bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leverage, product diversity and performance of general insurers in Malaysia
Authors: Foong Soon‐Yau , Idris Razak
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of leverage on the financial performance of general insurance companies in Malaysia, and investigate whether the leverage‐performance relationship is a function of or contingent on the extent of product diversification.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of the entire population of authorized general insurance companies operating during the period from 2006 to 2009 in Malaysia. A total of 94 observations were analysed. All the data used were sourced from the Malaysian Central Bank's (BNM) database.

Findings

It is found that leverage is negatively associated with firm performance. However, there is a significant interaction effect between leverage and product diversity on firm performance. The finding indicates that leverage could be beneficial or detrimental to the financial performance of general insurance firms, contingent on the extent of product diversity of the firm.

Research limitations/implications

As the scope of study is limited to the general insurance industry and the sample size is small, the findings of the study must be interpreted with caution and the results may not be generalizable to the life insurance sector or other industry.

Originality/value

Findings of prior empirical studies on leverage‐performance relationship and effect of insurance product diversification are rather mixed and inconclusive. Based on analysis of a single insurance (general) sector that is highly regulated, the paper provides empirical evidence that the benefits of product diversification strategy are contingent on level of the firm's leverage. The paper hence, enhances understanding and contributes to the existing literature on impact of leverage, product diversification on performance of the highly regulated general insurance firms in a developing country.
Analyzing the technical efficiency of insurance companies in GCC
Authors: Al‐Amri Khalid , Gattoufi Said , Al‐Muharrami Saeed
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performances of the insurance sector in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and carry out a comparative analysis for its different units.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyse the technical efficiency of insurances in the GCC countries using DEA methodology and Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) to decompose the change in the efficiency into an intrinsic component reflecting the individual change in technical efficiency and a second component reflecting the impact of the change in the market technology on the individual technical efficiencies of insurance companies.

Findings

The study considers 39 insurance firms in the region, with a panel data covering the period 2005‐2007. The authors found that the insurance industry in the GCC is moderately efficient and there is large room for improvement.

Originality/value

In these very special market conditions, a deep analysis of the overall efficiency of the sector is needed and an assessment of its performance – to the authors' best knowledge so far non‐existent – becomes a must to provide insights about the realities and the future trends of the sector. This research uses DEA and MPI to assess the efficiency of the insurance sector in the GCC region and analyses its variation over the period 2005 to 2007.
Building dynamic capabilities: the case of HRIS
Authors: Markova Gergana
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate conditions for a human resource information system (HRIS) to impact organizational competitiveness. Particularly, the author proposes that an HRIS is a key factor in building dynamic capabilities through fostering codification and dissemination of path‐dependent processes and assuring that the firm is able to repeat its successes.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the resource‐based view (and its extension), the author theorizes about the relationship between HRIS specificity and firm competitiveness.

Findings

It is proposed that in‐house developed or highly‐customized HRIS are the key to building dynamic capabilities necessary for firm competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

By considering the HRIS as a vehicle for the unique and inimitable organizational processes, the author extends the traditional definition of management information systems. However, such an extension is doable within certain limitations. First, the assumption must be maintained that an HRIS can reflect unique routines and processes, and second, it must be recognized that path‐dependent routines may diminish organizational flexibility necessary for competitiveness in a changing environment.

Practical implications

It is important for organizations to recognize that favorable conditions are necessary for employees to generate value. A potential favorable condition can be the HRIS that meets employee expectations and disseminates unique managerial knowledge.

Originality/value

The paper bridges diverse literature to highlight the role of HRIS in firm competitiveness. A new construct is proposed – HRIS specificity – to guide future research in the empirical examination of the proposed relationships and the dynamic capability paradigm.
The awareness/attitude‐gap in sustainable tourism: a theoretical perspective
Authors: Antimova Ralitsa , Nawijn Jeroen , Peeters Paul
Published: November 2014

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the widely recognized awareness/attitude‐gap in sustainable tourism and discuss a series of theoretical approaches on three levels: individual, interpersonal and community level theories.

Design/methodology/approach

These theories are linked to existing studies on tourists' awareness/attitude and behavior in relation to climate change in order to assess which type of theory explains the gap best and which may be the most useful in bridging the gap.

