This paper aims to discuss the concept of building sustainable organizations through focusing on continuous self-transcendence towards positive leadership traits, and how this…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the concept of building sustainable organizations through focusing on continuous self-transcendence towards positive leadership traits, and how this effects the strategic leadership capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the insights drawn from an in-depth hermeneutic-interpretive study of an ancient philosophical text.
Findings
Leaders at apex should lead organizations focusing on self-development. It is seen that several aspects of one’s choices and conduct in personal and professional life influence his/her self-development process. One who is able to follow the conduct discussed builds superior strategic capabilities leading to creation of more caring-compassionate-ethical-and-value-driven organizations.
Practical implications
Practicing managers aspiring to build ethical organizations should concentrate on self-development through self-transcendence as an important tool to influence the organizational level positive outcomes rather than only controlling others to effect such outcomes.
Originality/value
This papers integrates the contemporary thoughts on strategic leadership, ethical leadership and authentic leadership with ancient wisdom of influencing positive institutional outcomes through top leaders focusing on continuous self-transcendence – rather than focusing on others and coercing others to comply.
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This paper aims to discuss the concept of organizational ambidexterity and how to manage the process of becoming and being an ambidextrous organization.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the concept of organizational ambidexterity and how to manage the process of becoming and being an ambidextrous organization.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the insights drawn from a set of in-depth case studies on managing organizational ambidexterity.
Findings
Organizational ambidexterity is facilitated by an ambidextrous top-management team, and some of the mechanisms used to balance organizational ambidexterity are ambidextrous posturing of the top management, having innovation and efficiency champions across the hierarchy, adopting a portfolio- approach, and linking efficiency-activities and innovation-activities.
Practical implications
Practicing managers of both large organizations and start-up firms can use the normative guideline suggested in this paper if they are attempting to balance efficiency and innovation activities.
Originality/value
This papers provides granular insights on how to manage organizational ambidexterity based on experiences of organizations which have been successful in their attempt to be ambidextrous.
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Sabyasachi Sinha and Naveen Kumar Malik
Data from HCL company and their corporate entrepreneurship activities were sourced using interviews and discussions. Secondary data was collected from the company website and…
Abstract
Research methodology
Data from HCL company and their corporate entrepreneurship activities were sourced using interviews and discussions. Secondary data was collected from the company website and other information available in the public domain.
Case overview/synopsis
This case narrates activities undertaken by the Enterprise Technology Office (ETO) of HCL Technologies Infrastructure Service Division to build the Corporate Entrepreneurship function. Around 2015–2016, the ETO started engaging with multiple people and organizations associated with the technology ecosystem outside the firm boundary for novel technologies and solutions. These entities included venture capitalists and start-ups. The ETO also began engaging with internal teams and existing customers to promote the identified novel technologies and innovative solutions. The ETO function grew organically by hiring resources from internal and external pools. ETO also undertook specific programs to increase the involvement of internal teams in their initiatives, like the Joint Exploration Program. ETO explored several options to further the ecosystem innovation strategy and institutionalize corporate entrepreneurship activities. The ETO team deliberated on ways to align the stakeholder goals and evaluate if technology could play a role.
Complexity academic level
This case can be used in any course on “Managing Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” “Strategic Management of Technology Enterprises” or any course focused on managing technology and innovation for graduate (MBA) or executive participants.
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Sabyasachi Sinha and Vinod Thakur
This case should facilitate participants to analyze the influence of internal and external factors on a growing company in the dairy, agro and food industries; analyze the drivers…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
This case should facilitate participants to analyze the influence of internal and external factors on a growing company in the dairy, agro and food industries; analyze the drivers of a company’s competitive advantage; evaluate the relevance of the company in the new product-markets; and propose growth strategies for the expansion of the business beyond the core markets.
