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1 – 10 of over 1000Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy and Gautam Agrawal
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…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
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.
Case overview/synopsis
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.
Complexity academic level
The teaching case can be used for undergraduate- and post-graduate-level courses such as BBA, MBA and executive MBA.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Srinivas Reddy and Havovi Joshi
Innovation, reverse innovation, frugal innovation and disruptive innovation.
Abstract
Subject area
Innovation, reverse innovation, frugal innovation and disruptive innovation.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Executive Education.
Case overview
This case describes the strategy adopted by Cisco India to develop the Advanced Services Router 901 (“ASR 901”), which is a next-generation 3G/LTE capable mobile backhaul and carrier Ethernet platform that is deployed at a cellular tower site or business premise to backhaul voice and data traffic into the core of the network. This was part of a larger strategy by Cisco headquarters to understand what could be built in the developing markets for the developing markets, as opposed to products conceived with only developed markets as the focus. Within a time frame of a few months, a team formed from scratch developed the ASR 901, the next-generation global networking technology product that was developed completely – from conception to launch – at the Bangalore site in India. The ASR 901 successfully took on the challenge of delivering all the functionalities and features required by sophisticated telecom clients, while meeting the specific requirements of its customers from the developing markets. ASR 901 was undoubtedly a milestone in Cisco India's indigenous innovation initiatives, and this case discusses the many challenges that had been faced during the process and the actions that had been taken to achieve success during this process.
Expected learning outcomes
Through this case, students will understand the concepts of innovation, particularly reverse innovation, frugal innovation and disruptive innovation. They will learn how large organisations have managed to successfully innovate by creating small and independent teams within the organisation. Students would also have the opportunity to analyse and discuss whether the lessons learnt by Cisco, while progressing through the several stages of developing the ASR 901 product, could be applied to similar new initiatives.
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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Mehrajunnisa, Syed Zamberi Ahmad and Fauzia Jabeen
After studying this case, the students should be able to: explain the importance of employee engagement; illustrate the role of the participatory management style in an…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
After studying this case, the students should be able to: explain the importance of employee engagement; illustrate the role of the participatory management style in an organizational context; discuss why managers may use engagement practices to operate effectively in businesses to lead change and innovation; identify the critical success factors, barriers and outcomes of employee involvement in driving high performance; and discuss the dilemma faced by the managers in the emerging economies while driving the momentum of excellence in the long run.
Case overview/synopsis
This is a real case about a leading health-care service company located in the Middle East. The health-care organization’s name is changed to NOVA for reasons of confidentiality. The NOVA is an independent, public joint stock company created to meet the curative needs of the public health-care system in Middle East. The company introduced the Employee Suggestion Scheme named Minara in 2011 in a Federal Government decree, introducing innovation as a major pillar of management in 2013 with intent to encourage organizations build innovative solutions and pioneer initiatives and apply it effectively in services, processes and programmes. Making the Minara programme work in line with the national health agenda, Ms. Fatima who headed the Excellence and Innovation Department took the initiative of accelerating the innovative Programme (Minara). The case data were collected based on both primary and secondary sources. Although the case is based on the real data, it has been ammonised. The case describes the transformation of the innovation process at NOVA through the employee engagement programme (Minara) in meeting the disruptive challenges. This case addresses the challenges faced by the Excellence and Innovation manager who used effective employee engagement practices through the Employee Suggestion Programme in a creative way to bring about innovation in the health-care sector. The case outlines the dilemma faced by the Excellence and Innovation manager in bringing about innovation through the Employee involvement programme in the emerging economic scenario. The case will focus on the analysis of the different aspects of the issues pertaining to employee engagement, employee motivation and the framing of empowerment strategies to bring about innovation and continuous improvement through an effective employee suggestion programme. The case is intended to give budding managers an insight into innovation and employee engagement practices that impact performance in the organization.
Complexity academic level
This case will be suitable to be used in Human Resource Management and Management of Change and Innovation course at undergraduate and Master’s level.
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 1: Accounting and Finance
Details
Keywords
Zheng He and Leida Chen
This case traces through a 20-year history of a Chinese high-tech company, Maipu Communications Technology Company. Throughout the company’s growth, Maipu adjusted its innovation…
Abstract
Synopsis
This case traces through a 20-year history of a Chinese high-tech company, Maipu Communications Technology Company. Throughout the company’s growth, Maipu adjusted its innovation models in order to ensure that they remained compatible with corporate strategies, resources and external environments. However, as the company grew bigger, it was finding it more and more difficult to meet its innovation goals. Its current innovation model is a market-driven platform + distributed innovation. While Maipu has achieved some success under this model, it is faced with a myriad of challenges during the execution of the model. The key questions raised by this case are whether Maipu’s current innovation model is suitable for the company at this stage and how the innovation model should be adjusted to propel new innovation and growth opportunities for Maipu in this increasingly competitive market.
