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The case is particularly relevant for students studying elements of business strategy with an interest in strategic decision-making, competitive strategy, and growth strategy. The case leverages several strategic frameworks taught throughout business courses and illustrates a real-world application of these frameworks to support sound strategic decision-making. Furthermore, the case examines the relevance of sustainable competitive advantage and the linkages to the appropriate growth strategy for a business. It is recommended that this case be taught once students have covered the applicable theory and frameworks in class.

This case is designed for business administration students, in particular MBA, EMBA, speciality Masters, or executive education students.

MWEB is a leading first-tier South African internet services provider, with an operating history spanning over 22 years. The MWEB brand is a household name across South Africa, seen as one of the pioneers of the internet industry and accredited with bringing the internet to ordinary consumers across the country. The state of competition in the market, however, has intensified and MWEB's traditional operating model has not evolved fast enough to meet the changing landscape. The market is in the midst of a price war, to which MWEB has responded by reducing market pricing and offering attractive deals, undercutting all its competitors. The results have been positive; sales have increased and churn has reduced, but competitors have already started to follow. The dilemma facing CEO Sean Nourse and his management team is how to accelerate growth in a highly commoditised market with intense competition while ensuring the long-term profitability of the business. The case encourages the consideration of the strategic decision-making process by analysing the competitive landscape, evaluating the options, and reaching a decision on the most viable growth strategy for the business.

To analyse the competitive landscape and the forces at play

To conduct a competitor analysis, appraise long-term profitability in the industry, identify profitable strategic positions, and determine how MWEB may achieve and protect its competitive advantage

To identify and analyse the key parameters that, in combination, represent a company's business model

To critically analyse the contextual factors that are presented as business challenges, evaluating and understanding the impact and scale of these challenges

To critically assess relevant growth strategy alternatives for MWEB and analyse the viability of the alternatives presented

To conduct an informal valuation to determine a purchase price for an acquisition target for the business

This study enables to critique the development of a sustainability strategy brand; integrated reports, sustainability reports, usage of safe internet and online learning skills to reduce inequalities and increase stakeholders’ values.

Digi Telecommunications (Digi) has been publishing annual sustainability reporting in line with Global Reporting Initiatives since 2009. Albern Murty, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digi, the largest player in the mobile telecommunications industry in Malaysia by the number of subscribers, decided to establish a responsible business brand known as Yellow Heart in 2018 to better serve their stakeholders demand. There was a low stakeholder understanding of Digi’s sustainability efforts and societal impacts. Digi’s Sustainability department aspired to make Yellow Heart the best industry practice for continuous improvements by making Responsible Business commitment one of the main pillars of the company’s strategy and vision. Yellow Heart was linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)10 on reducing inequalities by focusing on Digital Inclusion and Resilience to increase safe access opportunities, provide marginalized communities with opportunities to pursue interests in digital learning pathways and create a more sustainable digital future for all. The case study illustrates the sustainability management at Digi and the planned migration from sustainability reporting to integrated reporting to build trust in the business with all the stakeholders. The case dilemma involves the challenges that Philip Ling Oon Hun, the Head of the Sustainability, faced in deciding the SDGs to focus on and measuring and reporting their outcomes to contribute to the greater good, not only in pure business terms but also to society at large.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate or graduate-level programs in Accounting, Corporate Governance and Strategy Implementation.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

Emerging markets – marketing and business strategy; social entrepreneurship; opportunity identification; frugal innovation.

MBA; marketing management; specialis ed courses such as entrepreneurship and international marketing. Data rich case, but analytical difficulty is only moderate.

