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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the parameters of the duty of reasonable adjustment to facilitate access to e‐learning resources.

Educational providers continue to develop new methods of delivering content in digital format, the increasing use of broadband, web‐based resources and new content creation software provides numerous methods of delivering excellence in content creation and delivery. It is important that this excellence is available to all; to this end the disability aspects of e‐learning provision are discussed in this paper, specifically relating to a anticipatory “duty of reasonable adjustment” to facilitate access to computer‐based learning resources within the UK education sector.

The paper concludes that the concept of reasonable adjustment is likely to remain unclear within the current statutory framework, is dynamic in relation to e‐learning software applications, and will continue to increase in scope and complexity as advanced software applications are used on a larger scale in the education sector.

After relating general accessibility approaches to the various open and proprietary source software applications and the concept of “lock in,” the paper argues that knowledge of reasonable adjustment is optimally considered in the early planning stage of development rather than after implementation, under the legislatively mandated anticipatory model. Further conclusions are presented which propose that the approaches described can be scaled up to provide general themes, which benefits the full spectrum of disability alongside the wider student cohort.

Further work is discussed and includes a potential UK extension of the analysis presented by Scroggins in 2007 concerning measurement and structural modeling of reasonableness under the provisions of the US Rehabilitation Act of 1998 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Presently the whole world has been experiencing a pandemic threat of coronavirus diesease 2019 (COVID-19) and at the same time facing unprecedented changes in everything including education. E-learning has evolved as the only alternative of knowledge transmission even in third world nations, and e-assessment has been playing an increasingly important role in this digital transformation of education. But how far and of what depth it has made its place among students' minds need to be studied to leverage its full potential to transform students' learning needs. This study reports an investigation made in this direction.

An online survey consisting of 40 questions in Google Forms was conducted to collect primary data on students' perception of e-assessment among 200 Indian students pursuing higher education from several geographical locations. The quantitative methodological approach was followed. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially.

The results were analyzed based on the model of acceptance and usage of e-assessment (MAUE), and findings revealed that students' overall perception toward e-assessment was of moderate level and this perception varies depending on their gender, academic level, nature of the stream of study and their economic condition. Of the eight domains investigated, students showed better perception in the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, subjective norms and self-efficacy domains, while they cut a sorry figure in domains like awareness, resource facilitation and information technology (IT) support. It became evident from their responses that COVID was instrumental in enhancing their interest in e-assessment.

The implication of this study lies in strengthening e-assessment by attending to the factors as noted in the MAUE in India and alike developing nations having huge space left for e-learning to reach a boom.

This is an empirical investigation conducted in India on the state of students' perception of the e-assessment in the backdrop of the COVID-19 outbreak. To do this work, the authors conducted online surveys, and the write-up of the findings focus on the survey data only.

Reverse innovation has been claimed to be the new emerging paradigm on how to succeed in emerging markets before spreading to more mature ones. This study aims to investigate how the BB cream, a concept that gave birth to one of the recent most impressive worldwide breakthrough products in cosmetics, was successfully integrated into a growth-through reverse innovation strategy by a Western leading brand, Garnier, in its domestic market.

Using a single case study design that combines brand and product levels of analysis, this paper examines how reverse innovation/BB cream contributed to (re)build perceptions of brand superiority. Data were extracted from the IRI Census Database (retail panel data) and from various other market sources. Additional insights were collected through semi-structured interviews with top executives. Some data, as they remain confidential, are not included in the paper.

Reverse innovation, although counter-intuitive regarding one of its fundamental assumptions (i.e. a low-cost/low-price strategy targeting price-sensitive consumers), can be used within a niche strategy to help brands develop a radically new offer that justifies a price premium. In this regard, it has to be managed step-by-step, from appropriation to exploitation and, finally, “extinction” in a given market segment.

Evidence is scarce on how Western companies/brands can integrate reverse innovation into their growth strategies. Further investigation is required on this emerging paradigm.

The case of Garnier BB cream invites marketing managers to think differently about where to look for opportunities and how to grow in stagnant markets. Moreover, the inherent latent value of a reverse innovation can serve to trade up the brand with both volume and value benefits, despite the common claim that it is related to a volume strategy. Thus, it opens the range of possibilities to escape commoditization and price wars.

This paper demonstrated that reverse innovation is not limited to the bottom of the market. The story of the BB cream concept, which has been appropriated and valorized by the leading cosmetic brand Garnier through a niche strategy, supports this argument. In addition, instead of viewing the niche strategy as a methodological/theoretical stage within the segmentation–targeting–positioning process, this case study highlights it as a creative process linked to innovation, which helps a brand and/or company to define a new territory within its market.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between men and brands and specifically how they configure their masculinities in relation to daily used brands.

In-depth interviews with projective technique were conducted with 20 men with different masculinities and sexual orientations to explore their practices regarding and relations to various product categories and brands.