Findings

The paper argues that, although individual level theories offer the best explanation of the awareness/attitude‐gap, community level theories may offer the best solution.

Originality/value

The paper has important relevance for academic researchers who intend to study the awareness/attitude gap in a tourist setting.
Buying decisions towards organic products: an analysis of customer value and brand drivers
Authors: Rajagopal
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Many multinational companies have entered the market of organic cosmetics and toiletries (OCT) in the global marketplace. This study attempts to analyze the impact of economic and relational variables on customer and brand values in reference to OCT products in Mexico through empirical investigation in selected department stores that attract high profile customers. The study proposes a framework for future research in measuring the customer value in specific reference to the non‐conventional products.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on the primary data using the information of 369 respondents, who were involved in shopping at chosen retail self‐service stores in Mexico City, administering a semi‐structured questionnaire. The study was conducted in 11 retail self‐service stores in Mexico City including four departmental stores spread over three locations in Mexico. The data has been fit to the model developed for the study using linear equations. One of the prominent features emerged during the study is that customer perception is largely governed by marketing communications.

Findings

The study reveals that strategic product positioning and effective retailing augment the customer perceptions and help building the long‐run customer values towards the non‐conventional products owning unfamiliar brands. Results of empirical data have also shown that advertising and promotional strategies of the OCT brands helped customers review their preferences against the synthetic cosmetics and toiletries which appreciated the brand value for the OCT products of the companies in Mexican market.

Research limitations/implications

Like many other empirical studies this research might also have some limitations in reference to sampling, data collection and generalization of the findings. Samples drawn for the study may not be enough to generalize the study results. Open ended questions were answered by the Mexican respondents in Spanish and sometimes transcription of the audio might have overlooked some issues. However, to ensure that the data cover a wider spatial and temporal dimensions in the study region, data should be cleansed and filtered with many variability factors affecting the consumer behavior and retailer performance.

Originality/value

Marketing of organic cosmetics encouraged by the growing environmental consciousness among the customers, is a recent phenomenon in the business. However, there is paucity of literature on this subject particularly in reference to Latin America. Hence, this paper attempts to contribute to the existing studies.
The contribution of human capital and resource‐based view to small‐ and medium‐sized tourism venture performance in Ghana
Authors: Saffu Kojo , Obeng Apori Samuel , Elijah‐Mensah Angela , Ahumatah Jonathan
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Grounded in human capital theory and resource‐based view, this paper aims to examine the effect of the entrepreneur's human capital and the venture's resources on the performance of small‐ and medium‐sized tourism ventures (SMTVs) in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 247 SMTVs, defined as tourism establishments employing less than 100 employees in the Western and Central regions of Ghana. Hypotheses derived from human capital and resource‐based theories were tested to assess the relationship between the theories and SMTV performance.

Findings

The study found a significant positive relationship between education, experience and performance. However, the hypothesised positive relationship between entrepreneurial family background and SMTV performance was inconsistent with prior studies. The findings with respect to the hypothesised relationship between venture resources and SMTV performance were mixed.

Research limitations/implications

The study suffers from industry‐specific, size‐specific and region‐specific limitations. Another limitation is the focus on human capital and venture resources as the determinants of tourism venture performance.

Practical implications

Knowing that education and experience per se impact on tourism venture performance, it behoves entrepreneurs in the tourism industry to endeavour to acquire the requisite education and experience. The finding has policy implications in the provision of tailor‐made training and incubation programs for SMTV entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

The study adds to the understanding of the unique nature of entrepreneurship in tourism by identifying the significance of human capital factors and venture resources on the performance of tourism ventures.
The top ten toys in Europe
Authors: Duracell
Published: November 2014

Reports the Duracell survey of favourite toy purchases in nine European countries, and how it is conducted. Lists and comments on the top 10 toys Europe‐wide: Tecnitoys’ SCX Monza Set, Smoby’s Star Party CD, Smoby’s No.1 football table, Zapf Creation’s My Model, Game Boy Advance SP, Smoby’s Ma Palette Beaute, Konami’s Battle Accel, LEGO Dirt Crusher, Geomag Panels 220pcs, and Giochi Preziosi’s Robosapiens. Moves on to findings from the qualitative research conducted with children and parents: playing with toys remains the favourite leisure activity, pocket money normally starts at six years old, 58 per cent of children save money from gifts, children attend an average of eight birthday parties a year and spend 13 Euros on the host’s present, Toys “R” Us is their favourite toy store, and they receive an average of seven toys at Christmas and four or five on their birthday.
Short run stabilization and long run competitiveness: the Latvian case
Authors: Vala Matas , Drąsutytė Kotryna , Mažulytė Eglė , Daunys Ignas
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Macroeconomics: fixed exchange rate regime, external and internal devaluation, international competitiveness, comparison to ongoing eurozone periphery problems.

