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1 – 10 of 391Describes the winning formula at Neiman Marcus that has made it the No. 1 luxury retailer in the United States in terms of sales per square foot and profitability. Highlights…
Abstract
Describes the winning formula at Neiman Marcus that has made it the No. 1 luxury retailer in the United States in terms of sales per square foot and profitability. Highlights Neiman Marcus' efforts to define who its customers are and are not and to achieve superior focus on its customers by aligning location, price, service, and merchandise to fulfill these customers' every need. Describes ways in which Neiman Marcus prevents typical silo behavior between merchandising and selling and how it ensures that the right merchandise gets to the right customer, despite the challenge of doing this in 36 micromarkets.
To show how a company integrates two strong high-performance functions—merchandising and sales—to get the right merchandise to each customer in more than 30 diverse selling locations while consistently providing exceptional customer service.
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Alvaro Sandroni and Farhad Aspy Fatakia
Three months into his first job as an IT consultant, newly minted MBA Phil Lee was wondering whether he had made a horrible mistake. Initially, he had been thrilled with his…
Abstract
Three months into his first job as an IT consultant, newly minted MBA Phil Lee was wondering whether he had made a horrible mistake. Initially, he had been thrilled with his employer, Orion Information Technology Consulting, and the prospects for his professional future. He had specifically requested to work on projects in emerging markets, and his bosses had responded by flying him halfway around the world to New Delhi to meet with the head of procurement of a luxury property developer, Kirat Housing Development Society (KHDS). Lee thought the reason for the meeting was slightly unusual: Orion was planning to make a bid to supply building management software for KHDS's newest luxury tower, and this meeting would be the “pre-bid” negotiation. Lee wasn't totally sure what they'd even be discussing, as the tender already provided full details on exactly what modules would be required and even included specific penalty clauses for delays.
The meeting at KHDS seemed ordinary at first, but quickly took a turn when the assistant to the head of procurement explained that Orion would win the bid if it offered him a $200,000 contract as an “independent consultant.” Lee was stunned. To make matters worse, when he returned to his hotel room he found a gift waiting for him: an expensive-looking diamond pendant.
On his sleepless flight home, Lee's mind raced. Had his bosses known this would happen? Were bribes standard operating procedure? Now that he'd accepted a gift, was he complicit in wrongdoing? Lee didn't want to get fired, but he wasn't sure he could go along with this.
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Hala Khayr Yaacoub, Jessica El Kfoury, Elias Ayoub and Lea Rihana
Fundraising, Marketing Strategy.
Abstract
Subject area
Fundraising, Marketing Strategy.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and Postgraduate.
Case overview
Professional fundraising plays a key role in the operation and sustainability of various forms of organizations, particularly non-governmental organizations (NGOs). “Fundraising for Life” is the success story of a center that is totally dependent on fundraising to achieve its mission of lifesaving and treatment for children with chronic diseases regardless of their financial situation. This case sheds the light on the primary sources of contributions, the importance of an integrated development program, the mutual benefits of partnering with other entities and the challenges encountered in the fundraising endeavors in this developing and unstable part of the world.
Expected learning outcomes
The students will be able to explore the current practices used in fundraising as well as the marketing and communication strategies employed in nurturing and maintaining relations with potential donors and partners. They will also be able to explore the internal and external challenges and opportunities available for fundraisers.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Mukesh Sud, Supriya Sharma and Valerie Mendonca
Ujwal Kalra founded Memorable Shaadi in 2014 while awaiting admission to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. The startup offered services connecting clients and vendors…
Abstract
Ujwal Kalra founded Memorable Shaadi in 2014 while awaiting admission to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. The startup offered services connecting clients and vendors in the Indian wedding industry. The case elaborates Ujwal's journey as an entrepreneur and the choices he made including hiring a co-founder and working remotely while pursuing an MBA. Ujwal now faces a dilemma: should he accept a plush consulting job through campus placement or go back and scale the firm? Memorable Shaadi highlights the classic dilemma facing entrepreneurs and the choices they need to exercise at different phases of their venture.