Reboot Systems was conceived as a reverse engineering/refurbishing company for used computers when Rahul Chowdhury and Subbarao came in contact with Anand Tater who had started a small business in the used computer market. The team recognised the potential of the refurbished computer market in India, which was largely unorganised with penetration of personal computers pegged at less than 5 per cent. They identified the opportunity to address the digital divide, caused by lack of affordability and accessibility, by providing inexpensive “as good as new” used computers to those who aspired to own a computer. Additionally, in extending the life of used computers on a large-scale through “frugal innovation”, they hoped to reduce the extent of e-waste generated in the economy. This case provides a rich description of an emerging market characterised by market heterogeneity, social-political governance with poor policy measures, unorganised markets, chronic shortage of resources and inadequate infrastructure. Entrepreneurs hoping to address social issues must tackle these problems at the grass-root level and come up with improvised solutions that address the unique needs of the heterogeneous and resource constrained market. Some of Reboot Systems pressing challenges were in building a viable strategic approach to the market and ensuring scalability in a sustainable way.

An understanding of the characteristics of an emerging market from a macro (environmental) as well as micro (industry specific) perspective, an appreciation of opportunity identification and improvisation in emerging markets as well as differentiating “frugal” innovation from the idea of “Jugaad”, an understanding of the role of strategic vision and mission in accomplishing social and business objectives, an understanding of how to develop sustainability and competitive advantage from a social as well as business perspective.

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

On completion of this case study, students will be able assess new venture opportunities by properly allocating expansion fund in growing the business; analyzing various scaling-up options; applying the Ansoff matrix for growth and expansion; designing a framework for scaling up; and using the business model canvas.

Mr Sreeram established Eruvaka Technologies in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (India), in 2015 to provide products and services related to aquaculture. The company was founded with the goal of assisting prawn farmers who had trouble keeping up with the demands of the industry. Eruvaka Technologies created risk-reducing and productivity-boosting on-farm diagnostic devices for aquaculture growers. The company developed low-cost monitoring and automation solutions for aquaculture by merging sensors, mobile connection and decision tools. Eruvaka’s primary objective was to offer reasonably priced, technologically advanced goods and services to farmers. Eruvaka matured into a promising startup over time, attracting $5m in funding. Sreeram and his team had to detail their plan to their investors about how they intended to use the money from each funding rounds toward growing the business, how the company planned to achieve sustainable and competitive advantage while providing value to its consumers and how they would address critical issues including product acquisition cost, supply chain problem and customer anxiety.

This case study can be taught as part of undergraduate- and postgraduate-level courses and Master of Business Administration courses.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

Marketing.

Post Graduate.

Rajiv Bapna and Pradeep Bapna co-founded Allied Electronics & Magnetics Limited (widely known as Amkette) in the year 1985 for the production of floppy diskettes in India. By the year 1995, Amkette was the largest selling floppy diskette brand in India. With the advent of new technology in storage media sale of floppy diskette observed a constant decline. By the end of year 2004, floppy diskettes completely vanished from the market. Amkette anticipated the changes in the computer peripherals market and introduced a wide range of products in storage media, wireless and wired peripherals, accessories and digital lifestyle products. After the launch of Evo TV on June 2012, Amkette was hopeful for a major success in digital lifestyle segment. Evo TV, a connected TV device, allowed consumers to use smart apps on their television sets and was a cost-effective substitute to Smart TVs. Amkette was betting very high on Evo TV for revenue generation and market development.

Following are the learning outcomes: to review the product life cycle of technology products, to understand evolving customers’ expectations and behavior, to assess the adoption process of innovative products and to explore the challenges associated with innovative products for market development.

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 8: Marketing.

Discussion of the case will enable students to identify the cornerstones of industry development using simple frameworks like PESTLE and five forces that shape strategy. They will be able to identify critical success factors and evaluate how a firm gets competitive advantage. They will also be able to assess whether the advantage is sustainable for the firms and along which dimensions they have only competitive parity. The issues of contemporary firms growing through the use of network strategies is also highlighted and students will learn to appreciate the role of platforms and connectivity for gaining sustainable advantage.