Study level/applicability

The main audience for this case is undergraduate students in economics and business or graduate students in business or political science related studies. More particularly, the case suits a class on applied macroeconomics or general economic policy.

Case overview

The case investigates economic development in Latvia since it gained independence, the key focus is overheating in 2004-2007 and consequential extraordinary economic crisis of 2008-2009. This case gives a great starting point to discuss ongoing problems in peripheral eurozone (PIGS) in terms of internal versus external devaluation.

Expected learning outcomes

Students are expected to learn the differences between external and internal devaluation as well as a country's international competitiveness factors. Also, class discussion of similarities and differences between Latvia and PIGS should make students more aware of two types of devaluation.

Supplementary learning materials

Teaching notes are available. Please consult your librarian for access.
Tin Mining, Inc.: the paradox of organizational capabilities
Authors: Dávila José Camilo
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case study is intended for organization theory and strategic management courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate (MBA) levels.

Case overview

The case describes a company located in a fictitious developing country. The main activity of the company is the exploitation and production of tin, which it has developed over its 40-year history (1971-2011). During the first 33 years, it developed three capabilities: namely, technical, productive and the generation of trust among employees. The case illustrates three characteristics of capabilities: problem solving and complexity, practicing and succeeding, and reliability over time. The case also illustrates a paradox related to capabilities and shows three of its causes: path dependency and lock-in to a given course of action, structural inertia, and the absence of a capability dynamization function. In 2009, the company was faced with the need to reshape its capabilities and the arrival of a new President to the company provided the appropriate occasion to analyse this option.

Expected learning outcomes

These include: understanding what an organizational capability is and what its main characteristics are; understanding the process by which an organizational capability emerges and develops, and how it may be eroded in a given scenario; understanding a paradox an organization faces when capabilities are developed; and understanding why the concept of dynamic capabilities does not add power to the concept of capabilities.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian for access. Videos with interviews of employees of the case company are also available.
Partnering for business transformation: the Wipro Consulting Services story
Authors: Kaul Asha , Chaudhri Vidhi
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business transformation processes, change management and business strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case can be used to study business transformation processes and would be relevant for courses on change management and business strategy. It shouldbe studied in the context of behavioral and organizational challenges in implementing an organization-wide change. The case is targeted at MBA students and/or executive participants with professional experience who would be able to link the learningto corporate experience. It can be used for courses on organizational change, business strategy, and change management.

Case overview

The case, set in India in the year 2011, is positioned in the business consulting domain, and provides insight into managing change from the perspective of a consulting partner. The case discusses challenges and presents processes followed by Wipro Consulting Services (WCS) in conducting an integrated business transformation exercise at Brigade Enterprises Ltd (BEL), a leading firm in India's real estate sector. The BEL engagement had busted the myth that an integrated business transformation could not be conducted in an unorganized sector, and resulted in savings of overUSD 2 million for BEL. The case traces the journey of WCS into business transformation consulting, outlines the solution framework proposed by WCS, and discusses the decisive nature of the Brigade project for WCS' growth trajectory.

Expected learning outcomes

The case has been written with the following objectives, to: familiarize students with the processes and phases of a business transformation project; examine transformation barriers and challenges from a consultant perspective; and providestudents an appreciation of the complexities and challenges, decisional criteria and parameters of a large-scale, integrated business transformation exercise.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.
A “hotel within a hotel” in Bangkok
Authors: Alan Lewis Robert , Maria Mottier Ewa
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Human resources management, international human resources management.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for undergraduate or graduate/training programmes specialised in international dimensions of HRM.

