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Case study
Publication date: 7 December 2021

Seham Ghalwash, Ayman Ismail and Noha El Sebaie

Drawing from individual experiences and shared passion, Amena and Ramez first founded Helm as a student club at the American University in Cairo in 2012. As a club, Helm worked…

Abstract

Case synopsis

Drawing from individual experiences and shared passion, Amena and Ramez first founded Helm as a student club at the American University in Cairo in 2012. As a club, Helm worked extensively to identify the main challenges facing persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Egypt. During meetings with various stakeholders, Helm found that employment was a recurring theme. The employment rate for PwDs in Egypt was only 21.3% compared to 40.2% among the non-disabled. During its first year alone, Helm found jobs for 300 individuals with some sort of disability. Despite this initial success, Helm strived to increase its social impact by increasing the integration of PwDs in Egypt through changing employers’ mindset and building inclusive work atmospheres where PwDs could work and thrive. There were, however, major cultural barriers in Egypt standing in the way of this vision. Despite these challenges, Helm managed to play a pivotal role in creating social transformation around disability in Egypt. Helm became a key player in reshaping Egypt’s legislation on PwDs through participating in several policymaking discussions, parliamentary committee meetings and programs with governmental entities. In the hope of increasing Helm’s potential social impact, Amena and Ramez aimed to maintain their growth in Egypt and to expand to other markets in the region. Accordingly, they were faced with a set of compelling questions. Amena and Ramez further wanted to make sure that their current business model and contribution to social transformation for PwDs could help them to grow and serve other markets. Should they adapt their business model and services offerings to scale up their social impact accordingly? If so, how?

Case learning objectives

This case allows students to consider the nature of social enterprises in developing countries and how they create social transformation in supporting PwDs in local communities. This case also introduces students to social enterprises’ business models, scalability and the sustainability issues which such enterprises face in the context of developing countries. By the end of studying the case, students should be able to understand the following: Objective 1: Identify the characteristics of social entrepreneurship and apply it to a social enterprise using Robinson’s (2006) definition of social entrepreneurship; Objective 2: Analyze the business model of a social enterprise using the nine building blocks of the business model canvas of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010); Objective 3: Evaluate the social enterprise revenue model for sustainability using Yunus et al.’s (2010) building a social business model; and Objective 4: Suggest business model modification to improve a social enterprise’s scalability and service offerings in a new market.

Complexity academic level

This case study is aimed at students who are enrolled in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, corporate social investment and sustainability courses. This case is written at an honor of graduate level so it can be used for master’s level, short graduate programs, MBA. The case is directed to students who have a business background and want to understand and explore social entrepreneurship.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 1993

Noha Ismail

In a democracy, most major issues of public importance are influenced by public debate. We have seen this dynamic at work in debates over equal rights for minorities and women…

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Abstract

In a democracy, most major issues of public importance are influenced by public debate. We have seen this dynamic at work in debates over equal rights for minorities and women, the nuclear arms race, abortion, human rights in South Africa, East‐West relations, and the state of the economy.

Details

Collection Building, vol. 12 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0160-4953

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Case study
Publication date: 12 January 2022

Ayman Ismail, Seham Ghalwash and Noha El Sebaie

The case is meant as a way for students to develop ideas related to the challenges facing environmental eco-friendly social enterprises that sell their products in a country like…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

The case is meant as a way for students to develop ideas related to the challenges facing environmental eco-friendly social enterprises that sell their products in a country like Egypt where consumers are way behind considering the value of their products. In response to these challenges, students learn to evaluate the company status quo by analyzing its weaknesses, strengths and opportunities to grow and expand geographically to a new market. Students also learn about the growth expansion strategies and internationalization modes, options and associated barriers. Accordingly, they can plan the marketing strategies associated with entering this new market for up-cycled products. Objective 1: Analyze the international geographical growth alternative for an enterprise that improves its scalability applying weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities analysis. Objective 2: Propose a strategic plan for growth and scalability. Objective 3: Discuss the various modes of doing business in foreign countries. Recommend an internationalization mode for a social enterprise to explore in a new market. Objective 4: Assess the possible barriers associated with internationalization modes and how to overcome them. Objective 5: Propose marketing strategies for an eco-friendly enterprise to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in the international host market. Other topics that might be discussed in this case include consumer behavior toward environmentally friendly products. Pricing challenges faced by ecologically friendly firms in developing countries.

