Case studies

After reading and discussing this case study, students will be able to explain the concept of diffusion of innovation and predict how the passion fruit-infused vinaigrette (PFIV) might spread throughout the Thai market; analyze the market environment for condiments in Thailand and identify specific opportunities that Preedha Vinchit and her team should consider for the successful launch of the PFIV; interpret both qualitative and quantitative data gathered by the new product development (NPD) team and discuss its implications for the product’s market strategy and development; and critique the initial launch plan proposed by Krit Anon, suggest practical strategies and calculate the break-even point necessary to meet the project’s financial goals.

During July 2023, Vinchit, product marketer at the Thani Food Institute (TFI), faced a critical decision regarding the launch of the APFIV. Developed from TFI’s patented passion fruit peel powder, the PFIV offered functional benefits and addressed the sustainable use of passion fruit resources. As COVID-19 restrictions eased, TFI’s board of advisors anticipated a successful market entry for PFIV. Anon, culinologist and chef behind PFIV’s formulation, expressed keen interest in launching it independently with a startup investment of THB 500,000 (US$14,388). Vinchit, with market research and home-use test results indicating positive consumer reception in hand, contemplated whether to proceed with a launch plan of TFI’s design or endorse Anon’s entrepreneurial venture. Critical considerations included market viability, strategic partnerships, target demographics and marketing strategies encompassing pricing, distribution and promotional campaigns. The decision hinged on maximizing PFIV’s market potential amidst Thailand’s robust condiment consumption and growing health awareness.

This case study can be used in undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, food product development, marketing strategy, market research and innovation on topics including NPD, opportunity identification, concept testing, consumer research analysis, marketing strategy formulation, business/financial analysis and launch strategies. This case study may be more useful in the middle or later parts of a course or module when an instructor is focusing on any or all stages of the NPD process and the strategic decisions, particularly for aspiring entrepreneurs with limited resources. Additionally, students should have developed at least some preliminary understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods. This case study has been very effective in demonstrating various organizational processes and decision-making tools, which allow students to apply strategy frameworks and systematically evaluate several alternatives.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to analyze the FinTech industry in emerging markets, distinguish the growth strategies for startups in the hyper-growth phase, using the Ansoff matrix, evaluate and select geographical markets for expansion (foreign country selection) and understand the liability of foreignness concept.

In 2015, Islam Shawky, Alain Al-Hajj and Mostafa Menessy founded Paymob in Egypt, a FinTech start-up providing technological and financial solutions to consumers and merchants in the country. The company had grown into one of Egypt’s most prominent digital payment providers by deploying infrastructure and technologies that empower the underserved with access to financial services. In 2021, Paymob had gained a lot of support from venture capital investors that ended with closing the largest in Egypt Series A fund of $18.5m led by Dubai-based venture capital firm Global Ventures. Although Paymob had already reached great success in Egypt, the founders’ vision was to become the regional leader of digital payments, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises. So, they are considering regional markets similar to Egypt’s, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a call with a lot of structure but a lot of competition, and Pakistan, a market with much less competition but relatively unstructured. The founders found themselves in early 2022 deciding between these two markets in preparation for the next round of Series B $50m funding.

This case study can be useful for courses in executive education.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

MBA.

Master’s level in Change Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management.

Mr Sharma, the dynamic and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed Soni Manipal Hospital (SMH), Jaipur, and Unit Head, Manipal Hospitals [Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. (MHEPL)], in a meeting with SMH’s Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Nursing Management, Mr Yaduvanshi realised the exponential growth of employee resistance, their lack of skills and technological advancements for documentation hindering the hospital's transformation goal. The case study highlighted the challenges the protagonist faced when taking charge as the CEO after nine months of acquisition and the factors contributing to them.

Students reading this case are expected to understand leadership theories, strategic and quality management approaches, and theories of social behaviour, such as Herzberg’s two-factor theory and social exchange theory (SET) and the application of these concepts in acquired organisations to develop healthy leadership–employee relations and change management theories.

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CSS 6: Human resource management.

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify and think critically about common business problems and come up with possible solutions, explain how a business owner’s attributes can influence the business decisions they make, use available information to assess the viability and sustainability of a business model/strategy, determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular marketing strategy and suggest ways to improve it and use the information provided to evaluate the risks and benefits of business growth strategies and determine their appropriateness for specified circumstances.

Mambokadzi is a small business with considerable potential in Zimbabwe’s beauty and personal care industry. The case study spans several years, highlighting Sharon Chingwaro’s journey as she navigates the difficulties of starting and growing a business with limited resources. The case study delves into various aspects of running a small business, such as production, marketing, distribution, human resources and intellectual property. It also discusses the value of resilience and endurance, as well as the need for resourcefulness when starting and growing a business under difficult circumstances. This case study is intended to teach entrepreneurship and marketing strategies to both under- and postgraduate students, with a particular emphasis on the difficulties of starting and growing a business in a limited-resource environment. It has applications in a variety of fields, including entrepreneurship, strategic management and marketing.

