takes, its system and its culture. The coordination and balance of economic structure are a major theoretical innovation of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Details

China Political Economy, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-1652

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2022

Pamela Osmond-Johnson and Lucrécia Raquel Fuhrmann

This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in collaborative inquiry projects based on self-identified problems of practice that emerged during their practicum experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted to better understand the ways in which the CoP served as a support mechanism for teacher candidates to develop social capital during internship. Data collection included anecdotal observation notes, student postings in online discussion forums, and a one-hour post-project focus group. Data analysis was rooted in phenomenology (Lin, 2013) and was guided by the four pronged coding process outlined by Bicudo (2000).

Findings

As the paper illustrates, the CoP created rich opportunities for teacher candidates to cultivate social capital, which positively impacted their human and decisional capital. Relatedly, teacher candidates demonstrated an enhanced sense of collective efficacy and an understanding of the significance of collaborative professional cultures on their continued growth as members of the teaching profession.

Originality/value

While a number of studies have considered various factors impacting the professional capital of practicing teachers, the development of professional capital amongst interning teachers remains as an under-explored area in the research literature.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Tremane Lindsay Barr, John Reid, Pavel Catska, Golda Varona and Matt Rout

Tribal economic development in post-settlement era Aoteroa/New Zealand has opened up opportunities for Maori to invest in the sustainable commercial utilisation of their…

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Abstract

Purpose

Tribal economic development in post-settlement era Aoteroa/New Zealand has opened up opportunities for Maori to invest in the sustainable commercial utilisation of their traditional economic resources. Mahinga kai (traditional food and food sources) has always been at the heart of the Maori tribe Ngāi Tahu’s spiritual, cultural, social and economic existence. The purpose of this research is to revitalise mahinga kai enterprise through the commercial development of traditional and contemporary food and food resources in a culturally commensurate manner.

Design/methodology/approach

Participant action research theory and practice were used by researchers from Toitū Te Kāinga (Regional Development Unit of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu) between 2008 and 2012. This was informed by a Kaupapa Maori philosophy of respect and empowerment of the participants’ needs.

Findings

The development of the Ahikā Kai Indigenous business system shows that competitive advantage can be created for Indigenous businesses and enterprises through a four-pronged strategy based around: first, human rights that empower tribal members; second, product differentiation based on cultural principles; third, an internal accreditation system to help verify the ethical credibility of the products; and fourth, lowering producer costs through website marketing and direct-to-consumer selling.

Originality/value

This research adds to a growing (yet still evolving) body of literature on Indigenous entrepreneurship and the role of voluntary certification in Indigenous business development. The Ahikā Kai business system is an original world first for this type of Indigenous development based on creating a competitive advantage for multiple independent enterprises while maintaining the core integrity of its cultural brand and its operations.

Details

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6204

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1999

Ricky C.M. Chan and Philip C. Wright

Explores how easy (or otherwise) it is for small businesses to take advantage of the huge markets opening up in the People’s Republic of China. Profiles a Hong Kong‐based office…

Abstract

Explores how easy (or otherwise) it is for small businesses to take advantage of the huge markets opening up in the People’s Republic of China. Profiles a Hong Kong‐based office furniture manufacturer and distributor (Logic Office Supplies) as an example of successful market penetration. Outlines the research methodology used ‐ field research conducted in 1992 and 1993, which looked at the historical development of the market, the industry size and profile, the growth of private enterprise, government relations, the legal environment and an analysis of the competition. Explains why the company chose to follow a four‐pronged entry strategy and how they implemented that strategy. Infers that the company’s success was largely due to a careful choice of partners. Points out that sales increased from HK$40 million in 1989 to HK$400 million in 1994. Applies this successful approach to drawing up a conceptual framework for smaller businesses wishing to expand into China. Talks about stage of entry, mode of entry, and whether to opt for permanent representation or joint ventures. Provides a model showing five stages in the process of expanding into China. Concludes that it is not easy to expand into China and that the best route for small businesses to follow is to sell through trading houses and distributorships.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Keywords

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