Case overview/synopsis

Rania and Yara were inspired by Germany’s approach to waste reduction, particularly plastic bags. In 2017, after winning several competitions and awards, Up-Fuse was officially established as a social enterprise. The entrepreneurs faced great challenges selling sustainable products made of plastic waste to Egyptian consumers. Egyptian consumers were not fully aware of the value of eco-friendly products which presented a great challenge for Up-Fuse to grow and sell their products in Egypt. After shifting its pricing strategy and expanding beyond the local recycled product markets, Up-Fuse further faced fierce competition from well-established local and international brands with larger market shares. Thus, most of Up-Fuse’s sales were generated from expats and foreigners. In response to local obstacles and limitations, Rania began to consider targeting international markets. Rania thought it was the opportune time to drive growth through geographic expansion. After all, in 2020, Up-Fuse had some minor success when the co-founders experimented with exporting their products to the US market. Rania’s co-founder Yara, on the other hand, felt that the enterprise was not yet ready to enter a new market and it would be wiser to emphasize growth in the local Egyptian market. The co-founders were torn between two growth strategies. On one hand, they faced intense local competition for their products. On the other, expanding by entering a new market came with many challenges. Which growth strategy should Up-Fuse adopt? How could Up-Fuse determine which market to penetrate? What were the possible scalability challenges they faced by entering a new market? How could Up-Fuse reach and increase their international customer base abroad? What was the best marketing strategy for their products?

Complexity academic level

This case would be appropriate for graduate students enrolled in marketing, consumer behavior, international marketing, international business and social entrepreneurship courses. This case is written at a graduate level and would also be appropriate for use in customized or short programs.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CCS 5: International Business.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 12 June 2017

Noha M. El-Bassiouny, Jonathan A.J. Wilson and Suzan Esmat

The purpose of this paper is to present a new conceptualization of sustainability. The authors adopt a macromarketing perspective based on Islamic traditions while delving into…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new conceptualization of sustainability. The authors adopt a macromarketing perspective based on Islamic traditions while delving into divine attributes (AsmaaAllah-ul-Husna) as an extension to the foundational principle of God-consciousness that lies at the heart of Islamic theology and jurisprudence.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach relies on identifying and extending the conceptual overlaps between the literature domains of sustainability, Islamic macromarketing and Islamic theology.

Findings

Through adopting an Islamic lens, the authors identify that relating to divinity empowers the Muslim faithful to mediate between the transient and transcendent, and to make judgments according to the attributes of their creator Allah (the Abrahamic monotheistic God).

Research limitations/implications

The paper adopts a conceptual approach that expands the concept of sustainability from an Islamic perspective to take on a holistic systems approach.

Practical implications

By making these links, the implications are fivefold: the imperative to strive for sustainable activities has greater resonance; the remit of sustainability is wider; the time horizon for accountability is extended; greater risk-tasking is encouraged; and, finally, sustainability is embedded and diffused throughout business activities – as opposed to being an upstream strategic objective.

Social implications

The merge in conceptualization between sustainability and Islamic macromarketing can prove relevant to scholars delving into the new realm of Islamic macromarketing, as well as to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities in their quest for sustainable development.

Originality/value

The paper is original in identifying an unprecedented perspective on sustainability, namely, “Islamic-macromarketing sustainability”, which warrants further future research related to the different stakeholders involved in the Islamic macromarketing system.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

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Case study
Publication date: 1 March 2021

Shrouk Mahmoud Abdelnaeim, Noha M. El-Bassiouny and Pallab Paul

Understand the implementation phase of sustainable start-ups. Identifying the 4 Ps of sustainable start-ups. Understand the different types of challenges faced by Up-Fuse…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

