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Islamic Banking has been in the limelight since the recession of 2008. Although around for a long time, it is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. This case provides an introduction.

EMBA and/or MBA introduction to banking, senior semester undergraduate, specialization in Islamic Banking.

This case is written in the form of an interview with Meezan Bank, one of the leading financial institutions in the Islamic banking sector. It is based on primary as well as secondary data obtained via interviews and documentary analysis.

This is an analytical case and not a decision-making one. The main theme of the case revolves around analysing what Islamic banking is, the challenges that Meezan has faced, the pros and cons of doing business this way and the future issues it can face.

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

CSS 7: Management Science.

The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: to assess the extent to which a new business concept or entrepreneurial idea represents a commercial success or practical failure, to estimate the complexities associated with the management of a partnership-based venture in the context of emerging markets, to demonstrate understanding of entrepreneurial action and strategic adaptation under the condition of uncontrollable external shocks (e.g. COVID-19) and to evaluate the pros and cons of different strategic options and provide viable recommendations for the future.

Startup entrepreneurship constitutes the backbone of the socioeconomic activity of any nation and a driver of innovation, industrial diversification and wealth generation, particularly in emerging market settings. Drawing upon narrative storytelling techniques, this case study immerses the reader into the intricacies of entrepreneurial venture creation within the dynamic startup ecosystem in the Middle East. It follows the story of a young serial entrepreneur, Omar, who decided to launch a business in the creative industry of arts in the United Arab Emirates in partnership with his friend, Ahmed. Their common venture, Mont8, showcased and promoted the artwork of budding and well-known Arab talents and was on track to become a recognizable brand in the Middle Eastern business of arts until the COVID-19 crisis shook the world taking everyone by surprise. In an attempt to build a successful post-pandemic future, Omar was convinced that Mont8 needed to fast-track its digital transformation. He envisioned an e-commerce marketplace that would empower Arab artists, designers and photographers to create customized virtual galleries on their own web-stores through the Mont8’s digital platform. Yet, Omar’s vision diverged drastically from the very conservative mindset of Ahmed, who did not want to disrupt tradition and argued in favor of a back-to-business-as-usual approach. It remains unclear whose option would be selected and whether the two partners would stay in this makeover together or rather part ways.

Upper-level undergraduate courses.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship, agriculture, small business management and strategic planning.

This case is most relevant to undergraduates.

This case is about Azad Ahmed who will soon graduate from his business school. He has the option of either landing in a high-paying job or joining his family business. Azad has the task of thinking for his family's future and turning the family business around. The case gives information on the condition of the agriculture sector in Pakistan, issues that the sector is facing, its non-traditional alternatives and the bright future it holds for the farmers who want to enter into agribusiness to capture international markets. The case also talks about how ownership structure of a family farm changes as the family expands further and baton is passed on to the future generations.

The case should get the students to define the term “family business” and weigh the perks and risks of working in a family business; recognize the importance of agriculture and farming in the Pakistani context; evaluate the dynamics of family expectations with respect to collectivistic society; identify the ownership transition stages and transition elements such as trigger points; define the term “agriprenuers”; and set up a business plan for agribusiness.

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

This case facilitates students of tourism and marketing to use Kapferer’s brand prism model to analyse the case.

This case can be used for tourism undergraduate and marketing students to make them understand the processes for revitalising and developing a destination brand to increase the number of visitors and become more attractive to tourists and visitors. The case highlights the major strategies used by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority team to develop Sharjah as a family, entertainment, eco-tourism and heritage destination among the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.

Sharjah is one of the emirates which form the United Arab Emirates. The case describes how a young leader of Sharjah developed destination Al Qasba as a tourist attraction, which was earlier not frequented by family and investors. After that, he was vested with the responsibility of developing Sharjah into an investment and heritage destination in United Arab Emirates. The case details how the team used different strategies to attract investors to the destination to make it more attractive to tourists as well the dwellers of the emirates.

To understand the process of sustainable destination development or place development practices. To analyse the case using using existing models or frameworks such as Kapferer’s brand identity prism or Aaker’s theory and any other. To recommend suggestions in improving the destination development strategies.

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

CSS 12: Tourism and Hospitality.

The purposes of this study included: recognizing the risks and challenges farmers face when growing a new crop, understanding agricultural marketing and its processes and developing a marketing strategy for a specialty agricultural product, such as quinoa.

The main focus of this case lies in identifying the risks faced by farmers in growing a new specialty crop and selecting the appropriate marketing strategies for targeting, positioning and channelling an agricultural product.

This case can be used in intermediate- to advanced-level marketing courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in universities. It can also be used in agriculture and agribusiness–based courses in the undergraduate, graduate or executive level.

