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1 – 10 of over 1000The case describes the performance evaluation system that has been put in place by Ravi Kumar, the MD to ensure that Oystar Hassia is able to design, deliver, service, sell its…
Abstract
The case describes the performance evaluation system that has been put in place by Ravi Kumar, the MD to ensure that Oystar Hassia is able to design, deliver, service, sell its packaging machines seamlessly in all parts of the world. The performance evaluation system is periodic, regular, able to take track the progress of the people within the system. The benefits accrued from performance evaluation system are also detailed in this case.
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Boriboon Pinprayong and Winai Wongsurawat
Strategic change for business sustainability.
Abstract
Subject area
Strategic change for business sustainability.
Study level/applicability
The case is targeted at the BA level and MBA level, and strategic management courses.
Case overview
The case study focuses on strategic change for business sustainability in the commercial bank sector in Thailand. It describes how Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) developed and implemented strategic change to achieve business sustainability in the economic fluctuations, and the competition in the banking market. SCB is a very long established bank which held the highest market capitalization among Thai Financial Institutions, and it was on the verge of bankruptcy in the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
Expected learning outcomes
These include developing students' understanding of the context and practices of strategic change and the nature of theoretical traditions in the field of strategic change.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.
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Soroush Dehghan Salmasi, Arash Khalili Nasr and Yashar Dadashzadeh
After completing the case, students will be able to understand the reasons for the lack of successful strategy implementation in companies, especially engineering, procurement and…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
After completing the case, students will be able to understand the reasons for the lack of successful strategy implementation in companies, especially engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and general contractors in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industry; understand the importance of alignment as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation and familiarize themselves with assessing the alignment readiness of companies; understand the importance of leadership as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation, comprehend one of the most essential theories of leadership in the world of management and familiarize themselves with assessing leadership readiness using this theory; and understand the importance of leadership as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation, comprehend one of the most essential models of organizational culture in the world of management and understand how to assess the readiness of organizational culture in companies.
Case overview / synopsis
This case discusses the reasons for strategy implementation failure at PetroSahand International Group, one of the most prominent EPC and general contractors in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry in Iran. This case also examines organization capitals such as alignment, leadership and organizational culture, the three most important factors for the successful implementation of strategies, at this company. PetroSahand is an international, project-oriented company that has been able to successfully complete more than 100 large domestic and international projects during its four decades of activity. However, the company is currently facing many difficulties such as overdue debts and projects.
Complexity academic level
The target audience of this case are graduates and undergraduates in the courses of Strategic Planning, Strategic Management, Strategy Implementation, Strategy in Action and Change Management. Additionally, this case study can be useful for senior managers of companies and can help in the successful implementation of strategies as well as improving their company’s alignment, leadership and organizational culture.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
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Wieslaw Urban and Agnieszka Mazurek
Production management and personnel management.
Abstract
Subject area
Production management and personnel management.
Study level/applicability
Production management modules of undergraduate business and management courses.
Case overview
The case describes the implementation of 5S by a Polish production company, namely Bianor. It presents not only the literature base and benefits of 5S but, in particular, shows the specificity of the implementation process, taking into consideration attitudes of employees; moreover, the study devotes some attention to aspects of organizational culture.
Expected learning outcomes
The case shows how to implement the 5S method in a production company, and how effective communication of processes is essential to implementing business change.
Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
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Mark Jeffery, Nancy Kulick, Tim Riitters, Scott Abbott, Douglas Papp, Tiffany Schad, Jed Wallace and Jeff Wiemann
This case focuses on the challenge of quantifying the return on investment (ROI) of a large technology project, enterprise resource planning (ERP), in the nonprofit environment of…
Abstract
This case focuses on the challenge of quantifying the return on investment (ROI) of a large technology project, enterprise resource planning (ERP), in the nonprofit environment of the San Diego City Schools. The school district does not generate a profit, so traditional revenue enhancement arguments do not work. Instead, the case discusses the internal processes re-design and system consolidation enabled by the new ERP system. The system ROI is composed of two major components: cost savings from removal of legacy applications and productivity improvements. The cost containment benefits are relatively straightforward to quantify, but do not justify the system. The productivity improvements are harder to quantify, and many can be categorized as soft benefits. Furthermore, many of the productivity and cost-saving benefits will not be realized without personnel reductions, which are especially difficult in school districts and government agencies. The case debrief therefore discusses the tradeoffs quantifying soft benefits and productivity improvements, best practices for management decision making, and the organizational change necessary to realize the ROI.
