Case studies

This case study will help students of business management learn the dynamics of strategic decision-making frameworks in a competitive market. After working through the case and assignment questions, the students will be able to understand the 5C framework for strategic decision-making in the context of sports utility vehicles (SUV) segment of Indian automobile industry; identify the opportunities and challenges of the competitive SUV market for long-term survival and growth; and devise a suitable strategic plan incorporating the factors which drive the change in the dynamic automobile industry.

The case study talks about the dilemma faced by Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), a subsidiary of Mahindra Group. M&M, one of the leading auto manufacturers and pioneers of SUVs in India, has been facing a storm across its business in the past few years. While M&M is making a concerted effort to go back on the road to success, its rivals are not standing idly either. Consumer behaviour towards the purchase of cars is changing at a fast pace, and sales of utility vehicles have surpassed the sales of passenger vehicles in the recent past. M&M, whose work culture is a blend of being friendly and performance-oriented to “Rise”, is prepared to take advantage of any opportunity presented by shifting market trends. Following the 10% increase in SUV registrations in 2023, the business is making many attempts to reclaim the ground it is losing in the Indian market. After dropping from its highest position of 53% in FY 2012 to 15% in FY 2021, M&M’s market share increased to 18% in FY 2023. M&M launched a new logo for its SUV portfolio in August 2021 and launched many SUVs back-to-back, such as Thar, Bolero, XUV700 and Scorpion-N, to face the competition. In 2023, M&M chartered the first position in SUVs by revenue, with a market share of 19.1% and ready for 2024 with six new SUVs. The way M&M performed in 2023 is evidence of its primary objective, which is to offer authentic SUVs to lead the SUV market in revenue share. However, there are still many obstacles in the way. When consumers have so many options from rivals such as Hyundai, KIA Motors and TATA Motors, would it be easy for M&M to bring back its SUVs to the market?

The case study is designed for use in a postgraduate-level course in the subjects – strategic management/marketing management. The case study provides an opportunity to discuss how a company can create a unique selling proposition for its product to sustain its growth in a competitive market, when consumers have so many options from rivals.

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CSS 11: Strategy

After reading this case study, the students will be able to analyze an external environment using the PESTLE framework for identifying key factors and assessing their impact on strategic decision-making, evaluate the importance of the company, competitors and customers in strategic decision-making and how the 3Cs model provides useful insights in a competitive environment and get useful insights from PESTLE and the Ansoff matrix for making well-informed strategic growth decisions.

The Indus Bakers, led by Suresh Kumar, Ajeet Kumar and Kareem Ahmed, faced stagnant sales in Sukkur’s bustling bakery industry. Expanding from Larkana, the bakery grapples with fierce competition from newcomers and home-based bakers. Managers discuss concerns over market shifts and cost constraints, placing Suresh in a pivotal decision-making role. He must decide whether to introduce specialized dietary offerings, set up kiosks at transport hubs, explore local tea culture or target corporate clients. Each path poses challenges and opportunities. As the Indus Bakers stand at this critical juncture, Kumar’s choices will define its role in Sukkur’s evolving bakery landscape, blending tradition with adaptability in a dynamic market.

This case study is suitable for teaching the graduates of management sciences, Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration programs, particularly in the courses of corporate strategy, marketing management and entrepreneurship. It offers valuable insights to students and helps in strategic decision-making within the business landscape, emphasizing the consideration of both macro and micro environmental factors. This case study equips learners to digest how companies navigate competitive markets and adapt their strategies in response to changing market dynamics. Through exploring the challenges faced by the Indus Bakers and their strategic responses, students can glean practical lessons in corporate strategy, environmental analysis, competitive strategy, market analysis and business resilience. This approach prepares students to tackle real-world business scenarios, fostering critical thinking and strategic acumen essential for future business leaders.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

The learning objectives include understanding the unique environment and challenges that business leaders face when developing new businesses in emerging markets, evaluating the firm’s internal and external environments, analyzing sales data and distribution channels and formulating new strategies.

