Every day, hackers use the global network to steal information and compromise businesses. Organizations today have to rethink their defenses and move from reaction to anticipation. In this Vision Statement, Matt Kodama and Bill Ladd of Recorded Future use semantic analysis to track where and when cyber-attacks happen, a method which could help companies predict and head off attacks more reliably.

Abstract (Maximum of 2,000 Characters): Briefly describes content of case. There is an emergence of a new segment in the Indian context - Young women in urban India, who are educated, independent, driven towards professional goals adopting a modern lifestyle, even while retaining their ethnic cultural values. This segment is enthusiastic about using brands whose symbolic meanings are aligned with their self-concepts, as it would enhance their very unique self-expression. Raga was the first ever watch brand in the world that was exclusively launched for women, by Titan Industries Limited. Raga was positioned as an ethnic watch for the sophisticated Indian woman, embellished with striking symbolism from the culture of India. Beauty, Sensuality and Feminity were the core values of Raga that were reflected in the brand's positioning .Tanishq was another pioneering brand from the same company that entered as a branded player in a context where the Indian jewelry market was highly unorganized. Tanishq offered professional work-wear jewelry as well as traditional jewellery that women wore for Indian rituals, capturing the evolving women who wore professional as well as traditional jewelry based on the context. Women associated appropriate as well as beautiful looks with Tanishq jewelry. The case explores if the application of psychographics to brands could be taken to the next level - how can a company with similar symbolic brands (Raga watches and Tanishq jewelry) in different categories appeal to the target segment that may have a similar psychographic profile. Some of these challenges include - Should similar appeals be sustained and strengthened? Would such an appeal be favorable to both the brands? Should the positioning of either brand be modified? How do the appeals impact the formation of groups (reference groups) involved with these brands? Can behavioral theories be useful for such challenges of synergizing the appeals of Raga and Tanishq?

The case describes an entrepreneurial firm, CoCubes, which has instituted a paradigm change in the way campus recruitment is done in India. In a paradoxical environment of high availability of formally educated, yet not readily employable talent pool in a growing economy and a concomitant challenge faced by all recruiting firms in being able to identify and attract high quality talent, CoCubes offers unique value propositions to a dual set of customers (viz., the colleges and the companies that are recruiting from campuses), only one of which is a paying customer (colleges). Within such an environment, it is critical for CoCubes to effectively manage the engagement with the recruiting companies and try and change their mindset to recruit from non-established non-premier institutes. On the other hand, the colleges have conventionally never paid to get their students placed. Getting colleges to pay is critical for CoCubes to succeed and grow. This necessitates colleges to see value in CoCubes' offerings. In this context, one of the challenges for CoCubes is to find ways to increase the value of its offerings, especially given the emergence of significant competition that is attempting to mimic the CoCubes business model. CoCubes also partners with various companies in enhancing skills of the candidates. With these partners, CoCubes faces the additional challenge of managing partner relationships and developing new product offerings, in order to stay ahead of the competition. All this calls for continual innovation and flawless execution in order to maintain its initial lead over current and emerging competition. The case is ideal for elective courses on Business-to-business Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Product & Services Marketing.

SEL was set up by Mr. Ajith Kumar Rai, (who serves as its Managing Director), returned as a fresh graduate from Canada. Foreseeing a boom in the country's automobile market, Ajith decided to establish an automotive cable manufacturing unit. His clarity of vision convinced TVS Motors to invest in setting up Suprajit Engineering as a small, one-unit firm in Bangalore, a fast-growing Indian metro. Beginning in 1987 as a small-scale automotive cable manufacturer, Suprajit is now a public listed company, with some of the world's biggest automobile companies as clients, products spanning a wide range of automotive and non-automotive parts, and eight manufacturing units. This case traces the inspiring story of Suprajit Engineering Ltd., the case aims to highlight the reasons behind Suprajit's success, and is intended to demonstrate rapid growth strategies of entrepreneurial firms.