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Case (A) describes the situation at the Northlands Ledger, a newspaper on its way out of business due in large part to its publisher and editor's focus on what they do and want to…
Abstract
Case (A) describes the situation at the Northlands Ledger, a newspaper on its way out of business due in large part to its publisher and editor's focus on what they do and want to keep doing rather than on what their customers (readers and advertisers) want. The value proposition to the reader is that “we deliver the paper reliably and give you the latest national and international news.” The value proposition to the advertisers is that “we print your ads accurately and runs them on time.” Both value propositions are outdated, and, even if they were what the customers wanted—which they are not—neither is executed well. The paper's key performance indicators—circulation, classified ads, and commercial advertising—are all in decline, despite the fact that the community it serves is growing. The senior management of the Paulus chain that owns this paper has forced the publisher, Allison, to retire and brought another publisher, Potter, in from one of its other papers, The Sun Belt City Star, where Potter was highly successful. However, he cannot simply transfer his success formula from the Star to the Ledger. Case (B) details his efforts and may be used as a classic example of good change management and leadership practices. Potter established a clear cut set of objectives, formulated a new strategy of responsiveness to readers and advertisers more in line with finding out why they hired the paper in the first place. To implement his new strategy he terminated senior managers and others who he did not feel could contribute to the new paper, and made significant changes in key dimensions of implementation: culture, structure, information and decision support systems, incentives and human resources. Throughout he used a mix of both authoritative and participative change management—a mix that may provoke an interesting class discussion.
Provide a realistic example of leading and managing change with successful transformation of a previously failing company while simultaneously illustrating key dimensions of implementation of strategy.
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Mario Andres Manzi, Erika Johanna Caicedo and Daniel Alberto Cardona
This case is appropriate for entrepreneurship courses where the topics are generation of business model, business model innovation and shared value. It can be used at…
Abstract
Study level/applicability
This case is appropriate for entrepreneurship courses where the topics are generation of business model, business model innovation and shared value. It can be used at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Case overview
This case addresses the challenges that Mejor en Bici (in English: Best by Bike), a start-up that promotes mobility by bicycle, had to face from 2010 to 2015 at the level of its business model and generation of shared value. The case narrates the main achievements and obstacles in this path of entrepreneurship and how, through this process, a business model should be designed that allows strategic decisions to be taken to achieve sustained growth. In addition, this case examines how from early stages in entrepreneurship it is possible to generate shared value as a strategic component.
Expected learning outcomes
Identify and present the value proposition of Mejor en Bici to understand where a business model starts.
Design and evaluate the business model of Mejor en Bici from an innovation perspective.
Apply the concept of shared value in the generation of a business proposal for Mejor en Bici based on their business model.
Identify and present the value proposition of Mejor en Bici to understand where a business model starts.
Design and evaluate the business model of Mejor en Bici from an innovation perspective.
Apply the concept of shared value in the generation of a business proposal for Mejor en Bici based on their business model.
Supplementary materials
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers and challengers. John Wiley & Sons. Pages: 14-44; 56-108; 244-262.
Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. (2011). The big idea: Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89, 1-18.
Amit, R. and Zott, C. (2012). Creating value through business model innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53, 40-59.
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers and challengers. John Wiley & Sons. Pages: 14-44; 56-108; 244-262.
Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. (2011). The big idea: Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89, 1-18.
Amit, R. and Zott, C. (2012). Creating value through business model innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53, 40-59.
Social implications
The social implication of this case lies in the motivation and guidance that potential entrepreneurs and students who analyze this case will receive. They can learn from a successful but complex experience how to start a business in a sustainable and responsible way.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship
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Aihie Osarenkhoe and Az-Eddine Bennani
Strategic marketing/marketing management.
Abstract
Subject area
Strategic marketing/marketing management.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and post graduate courses in the principles of marketing, strategic marketing, strategic management, services marketing and hospitability management.
