bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gloria Jean's Coffee in Malaysia
Authors: Abdul-Talib Asmat-Nizam , Abdul-Latif Samshul-Amry , Zakaria Norhayati 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Franchise, strategic management, food and beverages, Malaysia.

Student level/applicability
First year undergraduate students of management courses.

Case overview
This case study explores the strategies employed by franchisor Gloria Jean's Coffees (GJC) in reestablishing its market presence in the Malaysian coffee market. GJC recently underwent an exchange of ownership. Under the new leadership, the company decided to appoint a new strategic master franchisee in Malaysia to see a section of its expansion plan in the ASEAN region reestablished. The selection of a suitable and well-connected master franchisee is very important for reestablishing presence and brand name development. The deteriorating position of GJC's brand name in Malaysia prior to the appointment of a new master franchisee created a unique situation requiring an in-depth evaluation and examination of unseen but highly related critical factors. In-depth and “behind-the-scene” examination on efforts made through the implementation of business and marketing strategies to reestablish its brand and presence in Malaysia; given demanding market challenges and intense competitions.

Expected learning outcomes
After carrying out this exercise, students are expected to be able to: understand how business start up grows in foreign markets; identify the basic issues of international franchising and how the system works; analyze the various factors of considerations prior to internationalization; and evaluate strategies undertaken by company in establishing its market in foreign countries.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
ABIL's dilemma: to brand or not to brand in India
Authors: Sisodia Sonal , Chowdhary Nimit 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Marketing strategy, product positioning, brand building, and economies of scope.

Study level/applicability
MBA groups, marketing consultants and business management students of undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Case overview
Abhishek Industries Limited (ABIL) is an entrepreneurial venture of Mr Abhishek Batra that came into being in 1993. ABIL is the leading supplier of Terry Towels to some of world's leading retailers including Wal-Mart, JC Penney and Sears. In spite of some business fluctuations, ABIL has an impressive performance record that is reflected in its financial data. The concern, however, is that of product commoditisation, since established foreign importers and distributors prefer to sell the products under their own brand name. Consequently, even though the export margins may be lucrative; the lack of a brand presence is what bothers the senior management of the company. Given an optimistic domestic business scenario, the senior management is once again evaluating the odds to enter the domestic market using its own brand name. While some of the younger managers are optimistic and want ABIL to emerge as a brand, some senior colleagues are unsure.

Expected learning outcomes
The student's skills will be sharpened in working through a problem; it will help the students take an active role of a thinker, analyser, evaluator, decider and implementer; it will assist the students in learning to reason with the given quantitative as well as qualitative data; it will help the students think critically and reason effectively; it will make the students realize that the emphasis is not on solution. Rather, the process of arriving at a solution is more important.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Introducing innovation in a housing development firm in Malaysia
Authors: Kamaruddeen Ahmed Mohammed , Yusof Nor'Aini , Said Ilias 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Innovation, privatisation and property development.

Study level/applicability
Undergraduate and MA level property development courses; modules covering privatisation within undergraduate, MBA and MA level management programmes.

Case overview
This paper presents the genesis and motivating factors that stimulate a managing director of a housing development (D&B Private Limited Company) to introduce innovation as a strategic solution to the challenges which hinder his firm's growth. The recently launched Ten Malaysian Plan and the Sustainable Programme for Corporate Malaysia are identified as the two stimulating events that triggered the initiation and subsequent implementation of innovation into Design and Build Sdn Bhd. Innovation has been recognized as an endeavor that impacts positively and significantly the performance of the firm that innovates. There was a major focus on factors that enhance innovation of a firm: structure, culture, resources and how to address or react to external factors such as government regulation on innovation, environmental uncertainty and market competition. The quest to be an innovative firm has led to major changes in the structure, culture and review of the firm intangible resources. Coupled with some corporate responsibilities, Design and Build Sdn Bhd has been recognized for its unique performance resulting from the competitive advantage derived from this very idea of innovations.

Expected learning outcomes
Students are expected to be able: to present a basic understanding of the motivations and driving force behind the housing developer's keen interest to innovate, to present the multiple benefits of adopting innovation in the housing industry, to highlight the internal and external factors which positively influence innovation among housing developers?, to present how housing developers are able to manage challenges facing their companies through innovation.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Yutong Bus, China: management buy-out
Authors: Zhang Yanling 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Corporate governance, privatisation.

Study level/applicability
Masters level programmes, with particular focus on corporate governance, privatisation, and organizational development.

