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Case study
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Carla Scheepers and Amy Fisher Moore

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to identify and discuss competition using Porter’s five forces, analyse and understand the enablers and challenges…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to identify and discuss competition using Porter’s five forces, analyse and understand the enablers and challenges that impacted Rocky Brands’ growth and recommend a solution in relation to Rocky Brands’ growth strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study investigates Rocky Brands, a South African manufacturer and distributor of cleaning products in the retail market. The case was set in November 2022 and highlights the important events ranging from the company’s founding in 2011 up until 2022. This case aims to study strategy in the South African fast moving consumer goods industry. At the time of writing the case study, Rocky Brands was operating across South Africa, with their main manufacturing warehouse in Johannesburg and a subsidiary manufacturing warehouse in Durban. They were changing the Durban warehouse to a distribution warehouse, as they planned to manufacture primarily from a bigger warehouse in Johannesburg. Rishav Juglall, the main protagonist, is the founder and managing director of Rocky Brands. Rocky Brands imports and redistributes several of the brands that the company sells, including Weiman’s, Wright’s and Goo Gone. They also manufacture their own line of products in South Africa under the Oakmont brand. Juglall acknowledges that their sales and revenue have grown yearly, but they have recently saturated the market and reached a plateau. Juglall needs to determine whether he should diversify into Africa, expand his product range or enter the market for private label cleaning products.

Complexity academic level

The case study’s primary focus is on strategy in an emerging market. This case study is suited to undergraduate students studying Porter’s five competitive forces, SWOT analysis (see teaching note exhibit) or the Ansoff matrix in the fields of strategy, marketing or macroeconomics. This case study can be taught in courses such as decision-making, environment of business, leadership or strategic implementation. The case study will teach students how to apply the frameworks to a business and assist students in determining which option is best for the business.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2022

Anubhuti Saxena and Asha Prasad

This study aims to identify the various dimensions of workplace spirituality (WPS) and determine whether these dimensions act as predictors of innovative work behaviour (IWB…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the various dimensions of workplace spirituality (WPS) and determine whether these dimensions act as predictors of innovative work behaviour (IWB) among bank employees. This study also aims at studying the moderating role played by sense of God (SOG) between WPS and IWB.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involved both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This study was carried out in two phases. Item generation, questionnaire development and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted in phase 1. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in phase 2. Seven WPS dimensions originated through EFA, which got validated through CFA later. Structural equation modelling was used for hypotheses testing. To explore the proposed relationships, cross-sectional survey was done on a sample of bank employees from public, private and foreign banks.

Findings

The findings reveal that WPS is a seven-factor construct and affects the IWB of bank employees. The results indicated that four dimensions of WPS significantly increase IWB, and that SOG moderates the relationship between WPS and IWB.

Research limitations/implications

With increasing globalization, there is a growing concern as to whether Indian employers would be able to meet employees’ spiritual needs. Indians tend to have high inclination towards God; through their religious associations, they try to develop a sense of spiritualism. Awareness about the effect of SOG and also the dimensions of WPS on IWB will help organizations in designing effective interventions for making employees more innovative.

Originality/value

The authors believe that the empirical studies testing the consequences of WPS on IWB in the banking industry are limited; also, SOG’s role as a moderator remains unexplored; thus, this study is an attempt to fill the gaps.

Details

International Journal of Ethics and Systems, vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9369

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 13 March 2024

Dennis Wittmer and Jeff Bowen

The case was developed from two 2-h interviews with the Chief Operating Officer of A-Basin, Alan Henceroth; there is no CEO of A-Basin. The second interview was recorded on a Zoom…

Abstract

Research methodology

The case was developed from two 2-h interviews with the Chief Operating Officer of A-Basin, Alan Henceroth; there is no CEO of A-Basin. The second interview was recorded on a Zoom call to provide accuracy of quotations and information. A variety of secondary sources were used in terms of better understanding the current state of the ski industry, as well as its history.