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

Rehman, S.U., Selvaraj, M. and Ibrahim, M.S., 2012. Indian Agricultural Marketing-A Review. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2(1), pp.69-75. Kotler, P., Keller, K.L., Ang, S.H., Tan, C.T. and Leong, S.M., 2018. Marketing Management: An Asian Perspective. Pearson.

CSS 8: Marketing

Reverse logistics, environment, CSR.

Bachelor and Graduate students.

This case describes the role played by the company in linking various processes and taking the lead in the development of a unique “circular” flow of recycling activity which includes recovery, reuse and recycling schemes. Traditionally businesses were not held responsible for the product after use by the consumer. But, with growing stakeholder expectations in the area of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, businesses are more conscious about managing their social and environmental impacts. Today businesses are beginning to look at reverse logistics not only in terms of economic impacts but also environmental impacts. While consumers and other stakeholders want businesses to be more responsible in the way the product is produced such as to minimize waste production, the expectations have also changed to recovery of products after use in order to reduce cost and environmental impact of recycling. Businesses are becoming more responsible about collecting, reusing, refurbishing or dismantling used products to minimize environmental damage.

The case is significant for teachers and students of “environment management”, corporate social responsibility, “supply chain” and “the importance of networks”. It can be used to understand how reverse logistics helps to minimize waste.

Teaching notes.

Strategic stakeholder engagement, entrepreneurialism, ecosystem, corporate social responsibility, event management, branding, marketing strategy.

Post-graduate level, practitioners interested in MENSA Region, entrepreneurship policy makers and NGOs.

Abraaj Capital Ltd (Abraaj), a highly reputed private equity investment and management company, strongly believed in corporate social responsibility, strategic stakeholder engagement and entrepreneurship ecosystem development. In November, 2010, Abraaj held the “Celebration of Entrepreneurship” (CoE) a two-day free entrepreneur event, in Dubai. CoE was attended by more than 2,400 participants. The purpose of CoE was to contribute to building an entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Middle East North Africa South Asia region (MENASA). Based on participant feedback, CoE Outcomes and stakeholder feedback, the event was very successful.

This case is a good example of community engagement and showcases entrepreneurship ecosystem development. This case also highlights the challenges of putting together a signature event in a very short time frame. The future management dilemmas are also raised on various issues like whether to make this successful event a regular part of their organizational activities, and issues concerning the funding of such events. This case can be used to teach event management, branding, marketing strategy, CSR and entrepreneurship (from the ecosystem point of view). It will appeal to both educationalists and practitioners interested in the MENASA region, policy makers who facilitate entrepreneurship, CSR managers, event management companies and marketing specialist. It can be used to teach both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Strategy students can focus on marketing and branding strategies; like stakeholder engagement, internal marketing, social media, positioning and brand architecture. Student of event management can learn about prioritizing, adaptability, funding and the complexity of layering a program.

Teaching notes, videos.

Reflect on the influence of different lifecycle stages on the strategy of a family business; evaluate the impact of family, industry and company dynamics on the evolution of a family firm; assess the impact of ownership, governance and succession considerations on the sustainability of a family firm; and develop decision-making skills to overcome specific dilemmas and secure the family business longevity.

Five industries, three generations and one family business. What started off as an entrepreneur’s ambition, Almajid Limited has proven itself to a sustainable source of revenue and a diverse portfolio of businesses for multiple generations of a Saudi Arabian family. This case study offers an exclusive opportunity to follow the tumultuous journey of a Saudi family business and analyze the different phases of its evolution over seven decades and three generations. In particular, the case aims to highlight the complexities surrounding the management of a family firm and illustrate how various lifecycle stages stemming from a number of areas (e.g. family, company, industry, ownership and governance) simultaneously influence the family business strategy. Being deeply embedded in the context of Saudi Arabia, the case unveils the unique challenges of managing a family business in a conservative cultural setting. The case study is divided into four parts, with each of them putting the emphasis on a different lifecycle area of significance for the evolution of the family business. Each part culminates with the identification of an area-relevant dilemma that needs to be addressed for the family firm to be able to move into the next stage of its development. Part A focuses on the family area or axis, the Part B on the industry axis, Part C on the company axis, while Part D is based on the sustainability axis, which embraces as many as three dilemmas in relation to the ownership, governance and succession in the family firm. Moreover, each part incorporates a timeline of critical events that contributed to the emergence of a specific dilemma and a culturally-rooted anime that helps the readers visualize the story, picture somebody else’s reality, and empathize with the key protagonists of the case to achieve optimal decision-making.

Graduate audience: Master of Business Administration or Master of Global Entrepreneurial Management.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.