Case overview
Yutong Bus is a real and highly publicized case in China. It is a listed company carved out from a state-owned enterprise (SOE), Yutong Group. Later the management successfully bought out Yutong Group and thus indirectly controlled the company. The deal transformed Yutong Group from a SOE to a private company. The management was innovative in pushing through the management buy-out (MBO), but politically, it created a public outcry about the loss of state-owned assets. The key issue here is the selection of state owned enterprises suitable for privatization and, more importantly, the determination of selling price. In China “the market for corporate control is still lagging behind” (Shanghai Stock Exchange).

Expected learning outcomes
Students would be expected to gain an understanding of recent economic reform in China, Corporate Governance in the Chinese context and wider issues associated with privatization and MBOs.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Garuda Indonesia
Authors: Munir Ningky Sasanti , Prasetyo Aries , Kurnia Pepey 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Strategic management, system control management (balance score card).

Study level/applicability
Post graduate student, managers.

Case overview
This case examines “Garuda Indonesia” the National Indonesia airline and its exceptional performance in recent years due to successful strategic decision making. This comprehensive case is structured in five parts highlighting: Garuda's recent success based on positive strategic management; Garuda's history and how it shaped its success against strong competition through effective leadership and the challenges it has overcome; an examination of the development within the Indonesian airline industry; a focused examination of strategic development with Garuda, including competition policy; operational planning and delivery; debt restructuring and product/service strategy; and an examination of the ongoing challenges, including governmental pressures and political maneuvering.

Expected learning outcomes
Students will identify opportunities and threats, including strategic issues derived from the external environment facing by Garuda Indonesia. Students will identify strengths and weaknesses from the internal environment faced by Garuda Indonesia. Students will develop strategic alternatives to inform business decisions. Students will give recommendations including priority planning for the next three to five years.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Market entry of a western company in the Middle East
Authors: Brandmeier Rupert A. , Hain Sebastian , Rupp Florian 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Entry of a service sector company based in Europe into the Middle East market with focus on Saudi Arabia.

Study level/applicability
The students should have some familiarity with case studies and should be able to successfully solve easy cases. This case can be used in all courses of general economics and management. It is best suited for courses on market entries, risk management in international business, intercultural management or developing and emerging markets.

Case overview
Two market entry options are discussed: joint venture set-up with partner and independent direct investment without local partner. A tangible real life experience of the Middle East market will enhance the theoretical presentation and help students to gain practical solutions.

Expected learning outcomes
The students should be aware of risks and opportunities in the Middle East and Saudi Arabian markets for western companies from the service sector. He/She should be able to prioritize relevant economic data and simultaneously discuss several different options by dealing with complex situations.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
Alcohol consumption ad nauseam – without any consequences?
Authors: Poech Angela , Peisl Tom C. , Lorenz Tina 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Ethical Entrepreneurship; Internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Study level/applicability
Bachelor and Master courses in International Management and Entrepreneurship.

Case overview
A German medical scientist developed a product which was able to absorb alcohol in blood and consequently reduced the alcohol-level. He tested it with the participation of 170 volunteers at a private party. The product was consumed after alcohol consumption and the result was an alcohol reduction by 20-70 per cent. In addition, the volunteers had either no or only small symptoms of a hangover. The students shall discuss the different business models the medical scientist could implement by taking into account ethical issues. To give them necessary working data, the case includes European environmental data (including information about the European food industry and the functional drink market), an insight into the European legal issues of starting a business in the food segment (including definitions of “food”, “food supplement” and “health claim regulation” and how these factors impact entrepreneurial decisions), current events in the European food branch and examples of possible competitors. The case is built on a real product development and on current information and facts.

Expected learning outcomes
To become involved with entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial decision-making. To debate ethical issues in the entrepreneurial process. To become aware of the complexity of internationalization in the field of SME as well as to reflect upon and sketch appropriate strategies.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
ihere.tv – Thailand's online media entrepreneurs
Authors: Wongsurawat Winai 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Entrepreneurship, strategic analysis.

Study level/applicability
Entrepreneurship, strategic management, business in Asia.

Case overview
This case describes the experience of a start-up online TV company in Thailand. It supplies details about how the business idea was hatched, what challenges the company is currently facing, and how the future prospects for the online media market in Thailand are unfolding.