Case overview/synopsis
Gyan Dairy began its journey in 2007 and operated in the business-to-business segment by supplying skimmed milk powder and white butter to other dairy players. Then, the company launched its packaged milk brand in Lucknow – the capital city of Uttar Pradesh – one of the largest provinces in India. By the end of 2020, Gyan was the leading private dairy brand in Uttar Pradesh. The company’s vision was to become one of the top dairy brands in India by 2035. While deliberating on the growth choice, the company’s senior management debated whether to strengthen the company’s position in the existing markets or expand operations in adjacent locations. Increasing market share would have led to price wars or advertising costs. Diversifying into product categories involved the risk of product–market misfit and new product development and marketing costs. However, pursuing these options would further strengthen the company’s position in the North Indian market. Expanding into new locations would help establish the company’s presence across different parts of India. However, both these options were replete with various challenges. Expanding into new markets needed one of the promoters of the Gyan Diary, to relocate, build new markets and institutional connections and build a completely new localized economy of scale, which would create a financial burden on existing operations until the new operation was self-sustainable. However, in this journey, they would find and build a model to help expand their operations in other countries as well. Ideally, the company could pursue all the options, but this was not possible due to constrained resources.
This case allows students to discuss and evaluate alternate growth options associated with operationalizing the growth strategy choices in perishable branded food categories beyond existing markets and products. In addition, it also helps discuss how to arrive at such decisions after analyzing the focal firm’s market opportunities and existing capabilities. This case is helpful for the “growth strategy” module in the strategic management core course in a general MBA program and in specialized MBA programs in food and agri-business management.
Complexity academic level
This case is suitable for graduate-level courses on strategic management courses in general management programs and agri-business management programs. In a strategic management course, the case will help cover topics such as analysis of the internal and external environment of the firm and growth and expansion strategies. This case will help teach how to build competitive advantage in dairy and agro-food industries and the strategic analysis needed while pursuing growth decisions. Emerging markets, including India, are the growth markets for leading multinational companies in the food and dairy industries.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.
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Subodh Singh and Sabyasachi Sinha
This paper aims to explore the effect of gender diversity and female empowerment on a firm’s exploration and exploitation capabilities.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the effect of gender diversity and female empowerment on a firm’s exploration and exploitation capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an empirical paper. This study investigated the research question in this paper using data on UK Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 firms and OLS regression analysis.
Findings
This study found a positive association between senior management gender diversity in the workforce and exploitation and exploration capabilities. Also, female empowerment positively moderates senior management gender diversity’s impact on exploration capability.
Practical implications
This study advises firms aspiring ambidextrous to establish gender diversity – especially at the senior management level – and focus on female empowerment in their organisations.
Originality/value
This paper argued for the role of females in making the organisations ambidextrous by impacting both exploitation and exploration capabilities, which did not receive adequate research attention to date.
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Firm ambidexterity usually has been discussed as a top-down planned strategic choice. The purpose of this paper is to showcase it is not always so; it may also be emergent as well…
Abstract
Purpose
Firm ambidexterity usually has been discussed as a top-down planned strategic choice. The purpose of this paper is to showcase it is not always so; it may also be emergent as well – but how?
Design/methodology/approach
The author used an in-depth, qualitative, multiple case research method for this study, and chose four cases from different industry domains for this study.
Findings
The author identified that being ambidextrous is not always planned – it may also be emergent. The emergent-strategy process of organizational ambidexterity gets initiated through ambidextrous orientation and abilities of the top management team (TMT), and their actions and behaviors influence the evolution of supporting context that promotes exploration and exploitation behavior of employees at multiple levels of hierarchy, and across different units and functions of the organization.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the discussions in organizational ambidexterity, deliberate-emergent strategy debate and the role of TMTs in setting the strategic path of the organization.
Practical implications
Attaining and sustaining firm ambidexterity is a managerial challenge. This challenge is addressable, by having ambidextrous TMTs – team members with complementary competencies of exploration and exploitation, with proper coordination within team members, and relatively balanced power sharing among the team members. Such a team at the top of the organization and their signaling builds the context to support increased exploration and exploitation activities at multiple levels of the organization.
Originality/value
This study showcases the emergent process of firm ambidexterity. Very few studies so far have discussed this process of becoming ambidextrous.
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Vivek Kumar Jha, Ravi Roshan and Sabyasachi Sinha
Extant studies in entrepreneurship have explored factors that influence the birth and growth of start-up firms; however, there appears to be a dearth of studies examining the…
Abstract
Purpose
Extant studies in entrepreneurship have explored factors that influence the birth and growth of start-up firms; however, there appears to be a dearth of studies examining the influence of founders' ambidextrous orientation on start-ups' success, especially their speed of attaining the coveted status of a “unicorn start-up” – which is considered a mega success in practice. This study examines whether and how founding teams’ collective ambidextrous orientation influences their respective start-ups’ pace of becoming a “unicorn”.