The case traces the evolution of laundry detergent market in India. Although the entry of Lever brothers was the starting point, Nirma made detergents a product of the masses by targeting the economy segment. When P&G entered the market in 1985, the market was already well-entrenched by existing players. P&G started Project 2-3-4 to crack open the Indian market - by 2015, P&G wanted to double the number of Indians who used its products, treble per capita spending by Indians and quadruple net sales of its India operations. The case analyzes a series of marketing innovations - product line expansion, product line pricing to brand expansion - that the competing players resorted to. With a host of little differentiated products in the market, the companies had to think through positioning the offerings well. The era of price wars and increased marketing spends to obtain customer attention and garner increased market share significantly strained profitability. After making successful inroads in the mid-segment with Tide and Tide Naturals, P&G wondered if it should launch a brand for the economy segment too. P&G was lagging behind in capturing the Indian growth story. How could it realistically play catch-up with HUL when it operated in far lesser categories than HUL? Does it have a choice but to take HUL head-on in big categories such as detergents?

This case describes the evolution of Rural Health Care Foundation (RHCF), which provides primary healthcare services to the economically underprivileged in rural India, its various alliances with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and for-profit organizations. RHCF centers attract large number of patients every day from as far away as 100 km, due to low charges (INR 40, which is less than 1 USD, for consultation and a week's supply of medicine) and availability of reliable doctors. The case discusses the scale up challenges RHCF is facing to expand their centers to other locations as well as to provide other services within each center. The case also highlights the role various alliances, between NGOs and for profit organizations, play in delivering healthcare services to the bottom of the pyramid, especially those living in rural localities and can neither access nor afford proper medical facilities.

Ami Shah, founder of IntelliAssist, helped clients to create social media marketing strategies for their products or services and assisted them in the execution of these campaigns. In 2012, Shah had designed the social media marketing campaign for the Bollywood movie ''1920 Evil Returns'', which was a sequel to the movie 1920 that was released in 2008. The next movie in the 1920 franchise was expected to be released in 2014. She was analyzing the impact of the campaign and wondered whether the right social media mix had been used. The social media campaign for 1920 evil returns was very successful and she had the numbers to show for it. Active fan engagement and positive word-of-mouth also validated the success of the social media campaign. However, Shah wondered whether she could have done it differently. Was the spending-mix effective? What strategy should she adopt for the next movie in the franchisee tentatively titled, ''1920 London''? Ami had used a mix of social media for running the 1920 Evil Returns campaign which ran for 45 days. Facebook and YouTube were primarily used for the social media campaign. Google Ads were used on popular Bollywood websites such as Bollywood Hungama, SantaBanta along with news websites such as India times, Hindustan Times and Rediff.com. Total social media spend was INR 0.95 million. Ami had to decide on the next movie's 1920 London digital marketing strategy based on the analysis of 1920 Evil Returns.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. In Chapter 1, What Does Economics Have to Do with Running a Business? (13 pages), the authors explore how economic principles can inform decisions. They posit that economics is the study of how people make decisions within a set of constraints and that managers can apply basic economic principles to make profitable business decisions. The concept of opportunity cost is explored and contrasted to cost-accounting estimates. The authors illustrate the impact of this difference on strategic decision-making through a discussion of the information and choices available to retail stores in a mall that loses significant customer traffic due to competition.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. In Chapter 2, What Matters and What Doesn't: Relevant Revenues and Costs (12 pages), the authors explore the decision-making value of basic data provided by standard accounting reports. They explain why a manager should evaluate the outcome of each decision alternative based only on the relevant revenue and cost, or those which a particular decision will impact. Using the example of a fundraiser, they explore the elements involved in relevant revenue and cost, including avoidable and unavoidable fixed costs, variable cost, sunk costs, and breakeven analysis. The authors demonstrate why managers should not look at historical costs, but instead consider only expected future costs when making decisions.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. Chapter 3, Determining Relevant Revenues: Understanding the Buyer (22 pages), highlights the key concepts in demand theory. The authors posit that understanding the law of demand and the influence of consumer behavior factors on demand will help managers understand relevant revenue. Using the example of concessions at a baseball game, the authors illustrate the concepts of demand, marginal utility, and marginal revenue. They outline the factors that impact demand, including product pricing and competition, as well as consumer income, tastes, and price expectations. They also explore the concepts of price elasticity and cross-price elasticity, providing several real-world applications of why both are critical components of decision-making.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. In Chapter 4, What Your Cost Accountant Can't Measure: The Economic Theory of Production and Cost (28 pages), the authors explore what managers need to understand about relevant cost and cost accounting methods. They explain the pitfalls inherent in how most firms calculate cost information and how this can mislead managers. They illustrate the concepts of production theory and the law of diminishing returns, using the example of a doughnut shop to explain cost theory, including fixed and variable costs, total costs, and marginal costs. The authors discuss how a manager can determine the output and pricing necessary to maximize a company's profit.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. Chapter 5, How Accountants Measure Opportunity (27 pages), explains the authors' approach to cost accounting and why they believe that this information can mislead managers if not fully understood. They explain that cost accounting has three main uses: for providing information to external users (such as banks or investors), as a tool for tax preparation, and for informing managerial decision-making. They also examine the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to costing, including absorption costing, variable costing, and activity-based costing. They caution managers that accounting costs reflect historic performance and suggest that, for this reason, they are only valuable as estimates of opportunity or marginal costs.