Understand the implementation phase of sustainable start-ups. Identifying the 4 Ps of sustainable start-ups. Understand the different types of challenges faced by Up-Fuse regarding their target customers and their value proposition. Highlighting the important strategic decisions that sustainable start-ups have to consider in their business cycle. Analyzing the differences between the market conditions globally and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Case overview/synopsis

Sustainable entrepreneurship is the type of entrepreneurship that is market-oriented and creative while at the same time putting the environment, society and economy into consideration. Sustainable entrepreneurs offer value through their goods and services that are beneficial or at least do not harm the environment or the society. The case provides background information and facts about doing business in the MENA region and Egypt specifically. Afterward, the case study emphasizes the challenges that are faced by sustainable entrepreneurs in Egypt through analyzing the case of a sustainable Egyptian start-up. The case study is on Up-Fuse, one of the sustainable start-ups in Egypt that produce backpacks, shoulder and waist bags, laptop sleeves, cases and pouches. This case study aims at describing the different challenges and strategic decisions that sustainable start-ups go through in Egypt.

Complexity academic level

This case targets undergraduate management students, marketing students, master of business administration students, entrepreneurship students and entrepreneurs. This case can be taught in courses with marketing, entrepreneurship and sustainability focus.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 11 June 2018

Raghda El Ebrashi, Rania Salem, Dina El Kayaly and Noha El-Bassiouny

This paper aims to investigate the role of demographics and sector type in determining consumer preferences of Islamic micro-credit products, namely, Musharka and Murabha, versus…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of demographics and sector type in determining consumer preferences of Islamic micro-credit products, namely, Musharka and Murabha, versus conventional micro-credit financing in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is a quantitative study that uses surveys on 1,125 current micro-credit consumers in Cairo and Upper Egypt using multi-staged cluster sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to explain results.

Findings

The study revealed the potential of Musharka mode of financing among micro-credit borrowers in Egypt, specifically in the manufacturing sector, followed by the trade sector. Although previous researches showed correlations between income, age and other demographic factors with consumer financing choices, the current research indicated no significance for consumer demographics in determining preferences of Islamic micro-credit contracts in Egypt. However, the sector type showed high potential in determining consumer choices of Islamic micro-credit contracts.

Research limitations/implications

This paper advances knowledge in the domain of consumer behavior, specifically in bottom of the pyramid and subsistence markets that are under researched.

Practical implications

The results highlighted are important for micro-finance institutions, NGOs and policy makers, as they delve deeper into the consumer preferences for Islamic financial products and attempt to present innovative solutions toward poverty eradication.

Originality/value

This research is one of the few attempts to study and explain consumer preferences toward Islamic micro-credit products in Egypt, and the role of sectors in determining consumer choices for specific Islamic micro-credit contracts.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 21 May 2020

Soha Abutaleb and Noha El-Bassiouny

The paper examines three main stakeholders in the market and their roles toward achieving sustainability marketing. Those stakeholders are consumers, companies and policymakers…

1100

Abstract

Purpose

The paper examines three main stakeholders in the market and their roles toward achieving sustainability marketing. Those stakeholders are consumers, companies and policymakers. The current study is examining consumers’ attitudes toward sustainability marketing and their purchase intentions of sustainable products through the use of theory of planned behavior. The paper is also examining the role of companies and policymakers in encouraging consumers to consider sustainability in their purchasing decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

Concurrent research study is applied, where qualitative and quantitative research methods are conducted at the same time for different purposes with equal weights. Qualitative interviews were applied with fast-moving consumer goods companies and policymakers, while quantitative surveys were applied with Egyptian consumers.

Findings

The results showed that companies are taking serious and effective steps in transforming their marketing strategies into sustainable marketing ones. The government role is still limited as there are no strict laws and regulations that force companies and factories in Egypt to develop sustainability marketing strategies. Consumers’ attitudes were highly affected by firms' sustainable practices as well as subjective norms that led to influencing their intentions toward purchasing sustainable products.

Originality/value

Although the topic of sustainability marketing is considered by a plenty of researchers in the academic discipline, there are no studies that have combined the main three stakeholders' roles in achieving sustainability marketing in one study. The study highlights the impact of government role and firms' role on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable products, especially convenient products. This was done through the adoption of the theory of planned behavior.

