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1 – 10 of 903Arunachalam Narayanan and Gordon D. Smith
9 million Thin Mints are made every day. In 2015, there was a spike in orders causing production shortages. In this case, students will evaluate how the CEO of Girl Scouts of San…
Abstract
9 million Thin Mints are made every day. In 2015, there was a spike in orders causing production shortages. In this case, students will evaluate how the CEO of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Mary Vitek, can mitigate the risk of supply disruption and utilize strategic sourcing in order to avoid any further shortages.
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
Abstract
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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Malcolm Salter and Wolf Weinhold
A number of factors ranging from economic conditions to managerial self‐interest have contributed to today's unprecedented merger boom. But the tide may be turning as the public…
Abstract
A number of factors ranging from economic conditions to managerial self‐interest have contributed to today's unprecedented merger boom. But the tide may be turning as the public policy debate over mergers heats up. Most scenarios show a long‐range drop in merger activity. However, the need for an informed, rational national policy on mergers remains.
A two‐component framework for strategic marketing research, focused on the corporate level and the business‐unit level, to structure an interpretation of the strategic dimensions…
Abstract
A two‐component framework for strategic marketing research, focused on the corporate level and the business‐unit level, to structure an interpretation of the strategic dimensions of the acquisition in November 1998 of Star Markets, a Boston, USA‐based food retail chain, by J. Sainsbury plc the UK’s second largest food retailer. Set within a broader context of the wave of acquisition‐driven consolidation rapidly transforming the US food retail industry during the late 1990s, the paper considers the extent to which the acquisition of Star Markets represented a strategic fit with Sainsbury’s existing US business, the alternative strategies available to the company at the time of the acquisition, and the resulting strategic centrality of the US business to Sainsbury’s corporate future. Focuses on the highly contested nature of the retail internationalization process and issues of sustaining international expansion during periods of retrenchment and strategic reassessment. Highlights the tensions which can be created within the portfolio of business units of a large multidivisional firm during the internationalization process, and the stresses in the relationship between management and the capital markets which can develop if the internationalization process is perceived, correctly or incorrectly, to threaten the strategic credibility of the firm.
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This paper examines the impact of the Competition Commission's report on the competitiveness of the UK food retail sector. Although the report found little evidence of…
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of the Competition Commission's report on the competitiveness of the UK food retail sector. Although the report found little evidence of monopolistic behaviour, the findings indicated both significance of buyer concentration and need for voluntary regulation. Recent developments are examined along with current research perspectives. This evidence suggests that not only will buyer power continue to concentrate in the hands of the major retail players but also further concentration and consolidation in the food retail sector will continue to take place. The implications of these developments on the food supply chain are considered in regard to areas for immediate future concern.
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Corporate Strategy, Vertical integration, Diversification.
Abstract
Subject area
Corporate Strategy, Vertical integration, Diversification.
Study level/applicability
Graduate.
Case overview
The case discusses the evolution, decline and turnaround of Mahindra Powerol, a division inside the large Indian business group, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M). The Powerol division had its genesis from the then Farm Equipment Sector, when they used the surplus capacity in the tractor manufacturing facilities to produce and sell power generators (Gensets). Powerol capitalized on the rapid growth of the Indian telecommunications sector and the need for power backup at remote locations for the mobile communication towers. Adopting a lean asset model, it transformed the industry ecosystem and grew rapidly. As the telecom opportunity saturated, Powerol performance declined, but quickly rebound as it diversified into other products. As Powerol continues its diversification journey, there are questions about how Powerol can leverage the lean asset model that was their source of competitive advantage in the Gensets market, into other businesses.
Expected learning outcomes
Introduce the fundamental logic of vertical integration. The case elucidates how and when a firm vertically integrates/outsources its operations.
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 Instructional Note and Case consent form.
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Discusses the long existing and confusing problems of establishing the relationship of who is, and who if not, a dependent worker. Reflects developments which have occurred in…
Abstract
Discusses the long existing and confusing problems of establishing the relationship of who is, and who if not, a dependent worker. Reflects developments which have occurred in British law as it affects the employment field, plus an evaluation and analysis of some of the different types of employment relationships which have evolved by examining, where possible, the status of each of these relationships. Concludes that the typical worker nowadays finds himself in a vulnerable position both economically and psychologically owing to the insecurity which exists.
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The consolidation of numerous highly‐fragmented US service industries has attracted considerable capital inflows during the 1990s. Fundamental questions about this phenomenon…
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The consolidation of numerous highly‐fragmented US service industries has attracted considerable capital inflows during the 1990s. Fundamental questions about this phenomenon include the sources of value in consolidations, and how these firms avoid the diseconomies of scale and scope noted in the service management literature. This paper introduces the consolidation phenomenon, discusses relevant theory, and begins to develop a framework useful in the understanding of scope economies for services.
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Asael Islas-Moreno, Manrrubio Muñoz-Rodríguez, Vinicio Horacio Santoyo-Cortés, Norman Aguilar-Gallegos, Enrique Genaro Martínez-González and Wyn Morris
This study analyses the sequence of actions carried out by successful enterprises in the agricultural sector and aims to understand the logic followed with such actions and the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyses the sequence of actions carried out by successful enterprises in the agricultural sector and aims to understand the logic followed with such actions and the differences related to the types of families that develop them.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a multiple case study approach, the business and family trajectories of 14 successful agricultural enterprises in Mexico were analysed. The actions carried out by enterprises are conceptualized as strategic movements and are classified into seven categories: (1) growth and intensification, (2) reconversion, (3) diversification, (4) integration, (5) differentiation, (6) outsourcing and (7) digitization. Depending on their relationship with agriculture, entrepreneurial families are classified into three categories: (1) continuing families, (2) returning families and (3) incoming families.
Findings
The entrepreneurship logic follows three stages: evaluation, expansion and consolidation, through which different activities are tested, then the one that produces the best results is expanded and adopted as the main activity, and finally the expansion of the main activity and its evaluation are combined by comparing and complementing it with other agricultural activities. The difference is that continuing families adhere more to the traditional productivist model based on growth in scale and improved productivity of primary production. On the other hand, actions that imply a distinction in the quality of production such as integration and differentiation and that require links with other organizations such as outsourcing are more frequently carried out by returning and incoming families.
Research limitations/implications
The findings obtained through case studies cannot be statistically generalized to a specific population, however, our perspective can be transferred to other cases to obtain analogous findings.
Originality/value
The study is a unique piece in terms of the analysis of how families with different degrees of proximity to agriculture develop successful enterprises.
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W. Mark Fruin and Masao Nakamura
This paper aims to present a general review of the circumstances of America and Japan's rapid corporate, economic and industrial development in the twentieth century.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a general review of the circumstances of America and Japan's rapid corporate, economic and industrial development in the twentieth century.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach considered and evaluated how the circumstances of America and Japan's growth might apply to China and India, two of the fastest growing economies of the twenty‐first century.
Findings
The findings suggest that both America and Japan might be considered exceptional cases and, as such, neither one might be regarded as a good model for emulation. However, the circumstances of Japan's rapid growth appear closer to those of contemporary China and India and on that basis the authors suggest that Japan might be a better model for emulation.
Originality/value
The American model is too novel and unlikely to be imitated, replicated or repeated whereas Japan's high population density, agrarian origins, state assisted and administered development, adaptation and hybridization of local and imported methods and technologies, kinship, pseudo‐kinship and locality based business groupings, and rapid, come‐from‐behind charge toward industrialization, urbanization and international emergence, all suggest that Japan offers a more relevant and useful development model.
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