Case overview/synopsis

Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin) is a historic, moderately sized, ski area with proximity to metropolitan Denver, Colorado. For over 20 years A-Basin partnered with Vail, allowing skiers to use the Vail Epic Pass, for which A-Basin received some revenue from Vail for each skier visit. The Epic Pass allowed pass holders unlimited days of skiing at A-Basin. More and more skiers were buying the Epic Pass, thus increasing the customer traffic to A-Basin. However, the skier experience was compromised due inadequate parking, long lift lines and crowded restaurants. The renewal of the contract with Vail was coming due, and A-Basin had to consider whether to renew the contract with Vail. The case is framed primarily as a strategic marketing case. The authors use Porter’s five forces model to assess the external environment of A-Basin, and the authors use the resource-based view and the VRIO tool to assess A-Basin’s internal strengths. Both frameworks provide useful analysis in terms of deciding whether to continue A-Basin’s arrangement with Vail or end the contract and pursue a different strategy. In 2019, after consultation with the Canadian parent company Dream, A-Basin made the decision to disassociate itself from the Epic Pass and Vail to restore a quality ski experience for A-Basin’s customers. No other partner had ever left its relationship with Vail. An epilogue details some of A-Basin’s actions, as well as the outcomes for the ski area. Generally A-Basin’s decision produced positive results and solidified its competitive position among competitors. Other ski areas have since adopted a similar strategy as A-Basin. A-Basin’s success is reflected in a pending offer from Alterra, Inc., to purchase the ski area.

Complexity academic level

The A-Basin case can be used in both undergraduate and graduate strategic (or marketing) management courses. It is probably best considered during the middle of an academic term, as the case requires students to apply many of the theoretical concepts of strategy. One of the best books to enable students to use Porter’s five forces is Understanding Michael Porter by Joan Magretta (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). Magretta was a colleague of Porter for many years and was an Editor of the Harvard Business Review. For a discussion of the VRIN/VRIO concept, see Chapter 4 of Essentials of Strategic Management by Gamble, Peteraf and Thompson (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2019).

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 13 April 2023

Ercan Karakeçe

This chapter will focus on renewable energy investments in sustainable business projects from a strategic management and entrepreneurial perspective. It will be questioned what…

Abstract

This chapter will focus on renewable energy investments in sustainable business projects from a strategic management and entrepreneurial perspective. It will be questioned what the concept of energy is/should be from the perspective of managers and entrepreneurs. For this purpose, it will start with the significance of energy for these two viewpoints and persist in its linkage with the requirements of energy acquisitions. The subject of energy and energy investments will be associated with concepts such as sustainability, interaction with environmental factors, and competitiveness. To address these concerns, SWOT analysis, resource dependence model, Porter's five forces analysis, the environmental Kuznets curves hypothesis, and strategy tripod perspective – therefore, resource, industry, and institutional-based approaches – will be examined and interpreted with energy and energy investments. In addition, soft issues related to energy will be discussed from the perspective of the entrepreneur, and it will be emphasized that energy and energy investments should be addressed more comprehensively. As a result of all these efforts, it is aimed to contribute to a more stable system for a sustainable and competitive energy policy.

Case study
Publication date: 14 March 2024

Steven W. Congden, Heidi M.J. Bertels, David Desplaces and Todd Drew

The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about all companies directly or indirectly engaged in the industry. No primary…

Abstract

Research methodology

The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about all companies directly or indirectly engaged in the industry. No primary sources were available.

Case overview/synopsis

This teaching case is designed for students to demonstrate their mastery of industry-level analysis in the emerging space tourism industry. It allows students to understand what constitutes the industry within the broader space sector and to apply analytical tools such as PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces, with the option to discuss strategic groups. Students gain insights into how the industry is evolving within its broader environment and how companies could respond or differentiate themselves. Information is also provided for students to consider the broader social impact of a relatively new industry from the perspective of sustainable development.

