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Marketing Management, Product Management, Marketing Strategy.

Bachelor of Business Studies, MBA, Executive MBA.

The case throws light on the intensely competitive Indian passenger car market and its unique challenges faced by Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL). It tries to capture the evolution of this dynamic industry, which is characterized by regular product launches and re-positioning efforts. The students are expected to assess the performance of HMIL and the success of its positioning efforts through multiple quantitative and qualitative data points given in the case. The students need to come up with recommendations whether, amidst intense competition, Government regulations and changing consumer expectations, HMIL should launch new products in its portfolio? If, yes, in which segments? And what should be the guiding philosophy behind such product launches?

The case is expected to guide students: 1. in comprehending the various macro-environmental factors that has made India an attractive passenger car market to invest and operate in, to virtually all multinational players across all segments; 2. in analyzing how the passenger car market is segmented in India; 3. in assessing the product-driven segment-wise performance by HMIL specifically and organizations in general and what are its implications on decision-making; this is indicative of the brand portfolio management based on BCG Brand/Product Portfolio Growth Share Matrix; 4. in assessing the impact of re-positioning on the firms performance judged before and after the re-positioning efforts by the firm; 5. in analyzing the market potential of SUVs and MUVs in India and whether HMIL should launch new products/brands for these segments; and 6. in deliberating on the guiding philosophy in new product launches around the concept of “Consumer Perceived Value”.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

Services marketing, Market segmentation, Ethnography.

Postgraduate programs, Master in Strategic Marketing and Master in Business Administration.

One of the signs of an increase in religion awareness of Indonesian society is a high demand on Musholla in public area. While other shopping malls just provide a normal standard room for prayer, Senayan City has become a pioneer in introducing an excellent facility of a prayer room. In services marketing, one of the substantial matters to consider is physical evidence, or in other words service setting or servicescape. Musholla is one of the intangible aspects, which depicts services in shopping malls in Indonesia. There are three variables that distinguish visitors' types, such as time spent, liturgical compliance level and concerns for cleanliness/hygiene.

The objective of this case study is to give deeper comprehension about services marketing to students in a practical way. This case study illustrates that a company is capable of creating a strong brand by acknowledging consumer needs and providing extra benefits. Besides, students are also required to analyze diverse consumer needs as each segment has its own needs. The use of ethnography as an approach shows that such a contemporary method can capture dynamic behaviours and deeper insight on consumer needs.

Teaching notes are available.

The reading and discussion on case will enable participants to appreciate importance of reward management in performance management system for both employee and organizational good; to develop insight on the effect of perceived discrimination on the motivation of employees; to internalize the effect of perceived unjust, subjective, non-communicative, non-transparent policies on the behavior and productivity of employees and overall organizational culture and climate; and to comprehend the importance of HR and OB issues with respect to performance management system for the benefit of employee morale, motivation and organizational culture.