Case overview

The study aims to evaluate the experiences of hotel employees at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok's new employee centre. This centre, called the “O-Zone”, is an example of the hotel's commitment to the well-being of its staff. On a larger scale, it is an illustration of a method to maintain employee motivation and commitment in the luxury hotel industry. The case is particularly useful to investigate as the hotel has created a unique approach to employee well-being in a large urban setting where employees experience a stressful living environment, including long commutes. This is supported by studies in the literature which reveal that burnout and stress are important factors to consider for hotel employees.

Expected learning outcomes

The case study allows students to discover the following key learning points: an example of a well-being initiative for employees of a luxury hotel in the Thai context; an investigation of the need for employers in luxury hotels in Thailand to attract and retain talent; and an understanding of the use of incentives at work for employee motivation in the Thai luxury hotel industry.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.
Satya Bharti School Program: the kaizen way
Authors: Kainth Jyoti
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Strategic management.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for undergraduates, MBA, and executive MBA courses.

Case overview

This case on Satya Bharti School Program, an initiative of the Bharti Foundation, highlights the journey, achievements and challenges faced during the implementation of a noble vision. The case maps the strategy implemented from multiple vantage points and aims to show how the compelling need of providing quality education in rural India transformed the way people look at corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

Expected learning outcomes

The case analysis aims to help students comprehend and understand: the concept of corporate social responsibility; the strategic decision-making process amidst constraints in the context of not-for-profit organizations; how organizational excellence models are embedded to improvise practices and processes; the concept of the multi-stakeholder framework; and how external and internal issues can affect the success of a CSR program.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available; links to videos are provided.
Kopy Luwak: a conservation strategy for global market
Authors: Pratono Aluisius Hery , Radjamin Irzameingindra Putri
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Niche products and environmental ethics.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for undergraduate students who have some understanding of competitive advantage in emerging economies, of niche products, the resource-based perspective and environmental ethics.

Case overview

The case concerns the Indonesian coffee industry, specifically the production of Kopi Luwak, a coffee that involves a type of local wild animal as an essential part of the process. The case outlines a typical problem for a new leader who has to start his tenure with a creditable performance. The company is a resource-based one that has to manage a potential risk of violating environmental ethics.

Expected learning outcomes

The case reveals the value of the international value chain for a cup of coffee. Through investigating the intersection between business feasibility and conservation issues, students should be able to understand what are appropriate business opportunities with environmental ethics considerations.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available; consult the librarian for access.
Tax me not: Vodafone's plea to India
Authors: Prashar Sanjeev , Haridoss Lokesh , Kumar V. Jagadeesh , Aggarwal Rashmi Kumar
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business environment, international business management.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for students of the business environment, and of international business management.

Case overview

The case revolves around the reaction of the Finance Ministry of India on Vodafone's tax case and its implications on FDI and the foreign investors who are investing in India. The core issue is the political risk(s) faced by Vodafone even after having won the tax case in the Supreme Court, the highest judiciary body in India. The Government of India has amended the law to bring the tax into retrospective mode and it signifies the impact of political decisions on business organizations.

Expected learning outcomes

The case can aid in understanding the effects of changes in a political system and legal framework on the efficacy of business entities; and the importance of, and intricacies involved in, the formulation of political risk mitigating strategies while entering into new markets. The key learning outcomes are: understanding various types of political risks faced by multinationals; assessing the political risks involved in foreign investments; and appreciating the possible mitigating strategies to handle such risks.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian for access.
Phanindra Sama: founding redBus
Authors: Dastidar Surajit Ghosh
Published: November 2014

Subject area

The case is suitable for a course on entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for analysis in a MBA level course on entrepreneurship where the theories of opportunity recognition and exploitation can be introduced.

Case overview

Phanindra Sama, was the founder and CEO of redBus.in, the largest bus ticketing company in India selling around 220 million tickets per year and serving over 10,000 bus routes. The case describes the progressive journey of Phanindra as an entrepreneur in discovering and exploiting opportunities in India's fragmented bus industry. He had won many accolades in this process that included Global Shaper 2011 of the World Economic Forum and Entrepreneur of the year award under IT/ITES category by ETNow in 2011. In February 2012 redBus was listed in the world's top 50 most innovative companies by US business magazine Fast Company along with companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Starbucks. While Phanindra was happy with the fact that there were 700 bus operators currently on the redBus network, several questions ran across his mind about the future of redBus. Is the current business model scalable? What might be the challenges that emerge in managing growth and scalability of such a business proposition? Is there a potential for a new business opportunity in scaling up?