Dos Hemisferios Winery, founded in 1999 as a hobby, grew into a family business. The Ecuadorian winery expanded production after winning an international award for its Paradoja blend in 2009. With a $10m investment in a new plant in 2017, the winery capacity increased to 500,000 bottles. President Robert Wright recognized the need to increase sales, aiming to sell at least 425,000 bottles annually at an average price of $8 per bottle to break even and become profitable in 2024. To tap into Ecuador’s top market in Quito, representing 46% of sales, Dos Hemisferios aimed to boost monthly revenues to $50,000 by addressing challenges such as low awareness and consumer reluctance. Initiatives under consideration included partnerships and events, winery tours, enhanced social media, new products and improved sales channel distribution.

The Dos Hemisferios case is appropriate for upper-division undergraduate and graduate students in global business and strategy courses. The learning objectives for the case study include: understanding the unique environment and challenges business leaders face when developing new businesses in emerging markets; evaluating the firm’s internal and external environments to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; analyzing sales data and distribution channels for the business; and providing students with the opportunity to formulate strategies to gain more share of the Ecuadorian wine market.

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The primary objectives of the case study are to get the participants exposed to the issues of working capital which even profitable companies face on a day-to-day basis; give the participants an understanding of how to balance the, at times, conflicting objectives of increasing profits and sales through favorable credit terms; and expose them to the impact of increase in inventory levels and average collection period on margins in a period of slow growth. They will also learn about the concept of factoring and its uses.

The case study is about a group of companies engaged in education, steel fabrication and oil businesses owned by a single proprietor. The company was based in Fatehnagar which was part of Hyderabad district in the state of Telangana, India, and the case study traces the origins of the group from 1960s to 2021. The group was invested the surplus cash flows from the oil business to initiate and expand other businesses during this period. The economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic had hit the company, particularly its oldest business – Noble Chemical Agency. The oil business was facing issues related to its growth and profitability, and the uncertainty around COVID-19-related restrictions had only augmented the fears of the management. The case study looks at issues and the dilemma which the owner of the company faced. The case study highlights various issues related to working capital management, especially related to receivables management and inventory levels faced by businesses during the slow-growth phase. It demonstrates how working capital management issues, if not resolved in time, can lead to insolvency of even a successful company with a sound business model.

The case study is meant for teaching in postgraduate management programs (Master of Business Administration and Postgraduate Diploma in Management) in the following courses: corporate finance/financial management course in the first year (the case study should be taught towards the end of the course); and management accounting courses in first year (the case study should be positioned in the middle of these courses). The case study can also be used to highlight issues related to working capital and small business management in a Management Development Programme (MDP) course for “Finance fundamentals for non-finance executives”.

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After completion of the case study, the participants would be able to understand the challenges in building a sustainable homestay tourism business; develop a positioning statement for La Pinekonez which builds a unique competitive advantage; and outline elements of the business strategy to profitably sustain and grow a sustainable tourism homestay in terms of service offering, pricing, marketing and operations.

La Pinekonez Homestay, located in the beautiful region of Himachal Pradesh, India, is the subject of this case study, which explores both its successes and its difficulties. In August 2022, Arvind, the dedicated sole proprietor of La Pinekonez, grappled with multifaceted challenges, the first being the foray of established hotel chains into the homestay business. As the protagonist, was is in dilemma of preserving La Pinekonez’s unique identity amidst corporate competitors, particularly with regards to differentiating from the expanding hotel chains. The clash between customer expectations for hotel-like amenities and the homestay’s commitment to sustainable tourism presented a crucial challenge. Negative reviews questioning the authenticity of La Pinekonez’s green initiatives heightened the complexity. Adding to Arvind’s predicament were the seasonal fluctuations in tourist inflow and his aspiration to embrace immersive tourism trends. This case study facilitates exploration of strategic positioning, sustainability management and marketing strategies in the dynamic and competitive hospitality industry. It also offers insights into the complexities of balancing differentiation, customer satisfaction and sustainability while navigating the evolving landscape of tourism trends.