The case teaches students how to analyze ROI for a large enterprise IT system in nonprofit or government organizations. Financial ROI is applicable for the hard cost benefits but some benefits are more difficult to quantify, and students learn how to factor these into the decision making as well. In addition, organizational change can be particularly challenging in the government or nonprofit context; the case enables a discussion of strategies for workforce re-deployment in these settings.
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Madhavi Nandi and Santosh Nandi
After reading and discussing this case, students will learn to identify the content and context of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation that is important from an…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
After reading and discussing this case, students will learn to identify the content and context of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation that is important from an operations standpoint. Through this case, student will discuss and evaluate the scenarios of ERP implementation arising from different deployment alternatives. Students will also learn to comprehend the case organization’s unique operational context and explore the challenges of introducing change into workplace environment and stakeholders’ overall expectations.
Case overview/synopsis
This case introduces students to the dilemmas of managerial decision-making that large companies face while implementing organization-wide technological upgrades, such as ERP. The case is set at a time point where ABC Mining Company – a large public-sector mining company – was trying to identify the most optimal ERP option based on its organizational structure and organizational processes. The information related to ABC’s organizational context included their business, structural and operational scenarios at the time. The information related to ABC’s stakeholders’ expectations reflected their perception about ERP and future implications. The information related to managerial conflicts reflected the understandings of the managers, in terms of need for ERP, needed skill to handle ERP and different types of ERP implementations that others have adopted. The case calls students for extensive analysis of the gathered information to identify and evaluate impacts and risks of all possible ERP alternates, and finally pick upon the most optimal ERP alternate. The case assumes a live 90-min class session conducted by an instructor. The instructor is recommended to assign the case to students for mandatory pre-reading before coming to class. The instructor is provided with a teaching plan to navigate the case.
Complexity academic level
The case is designed as an introductory case for an undergraduate or a graduate course pertaining strategic decision-making of ERP systems implementation.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
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Siew Mui Kong, Rajendran Muthuveloo, Josephine Ie Lyn Chan and Ai Ping Teoh
This paper aims to enable students craft a winning corporate strategy applicable for organizations in various contexts. The practical approach consists of conducting scenario…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
This paper aims to enable students craft a winning corporate strategy applicable for organizations in various contexts. The practical approach consists of conducting scenario planning based on internal and external environment analysis, identifying the winning factor, proposing an implementation strategy of entry and exit strategies, and future customers, and evaluating matching of business ethics and legality.
Case overview/synopsis
Wesley Chen, the executive director and group chief executive officer, has the ultimate challenge of leading his management team to operate from a sole proprietorship management style to a listed large company in the Malaysian Stock Exchange. He identified the gap in the need to craft a winning corporate strategy for business sustainability. The corporate strategy should address expansion of their service offerings and needs to be carefully crafted to suit TopSteel’s risk appetite and overall business strategy. The strategy must also consider the internal and external factors that TopSteel faced with, identify the core competency of TopSteel, build in strategic agility in the implementation plans to address the dynamic business landscape, and most importantly ensure the corporate strategy must be in compliance to ethical and legal standards. The case study documents the one year of transition of TopSteel’s operations with a strong focus on the strategic management process direction for a winning OEM+ model through the use of SWIM concept.
Complexity academic level
This case is suitable for undergraduate or postgraduate programs or even executive courses in strategic management.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy
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Siew Imm Ng, Ck Cha, Murali Sambasivan and Azmawani Abd Rahman
An instructor could link the case to lean production principles and Kurt Lewin’s change management model, key reading materials on these theories are, namely, Lewin, K (1947…
Abstract
Theoretical basis
An instructor could link the case to lean production principles and Kurt Lewin’s change management model, key reading materials on these theories are, namely, Lewin, K (1947) Frontiers in group dynamics: concept, method and reality in social science; equilibrium and social change. Human Relations 1(1): 5–41 Stewart, J. (2012). The Toyota Kaizen continuum: a practical guide to implementing lean. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Wickramasinghe, V. and Wickramasinghe, G. L. D. (2020). Effects of human resource management practices, lean production practices and lean duration on performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(11), 1467–1512.
Research methodology
This case was developed from both primary and secondary sources. The primary source included three face to face meetings with Mr CK in University Putra Malaysia (two meetings) and WSAE factory (Rawang, Malaysia – one meeting), respectively. Interviewed three workers at Rawang factory. The secondary source was taken from the company website and company reports.
