Search results

Strategic management.

Undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA.

The decision analysis case in the context of family-managed mid-market business of Vikas Spool Private Limited focuses on the efforts and challenges of a market leader in sustaining growth in a B2B industry, which has a derived demand. The case charts way to the historical foundation of India's largest spool manufacturer and captures the dilemma in comprehending the growth model in an industry stricken by low barriers to entry/exit, high bargaining power of customers and suppliers, high substitutes and intense global competition. The organization has to decide whether it needs to enter the rigid non-bottle household plastic packaging industry or not to achieve the targeted growth of INR 1 billion by 2015?

The case analysis aims to make students learn: the challenges in sustaining growth in a labor-intensive industry marked by low barriers to entry, low profit margins because of intensive competition, low economies of scale and no clear brand differentiation; how to negotiate a choice between intra industry participation; how a firm locked in an industry environment characterized by commoditization and intense competition should plot its growth path to retain market position; how to evaluate growth options based on financial implications and analysis.

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

Principles of Management, in particular, the topics of planning, organizing, leading, controlling, human resource management, and operations management.

The case will be helpful to undergraduate and graduate business school students for learning the subject, Principles of Management.

Vikas Jha, the newly appointed executive producer and CEO of Magic Films, is a troubled man today. At 29, he is also an unusually tired man to lead this social enterprise presently focussing on producing and distributing short films that carry a strong social message. A whole set of problems is plaguing this start up leaving Vikas totally clueless about the future course of action! The case dwells on the challenges of a film production start-up and provides an opportunity for readers to explore creative solutions to management problems.

Critical thinking, creative thinking, communication skills and leadership ability are some of the liberal arts outcomes that the case study attempts to deliver. In addition, it enables students to apply their knowledge and understanding of key principles of management in solving the case problems. Thus, the case also provides transfer ability as an important learning outcome.

Teaching notes. Additional material with respect to film production can be helpful to the students in appreciating the finer aspects of this case, which deals with filmmaking. In this direction, helpful links to useful resources are mentioned in the case study.

By reinforcing the concept of community, a unique development process has been set off in villages of Orissa, one of the poorest states in India. The fundamentals of the programme require 100% participation from all villagers with clearly defined stakes and mechanisms for institutional and financial sustainability. The programme shows how something as basic as drinking water and sanitation is able to coalesce and bind divergent strands within communities, creating new relationship dynamics between men and women, and different sections of the communities, thereby helping to trigger new strands of development.

With the increasing competition and rise in the number of brands in almost every product category, consumers need help to figure out authentic brands. Thus, it becomes imperative for marketers to examine the factors that influence the perceptions of brand authenticity (PBA) and its favorable outcomes for the brand. This paper aims to explore the critical antecedents (i.e. “brand heritage” and “brand nostalgia”) and consequences [i.e. “consumer brand engagement” (CBE) and “perceived brand ownership” (PBO)] of PBA in this study.

In total, 368 responses were collected online through a self-administered survey method and were analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS v 25.

The findings reveal that both brand heritage and brand nostalgia can affect PBA. In addition, PBA engenders CBE and PBO among consumers toward the brand.

The study findings help the marketers to find ways to induce authenticity perceptions among consumers about their brands, which can further translate into PBO and CBE.

This study empirically verifies a model to enhance PBA through brand heritage and nostalgia. Further, it explores CBE and PBO as the potential outcomes of PBA.

This paper aims to determine the optimum parametric settings for yielding superior mechanical properties, namely, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and percentage elongation (EL) of AZ91D/AgNPs/TiO₂ hybrid composite fabricated by friction stir processing.

An empirical model has been developed to govern crucial influencing parameters, namely, rotation speed (RS), tool transverse speed (TS), number of passes (NPS) and reinforcement fraction (RF) or weight percentage. Box Behnken design (BBD) with four input parameters and three levels of each parameter was used to design the experimental work, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to check the acceptability of the developed model. Desirability function analysis (DFA) for a multiresponse optimization approach is integrated with response surface methodology (RSM). The individual desirability index (IDI) was calculated for each response, and a composite desirability index (CDI) was obtained. The optimal parametric settings were determined based on maximum CDI values. A confirmation test is also performed to compare the actual and predicted values of responses.

The relationship between input parameters and output responses (UTS, YS, and EL) was investigated using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) enhanced the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength. It was observed that the inclusion of AgNPs led to an increase in ductility, while the increase in the weight fraction of TiO₂ resulted in a decrease in ductility.

AZ91D/AgNPs/TiO₂ hybrid composite finds enormous applications in biomedical implants, aerospace, sports and aerospace industries, especially where lightweight materials with high strength are critical.

