Sayan Chatterjee, Venkat Narayanan and William Malek
This article describes an approach to strategy execution using lessons learned from improvement efforts to the sales incentive compensation (SIC) business processes and IT systems…
Abstract
Purpose
This article describes an approach to strategy execution using lessons learned from improvement efforts to the sales incentive compensation (SIC) business processes and IT systems in Cisco Systems.
Design/methodology/approach
This case outlines an alternative approach to strategy execution–a COAR strategy map methodology– illustrated with lessons learned from efforts to improve the sales incentive compensation business processes and IT systems in Cisco Systems.”
Findings
By following a structured and systematic process, organizations can implement a process for strategy execution that is effective and repeatable. In executing strategy, stay focused on how to translate the decisions taken while defining business strategy into operations. As business strategy changes, elements of the strategy execution must change as well.
Research limitations/implications
This case is primarily a guide to strategy execution and is not meant to be a prescription for a cutting edge sales compensation plan.
Practical implications
Although the examples used in this article relate to SIC business processes, the lessons learned can be applied to strategy execution in general.
Originality/value
It is this “peek forward” into a virtual execution setting, and the opportunity to use it as a scenario-like tool to test alternatives, that increases the likelihood that managers will devise a stable and executable strategy.
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A systematic and repeatable process – Isolate and SEAL – can enable strategists to identify such potentially game-changing operational actions that will support significant…
Abstract
Purpose
A systematic and repeatable process – Isolate and SEAL – can enable strategists to identify such potentially game-changing operational actions that will support significant business model innovations.
Design/methodology/approach
The end-to-end Isolate and SEAL process can be demonstrated using a historical review of the emergent strategy that produced the highly successful business model of Southwest Airlines.
Findings
Instead of trying to decide “what to do” to create an operational advantage, businesses attempting to innovate should first identify the core objective that operationalizes the winning profit logic.
Practical implications
Southwest fortuitously discovered its innovative profit logic when … Kelleher’ had to exhort his team to figure out how to deliver a four-plane schedule with three planes.
Originality/value
The potenrially game-changing two-step process: 10; Step 1 – Isolate: split the value chain’s elements into its component parts. 10; Step 2 – SEAL: Reconstruct the value chain using the four actions that effectively deliver the core objectives (Shift in space and time, Eliminate, Alter/Add, Leverage). 10;
This case study of the strategy of the U.S. grocery chain, ALDI, shows how businesses can use a systematic process to develop and iteratively refine the core strategy powering…
Abstract
Purpose
This case study of the strategy of the U.S. grocery chain, ALDI, shows how businesses can use a systematic process to develop and iteratively refine the core strategy powering their business model.”
Design/methodology/approach
The case describes how ALDI, the upstart entrant established a foothold, a strategy stumble by Walmart, the market leader, provided the newcomer with an attractive opportunity to expand its competitive reach into more upscale neighborhoods.
Findings
Aldi is continuing to build a business model that allowes it to price its products at an order of magnitude below other grocers and also develop a reputation for private label quality that has ultimately enabled it to challenge leading discount grocers.
Social implications
Some analysts expect a significant number of supermarket war casualties–more grocery store bankruptcies and liquidations over the next few years.
Originality/value
ALDI has begun a campaign to offer its customers more value at even lower prices. Other foreign entrants sense their moment has arrived to leap into the fray now that giant Walmart finally seems open to attack. Amazon is experimenting with grocery selling. Recent chain store news headlines tell the breaking story: “Supermarket Wars!”
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Arun Kumar Gande, Souma Guha Mallick, Bijit Biswas, Sayan Chatterjee and Dipak Ranjan Poddar
This paper aims to present a compact, broadband substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) three-way power divider with improved isolation based on six-port SIW coupler.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a compact, broadband substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) three-way power divider with improved isolation based on six-port SIW coupler.
Design/methodology/approach
The power coupling among the three output ports occurs due to short openings in the narrow walls of the central SIW channel. Performance improvement in the isolation and return loss among ports is achieved using matching posts placed at the input and output ends of the coupling region. This enhances the coupling between TE10 and TE30 modes. The input matching ports enhance the return loss, whereas the isolation is alleviated by both the input and output matching posts. The bandwidth enhancement is achieved by optimizing the outer SIW channel widths.