Expected learning outcomes

To understand the factors that constitutes entrepreneur's alertness such as personality traits, social networks, prior knowledge.

To understand the importance of entrepreneur's alertness for identifying business opportunities.

To understand types of entrepreneurial opportunities.

To understand the opportunity identification triad: recognition, development and evaluation.

To understand how to develop a business idea into a viable business proposition.

Social implications

The case will provide sufficient insights for a budding entrepreneur to identify and exploit opportunities and become a successful entrepreneur.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian to access.
ProdVal – production challenges!
Authors: Kulkarni Vikrant Apoorva , Chopra Komal , Roy Krishnakant , Vamadevan Raji , Hamsa Sajeesh
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Operations management.

Study level/applicability

Management post graduate and corporate executives.

Case overview

ProdVal Flow Controls Pvt Ltd was company in the SME sector in India. The company focused on quality products and timely delivery. The major challenge for ProdVal was increasing their production capacity. They had no control over their existing suppliers resulting in delay in raw materials delivery. Retention of vendors had an effect on inventory carrying cost. The company had limited production facilities and the workers were outsourced. The company operated with unskilled workers. The case presents the various issues faced by the company based on which strategies to practice and plan the company's future plans could be designed. This is a disguised case and all excerpts from interviews have been anonymized.

Expected learning outcomes

This case study will give an insight to students to understand how inventory management; impacts production. It even gives an idea about how ProdVal has used the strategy of outsourcing of technology and labour and maintained a good growth rate.

Social implications -

Production-related outsourcing.

Production management in small scale industry.

Organization structure of a manufacturing unit.

Concept of outsourcing HR and technology in an SME.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available, please consult your librarian to access.
Taj: I will prevail. Exemplifying customer service in times of crisis
Authors: Paul Rik
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Marketing

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for MBA/MS students.

Case overview

The famous Taj Mahal Palace and Towers became the centre of one of the most deadly terrorist attacks in the Indian sub continent on the night of 26 November 2008, which became famous as “26/11”. Terrorists created havoc shooting guests on sight and throwing grenades. The attacks lasted for three days but all of the four terrorists who entered Taj were killed. The terrorists had killed 160 people across Mumbai. Of these, 36 died at the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, Mumbai. The dead included 14 guests, most of whom were foreign nationals. However, due to the selfless and extraordinary behavior of the employees and the staff of Taj, many guests were saved. They put forth an extraordinary example justifying the Indian code of conduct towards guests, “Atithi Devo Bhav” meaning “Guest is God”. In spite of knowing back exits and hiding spots, the employees did not flee, instead helping guests. The employees' behavior during the crisis saved the lives of nearly300 guests. This gesture of Taj employees was much talked about, but it was amusing even for the management to explain why they behaved in that manner. The condition of Taj after the attacks was so disastrous that it would have been profitable to leave the hotel as it was rather than reopening it. This, however, would have dented the Taj brand as a whole, as well as the spirit of all employees and staff who had behaved bravely. Taj started its restoration and reopened a part of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers on 21 December 2008. It became operational by August 2010. The case provides an opportunity to closely examine employee behavior in an extreme crisis situation, and the possible reasons and motivation behind such exceptional behavior which ultimately helped to sustain the Taj brand. However, the scope of the case can also be extended to illustrate recovery efforts typical to service industries.

Expected learning outcomes

The case is designed to enable students to understand: the employees role in service delivery; the service profit chain; the relationship between profitability, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction and loyalty, and productivity; service failure; service recovery; and the service recovery paradox.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available. Please consult your librarian for access.
Vodafone marketing communications
Authors: Kumar Namita N.
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Integrated advertising, promotion and marketing communications.

Study level/applicability

The case has been developed for use in marketing communication as well as strategic brand management courses of MBA and/or PGDM programmes. It high/ights the fact that generating interest amongst customers is not the only task of marketing strategists but conversion of such interest into an effective purchase is what the marketing department should be looking for.