Case overview
This case focuses on the critical success factors of “Scandic” hotel chain by highlighting its road to becoming the leading hotel chain in the Baltic region. This case covers a wide range of situations in which strategic marketing decisions were made, for example, the Scandic Sustainability Fund, supporting initiatives to promote sustainable social development. Special attention is devoted to how the case company's business philosophy is implemented to identify and differentiate its customers, in order to sustain a customer centric strategy and develop long lasting relationships.
Expected learning outcomes
Following analysis of the case students should be able to: first, understand how marketing strategies can be utilized to effectively differentiate organizations from their competitors by capitalising on distinctive strengths, leading to the delivery of better value to stakeholders; second, understand how marketing strategy deals with the interplay of “the strategic three Cs” (customer, competition and corporation) in better satisfying customer needs; third, appreciate how companies operate within a given environment and the benefits of developing an environmental strategy.
Supplementary materials
Teaching note including lecture plan.
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Nayla Menhem, Liliane Elias Youakim and Aliaa Khoury
This case focuses on social entrepreneurship where social externalities lie behind a commercial activity. It aims to help students understand the ins and outs of social…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
This case focuses on social entrepreneurship where social externalities lie behind a commercial activity. It aims to help students understand the ins and outs of social entrepreneurship concept and justify its application or not to “The Good Thymes”. It leads to an in-depth reflection in the strategic management field but within the framework of a social enterprise. It presents a good foundation to help students applying the strategic tools to this particular context. It aims to help master’s students in the business field to explain the concept of social entrepreneurship by drawing out its elements from the case study, identify and list the components of business development and management, design "The Good Thymes" business model and list its value chain and evaluate the future orientation of a company based on its characteristics.
Case overview/synopsis
Young, ambitious, in love with his native village "Kfarhouna", in Southern Lebanon, Fady Aziz, a branding specialist living in the capital Beirut, proposed in January 2016, in a friendly discussion, to the priest of the monastery of Saint-Georges to rent him an agricultural land. He aims to have a reason, at the end of the week, to go up in his village with his family. Skeptical to the idea, the priest accused him of "not understanding anything about agriculture" and challenged him to propose a valuable agricultural project likely to make him change his mind. M. Fady Aziz fought to meet this challenge which will allow him not only to reinvigorate his abandoned village but also to reconnect with his origins. He obtained the right to exploit a plot of land belonging to the Monastery of St. Georges. He had the idea of planting thyme and transformed his "hobby" into the outset of a long journey where his products crossed the borders, under a purely artisanal brand: "The Good Thymes". Today, M. Aziz is facing a new challenge: Would he be able to fulfill all these orders and remain faithful to the philosophy that led him to invest in his village without impairing the natural and artisanal aspect of his thyme?
Complexity academic level
Master in Business.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
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Marios Katsioloudes and Fauzia Jabeen
Strategic management/entrepreneurship.
Abstract
Subject area
Strategic management/entrepreneurship.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and/or MBA level in either a strategic management and/or entrepreneurship courses.
Case overview
The dilemma that Zayed, Al–Maha's founder and owner, is facing, is typical for an entrepreneur who has been successful for a number of years (ten, in his case), without a formal strategy. He is now at a cross–road: should he expand in his present location in the Madinat Zayed Shopping Center, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, or open another store in another location? if he grows within its current location, how would that be? Zayed, like many small–store owners in a developing economy, faces fierce competition especially in the mobile phone business. Technology is changing constantly, demand is increasing and he has to address all these issues, among others, before making a decision. Should he create an advisory council so he can be the recipient of feedback from trusted individuals who might serve on this council? Finally, he is seeking his close friend Refaat's opinion, as to what to do next and how.
Expected learning outcomes
Students should be able to: analyze the internal and external environments of a small–medium enterprise (SME); understand the importance of a vision/mission and smart objectives; make strategic decisions regarding the future direction of an SME; analyze the financial statements of an SME; draft a strategic plan based on the aforementioned; and understand the pros and cons of an SME in a developing economy such as the UAE.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Details