This case study is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

This case study is based on primary data collected through interviews with the company’s founder and CEO. It also includes secondary data collected through the Glassdoor job search and career community site. The names of the company and the employees have been disguised. However, the figures included accurately represent the primary data and the quotes are directly from the company representative.

When it was founded in 2009, employees were excited about the prospect of working at Wombat alongside its founder and CEO Dan Wallace. They had looked forward to making a difference in the lives of college students with the company’s higher ed-focused digital communication platform. But by 2022, Wallace could not ignore the significant change in these employees’ attitudes. Anonymous feedback pointed to employees’ commitment to Wombat having wavered, and employees’ reception of post-COVID organizational changes had become concerningly critical. Though he knew enough to be concerned, Wallace felt unsure of how to move forward based on the anonymous feedback alone. He was left wondering: how should Wombat communicate with employees to boost their attitudes and strengthen their commitment while making the hard decisions that best serve the company?

This case study is appropriate for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in organizational communication courses. It can constitute the employee communication module in a class that surveys strategic managerial communication, or it could be used as one of many examples in a course specifically focused on the internal communication component of the discipline. Students will need an understanding of communication theory, specifically interpretive organizational communication theory, to grasp the complexities of the case. While the focus company is in the educational technology industry, the themes presented are faced by companies of all sizes in all sectors.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to[1] review the industry analysis using Porter’s five forces and strength, weakness, opportunities, threats framework and understand how a firm can achieve a competitive advantage, analyze the stakeholder theory and the salience of stakeholder mapping for enterprises with large number of stakeholders, apply the Mendelow framework of stakeholder mapping in this context and integrate it with stakeholder engagement for small enterprises and examine and evaluate how new age enterprises can engage better with stakeholders to provide a higher value creation.

Ayushi Srivastava started her enterprise, Beeyond Foods, in early 2021 with the aim to provide unadulterated, raw honey to consumers. She also wanted to help the beekeeping community by providing the beekeepers with a fair price for the procurement of honey from the bee hives. Beeyond Foods was a small enterprise in India that sold two variants of honey to consumers. The first variant was sourced from the Himalayan region of India, whereas the second was sourced from the Western Ghats of India. The primary distribution channel was trade fairs, where Srivastava would assemble her stall and sell honey to potential customers. Furthermore, a part of the sales was also driven by an electronic channel, which was through the company website. Customers could place their orders, and the honey would directly be delivered to their homes. With a successful start to the business, Srivastava was interested to scale her business and reach more customers. However, she was mindful that there were multiple stakeholders involved in the business. Srivastava had to study the values and needs of each stakeholder, while simultaneously formulate a strategy to expand her reach. This case study is designed to teach the concept of stakeholder value creation for small business enterprises.

This case study is well suited for an entrepreneurship and strategy course at the postgraduate (Master of Business Administration) level. This case study can also be taught in a marketing course.

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CSS3: Entrepreneurship.

The case study can be used for the course of entrepreneurship and is appropriate for postgraduate students. Discussion would be the most appropriate method for teaching this case study. Through Nutan’s words, students could gain a first-hand glimpse into the transformative journey of a rural woman entrepreneur.

In 2018, Nutan Jha embarked on a remarkable journey by establishing Nutan Creations, a micro-enterprise situated in Kharrak village, Jhanjharpur, Bihar (India). This case study aims to achieve multiple objectives: understanding the operational obstacles confronted by a rural woman entrepreneur, acknowledging the inseparable connection between business and social issues in rural contexts, moreover shedding light on the intersection of gender, entrepreneurship and cultural preservation through traditional Madhubani painting art form products. This distinctive combination brings a fresh perspective to the research, offering unique insights into the challenges and triumphs experienced by rural women entrepreneurs. The findings of this case study exemplify the intricate interplay between business and social concerns in rural areas, portraying an inspiring depiction of how determination, adaptability and robust support networks can conquer hurdles and foster transformative changes.

The case study has been designed for the students of business administration and entrepreneurship who have completed their elementary model on marketing comprehend. The students should need to understand the concept of entrepreneurship and the basics of digital marketing strategy to ensure effective learning.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

After reading and analyzing this case study, students will be able to describe the challenges of creating an electric vehicle (EV) start-up with the objective of zero-carbon emissions, identify opportunities and challenges for Satyadarshan Technologies & Services (STS) in enhancing the B2B customer base and sales volumes in the EV market, identify and assess government incentives to reinforce STS’s existing EV business and compose an understanding of and determine an ability to use various industrial marketing and promotion strategies for STS in the present environment.