This case describes the growth strategy of NoPaperForms, a start-up in the domain of enrolment automation for higher education in India. Naveen Goyal, the founder CEO sensed an opportunity in this growing industry segment and acquired it from the founder, Vishal Shah in 2017. The ultimate objective of an educational institute was to attract talent, Goyal evolved a comprehensive enrolment solution starting with the time a prospective student made an inquiry for enrolment till the time he/she paid for enrolment. It was a complete panel, bundled and packaged in a single system taking care of lead management, lead nurturing, application management, fee payment, post-application management and enrolment. He developed it into a unique blend of a customer relationship management (CRM), which was unique in the country. At this juncture, Goyal was exploring growth avenues. On the client side, he had the alternatives of focusing on the B2C segment or diversifying from B2B to B2C. Geographically, he had the options of expanding to tier II and tier III cities, which were the next growth hubs. The option of growing internationally was also on the cards. The purpose of the case is to analyse the opportunities in the education technology sector, specific to student enrolment and leverage the competencies of the firm to detail the future strategy of the firm.

The case can be used in a MBA program for a course in Strategic Management in the module of strategy formulation after fundamental concepts and theories of Strategic Management have been discussed.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

Case explains how female leaders are more concerned about social issues the industry in which they operate could resolve. Obo-Nia, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, showed concern for resolving the digital divide in Africa and offered a collaborative solution. The case also suggests how female CEOs invest in strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) that could create a competitive advantage for firms. The case also discusses gender diversity issues in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field and how Vodafone Ghana’s CEO tried to enhance gender diversity in the telecommunication sector and Vodafone. Obo-Nai did not emphasize gender diversity from a CSR perspective but believed in a business case for gender diversity, as an increase in participation of women in the STEM workforce could help the telecommunication sector innovate faster and resolve the digital divide challenge while also empowering women working from the informal sector.

What is the significance of a digital divide and the societal role of the telecommunication sector; Why female CEOs are more concerned about CSR and how CSR makes not charity but business case; Why female CEOs are more inclined toward collaborative strategies and how stakeholders are involved in collaborative strategies for reducing the digital divide; Exploring various strategies for enhancing gender diversity in the STEM field and the significance of gender diversity in the STEM field.

The case is about the challenges faced by Patricia Obo-Nai, the first female CEO of Vodafone Ghana, to bridge the digital divide in Africa while doing so in a profitable manner. Obo-Nai was an engineer by profession and won several awards as she rose to the post of CEO in Vodafone Ghana in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she took several corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as making internet service freely available in certain schools and universities so that education could continue. Obo-Nai also emphasized gender diversity within Vodafone and urged other telecommunication players to focus on gender diversity from a social responsibility perspective because it was essential for innovation. Under Obo-Nai’s leadership, Vodafone itself launched several new products. She called for a multistakeholder collaborative approach to bridge the digital divide and to make 4G internet affordable in Africa. Obo-Nai collaborated with competitors like MTN Ghana to enhance Vodafone Ghana’s roaming services.

This case is intended for undergraduate or graduate-level business and management courses, especially international business and society, CSR and leadership courses. Graduate students in public policy may also find the case compelling.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CCS5: International Business; CCS10: Public Sector Management

The Indian telecom market was witnessing a fierce price war, especially from an aggressive entry of a new player Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) with a predatory pricing strategy. To react to the increasingly intense rivalry and maintain top positions, the second and third largest telecom operator like Vodafone India and Idea Cellular Limited (Idea) decided to merge together. The combined entity would become the largest wireless carrier in India. Was the merger the right competitive strategy for Vodafone India and Idea to fight against the wars? What synergies could the merger bring about? Given Vodafone India and Idea agreed to maintain their respective brands after the merger, would the two brands compete and cannibalize each other’s market share? As the Indian telecom industry was undergoing the liberalization of airwaves, how should the merged entity overcome potential regulatory hurdles? If this mega merger went through, what could be the impacts on the Indian telecom industry? If not, how should the companies move forward with the competition?

This case study research is based on published information of the focal companies and their operating environment. The case is written in such a way that can be depicted by related theoretical perspectives available from leading journals and books. There is no disguise of any actual persons or entities and no personal relationship between the authors and the organizations or individuals mentioned in the case.