Findings
The measured fractional bandwidth of 27.3% with over 15 dB of isolation and return loss is achieved. The coupling length is 1.55 λg at the centre frequency. The power divider achieves better than 15 dB isolation between non-adjacent output ports. The measured reflection and isolation coefficients are in close agreement with simulated results over 8.2 to 10.8 GHz.
Practical implications
Isolation between the adjacent and non-adjacent ports is an important parameter as the reflections from these ports will interfere with signals from other ports reducing the fractional bandwidth of the power divider and affecting the overall performance of the transmitters and receivers.
Originality/value
The authors present the enhancement of isolation between the output non-adjacent ports by optimizing the SIW channel width and matching post in the coupling region to reduce the reflected signals from non-adjacent ports entering into other ports. To the author’s knowledge, this is the only SIW three-way power divider paper showing non-adjacent port isolation among six-port couplers based three-way power dividers.
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When a merger or an acquisition fails, usually integration problems or overpayment gets the blame. The authors illustrate that a common cause of failure is the traditional notion…
Abstract
Purpose
When a merger or an acquisition fails, usually integration problems or overpayment gets the blame. The authors illustrate that a common cause of failure is the traditional notion of synergy that exacerbates the overpayment and integration problems. This synergy usually leads to the failure of many mergers, yet synergy remains one of the most common justifications that management uses to shareholders.
Design/methodology/approach
The main methodology is the author's interview of the CEOs of many successful acquiring firms as well as case studies of unsuccessful firms (some based on secondary sources). This methodology is complemented by academic research on these topics dating back to the early 1980s that had raised caution signals but were largely ignored.
Findings
The key finding is that it is very difficult to evaluate the nature of synergies, especially revenue synergies, during merger negotiations. This leads to overpayment and unanticipated integration problems.
Research limitations/implications
Suggested implications are to conduct in‐depth case studies that can follow the process in real‐time (fly on the wall approach).
Practical implication
The practical implication is to discount any revenue synergies more heavily than you may be inclined to do. Alert managers to the problem of justifying an acquisition or a merger based on the synergy rationale. Invest in getting to know the target – possibly years in advance.
Originality/value
The value is to alert managers considering related mergers to some potential landmines and what to do about them.
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Sayan Chatterjee and Nir N. Brueller
The purpose of this paper is to develop a taxonomy of M & A that can be used to understand which type of M & A is likely to succeed. The taxonomy also allows…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a taxonomy of M & A that can be used to understand which type of M & A is likely to succeed. The taxonomy also allows managers to identify the integration imperatives that is so critical to success in M & A.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded research and thick description of business situations.
Findings
This paper identifies the importance of analyzing the nature of the resource interactions that deliver value. If deal makers keep our advice in mind they should truly be able to improve the batting average above the historical norms.
Research limitations/implications
Even though we have studied a large number of M & A, this is not a typical lot sample quantitative study. It is possible to test the taxonomy on a large sample study if the M & A can be coded in to distinct groups.
Practical implications
When considering a merger or an acquisition, managers should be able to identify the type of M & A that corresponds to one of the categories in our taxonomy. This would allow managers to consider the general imperatives suggested in our paper for success. These general imperatives can then be modified for the unique situation faced by the manager.
Social implications
No direct implication except that societal resources will be used efficiently.
Originality/value
There are other typology/taxonomy in the literature. However, none to our knowledge uses the resource interaction lens.
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While Philip Green was celebrating his £5m birthday bash in the sun last year, rival shareholders and CEOs were bashing their heads against brick walls. Though every company the…
Abstract
While Philip Green was celebrating his £5m birthday bash in the sun last year, rival shareholders and CEOs were bashing their heads against brick walls. Though every company the British entrepreneur touches (most recently Arcadia that he bought for £850m) seems to turn to gold dust, the majority of takeover deals do not pay off. Mergers are still business, with almost $4 trillion changing hands between 1998 and 2002, but results often are disappointing. So what does Philip Green know that perhaps the rest of us do not?