Design/methodology/approach
This study empirically analyses 220 interviews by the founders of 83 Indian unicorns in examining the influence of the founding teams’ collective exploration-exploitation capability on their firms' speed to achieve the “unicorn” status. The Cox Hazard model was used to test the hypothesized relationships, and linear ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to test the robustness of the results.
Findings
The authors find a strong positive relationship between founding teams’ ambidextrous skills and the speed of becoming a unicorn. The study results suggest that the founding teams’ collective exploratory skills may be more influential in their start-up’s speed to unicorn status vis-à-vis their exploitative skills.
Originality/value
This study finds that the founding teams’ ambidextrous orientation and exploratory skills accelerate their start-up’s speed to becoming a unicorn, contributing to the academic discourse on the “unicorn” phenomenon, which is widely acknowledged as a grand success status for start-ups—especially technology and venture capital funded start-ups—among the practitioners. This study contributes to the academic discourse on firm capabilities and founding-team-related antecedents of start-up success by raising a new dimension of the founding team’s ambidextrous orientation.
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Susmita Misra, Ritu Srivastava and Steffi Sinha
The primary learning objective is to challenge students to evaluate the decision facing The Magic of Sarees (MOS) Preloved. The students will need to assess the risks involved…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The primary learning objective is to challenge students to evaluate the decision facing The Magic of Sarees (MOS) Preloved. The students will need to assess the risks involved versus maintaining the status quo. Students should apply strategic management concepts in their analysis. The second learning objective focuses on developing the students’ understanding of effective merchandising and pricing strategies for MOS Preloved. This case study discusses how MOS Preloved manages its inventory, the constant refreshing of collections and seasonal relevance and also discusses challenges and opportunities associated with managing a preloved inventory, considering factors like authenticity and quality control. This case study also considers pricing strategies (BCG matrix could be referenced for differential pricing) that could be used to strengthen the brand’s identity of “affordable, accessible, and authentic sustainable fashion”.
Case overview/synopsis
This case study is based on the brand “MOS Preloved”, an e-commerce market place in India for the buying and selling of preloved sarees. Founded by Susmita Misra in July 2021, the objective of the business is to create an online marketplace, buy and sell, for preowned sarees that facilitates circular economy. The accompanying saree stories add to the allure and ensure the magic of these sarees continues for the entire lifetime of each saree. Being an unstitched garment, the saree has no size limitation and with a little care could last for at least 100 wears. This case study discusses the founder’s dilemma of deciding to premiumize the merchandise which would include both adding higher priced preowned sarees as well as charging 50% of market price for current merchandise (currently being priced at 25%–40% of the current market price). The decision requires considerable investment in terms of information technology, infrastructure, human resources and marketing spends. Given how nascent, unorganized and unbranded the preloved saree market is, the founder is unsure of the time that it could take to get the return on investment. The risk: the longer she hesitates, the more vulnerable her monopoly becomes. The case study also discusses the evolution of saree into contemporary wear, the hurdles and possibilities in the preloved fashion sector and brand MOS Preloved’s attempts at creating a distinctive positioning.
Complexity academic level
This case study is suitable for postgraduate programme for MBA.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS11: Strategy.
Details
Keywords
Arpita Khare, Amrut Sadachar and Swagata Chakraborty
The study examined the role of collective self-esteem (CSE), online communities, green attitudes and the influence of celebrities on green clothing involvement and consequently…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examined the role of collective self-esteem (CSE), online communities, green attitudes and the influence of celebrities on green clothing involvement and consequently its impact on green clothing purchase behavior of Indian consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
A mix of convenience and random sampling was used for data collection via an online survey. The sample (n = 403) comprised consumers having awareness about green clothing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for analysis.
Findings
Online communities, green attitudes and influence of celebrities predicted green clothing involvement and in turn their purchase behavior. CSE had no impact on consumers' green clothing involvement.
Practical implications
The findings can help green apparel manufacturers and designers to use celebrities and online communities to educate and promote the benefits of green clothing. Social media can be employed to share experiences and engage consumers about green clothing.
Originality/value
Since online networking sites are gaining predominance in influencing behavior, the study extends the earlier research on social influence by examining its role along with celebrities and CSE on green apparel involvement and purchase. The study combines celebrities, online communities and collective identity influences (offline and online) in predicting green clothing purchase in India.