Complexity academic level

The case is written for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in strategic management courses. The case placement is ideally in conjunction with industry-level analytical frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, strategic groups (optional) and industry life cycle. Most strategic management textbooks cover these concepts in the first few chapters. For example, “Strategic Management, 14th edition” by Hill, Schilling and Jones (2023) covers these topics in chapter 2. Given that space tourism is an embryonic industry dependent on technological innovation, instructors might also use this case in innovation or entrepreneurship-related courses. This case could also be used to address critical issues, such as sustainability, in tourism management courses.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 February 2022

Paul Levy, Joe Morecroft and Mona Rashidirad

Based on the case study of an SME company in the United Kingdom (which we will call SweetStar Cloud), this paper examines the attempts of the company to achieve significant…

Abstract

Based on the case study of an SME company in the United Kingdom (which we will call SweetStar Cloud), this paper examines the attempts of the company to achieve significant strategic change. The company is attempting to move from being a tradition managed service provider of information services towards becoming a significant influencer in the market for digital services in the UK. As part of a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP), a local UK University has been closely involved in developing this new strategic direction and it is well poised to present and analyse the story. From the use of tried and tested strategic tools, including Porter's generic strategies and segmentation and targeting, the company has also embraced digital-specific approaches for developing partnerships with clients, developing pilot projects and experimenting with its use of social media. At the heart of this research is an analysis of the move from push marketing towards models of attraction. This paper aims to explore how traditional strategic tools are still applicable in the digital era alongside new tactical approaches in the digital sector. This aim has led to an approach to business that is responsible, in terms of moving away from a traditional push-selling model to one of partnership with customers at a strategic level. Strategy in dynamic markets often highlights responsiveness as a key success factor. The ability to respond (a response-ability) requires more agile companies. As SweetStar Cloud has developed its strategy, it has focused in achieving this more effective ability to respond through a more collaborative approach. In this sense, agile response-ability converges with business responsibility, as new abilities in communication, cooperation and trust development become key.

Details

Emerald Open Research, vol. 1 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3952

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2024

Aydin S. Oksoy, Matthew R. Farrell and Shaomin Li

The purpose of this study is to investigate if a firm's exchange complexity profile (that is, the linkages between the firm and its environment) influences investor behavior at…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate if a firm's exchange complexity profile (that is, the linkages between the firm and its environment) influences investor behavior at the negotiation table where a firm valuation is derived.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors utilize Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Specifically, the authors utilize fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), a QCA variant that allows the researcher to assign graduated membership in sets.

Findings

When the authors dichotomize their positions as either higher stakes that favor the seller (high capital, low equity, high valuation) or lower stakes that favor the buyer (low capital, high equity, low valuation), and when the authors focus primarily on the equity outcome, the authors find that investors adopt a reductionist stance that adheres to a transaction cost economics logic under conditions of lower stakes and higher complexity as well as higher stakes and lower complexity conditions. The authors interpret this to mean that equity serves as a counter-balancing lever for a firm's exchange complexity configuration.

Originality/value

On a theoretical level, the authors showcase the exchange complexity framework and differentiate its position within the extant frameworks that address a firm's competitive advantage. More generally, the authors note that this framework brings the discipline of micro-economics and the field of strategic management closer together, providing scholars with a new tool enabling research across industries for the portfolio level of analysis.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2023

Eduard Aneste and Oleg Lozan

Identifying the perception of competition between public and private providers in the national hospital market can help authorities to develop appropriate management strategies…

Abstract

Purpose

Identifying the perception of competition between public and private providers in the national hospital market can help authorities to develop appropriate management strategies applicable to the hospital sector and increase the efficiency of public hospital institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed selective descriptive study including quantitative and qualitative components was carried out on in the Republic of Moldova between 12/2021 and 03/2022. The study included all hospitals in the country. The study revealed the hospital manager's perception of the hospital's competition as respondents to the questionnaire were only the directors and managers of hospital institutions. The concept of evaluation of the perception of competition was carried out through the lens of “Porter's 5 forces” from “Competitive strategies” by Michael E. Porter. The authors used a questionnaire as an instrument for studying the perception of competition. All study participants responded to both the quantitative and qualitative questionnaire.