Research methodology
This case was a field research case. The authors paid three visits to Maipu Communications Technology Company, during which the authors conducted in-depth interviews with Mr Zhao, the Head of Maipu’s R&D and Innovation group, and several senior and functional managers of the company. Follow-up communication via telephone and e-mail was conducted to verify the accuracy of the written case.
Relevant courses and levels
This case is well suited for courses in the areas of strategic management, innovation management, high-tech management, entrepreneurship, and international business. The target audiences of the case are primarily MBA students, although this case can also be used in upper-level undergraduate business courses.
Theoretical bases
The theoretical basis for this case includes the following management theories: strategy formulation and strategy implementation, business-level and corporate-level strategies, enterprise life-cycle, corporate strategies at various stages of growth, patterns of innovation and applications, and implementation of innovation strategies.
Details
Keywords
Jamie Jones and Grace Augustine
One Acre Fund (1AF) is a nonprofit organization in rural western Kenya that helps farmers lift themselves out of poverty by providing a bundle of products and services that…
Abstract
One Acre Fund (1AF) is a nonprofit organization in rural western Kenya that helps farmers lift themselves out of poverty by providing a bundle of products and services that support farmers with quality inputs, training on farming techniques, access to credit, and assistance in achieving optimal prices. Since the organization's founding nearly a decade ago, it has grown to serve over 180,000 farm families annually as of July 2014. This high level of penetration into rural Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania makes 1AF a potential distribution channel for rolling out new products and technologies that could benefit farmers and their families. The organization prides itself on its innovative culture, and always strives to offer new products and methods to its farmers. In 2011 1AF realized that it needed to formalize its innovation process to ensure it was confident in new products before rolling them out across its entire farmer network. It therefore created a robust, multistep evaluation framework to assess new innovations on four criteria: impact, adoptability, simplicity, and operability.
After reading and analyzing the case, students will be able to:
Articulate the importance of understanding the user's needs and perspective throughout the innovation process
Identify key factors for a successful product launch into an existing channel
Employ an assessment framework to analyze the viability of a potential innovation
Design a test pilot for evaluating the launch of new innovations within an organization
Articulate the importance of understanding the user's needs and perspective throughout the innovation process
Identify key factors for a successful product launch into an existing channel
Employ an assessment framework to analyze the viability of a potential innovation
Design a test pilot for evaluating the launch of new innovations within an organization
Details
Keywords
Nuria Calvo and Oskar Villarreal
Strategic decision making in cooperation projects. The decision deals with the process of generating a strategy for R&D and technological innovation in developing countries…
Abstract
Subject area
Strategic decision making in cooperation projects. The decision deals with the process of generating a strategy for R&D and technological innovation in developing countries, through international cooperation.
Study level/applicability
Students of programs of strategic management, business policy and management of international cooperation. Target courses include: strategic management seminars, international cooperation seminars, MBA.
Case overview
The case shows the process carried out by a team led by Braulio Perez Astray, manager of the innovation department of the Foundation University of A Coruna (Spain) and Radhames Mejia, executive vice-rector of the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (Dominican Republic) to design the strategy for R&D and Technological Innovation of the Dominican Republic. It describes the tasks and responsibilities undertaken in the INPOLTEC Project, the result of the international cooperation between Spain and the Dominican Republic. It included the involvement of the Administration of Government of both countries, the contributions of the scientific community and a significant sample of Dominican companies, as well as the advice of Spanish experts and technologists in the field of innovation and technology policy. The case arises from the position of Braulio Perez Astray, leader of the project. The objective of this case is to analyze the potential transfer of this experience to other countries in Central America and Caribbean.
Expected learning outcomes
The learning objective is to facilitate students to investigate the decisions in the strategic process in the field of innovation and to reinforce the focus of international cooperation as a mechanism for strategic support in stimulating the flow of knowledge in science and technology.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available. Please consult the librarian for access.
Details
Keywords
Ahmed Mohammed Kamaruddeen, Nor'Aini Yusof and Ilias Said
Innovation, privatisation and property development.
Abstract
Subject area
Innovation, privatisation and property development.
Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and MA level property development courses; modules covering privatisation within undergraduate, MBA and MA level management programmes.