Details

World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5961

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Tamer Refaat and Marwa El-Zoklah

This study aims to formulate a user-friendly pre-design model that could be a decision support tool for green wall systems to assist designers in selecting an optimal green wall…

141

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to formulate a user-friendly pre-design model that could be a decision support tool for green wall systems to assist designers in selecting an optimal green wall system aligned with specified performance criteria while concurrently addressing project requirements linked to social and economic parameters. This approach seeks to enhance overall project satisfaction for the designer and the owner.

Design/methodology/approach

A correlation between the green wall context and design requirements and its performance on the buildings have been defined by considering its social and economic parameters, which represented the owner preferences to ensure the most satisfaction from installation as it achieves the required performance that is defined by the designer such as maximizing thermal insulation, improving indoor air quality, reducing the needed heating and cooling loads, etc. and also to achieve the satisfaction in social and economic requirements defined by the owner such as system installation cost, system maintenance cost, adding beauty value, etc.

Findings

The research developed an easy pre-design model to be a tool for green wall system decision-making for the most suitable system, which contains three main steps: the first one is defining the required performance of the green wall (designer requirements), the second step is limiting the context of the project which is made by designer and the owner requirements and finally the third step is choosing the system components that ensures achieving the requirements of both owners and designer, related to the building and climate context.

Originality/value

The added value lies in developing a green wall decision-making tool, essentially a pre-design model. This model considers the correlation between the project’s context, encompassing climate and building conditions. It provides a structured approach for decision-making in the early stages of green wall design. It offers valuable insights into the optimal choices related to system type, installation methods and plant characteristics. This enhanced decision-making tool contributes to more informed and efficient design processes, considering each project’s specific needs and conditions.

Details

Open House International, vol. 49 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Mariam Mourad Hussein Abou-Youssef, Wael Kortam, Ehab Abou-Aish and Noha El-Bassiouny

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of Islamic religiosity on consumer attitudes toward Islamic banking in Egypt.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of Islamic religiosity on consumer attitudes toward Islamic banking in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, employing both qualitative in-depth interviews and quantitative surveys.

Findings

The main findings of the study show that religiosity has an impact on consumer attitudes toward Islamic banking in Egypt. Major religiosity clusters were identified from the sample and these were associated with attitudes toward Islamic banking.

Practical implications

The findings of this research are of practical importance for marketers in Islamic banks, as they reflect on the likely role religiosity would play in shaping the attitudes of potential customers toward their products. Thus, marketers can use the religiosity scale in measuring intention to use their banking services.

Originality/value

The study was implemented in Egypt, where the volume of research on this topic is very limited; thus the context of the study is of value to researchers and practitioners and it can serve as a base for future studies in the Middle East region.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Miral Fahmy and Hebatallah Ghoneim

Most research studies have examined financial inclusion from a supply-side perspective, which measures access and usage of formal financial services by banking outreach…

580

Abstract

Purpose

Most research studies have examined financial inclusion from a supply-side perspective, which measures access and usage of formal financial services by banking outreach indicators, the number of borrowers and the availability of other financial services in a given area. However, this approach is often insufficient to nuance the degree of financial exclusion faced by segments of the population. This study's overall objective is to empirically examine demand-side determinants of financial inclusion.

Design/methodology/approach

This research examines the impact of these variables on the level to which an individual is financially included. Notably, the metric employed goes beyond the basic ownership of a bank account and measures the usage of financial services rather than just access. Quantitative data were collected through self-administered surveys targeting 456 individuals in Egypt in order to test the proposed hypotheses. Three different econometric models were tested using regression analysis.

Findings

The findings imply an insignificant relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion. Results suggest that financial exclusion is associated with low trust in financial institutions, low-income level, low education level and being elderly, with a more substantial influence on income and education.

Originality/value

Egypt suffers from a lack of up-to-date demand-side data and data available at hand allow us to know very little about the factors underpinning financial inclusion. This study is contributing demand-side, up-to-date primary data, that provides multiple insights for Egypt regarding the subject, which helps provide answers and suggestions to policy implications.

Details

Management & Sustainability: An Arab Review, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-9819

Keywords

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