Findings

Interhospital competition perceived by managers using model framework of “Porter's 5 forces” reveals high danger from service providers and high perception of rivalry; hospital directors perceived as low: the patient's bargaining power; the danger of new competitors entering the market; the danger of substitution, which constitutes competitive advantages; the lack of autonomy in the selection of services and patients and legislative barriers are the main perceived dissensions. The perception of competition between public and private hospitals is one with high rivalry, especially in the country's municipalities.

Originality/value

The national public hospital system takes up to 65% of the health budget being extremely expensive, a fact that indicates a rather low competitiveness of them. The European average indicates figures of 30–40%. The private hospital sector is less developed compared to most European countries, being represented by 17 institutions, in comparison Romania has 104 private hospitals representing about 25% of the market share. Private hospitals also occupy a considerable part of the European hospital healthcare market, continuing to increase, reaching over 30% in Germany.

Details

International Journal of Health Governance, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-4631

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 8 August 2023

Jagandeep Singh

By analyzing and discussing the case, students should be able to identify macro environmental factors that impact business decision-making; apply Michael Porter’s five forces…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

By analyzing and discussing the case, students should be able to identify macro environmental factors that impact business decision-making; apply Michael Porter’s five forces framework; evaluate sources of synergy; understand the concept of disruptive innovation; choose sources of competitive advantage; apply the value proposition canvas; and apply tenets of Blue Ocean strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

The grocery retail market in India accounts for nearly 70% ($608bn) of the total retail market ($883bn). The brick-and-mortar multi-tiered distribution network for groceries encompasses a million wholesalers and distributors and 12 million retail outlets. These retail outlets serve as customer touch points where bulk of grocery shopping is done. The online grocery industry is a miniscule $5.5bn. High incomes, change in purchase behaviour, inclination towards speed and convenience on the demand side and alacrity on the supply side have paved the way for new format, quick commerce. Trends and forecasts suggest that quick commerce, a high cash burn business, will grow exponentially. Zomato has jumped onto the quick commerce bandwagon with the acquisition of loss-making Blinkit. The case analyses the quick commerce industry through the lens of Michael Porter’s five forces framework and the Blue Ocean strategy. It elaborates the profitability drivers of the industry and also examines the sources of synergy from the acquisition.

Complexity academic level

This case is suitable for a class on strategy in postgraduate-level courses. It can be used in a session on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2022

Mehmet Celikyay, Fatma Sonmez Cakir and Zafer Adıguzel

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between supplier orientation, which is Porter's general competitive strategy, and the market and financial performance…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between supplier orientation, which is Porter's general competitive strategy, and the market and financial performance in the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) sector, taking into account the problems in the supply chain during the pandemic process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a quantitative research design where 550 questionnaires were collected from respondents operating in various ICT companies in Turkey to obtain necessary data to test the hypotheses developed for the study. Mediation effect and path analysis were used to analyze the research data. Smart PLS 3.3 version was used for all the mentioned analyzes.

Findings

The results of the analysis revealed that supplier orientation was positively and significantly related to financial and market performance. The findings of this study also showed that Porter’s generic competitive strategies have a mediator role in the relations of supplier orientation, financial and market performance.

Practical implications

These findings contribute to the understanding of the importance of supplier orientation along with competitive strategies to increase market and financial performance in ICT companies, especially during the pandemic process. These findings provide recommendations for researchers, professionals and senior and supply chain managers to apply at their firms.

Originality/value

This is a study that adequately covers the relationship between supplier orientation, general competitive strategies and market and financial performance in the Turkish ICT sector, taking into account the pandemic process.

Details

Journal of Asia Business Studies, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1558-7894

Keywords

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