Case overview

The case takes the students through the journey of Vodafone's marketing communication since its introduction in the Indian market. It gives the reader a briefing as to how Vodafone has grown in the past few years - the changes in communication strategies involved to propagate the product; the integrated marketing communications that have he/ped Vodafone increase its customer base considerably. As mentioned by Marten Pieters, CEO of Vodafone Essar, India is an emerging market and it is necessary for Vodafone not on/y to increase its customer base but a/so to generate revenues. Therefore, his di/emma is how to bring about the perceptual connect with customers which induces them into product usage.

Expected learning outcomes

The area of integrated advertising, promotion and marketing communications is an integral part of marketing. It forms the foundation of creating effective marketing programmes that in turn helps develop positive product perception in the minds of the customers. It also helps the student understand the role of customizing the marketing communication according to the target audience and the importance of integrating advertising with not only the promotional activities but also other newer forms of marketing communications. The case has been structured to achieve the following learning objectives: the role of marketing communications in creating and building brand Vodafone; understanding the importance and key elements of Vodafone's Zoozoo ad campaign relating it to Vodafone's communication strategies; and the effect of marketing communication on the customers' perception about the brand.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available. Please consult your librarian for access.
Ethical decision making in a critical development phase
Authors: Chen Hao , Zheng Xiaoming , Liu Lijuan
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Ethical decision making, business ethics.

Study level/applicability

This case is applicable to MBA, EDP and EMBA courses.

Case overview

TOREAD, a professional provider of outdoor equipment in China, started in business by producing and selling tents. To meet market demand, TOREAD expanded its product line which ranges from outdoor durable tent products to “pan-outdoor” products including footwear and clothing. During the critical expansion phase, TOREAD was challenged by a quality problem in a batch of outsourced sandals that had been manufactured by a contracted supplier. By researching different options and going through an ethical decision making process, TOREAD made the choice of destroying all “problem sandals”. Since then, TOREAD has focused development on product quality improvement and product innovation to establish a sustainable brand image and generate social benefits. TOREAD's decision making in the critical development phase helped it to become the leader in the outdoor product industry in China.

Expected learning outcomes

This case may be used for courses such as business ethics and strategy. By learning this case, students can understand the process of making ethical decisions when facing moral dilemmas among corporate decision makers, employees and relevant interested parties, and learn how to make strategic decisions to balance company profit growth and social benefits in critical development phases.

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.
Feixiang to FOTILE: growth of a family business
Authors: Liu Jianchang , Heler Kathryn Carlson
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for upper level undergraduate business and MBA students.

Case overview

FOTILE, one of the fam ily businesses in Zhejiang, Ch ina, has now become the leading brand in the Ch ina kitchen appliance industry and has successfully entered into the global market. It has gone from a traditional family business in the 1980s to a modern enterprise because of the successful transformation from the first generation (Father: Lixiang Mao) to the second generation (Son: Zhongqun Mao) and the blending of a family business with the modern enterprise system. They both have strong beliefs that family businesses have their own advantages, but they have different ways and strategies of running the business. The case describes the process of how the father and his son worked together designing the strategies to successfully grow FOTILE.

Expected learning outcomes

The case is a vehicle for exploring strategies to operate a family business, to successfully develop a sustainability model, to manage a growing company through its entrepreneurial stage, and to merge western business culture with Chinese Confucian culture. It should help students to: explore strategies of managing/leading a family business and transferring successfully the business from one generation to the next; understand the importance of marketing, focusing on overall strategy and sustainability; know how to identify market opportunities, exhibit start-up intent, perform start-up planning, mission development, and feasibility analysis, and acquiring initial resources; and appreciate the close link between culture and strategy.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
A new business model to Chinese style agricultural industrialization
Authors: Wang Zheng , Lin Guiping
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Start-ups in emerging markets, entrepreneurship, business models and strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for MBA and EMBA graduate and undergraduate students in strategic management, finance and the relevant areas.