Case overview
This paper presents the genesis and motivating factors that stimulate a managing director of a housing development (D&B Private Limited Company) to introduce innovation as a strategic solution to the challenges which hinder his firm's growth. The recently launched Ten Malaysian Plan and the Sustainable Programme for Corporate Malaysia are identified as the two stimulating events that triggered the initiation and subsequent implementation of innovation into Design and Build Sdn Bhd. Innovation has been recognized as an endeavor that impacts positively and significantly the performance of the firm that innovates. There was a major focus on factors that enhance innovation of a firm: structure, culture, resources and how to address or react to external factors such as government regulation on innovation, environmental uncertainty and market competition. The quest to be an innovative firm has led to major changes in the structure, culture and review of the firm intangible resources. Coupled with some corporate responsibilities, Design and Build Sdn Bhd has been recognized for its unique performance resulting from the competitive advantage derived from this very idea of innovations.
Expected learning outcomes
Students are expected to be able: to present a basic understanding of the motivations and driving force behind the housing developer's keen interest to innovate, to present the multiple benefits of adopting innovation in the housing industry, to highlight the internal and external factors which positively influence innovation among housing developers?, to present how housing developers are able to manage challenges facing their companies through innovation.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Details
Keywords
Nidheesh Joseph and Upam Pushpak Makhecha
The case would help students to learn the concept of high involvement innovation activity and how to apply it in large service organizations to increase innovation involvement…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The case would help students to learn the concept of high involvement innovation activity and how to apply it in large service organizations to increase innovation involvement. The case will help the students to reflect on the significance of organizing structure and culture of an organization for enabling innovation and innovation process models. The case would further help the students to develop the skill to plan and implement simple, innovative innovation process models which will increase the ideation capabilities of the organization. The students will also be able to understand the role of informal learning in innovation and how to facilitate it.
Case overview/synopsis
Cyient – a global services firm – had always focused on innovation as a key strategic capability winning various annual client awards for over a decade. However, in 2012, Cyient missed the innovation awards which led to the introduction of Idea Tree initiative in Aerospace & Defense (AED) business unit of Cyient. Cyient was able to co-create patents and offer cost savings to its clients through the Idea Tree initiative. This cost-effective and unique initiative resulted in re-organizing the structure (from formal to a quasi-formal), culture (open to new ideas, mistakes and failures) and process (stage-gate) inside Cyient AED business unit. However, Idea Tree also suffers from challenges such as lack of a digital format, lack of corporate presence across Cyient and its highly informal nature. In this context, the CEO wants to review the Idea Tree initiative to decide on its future in Cyient.
Complexity academic level
The case is suitable for teaching multiple facets of innovation for MBA and Executive MBA classes in core Strategy, Managing Organizations and Entrepreneurship and for elective courses such as Innovation Management, Organizing for Innovation or HRM for Innovation. The case is suitable for both fresher and experienced participants.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 6: Human Resource Management.
Details
Keywords
Víctor H. Valdés-Cervantes and Pável Reyes-Mercado
The learning outcomes are as follows: to assess the competitive position of a small business-to-business (B2B) company to remain competitive in a developing country; to identify…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes are as follows: to assess the competitive position of a small business-to-business (B2B) company to remain competitive in a developing country; to identify and shape the business opportunity that represents serving small and medium enterprises that would lead to competitive positioning in the B2B environment; and to compare innovation and commercialization projects through strategic dimensions related to managing a technology company in a way that fosters business profitability and growth.
Case overview/Synopsis
Margarita Kaplun, founder and CEO of Kapter, a small company providing country-wide technical and consultant services on thermography to industrial hubs in Mexico, had positioned the company as a reputed provider. However, the company had experienced razor-thin margins. Margarita needs to decide whether they pursue the following grant to fund a project on technology development that will source the competitive position or pursue a commercial project that help them achieve a larger customer base to reap higher income.
Complexity academic level
The case is oriented for an undergraduate audience, attending entrepreneurship, innovation and industrial organization courses. It depicts issues of technology-based entrepreneurship and is suitable for students in business, management and engineering.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Raul O. Chao and Stylianos Kavadias
Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but…
Abstract
Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but the company has struggled when it comes to more radical innovation. Intense competition from Google, Apple, and others threatens a business model that has delivered tremendous success over 25 years. This case highlights the strategic challenges facing Microsoft and provides insights into the organizational, leadership, and operational issues that must be addressed in order to define a successful innovation strategy at one of the world's most well-known companies.