The effectiveness of an employee is the key factor for the employer. All the profit that the company or the organization makes depends on the employees’ productiveness. The case needs to be understood in the overall context of performance management system (Ferreiraa and Otley, 2009) with focus on elements of appraisal and compensation via rewards and recognition as per objective standards. Performance management systems (PMSs) is a more general descriptor if the intention is to capture a holistic picture of the management and control of organizational performance. Performance management policies and practices refer to the processes of setting, communicating and monitoring performance targets and rewarding results with the aim of enhancing organizational effectiveness (Fee, McGrath-Champ and Yang, 2011). PMS includes both the formal mechanisms, processes, systems and networks used by organizations, and also the more subtle, yet important, informal controls that are used (Chenhall, 2003; Malmi and Brown, 2008). Otley (1999) proposed a framework which highlights five central issues which need to be considered as part of the process of developing a coherent structure for performance management systems. The five areas addressed by this framework include identification of the key organizational objectives and the processes and methods involved in assessing the level of achievement under each of these objectives, formulating and implementing strategies and plans, as well as the performance measurement and evaluation processes, process of setting performance targets and the levels at which such targets are set, rewards systems used by organizations and the implications of achieving or failing to achieve performance targets and types of information flows required to provide adequate monitoring of performance. While the case touches upon all the aspects of the PMS framework, it revolves round the reward episode and elaborates on the way it affects all stakeholders, those who got the benefit, those who felt discriminated and those were mere observers to the episode. Objective performance appraisals are needed to ensure that every employee produces the best performance and that the work performed is rewarded with reasonable increases in pay scales or special additional allowances or incentives. This system carries crucial importance as it helps managers to decide which rewards should be handed out, by what amount and to whom. Additionally, performance appraisals may increase an employee’s commitment and satisfaction (Wiese and Buckley, 1998) The case readers need to notice that when organizations fail to follow objective appraisal or reward standards, the same rewards become a cause of contention. The reward which was handed over to the employees in this case was in addition to the annual appraisal. Though the role of rewards has been well-recognized in motivating the employees to continue performing at high level and encourage others to strive for better performance, what needs to be recognized that rewards’ per say does not serve purpose. They need to be dealt within the context of performance management system. Using rewards to favor or discriminate a few employees by using subjective standards backfires and does no good as the person who is favored cannot take pride in it and is not motivated to perform better or equally well as he/she also knows that the work has no relation to the reward, it is personal favor, on the other hand, the one who is discriminated feel discouraged and demotivated to perform. Rewards have the potential to both help and harm the organization if dealt in a callous and careless manner. Use of rewards to favor or discriminate certain people due to subjective preference can be suicidal for the organization and irreparably damage the trust of the employees in the management. It has been well stated that fairness and objectivity are the core principles using an assessment of the nature and size of the job each is employed to carry out (Torrington et al., 2005). If any organization decides to include rewards as a motivating mechanism, it needs to cull out unambiguous and transparent criteria for rewarding. If employees perceive procedural or distributive injustice from the management, it is not only detrimental for the employee’ relations and teamwork, it also tarnishes the reputation of the organization and jeopardizes the culture of the organization. Reward management needs to be closely related to performance appraisals, job evaluations and overall performance management systems. The current case elaborates on one such instance where unjustified inequity in reward system not only disturbed the employees concerned but it had bred a negative image of the organization among other employees too, organizational citizenship was replaced with contempt and feeling of apathy.

Post graduate students and working professionals can benefit from this study.

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

Human resource management.

Cutts Floral Distributors, founded in 2004 by Dave Lambe, was a floral wholesaler in Lincoln, Nebraska. The firm became a top wholesaler in the Lincoln area and had expanded its delivery range (all accessed by the company's hand delivery system) up to 100 miles outside of Lincoln. The company credited its success to the expertise of its founder, a professor of horticultural entrepreneurship, and to the company's commitment to customer service. Dave Lambe came to believe that Cutts had exhausted the local market and began looking for growth opportunities within driving distance. Proposed locations for expansion included Kansas City (MO/KS), Denver (CO), and St Joseph (MO). The case provides an in-depth look at Cutts, its competitive advantages, and strategy as the firm faced a critical decision, made more difficult by the uncertainties of the economic recession. This case encourages students to think critically in order to answer the case's central questions: “Should Cutts expand? If so, where?” The complexity of an expansion decision and the multitude of factors that may influence an entrepreneur's decision to expand are illustrated throughout the case.

The president of a well-established manufacturer of mattresses has asked his assistant to recommend whether to consolidate plants of three different locations. He must decide not only which criteria are most useful in making such a decision, but also how to weigh the different criteria in coming up with a single decision.

The learning outcome of this paper is to understand the geopolitical aspects of international business. Assessing the political risk inherent in international investment projects. Maintaining a favorable corporate image in the host country despite apparent hostilities. Analyzing the risks associated with doing business in an emerging market.

In February 2019, local newspapers in the Maldives published unconfirmed reports that the Indian company GMR was reinvesting in the Maldives. GMR had secured a contract in 2010 for renovation/expansion of The Maldives International Airport. However, the contract created political turmoil, with opposition parties objecting to some clauses. People considered GMR closer to the incumbent President, Mohammed Nasheed. The unstable political scenario forced President Nasheed to resign amidst allegations of corruption. The new President showed hostility toward India and GMR while making overtures to China. He canceled the airport contract and awarded it to a Chinese company. GMR went to the international Tribunal in Singapore. The tribunal upheld the Maldivian government’s right to terminate the agreement but awarded GMR a compensation of US$270m. In 2019, a new government came to power in the Maldives, with Mohammed Nasheed enjoying a commanding position. The government pledged to accept the judgment of the Singapore International Tribunal. The local media discussed the possibility of the return of GMR to the Maldives after seeing some senior GMR officials in the Maldives. However, it was not clear whether it would be a good idea for GMR.

Master's level program.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CCS 11: Strategy.