Expected learning outcomes
Participants are expected to be able to compare the similarities and differences between a textbook model of entrepreneurship and the real experience of the company described in the case. A better appreciation for basic strategic analysis such as examining internal strengths and weaknesses and understanding external opportunities and threats can also be developed.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Not for profit – for revenues in Eastern Europe: The Birch House Zoo
Authors: Maklari Istvan , Szanto Richard 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Marketing management, pricing strategies, zoo management, non-profit organizations.

Study level/applicability
Difficult. Recommended for courses: marketing, strategy, pricing, customer behaviour, management of non-profit organizations, emerging markets.

Case overview
The case study deals with the pricing dilemma of the Birch House Zoo located in an Eastern European country. The zoo has implemented capital-intensive developments in the recent years its main attraction the Tropic World included. The organization is managed and subsidized by the city where it is situated, yet the City Council lately expressed that they wanted the zoo to be self-financing by the end of 2011 by finding new source of revenue. In 2009, the operational expenses of the zoo exceeded EUR five million; however, the revenues were far bellow this level. The tariff structure did not change in the last 30 years as pricing always had to be adjusted to the local purchasing power; recent developments and new attractions are only partly priced in at the moment. In the light of the special environment in which Birch House Zoo operates, the director has to initiate key actions that could bring the zoo to the level of breakeven in its operations and make it financially independent.

Expected learning outcomes
Ability to create pricing and revenue generating strategies; understanding idiosyncrasies of the management of non-profit organizations regarding this matter; understanding price elasticity issues.

Supplementary materials
Teaching note.
D crop protection Malaysia: competition from generic herbicides
Authors: Foong Soon-Yau , Ho Beng-Seng 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Strategic management (competitive strategy and supply chain management) and management accounting (product pricing and costing techniques).

Study level/applicability
Final year of business undergraduate programme and MBA programme.

Case overview
This case illustrates how emergence of generic products had threatened the survival of DCPM and forced its management to urgently review the company's existing approach to pricing of its main herbicide product. The case presents opportunities for readers to discuss the deficiencies of DCPM's existing product costing approach and recommend modifications to meet the price and gross profit margin targets specified. It also highlights issues relating to supply chain management and human resource practices that might have to be improved to enhance DCPM's long-term competitiveness.

Expected learning outcomes
To understand the effects of globalisation and emergence of generic products on intensity of market competition for branded products. To identify deficiencies of the current product costing system of DCPM for pricing decision. To apply alternative contemporary approach to product costing and pricing of Metrix and the other value-added services. To identify measures to enhance supply chain management and inventory management in DCPM. To assess DCPM's human resources practices. To evaluate the effectiveness of DCPM's existing competitive strategy and formulate new competitive strategy to sustain DCPM's long-term competitiveness.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Halonix Limited – the product portfolio dilemma
Authors: Goyal Sandeep , Kapoor Amit 
Published: April 2011

Subject area
Strategy, strategic management, market and product analysis.

Study level/applicability
The case is intended for a business strategy course in management. The target participants are MBA students specializing in strategy area as well as middle level and senior level managers from the industry, who come for an executive programme in management science.

Case overview
Year 2009, Mr Pawan Kumar (General Manager, Halonix Limited) was facing a decision-making situation in the organization. Being one of the most experienced and oldest employees of Halonix (incorporated as Phoenix Lamps Ltd in 1991), he had witnessed the tremendous growth of the company since its inception in 1991. The company was having a global brand image in automotive halogen lamps and became a dominant player in compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) market in India by 2007. With the increasing competition and change in market dynamics, the company needed to decide upon the future product portfolio mix and strategy to be adopted to gain the maximum benefit and win over the competition in both the product segments. The automotive halogen product segment was generating higher margins but having relatively slow growth. The CFL product segment was a growing market but was generating low margins due to increasing competition from entry of large number of players.

Expected learning outcomes
The theoretical concepts, which will be explored in this case, involve the following: the importance of industry structure analysis in understanding the basis of competition. The importance of value-chain analysis in strategic planning. The importance of Boston Consulting Group growth-share matrix in evaluating the product portfolio mix having different growth drivers and target segments?