STS was launched in 2020 to provide environmentally conscious urban commuting. Himanshu Purohit, the founder of STS, commenced an e-bicycle assembly unit and produced the first advanced electric drivetrain technology. The vision was to transform how people viewed mobility and make EVs the standard for a healthier globe. Nurturing a start-up with zero-carbon emissions was tedious due to limited infrastructure, high costs, low market acceptance and supply chain constraints. With the relentless pursuit of excellence, STS constantly pushed the boundaries and crossed the break-even ceiling in the year 2022. As a budding player in the souk, the company expected to gain a strong presence in the EV market with particular attention to the B2B customer segment. At the same time, the company aimed to ensure business sustainability by leveraging government incentives. The company needed to expand its corporate sales volume and craft a sustainable competitive advantage. Purohit recognized various challenges to the sustainability of STS that stood between the company's goals and their realization, particularly in achieving a sustainable move in the EV segment. Consequently, Purohit found himself at a critical juncture to pave the path toward the growth of the start-up. Eventually, analysis of the company's business challenges, industrial marketing and promotional strategies required strategic planning to appraise and evaluate the business model.

This case study is designed for new-age Master of Business Administration and executive management programs. It should be used in entrepreneurship and strategic management courses to discuss small innovative e-bike start-ups. This includes conducting a competitive analysis and self-assessing a firm's market-oriented strategies. Prima facie, undergraduate and postgraduate students are beneficiaries of this case. This case study may also be conducive to teaching how to initiate a sustainable and green vehicle business. This case study guides students entering the EV business, addressing industry-specific challenges and conducting market analysis.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

This case study will help business management students learn the dynamics of distribution management in the rural context. After working through the case and assignment questions, the students will be able to:▪ Understand the transformation of rural retail from traditional models to organized modern retail;▪ Understand the opportunities and challenges of rural markets with specific reference to automobile products;▪ Identify and evaluate the various distribution channels available for rural markets; and▪ Devise a suitable rural-centric distribution model for automobile products following an appropriate logistics system.

Manan Motors, a dealership of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) Private Limited in Hathras City of Uttar Pradesh province in India, has been operating successfully for the past two decades. Mr Manoj Bansal, the director at Manan Motors, was primarily targeting the urban markets with 60% dependency on the scooter portfolio of HMSI. But multiple pressures like stringent vehicle emission norms, price rise of two-wheelers and the impact of the pandemic took a toll upon the urban business of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Limited and subsequently upon Manan Motors. The sales for HMSI dipped from 15,121 million units in 2020–2021 to 13,466 million units in 2021–2022. Consequently, Bansal decided to alter the business strategy of Manan Motors and shift its focus from the urban to the rural territory of Hathras, where it could foresee demand for entry-level two-wheelers (engine capacity between 75 and 110 cc). Rural markets were developing, so Bansal realized that supplying a low-cost, low-end model to the rural Indian market was an opportunity for his dealership. Bansal’s decision to focus on the rural vertical of its two-wheeler business stirred several questions that floated in his mind. Should they manage distribution on their own, or through some channel members, or should they follow a rural-specific modern retail model?

The case study is designed for use by a postgraduate or executive-level audience for subjects such as sales and distribution management, distribution management and rural marketing. Students will understand the concept of distribution management and associated keywords specific to rural markets. The case study provides an opportunity to discuss and decide how a company can penetrate the rural market and also discusses the opportunities and challenges of rural distribution.

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CSS 9: Operations and logistics.

The data used to present this case was collected from secondary data sources. These sources included media reports associated with Michael Jordan and his trajectory since entering the sport, as well as specific information published about his time at the Chicago Bulls. Another key source of information is the ESPN documentary conducted specifically on Jordan’s relationship with his National Basketball Association (NBA) team.

The case follows the story of Michael Jordan, who took his team, the Chicago Bulls, to fame in a rather controversial manner. To do so, Michael Jordan had to alter his leadership style over the years to be respected as a leader and motivate his team to win one NBA championship after another. On 20th April 2020, ESPN’s “The Last Dance”, a 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and his time playing for the Chicago Bulls was released to much acclaim. The documentary became highly noted as Jordan himself, both directed and starred in the documentary. Jordan’s great achievements stood out, but so did the conflicts that the basketball star had with The Bulls’ management team and mainly, his teammates. Relationships between teammates were far from harmonious, which led to questions around whether Michael Jordan was as good a leader, as he was a star player. Cultural change within the organisation was primarily linked to the often-contested leadership of Jordan.

The case can be used at UG, MSc and MBA levels. It works for in-person teaching and for online teaching. It is most suitable in leadership, strategy and strategy in practice courses. However, it is critical to note that the case can shed light on the dynamics that leaders and teammates have within their teams. Therefore, this case may be valuable to students studying courses where they themselves must work in groups and oftentimes encounter challenges in managing their team. These challenges can arise at all levels of experience. As such, the case provides particularly useful reflection for decision makers who may be beginning to develop their leadership skill (UG), those who have already experienced working in teams (MSc) or leading teams themselves (MBA, Executive MBA). The case addresses the challenges associated with achieving high team motivation and performance. It also sheds light on the challenges associated with leading a cultural change within a team and the approaches of different actors involved. It may be best to introduce the case in the context of a (1.5–2 h) workshop once students understand the basic frameworks and tools used to analyse leadership styles and their characteristics.