In terms of optimum value through desirability, the experimental trials yield the following results: maximum value of UTS (318.369 MPa), maximum value of YS (200.120 MPa) and EL (7.610) at 1,021 rpm of RS, 70 mm/min of TS, 4 NPS and level 3 of RF.

This chapter argues for looking into alternative domains, beyond the narrow confines of the base of the pyramid narrative, to develop a comprehensive and meaningful understanding of marginalised consumers and markets. In gaining deep and nuanced understanding of these markets and consumption behaviour, scholar may draw theoretical resources from varied disciplines such as economics, political theory, literary theory, sociology and anthropology. This chapter reviews three such scholarly perspectives on consumption and markets under poverty.

This study explored the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders concerning luxury yachting in the Fiji Islands. It also revealed the facilities provided on luxury yachts, significant challenges faced by stakeholders in the yachting business, major luxury yacht operators and the safety measures in place for the patrons/consumers of luxury yachting.

It employed an exploratory qualitative methodology that incorporated 16 in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews with stakeholders in the luxury yachting businesses via contact with superyacht agents. The interview participants for this research were selected based on a non-random sampling technique in the major marinas of the Fiji Islands (i.e. Port Denarau Marina, Copra Shed Marina, Savusavu, Royal Suva Yacht club, and Vuda marina).

Results revealed that the services/facilities provided on luxury yachts are state-of-the-art; however, there is a need to integrate luxury yachting with more personalized, creative, unique and innovative experiences. Findings also suggest the need for government funding for the redevelopment/renovation of some ports and provide skill-based training for yacht employees.

This study contributes to filling some of the gaps in the luxury yachting literature in Fiji and sheds light on stakeholders' perceptions of the amenities offered at marinas and ports, significant challenges in the yachting industry and safety measures in place for patrons.

With the tremendous increase in the number of netizens, online consumer behavior has become an important issue nowadays. One of the important issues of online consumer behavior is e-consumer conformity. This paper aims to explore prominent factors of e-consumer conformity and its impact on consumer attitude, which helps marketers to understand this new business arena and involve this relationship to enhance their business.

For the purpose, convenience sampling was used with sample size of 510. Offline as well as online mode of survey was applied. The resultant hypotheses (based on the developed model depicting normative and informational consumer conformity effect on attitude) were examined by structured equation modeling.

The present study presents the different dimensions of e-consumer conformity and its difference in metro and non-metro cities on which marketers have to frame their strategies. The study revealed that the customer attitude is largely affected by others expectations (conformance with others expectations, NCC) rather others knowledge and expertise (ICC). Additionally, the comparison of virtual conformity behavior of metro and non-metro customers was made, and it was found that conformity behavior does not significantly differ in these two contexts.

Business saturation in metro cities, infrastructural growth and technological advancement in non-metro cities, companies are moving toward non-metro cities. Due to contextual differences existing between metro and non-metro market, it is difficult to trace the changes in the marketing policies and device the appropriate strategy accordingly for the marketers. In lieu of this, the present study presents the different dimensions of e-consumer conformity and its degree of difference in metro and non-metro cities on which marketers have to frame their strategies.

Good number of research has been conducted on consumer conformity in India; however, there is a scarcity of literature in virtual consumer conformity in India. This research is not only establishing the relationship between virtual consumer conformity and consumer attitude but also establishing the difference of virtual consumer conformity in metro and non-metro cities in India.

This paper aims to perform the solid particle erosion studies in simulated coal-fired boiler conditions with a view to compare the erosion behavior of two different types of detonation gun (D-Gun) sprayed cermet coating powders, that is, WC-12%Co and Cr₃C₂-25%NiCr on ASTM A36 steel and bare (uncoated) ASTM A36 steel.

Erosion studies were performed using an air jet erosion test rig at impingement angles of 45°, 60° and 90°. During the erosion studies weight loss, erosion rates in terms of volume loss (mm³/g) and measurement of erosion profiles were determined using optical profilometer.

Both cermet coatings had successfully protected the ASTM A36 steel from erosion at impingement angles of 45°, 60° and 90°. In the case of bare ASTM A36 steel, the erosion rates were maximal at an impingement angle of 45° and minimal at an impingement angle of 90°, thus depicting the peculiar erosion behavior of ductile materials. WC-12%Co coated specimens exhibited erosion behavior that is closer to the behavior of ductile materials. Cr₃C₂-25%NiCr coated specimens exhibited the maximum erosion rate at an impingement angle of 90° and minimum at an impingement angle of 45°, hence depicting the typical behavior of brittle materials.

It is expected that these results will contribute to the improvement of erosion resistance of induced draft fans, by the application of D-Gun sprayed WC-12%Co and Cr₃C₂-25%NiCr cermet coatings.

This paper evaluates the solid particle erosion behavior of bare and cermet-coated ASTM A36 steel which will be helpful in choosing the suitable cermet coating for induced draft fan applications.