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes.
Bacterioneuston Community Structure in the Southern Baltic Sea and Its Dependence on Meteorological Conditions
Authors: Stolle Christian , Labrenz Matthias , Meeske Christian , Jürgens Klaus 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACT

The bacterial community in the sea surface microlayer (SML) (bacterioneuston) is exposed to unique physicochemical properties and stronger meteorological influences than the bacterial community in the underlying water (ULW) (bacterioplankton). Despite extensive research, however, the structuring factors of the bacterioneuston remain enigmatic. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of meteorological conditions on bacterioneuston and bacterioplankton community structures and to identify distinct, abundant, active bacterioneuston members. Nineteen bacterial assemblages from the SML and ULW of the southern Baltic Sea, sampled from 2006 to 2008, were compared. Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprints were analyzed to distinguish total (based on the 16S rRNA gene) and active (based on 16S rRNA) as well as nonattached and particle-attached bacterial assemblages. The nonattached communities of the SML and ULW were very similar overall (similarity: 47 to 99%; mean: 88%). As an exception, during low wind speeds and high radiation levels, the active bacterioneuston community increasingly differed from the active bacterioplankton community. In contrast, the particle-attached assemblages in the two compartments were generally less similar (similarity: 8 to 98%; mean: 62%), with a strong variability in the active communities that was solely related to wind speed. Both nonattached and particle-attached active members of the bacterioneuston, which were found exclusively in the SML, were related to environmental clones belonging to the
Cyanobacteria
,
Bacteroidetes
, and
Alpha
-,
Beta
-, and
Gammaproteobacteria
originally found in diverse habitats, but especially in water columns. These results suggest that bacterioneuston communities are strongly influenced by the ULW but that specific meteorological conditions favor the development of distinctive populations in the air-water interface.
Effects of Homologous Phosphoenolpyruvate-Carbohydrate Phosphotransferase System Proteins on Carbohydrate Uptake and Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Accumulation in Ralstonia eutropha H16
Authors: Kaddor Chlud , Steinbüchel Alexander 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACT

Seven gene loci encoding putative proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PEP-PTS) were identified in the genome of
Ralstonia eutropha
H16 by
in silico
analysis. Except the
N
-acetylglucosamine-specific PEP-PTS, an additional complete PEP-PTS is lacking in strain H16. Based on these findings, we generated single and multiple deletion mutants defective mainly in the PEP-PTS genes to investigate their influence on carbon source utilization, growth behavior, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) accumulation. As supposed, the H16 Δ
frcACB
and H16 Δ
nagFEC
mutants exhibited no growth when cultivated on fructose and
N
-acetylglucosamine, respectively. Furthermore, a transposon mutant with a
ptsM-ptsH
insertion site did not grow on both carbon sources. The observed phenotype was not complemented, suggesting that it results from an interaction of genes or a polar effect caused by the Tn
5
::
mob
insertion.
ptsM
,
ptsH
, and
ptsI
single, double, and triple mutants stored much less PHB than the wild type (about 10 to 39% [wt/wt] of cell dry weight) and caused reduced PHB production in mutants lacking the H16_A2203, H16_A0384,
frcACB
, or
nagFEC
genes. In contrast, mutant H16 ΔH16_A0384 accumulated 11.5% (wt/wt) more PHB than the wild type when grown on gluconate and suppressed partially the negative effect of the
ptsMHI
deletion on PHB synthesis. Based on our experimental data, we discussed whether the PEP-PTS homologous proteins in
R. eutropha
H16 are exclusively involved in the complex sugar transport system or whether they are also involved in cellular regulatory functions of carbon and PHB metabolism.
Isolation and Bioaugmentation of an Estradiol-Degrading Bacterium and Its Integration into a Mature Biofilm
Authors: Iasur-Kruh Lilach , Hadar Yitzhak , Minz Dror 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTBioaugmentation can alter the potential activity as well as the composition of the naturally occurring microbial biota during bioremediation of a contaminated site. The focus of the current study is the pollutant 17β-estradiol (E2), which can cause endocrine effects and is potentially harmful to aquatic biota and to public health. The community composition and function of biofilms, originating from a wetland system, as affected by augmentation of an estradiol-degrading bacterium (EDB-LI1) under different conditions, were investigated. EDB-LI1 inoculation into biofilm from two wetland ponds representing early and advanced water treatment stages, respectively, yielded three significant observations, as follows: (i) EDB-LI1, enriched from a biofilm of a constructed wetland wastewater treatment system, was detected (by quantitative PCR [qPCR] analysis) in this environment in the augmented biofilm only; (ii) the augmented biofilm acquired the ability to remove estradiol; and (iii) the bacterial community composition (analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE]) of the augmented biofilm differed from that of the control biofilm. Furthermore, EDB-LI1 bioaugmentation showed a higher level of removal of estradiol with biofilms that originated from the advanced-treatment-stage wetland pond than those from the early-treatment-stage pond. Hence, the bioaugmentation efficiency of EDB-LI1 depends on both the quality of the feed water and the microbial community composition in the pond.