The case study is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate level business school students in courses, including mergers and acquisitions, competitive strategies, industry analysis and marketing strategies.

The case is grounded on the industrial organization and resource-based theories, where the actions and reactions of competitors in the market are driven by their awareness, motivation and capability toward the competitive situation. Leveraging on a highly competitive and consolidated, unique Indian telecom market, the authors analyze competitive situations of the industry, evaluate potential synergistic benefits and market power from the merger of competitors, and give recommendations for the merged entity to overcome regulatory hurdles in the industry that is undergoing deregulation and to move forward with effective strategies to compete and strengthen market positions in such industry environment.

New product development and introduction, Marketing.

The case is suitable for post-graduate students in management, or in their final year. The case is intended for those business school students who are familiar with the basics of marketing management and are going through a course on new product development. The level of difficulty for post-graduate management students as far as this case is concerned is medium to high. The case can be a part of the following courses in marketing; new product marketing; technology marketing; brand management (how to build a technology brand).

The case concerns a computing technology company – Novatium Solutions – that has developed a new product, an affordable computing system, and is looking at ways of marketing it. The product offering in the initial stages is just hardware with limited local processing abilities that needs to be connected through a wire to a telecom broadband player to provide the internet browsing facility. As the case progresses, the product evolves into upgraded and newer formats. The theme of the case is intended to be new product marketing in a technology sector.

The following will be the learning outcomes for this case; new product process and marketing in a technology company (compared to non technology consumer product company); bringing customer orientation to a product technology company; the role of a marketing head in a new product company; and building a retail brand for an affordable technology product.

Teaching notes are available; please consult your Librarian for access. The teaching notes provide adequate questions and answers (four assignment questions and three class discussion questions) so that faculty members need not look beyond these to give student projects or assignments.

Rendering digital services have taken centerstage in the current ICT for development discourse. E-Government services are mostly under this discourse with the aim to provide citizen centric services in the public domain. Business and development organizations alike are also investing in developing their own digital infrastructure for rendering services to its stakeholders. This case describes scenario in which a cooperative organization wishes to use digital infrastructure and provide digital services to its farmer members. The cooperative continued investing in ICT since the last couple of decades and constantly upgraded it to ease the transaction and bring efficiency and reduce information asymmetry. This had greatly benefitted the members. However, the cooperative is aware that its communication network built on the wireless medium has its own limitations in introducing new services and integrating its databases and applications. The cooperative took note of “Digital India (DI)” initiatives to provide digital services to rural areas and build an ecosystem to empower the citizens in its governance set up. This DI policy has implicit provisions of better networking protocols with improved bandwidth. The organization has a dilemma to continue with investing its own resources or explore possibility of piggybacking on the DI initiative. The cooperative wished to examine the total cost of ownership in either case and assess the feasibility of converging with the infrastructure created by the government.

The Government Information Technology Policies are increasingly favouring citizens and in favour of shared infrastructure and services. It is worth the examination to evaluate strategies to deploy IT infrastructure and services with optimized cost and better returns in an enterprise. This is far more important for a social enterprise like AMALSAD cooperative (user-owned firm) that has deployed its own IT infrastructure and ITeS. AMALSAD cooperative deployed its IT assets long back and in the meanwhile, the Government policy is in favour of providing services over the internet.

The case serves to help students to understand the theoretical concept of Enterprise information systems infrastructure and services. It brings to the students understanding: the drivers of IT infrastructure to provide digital services; challenges that would make the social enterprise (in this case user-owned firm) to understand the opportunities and challenges of deploying the right digital infrastructure and get services on demand. The case presents the scenarios for the students to deliberate and find answers to the right approach for estimating the total cost of ownership (TCO).

The case situation presents a scenario for digital government services. Most of the customer-facing enterprises including social enterprises are also providing digital services. It is important that such services converge at an optimized TCO.

Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management Science.