Economic Decision Making Using Cost Data: A Manager's Guide is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Daniel Marburger of Arkansas State University and Ryan Peterson, a practicing accountant. In this book, the authors outline basic economic theory as a guide for managers in making business decisions involving unit cost estimates. In this context, they examine key economic concepts such as opportunity cost, demand theory, and cost theory as well as different approaches to cost accounting. The authors posit that cost accounting represents the results of previous outcomes and, as such, does not provide the information that managers need to make sound decisions moving forward. The authors examine the potential pitfalls that a manager may face when making decisions based on cost estimates and suggest how best to use economic theory to maximize a company's profits. In Chapter 6, Are You a Better Decision Maker . . . Yet? (6 pages), the authors posit that a manager's success depends on how well he or she applies economic theory in decision-making. They demonstrate how the innovative use of economic theory can result in higher profits by explaining how the CEO at Parker Hannifin Corporation used the concept of price elasticity to revise the company's pricing strategy and grow revenues by $500 million in five years. The authors build a case for their approach by reviewing the economic concepts covered in each chapter. They also provide practical questions for managers to ask about cost information, market competition, and financial analysis, as well as how to follow-up on the initial information and when to engage a consultant.

In 2007 Enterprise was celebrating its 50 years in business and its ranking as the largest car rental company in the world--one that had always concentrated on "home city" rather than airport rentals. But when Vanguard (which owned National and Alamo) and the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group approached agreement on a merger that February, Enterprise decided to step in. By acquiring National and Alamo, the company could radically boost its airport presence. It would, however, face big operational and cultural differences. Vanguard accepted the Enterprise offer, and Taylor's company began what he describes as a "deliberate integration." Being a family-owned organization, Enterprise could resist short-term financial pressure; Taylor announced that as part of the integration process, Vanguard would operate as an autonomous subsidiary for at least a year. During that time Enterprise learned a lot about airport operations--and taught a lot about achieving high customer satisfaction. It also came to see that each of the three brands was positioned to serve a well-defined segment, so it worked to reinforce the distinct character of each while looking for operational ways to leverage joint ownership. The decision to adapt Enterprise's highly decentralized organizational structure meant that its general managers would have to be equipped to oversee big, factorylike operations at airports, and Vanguard managers would need a better understanding of the home-city market. The deliberate approach was a great success: The deal paid for itself in less than three years; total revenue now surpasses $13 billion; and combined market share climbed from about 28% to more than 33%.

Managing resource constraints, controlling health care costs, training the 21st-century workforce, implementing smart-grid technologies--challenges of this scope can't be addressed unless government, business, and NGOs work together. But how? Such problems need solutions designed and implemented by what the Kennedy School professor Joseph Nye has called "tri-sector athletes"--people who can bridge the vastly different cultures of the three sectors. Bill Gates is one, and so are Sheryl Sandberg, Bob Hormats, and Hank Paulson. But these leaders are a rare breed, the authors found, at once pragmatic and idealistic. Motivated by a strong sense of mission, they forge uniquely effective career paths by applying their widening range of cross-sector skills, sensitivity to context, open-mindedness, and powerful networks to some of the world's most intractable problems. To encourage more people to follow in their footsteps, the authors suggest how academia, government agencies, and private enterprise can do more to overcome systemic barriers, which include the obstacles presented to those in the private sector by the arduous and seemingly capricious government confirmation process; the level of transparency and public scrutiny that public service entails; the tremendous and growing disparity of pay between the private sector and both government and public service; and the sheer difficulty of hearing about cross-sector career opportunities. Aspiring leaders need both an intellectual foundation and practical pathways that will give them tri-sector experience throughout their careers without slowing their forward momentum.