First, this paper shows how men’s relationships to daily used brands vary according to different forms of masculinities, in a continuum apparently disconnected from sexual orientation. Men with “resistant” masculinities are strongly attached to choosing masculine brands; others with more hybrid masculinities are more open to feminine brands and do not care about brand gender. Second, this paper shows the importance of brand gender salience: Men with more traditional masculinities interpret brands through the prism of gender first and over-interpret gendered cues in brand execution. Third, feminine brands are considered as threats for men with traditional masculinities. Fourth, brand extensions to the opposite sex are criticized by men with more traditional masculinities but appreciated by men with hybrid masculinities, independently of sexual orientation.

This paper investigates the relationships between men and brand gender for daily used brands, by introducing a diversity of masculinities. Furthermore, it builds on a qualitative approach to capture individuals’ diverse masculinities. This helps capture the complexity of gender and better understand the relationships between men, masculinities and brands.

Social entrepreneurship.

Undergraduate or Honours students interested in Social Enterprise.

The case describes the challenges face by Mafalda Soto, a Spanish pharmacist, who together with two albino Tanzanian colleagues, has patented and produced the first solar lotion for the albino population made in Africa. The social organization, KiliSun, and its main product have had a remarkable success in Tanzania and have received funds from BASF and the Tanzanian government for production and distribution until 2016. However, Mafalda could not help but think about how to make a viable project out of her social innovation. For how long could she keep her collaborators on board? Where will she get the funds from? What role should she give the Tanzanian government? After all, her dream was to help albinos beyond Tanzania. It was Christmas eve, and that night, Mafalda went to bed naively asking Santa to help her make possible that every albino could one day have access to her sun lotion. This way, they also, could get closer to the sun.

How to finance the growth of the organization; how to design a business model that helps social enterprises become self-sustaining; how to measure social impact; and how to craft and choose strategic alliances.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Mixed-target brands with strong gender identities, whether it be feminine or masculine, are not always successful at targeting both men and women, particularly in symbolic product categories. While attempting to maximize their sales for both targets, managers often struggle to capitalize on a single brand, and they hesitate between different naming strategies. This paper aims to build on brand gender literature and understand these brands’ (i.e. brands targeting both men and women) potential to adopt an endorsed brand strategy rather than a branded house strategy.

The paper uses a before/after experimental design to examine the effect that introducing a gender-incongruent endorsed brand (i.e. feminine endorsed brand name of masculine master brands and masculine endorsed brand name of feminine master brands) can have on consumers’ brand attitude.

First, adopting an endorsed brand strategy increases the perceived brand femininity of masculine master brands, but there is no increase in feminine master brands’ perceived brand masculinity. Second, this strategy has a negative impact on consumer attitude toward the master brand, with a stronger negative effect for feminine master brands than for masculine master brands, which is mediated by the brand gender perception change. Third, a negative feedback effect on the brand’s gender-congruent users is revealed.

One limitation of this work is that the focus is on one sole extrinsic brand characteristic (i.e. brand name) in our experimental design, which artificially influences the relative brand name importance for consumers. Moreover, the studies offered a short text to introduce the renaming. This may have made the respondents focus on the brand more than they would have in real-world conditions.

This research provides many insights for masculine or feminine mixed-target brands managers in symbolic product categories, as it shows that changing from a branded house strategy to an endorsed brand strategy appears to be unsuccessful in the short run, regardless of master brand’s gender. Moreover, the study reveals negative feedback effects on the attitude toward the initial master brand, following its renaming, in the short run.

This research provides a warning to managers trying to gender-bend their existing brands because it can lead to brand dilution. It also emphasizes the asymmetrical evaluation of masculine vs feminine master brands, as manipulating a brand’s perceived masculinity appears very difficult to do successfully.

The paper aims to identify causality amongst small and medium enterprises' (SMEs') performance indicators, propose an integrated index of business performance and quality practices and investigate the effect of quality management system (QMS) on business performance.

This study proposes a two-stage approach. In the first stage, the authors gathered responses with a questionnaire on variables affecting business performance and identified dimensions using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Path analysis was carried out to identify causality between the dimensions. In the next stage, the validation of stage 1 findings was carried out to substantiate the proposition that QMS affects performance. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews were conducted during the second stage. The analysis was done following the case study protocol – within- and cross-case analysis and validated with supportive and conflicting literature.

The results show that the employee – dimension is crucial to process effectiveness, customer satisfaction and finances. Customer satisfaction results from employee satisfaction and processes. QMS impacts processes and employee performance, thus establishes the causality between business performance factors and QMS. QMS impacts finances in the short run but yields long-term benefits and is dependent on two factors – degree of knowledge of quality practices and its application in business.

This study reveals the performance dimensions of SMEs, their causality and the impact of QMS on performance. It suggests a shift from traditional approaches, correcting defects using statistical quality control approaches, to a sustainable growth path – a long-term approach. This study puts forward two associated indices – the business performance and the knowledge of quality practices and its application index.