Case overview

This case provides a real-life entrepreneurial situation in agricultural industry in China. The protagonist of the case is the founder and CEO of the start-up Harvest Agricultural Technology and Development Company Limited (Harvest). From his perspective, the case depicts the current business environment for private companies in China, and presents the opportunities and challenges a new start-up faces in this environment. Agricultural industry plays an important role in the Chinese economy. Especially because in China land is owned by the state or collective, agricultural industrialization has more significance and experiences greater difficulties. The company in the case explores the situation of integrating the different stakeholders of agricultural production and delivery given the current political and economic environment. The case describes the characteristics and quality that a typical Chinese entrepreneur has and questions why such factors matter so much in China. The case emphasizes the strategic planning process of Harvest and its unprecedented business model design. The case also touches upon the growth pattern of entrepreneurial companies in China. All the above issues deserve discussion and in-depth analysis.

Expected learning outcomes

After studying this case, students should be able to: describe the business environment in China and identify the stakeholders of the agricultural industry in China; describe the process and value chain of agriculture production and delivery by adopting management models if necessary; discuss the personality and quality of the founder and CEO and compare his characteristics with that of western entrepreneurs and analyse why these characteristics are helpful (or detrimental) to the start-up company; analyse the development of business model designs, and identify the merits, drawbacks and risks of each version of business model; analyse the competitive advantages of Harvest, and identify the key resources and capacities with management models if necessary; discuss different possibilities of Harvest's future with evidence and process analysis; discuss whether the business model and the development strategy of Harvest are applicable to other companies or industries; discuss how setting the goal of going public on the first day Harvest was founded will affect the development of the company; and compare the business models of Harvest with other companies serving as a platform in a different industry (i.e. Taobao marketplace).

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.
A multi-agency evaluation of the Leeds Dual Diagnosis care co-ordination protocol
Authors: Bell Richard
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the learning from the multi-agency evaluation of the Leeds Dual Diagnosis Care co-ordination protocol undertaken by the Leeds Dual Diagnosis (DD) Project in 2013. The evaluation aimed to identify the prevalence of people with DD accessing network member services, and to identify the standard of care network members provided for people with DD in relation to the Leeds Care Co-ordination Protocol.

Design/methodology/approach

– The evaluation adopted a service evaluation methodology and included features of real world research. Two standardised self-completion questionnaires were administered using Survey Monkey™ software.

Findings

– The majority of service could provide prevalence data however the quality of data provided was significantly impacted by the limitations of client management systems. Completion of specific DD training beyond basic awareness was generally low and many participants were confused about the different levels of training available. Standards of care varied, a substantial amount of joint working was taking place via informal pathways which relied on established relationships and trust between practitioners and services. Jointing working was often informal when people were not under the Care Programme Approach.

Research limitations/implications

– Due of the methodological choices the evaluation cannot be considered impartial. The prevalence data gathered lacks robustness and does not reflect the number of people who meet clinical threshold for DD as valid screening tools were not used by all services. The standards of care identified only reflect practitioner's personal views and do not provide a definitive answer to the standard of care being delivered. The response rate in relation to standards of care was low with large amounts of missing data negatively impacting the external validity of data gathered.

Practical implications

– The completion of this evaluation demonstrates that it is extremely challenging to undertake a multi-agency evaluation with limited resources. It has highlighted key challenges and areas for future development locally in relation to DD. The themes explored are likely to be of interest to commissioners, service managers, DD consultant nurses and anyone involved in the strategic development of DD.

Originality/value

– The evaluation has generated information which is of practical significance to local commissioners and Leeds DD Network Members. The knowledge and learning from this evaluation has subsequently been used by the Leeds DD Strategy Group to inform the new action plan for the DD Project, the re-commissioning of substance misuse services and the new mental health framework being developed for Leeds.
Changes in Australian injecting drug users’ mental health problems and service uptake from 2006-2012
Authors: J.R. Stewart Benjamin , Sindicich Natasha , Turnbull Deborah , M. Andrews Jane , A. Mikocka-Walus Antonina
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess changes in rates of mental health problems and service utilisation for Australian regular injecting drug users (IDUs) from 2006 to 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were taken from Illicit Drug Reporting System national surveys with 914 regular IDUs in 2006 and 883 in 2012. Changes in rates of self-reported mental health problems and service use were assessed.

Findings

– Rates of self-reported mental health problems increased from 38.3 per cent in 2006 to 43.7 per cent in 2012 – mainly due to increases in anxiety rates. Conversely, there was a decrease in mental health service use from 70.2 to 58.4 per cent by 2012. However, there was a proportional increase in the use of psychologists. These trends remained after controlling for socio-demographic and medical differences between the 2006/2012 samples. K10 scores for 2012 participants validated the use of the self-report measures.