Even when CEOs make gender diversity a priority--by setting aspirational goals for the proportion of women in leadership roles, insisting on diverse slates of candidates for senior positions, and developing mentoring and training programs--they are often frustrated by a lack of results. That's because they haven't addressed the fundamental identity shift involved in coming to see oneself, and to be seen by others, as a leader. Research shows, the authors write, that the subtle, "second-generation" gender bias still present in organizations and in society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader. Women must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority. Practices that equate leadership with behaviors considered more common in men suggest that women are simply not cut out to be leaders. Furthermore, the human tendency to gravitate to people who are like oneself leads powerful men to sponsor and advocate for other men when leadership opportunities arise. The authors suggest three actions to support and advance gender diversity: educate women and men about second-generation gender bias; create safe "identity workspaces" to support transitions to bigger roles; and anchor women's development efforts in their sense of leadership purpose rather than in how they are perceived.

Reprint: R1309D Business leaders send a powerful message when they make a commitment to diversity that goes beyond rhetoric. But what motivates them to do so, and how do they actually create inclusive cultures? To find out, the authors interviewed 24 CEOs whose firms were known for embracing people of all backgrounds. These executives saw diversity as a strategic and moral imperative and made promoting it a personal mission. Many had experienced what it was like to be an outsider, which gave them a deeper understanding of the barriers that women, in particular, face at work. The CEOs resoundingly agreed that an inclusive environment was one in which employees contributed to success as their authentic selves, and the organization respected and leveraged their talents and provided a sense of connectedness. Eight best organizational practices for instilling such a culture emerged from their interviews: 1. Measure diversity and inclusion. 2. Hold managers accountable. 3. Support flexible arrangements. 4. Recruit and promote from diverse pools of candidates. 5. Provide leadership education. 6. Sponsor employee resource groups and mentoring programs. 7. Offer quality role models. 8. Make the chief diversity officer position count. It's also key for CEOs to dedicate time to work personally on diversity initiatives. That sets the tone for everyone and helps ensure that organizations attract and develop the best talent.

Research has established that women decide about consumer purchases differently than men do. But does that hold true in a B2B setting? Senior executives at Deloitte, recognizing that an increasing number of potential clients are women but that executives have honed their skills selling to men, decided to conduct some research on the matter. Interviews with experienced buyers of professional services in 18 large organizations--and observations of meetings with hundreds of prospective and existing clients--revealed significant differences between men and women as B2B buyers. For example, women see a meeting with a candidate service provider as a chance to explore options in collaboration with an expert resource, while men see that event as a near-final step in the process, when they are narrowing down and choosing among options. And whereas male buyers expect head honchos to be present at the meeting, female buyers are more interested in talking to the people they will actually be working with. On the basis of these and other findings, Deloitte established a rigorous training program to raise awareness of differences in decision-making styles and of the need to adapt sales approaches accordingly. The training, which Deloitte believes has given the firm an edge in the marketplace, has improved partners' and managers' interactions with all prospects and clients. It has also increased respect for diversity inside the firm.

A variety of recent research by business, psychology, and sociology scholars offers a window into women's collective experiences at work. Some of these studies confirm widely held assumptions: that women are paid less than men; that the numbers of women drop dramatically the higher you go in organizations; that women are more ethical. But some cast doubt on other popular notions: that caring for their families is a major reason that high-achieving women leave their careers; that female MBAs are less likely to get job offers than male MBAs are; that being disliked is a disadvantage in the workplace. And some studies bring to light forms of discrimination that are less obvious but pernicious: the way men receive more plum assignments, more key sales accounts, and other marks of favor, while women get more praise but not necessarily the big promotions. One of the most disturbing studies? One that reveals the extent to which both women and men are biased against working mothers.

Companies have long emphasized touchpoints--the many critical moments when customers interact with the organization on their way to purchase and after. But this focus can create a distorted picture, suggesting that customers are happier with the company than they actually are. And it distracts from the more important picture: the customer's end-to-end experience. In their research, the authors--partners at McKinsey--have found that organizations able to skillfully manage the entire customer journey reap enormous benefits: enhanced customer satisfaction, reduced churn, increased revenue, and greater employee satisfaction. To realize these benefits, companies need to embed customer journeys into their operating models in four ways. They must identify key journeys, understand how they are performing in each, redesign and support those journeys, and change mind-sets to sustain the initiatives at scale. Journey-based transformations may take years to perfect. But they create a culture that engages the organization across functions and from top to bottom. It's a culture that's hard to build otherwise, and a true competitive advantage goes to companies that get it right.