This case study is suitable for students of tourism and hospitality management at postgraduate level. The case study can be discussed once the basic concepts of hospitality management and service dimensions are covered.

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CCS 12: Tourism and hospitality.

This case study provides in-depth, practical knowledge to develop business strategies for the management program. After reading this case study, the students will be able to learn about the challenges and problems that service firms face during a crisis, the drastic changes in the market environment due to a crisis and the analysis tools that can be used when analyzing the shifted market environment. By analyzing this case study, students will be trained for the decision-making that arises in the process of crisis management in the hotel industry.

Nam Nghi Resort, situated on the picturesque Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, experienced the tumultuous period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Nam Nghi was a thriving five-star resort, deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture and renowned for its luxurious amenities and breathtaking location. However, the onset of COVID-19 brought unprecedented challenges to the hospitality industry, leading to a sharp decline in tourism and revenue. Despite the adversity, Nam Nghi implemented risk management practices successfully and displayed resilience and adaptability. Through rigorous cost minimization, strategic facility upgrades and targeted marketing efforts, Nam Nghi managed to navigate the crisis and gradually rebuild its business as travel restrictions eased. As the industry began to show signs of recovery, the general manager faced new challenges in restoring the resort’s prepandemic vitality. The challenge remained of understanding changing consumer values and market dynamics.

This case study can be used as class material for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. In particular, MBA students in the hospitality industry such as hotels, resorts, travel agencies and restaurants are the target audience.

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After completion of the case study, students will learn to use Lean Canvas to identify business opportunity. They will also learn the balancing of exploitation of profit-producing activities and exploring new opportunities according to the environmental dynamism.

WONK, a tutor discovery and booking app was launched by MyEdge in 2016 to search and book verified tutors in locations served by the company. Based on their requirements, parents and students could sort and book verified tutors in their area. Through the app, users could search for academic and hobby classes in the form of individual tuitions. The ease of use and the service offering made it a popular app with students enrolling every 6 min. Within a span of six years, WONK had provided services to thousands of students in 20+ countries and had 200,000+ tutors registered on their app from 15,000+ pin codes. Despite a plethora of Edtech companies in India, a different business model and services offered gave them an edge over other Edtech companies. To keep up with the customer needs, they were constantly making the upgrades to their technology and expanding their services. Vidhu Goyal, the founder of the company, was enjoying the progress when another development in the technology hit the world. With the launch of applications based on artificial intelligence, will it disrupt the business or not?

The case study is recommended to be taught in a 90-min class to Master of Business Administration students. The case study may be used in courses related to strategy, information systems management and entrepreneurship.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

After completion of the case study, students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the process of strategy formulation (which include conducting situational analysis) and strategy implementation.

Perusahaan Azan, which trades under the brand name Roti Azan for its fresh bread and Azan for its dry bread or rusks, was established as a family business in 1968 by Haji Abu Bakar bin Ali in his hometown in Kuala Pilah, in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. In the mid-1980s, the management of the business was passed on by Haji Abu Bakar to one of his sons, Haji Mohd Ghazali bin Haji Abu Bakar. Haji Ghazali was named managing director in 1985 and officially inherited his father’s company in 1987. By 2004, Perusahaan Azan breads had started to penetrate major grocery stores nationwide, and later the business began to expand internationally in 2010, with Oman and Iraq among the first countries it ventured into. The company sold both its fresh and dry bread in local stores; however, in the international market, only dry bread types were sold, specifically wholemeal rusks and long rusks, which had longer shelf lives. Post-pandemic, by 2022, the company had exited the retail fresh bread market and had focused only on its contractual fresh bread and retail dry bread markets. He thought about the main strategic choices he had of going forward, either to revive its retail fresh bread segment or venture into a coffee shop business. The former was the bread and butter of the company in the last 50 years. However, he knew that re-entering this market was getting more difficult, as it requires competing head-to-head with the giant breadmakers. There were also issues of rising costs and high wastage. For the latter coffee shop project, the company did not have experience in directly “serving” the customers, with its businesses so far had been mainly in production. He pondered on the best decision to undertake to sustain the company’s profitability into the next generation. Few family businesses can pass this crucial stage. He knew he had to act fast to ensure that the company’s plans for the future could be successfully implemented. The case study is suitable for use in teaching courses in strategic management, organisational management and integrated case study for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in the programmes of business administration, Muamalat administration and accounting.