Practical implications

– Reductions in stigma, improvements in mental health literacy, and modest increases in anxiety may explain increases in self-report of mental health problems. Stagnant service utilisation rates in an expanding population willing to self-report may explain decreasing service use. The introduction of key mental health reforms also may have contributed, particularly with the increase in psychologist access. This paper highlights the need for improved population monitoring of mental health in disadvantaged groups such as IDUs.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to assess changes in mental health outcomes over time in Australian IDUs. This examination covered a critical era in the mental health landscape, with significant increases in public awareness campaigns and major mental health reforms.
The diffusion of new products in Latin America: a new comparative approach
Authors: Fenech Javier Palacios
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the diffusion pattern of new products in Latin America, and to compare the results of principal component analysis with other descriptive approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The author studies the introduction of eight new products in nine Latin American countries, analysing their diffusion rate, market potential, adoption and take-off. He performs a principal component analysis and presents a biplot. The results obtained are compared using the Mantel test.

Findings

The results indicate that the approaches used are complementary. The biplot describes 92 per cent of the explained variance. Except for a few cases, in general, the diffusion pattern in Latin America is mainly determined by cross-country wealth differences.

Research limitations/implications

This study only analyses durable goods, and does not include any Central American country.

Practical implications

This study helps companies to predict which will be the characteristics of the diffusion pattern of other new products and to forecast their future sales.

Social implications

This study helps public actors to decide how to segment the Latin American market when implementing policies that encourage the diffusion of new products.

Originality/value

This research extends our current knowledge on the diffusion of innovations in emerging and less developed countries. This is the first study to compare the characteristics of innovation diffusion patterns in Latin America.
Marketing innovations in the agribusiness sector
Authors: Geldes Cristian , Felzensztein Christian
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to analyse the characteristics and determinants of marketing innovation in companies, using the agribusiness sector as a case study due its economic and social importance in Latin America.

Design/methodology/approach

Data refer to the VI Innovation Survey undertaken in Chile (2010), based on the OECD guidelines. The authors compare the determinants of innovation in marketing, first among the agribusiness sector and other sectors of the economy, and then comparing their determinants using logistic regressions on other types of innovations in the agribusiness sector.

Findings

There are differences in the determinants of marketing innovation between agribusiness and other economic sectors. Also, there are differences in relation to the organisational, process and product innovations in the agribusiness sector.

Research limitations/implications

The results imply the need for further study of marketing innovation and its relationship to other innovations considering different economic sectors and territories.

Practical implications

Business strategies and public programs that promote innovation should consider the differences between types of innovations.

Originality/value

This paper highlights and differentiates the marketing innovation with respect to other types of innovations—a topic not widely developed, especially in the agribusiness sector and in emerging countries.
Why hedge currency exposure with foreign currency debt?
Authors: Vivel‐Búa Milagros , Otero‐González Luis , Fernández‐López Sara , Durán‐Santomil Pablo
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Using hedging theories, we analyse the variables that determine the decision to hedge with foreign currency debt.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 100 Spanish companies with a significant social and economic role in Latin American during 2004‐2007, we estimated probit models for panel data.

Findings

Our results showed that the main determinants are scale economies and the use of derivatives. On the one hand, we found that this hedging is positively related to tax loss carry‐forwards and long‐term economic sectors, and on the other, that it is related negatively to information asymmetries and growth opportunities. Results were mixed for foreign currency exposure.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this paper are associated to the availability of information from annual reports and the SABI database, especially the variables in relation to operational hedging. Therefore, as a future line of research, we propose gathering of data on these internal hedging practices in order to obtain more accurate evidence about its use in companies and their relationship with financial hedging.

Originality/value

This paper makes three major contributions to the existing literature. First, it contributes by illustrating currency hedging practices used by Spanish firms – which are important in Latin markets – to manage exchange rate exposure in. Second, we used more variables for the empirical analyses to contrast the hedging theories than previous studies had. Finally, we used a data panel because it allows the control of unobservable heterogeneity and endogeneity problems. Previous studies only used cross‐section estimations.