Case overview/synopsis
Dr Wan, the Chief Executive Officer of WSA Engineering Sdn Bhd (WSAE) accepted the invitation from Small Medium Industries Development Corporation to participate in a Malaysian-Japanese Industry Cooperation program that focused on Lean Production System (LPS). Dr Wan was worried about Malaysia’s culture incompatible with Japanese-originated LPS. The case shares how the organization and behavioral change took place, for LPS buy-in. Successes and challenges WSAE faced in the 10-year journey of implementing LPS were elaborated.
Complexity academic level
This case was written for use in an operations management course, on the topic of lean production. It can also be used as a training material targeting the operation managers of a manufacturing company aiming to implement lean production or any change management process.
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Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy and Vijay Pereira
Human Resource Management and Public Sector Management.
Abstract
Subject area
Human Resource Management and Public Sector Management.
Study level/applicability
The target audiences for the case study are BSc, MSc and MBA students and management trainees and executives who are interested in learning the human resource (HR) practices, policies and strategies adopted by the world’s largest commercial employer to ensure complete satisfaction and contentment of their employees and their employee’s family which, in turn, motivates them to contribute more efficiently and effectively for the organisation. Even senior management teams could be targeted in executive education programmes as this case discusses time-tested HR practices, policies and strategies which have been sparsely discussed so far and hence can be expected to provide insights to senior corporate managers.
Case overview
India has and is undergoing sweeping economic changes lately. There are several organisations that have supported this positive change. Of these, one such organisation, which shouldered the infrastructural burden of the transportation sector in India’s growth story, was the 160-year-old Indian Railways (IR), the world’s largest commercial employer. IR’s profit over the past few years was a far cry from its loss-making days, which tempted the government of India to consider privatisation in 2001. The transformational turnaround would not have been possible but for IR’s employees. After celebrating IR’s 160th anniversary in 2013, the case organisation wished to revisit its HR practices to understand its recent economic transformations and to strategise how they can improve and sustain maximum efficiency in future. The objective of this case study is to understand the “people side” of IR by explaining its current HR practices and to investigate and identify changes over the years so that changes then can be implemented in the context of HR practices for the future. Hence, the case attempts to explain the role of HR management in IR’s turnaround strategies. Resistance exhibited by IR staff towards its recent initiative of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation across India due to fear of job losses and insecurity is also discussed in the case. Teaching note for this case study explains existing people management frameworks published in the research literature to class participants by applying it to the case company. In addition, the teaching note also discusses how chief personnel officers (CPOs) of IR can pursue the change initiatives among the employees with least resistance. Changes/initiatives that can be imbibed by the CPOs in the existing HR practices to overcome the resistance exerted by the employees and to improve the existing system are also discussed.
Expected learning outcomes
This case study’s primary objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the HR practices being followed in IR, the world’s largest commercial employer. The case also attempts to assess the ERP system initiative by IR and analyse how it can be imbibed into the existing IR’s HR system. In short, the case study attempts to answer the following assignment questions which form the learning objectives of this case study: What are the HR practices that are being followed in the world’s largest commercial employer? How are the HR practices followed helpful in the retention of employees? How can IR pursue the change initiatives, especially ERP implementation, among the employees without any resistance? What are the changes/initiatives that can be imbibed in the HR practices to improve the existing system?
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 6: Human Resource Management.
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AngloGold Ashanti: the dawning of a new age.
Abstract
Title
AngloGold Ashanti: the dawning of a new age.
Subject area
Change management, leadership, human resources management and organisational behaviour.
Study level/applicability
Business and organisational behaviour students at a Master's level of study.
Case overview
This case study explores the challenges facing one of the jewels of corporate South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, as it seeks to introduce and implement vast changes across its global operations within a pre-established time frame. It explores those factors that impact the introduction and implementation of a successful and sustainable change initiative at AngloGold Ashanti.
Expected learning outcomes
By understanding the manner in which the company's new business improvement initiative is sought to be introduced at the organisation, students are better able to understand the role of leadership and the impact of change on a global workforce. Students will gain an appreciation of how to manage the change process, key actions that ought to be taken by all levels of management and staff, pitfalls that should be avoided and challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that the organisation can emerge stronger and take its rightful place in the competitive global arena.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.
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