The case study is suitable for use in advanced undergraduate students in management, business administration, Muamalat administration and postgraduate students in MBA, Master in Muamalat Administration or other related master’s programmes with a course in strategic management, organisational management and integrated case study.

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After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand the different risks associated with a business, focusing on price risk and the importance of price risk management in business; understand and evaluate the products available for hedging price risk through exchange-traded derivatives in the Indian scenario; and understand and evaluate the different strategies for price risk management through exchange-traded derivatives in the Indian scenario.

The case study pertains to a small business, M/s Sethi Jewellers. The enterprise is being run by Shri Charan Jeet Sethi and his son Tejinder Sethi. The business is located in Jain Bazar, Jammu, UT, in Northern India. The business was started in 1972 by Charan Jeet’s father. They deal in a wide range of jewelry products and are well-established jewelers known for selling quality ornaments. Tejinder (MBA in marketing) was instrumental in revamping his business recently. Under his leadership, the business has experienced rapid transformation. The business has grown from a one-room shop fully managed by Tejinder’s grandfather to a multistory showroom with several artisans, sales staff and security persons. Through his e-store, Tejinder has a bulk order from a client where the client requires him to accept the order with a small token at the current price and deliver the final product three months from now. Tejinder is in a dilemma about accepting or rejecting the large order. Second, if he accepts, should he buy the entire gold now or wait to buy it later at a lower price? He is also considering hedging the price risk through exchange-traded derivatives. However, he is not entirely sure, as he has a few apprehensions regarding the same, and he is also not fully aware of the process and the instruments he has to use for hedging the price risk on the exchange.

The case study is aimed to cater to undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students in the field of finance. This case study can be used for students interested in commodity derivatives, risk management and market microstructure.

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The case study is designed to help students understand how the “growth at all costs” attitude can lead to compromised corporate governance in a start-up leading to disastrous implications for all the stakeholders. This case study aims to make students understand the components of the fraud triangle, the impact of financial fraud on various stakeholders, the role of venture capitalist (VC) investors and the importance of good corporate governance in start-ups. The case study presents an excellent opportunity for students to discuss the consequences of ignoring good governance in the pursuit of growth in a start-up. After analyzing the case study, the students shall be able to explain the concept of the fraud triangle and to be able to identify the motivation, opportunity and rationalization of financial irregularities in a start-up; analyze the impact of financial irregularities on various stakeholders; comprehend the business model of VCs and evaluate its influence on VC-funded start-ups; and appraise the importance of good corporate governance in start-ups.

The case study revolves around the confession of financial irregularities made by one of the cofounders of GoMechanic, a start-up headquartered in Gurugram, India. On January 18, 2023, Amit Bhasin confessed to financial irregularities in the company’s financial statements, leading to laying off 70% of the workforce of the company. GoMechanic had earlier raised close to US$62m [1] from maverick global investors including Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Orios Venture Partners and Chiratae Ventures, and was negotiating to raise Series D financing from the Japanese multinational SoftBank with aspirations to be a unicorn (start-up with a valuation of over $1bn). The confession led to a debate about the consequences of the “growth at all cost” culture being followed by start-ups as well as VCs. GoMechanic was not an isolated instance of a lack of governance in the start-ups. The confession had consequences not only for the GoMechanic but for the entire start-up ecosystem of India, which was the third largest in the world. Bhasin stated that the founders take full responsibility for the situation, and they were working on a plan which was most viable under the circumstances. However, it was not going to be easy to regain the confidence of the investors.

The case study is best suited for senior undergraduate- and graduate-level business school students and in executive education programs in courses such as corporate governance and ethics, private equity and entrepreneurial finance.

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