The Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional league for Twenty20 (T20) cricket championships was started in 2008, in India. The IPL was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with eight franchises comprising players from around the world. Franchises acquired players through an English auction that was conducted every year; however, there were several rules imposed by the IPL. The prices of IPL players ranged from as low as $20,000 to more than $2 million for a tournament played over 7 weeks. Three of the nine IPL teams appeared in the list of the 50 highest paid sports teams in the world in a survey conducted by sportingintelligence.com in May 2012. The IPL teams had several restrictions on how much money they could spend on acquiring their players, and it was important that they spend their money wisely to put together a successful team, after gauging the true value of a player. The performance of the players could be measured through several metrics. Although the IPL followed the T20 format of the game, it was possible that the performance of the players in the other formats of the game, such as test and one-day matches, could influence player pricing. Anecdotal evidence suggests that factors such as batting strike rate, bowling strike rate, economy rate, and ability to take wickets; drive the price of players. The focus of this case is to understand the true value of a cricket player, which can be used during the player auctions.
Partnerships between companies and non-profit causes are viewed as a key means to tackle many sustainable development challenges, and cause-related marketing (CRM) is a valuable if sometimes controversial way to align corporate and sustainability agendas. This case charts the launch and first year of the "ONE Water" brand, an ethical bottled water marketed in the United Kingdom. The money raised through sales of the product contributes to the funding of water development schemes in Africa via the Roundabout charity. The case follows the progress of the founder, Duncan Goose, and his efforts to launch an unknown brand from a new business (Global Ethics) into an already crowded and competitive market. It demonstrates that success can be derived from a combination of brave entrepreneurship, and innovative approaches to both developing relationships with others in the supply chain and to developing the marketing mix. Although the case is UK-based and reflects aspects of UK markets (such as the retailers involved or the Live8 event), the marketing of bottled water and the rise of ethical products is common across many industrialized economies and the issues raised by the case should be equally meaningful within many countries
This case introduces the application of blue ocean strategy in the context of managing a business portfolio at the corporate level. Apple created future profits and growth not by exploiting existing demand, but by reconstructing industry boundaries to create new market space and unlock latent demand. As a result, the company's value grew exponentially as the total market value of a firm reflects not only today's performance but also its future profitability. The case examines a series of blue ocean strategic moves at Apple, Inc. that transformed the company from a computer manufacturer into a consumer electronics powerhouse.
Every executive has heard about the importance of Lean as a means of eliminating waste and "fat." However, when operations are novel and complex-as in product development, research, information technology, and many other kinds of projects-cutting out the "fat" turns out to be much more challenging. To understand Lean in an environment characterized by extreme novelty and complexity, we drew on our experiences with a number of processes, and in particular Lockheed Martin's Lean implementation for the F-22 fighter aircraft. Our findings lead to a path that executives and managers can follow to become Lean without compromising innovation
Front-end activities largely influence the outcomes of new product development processes, because it is here that firms create new ideas, give them direction, and set them in motion. We show that the front end can be understood as comprising three core activities: idea/concept development, idea/concept alignment, and idea/concept legitimization, which allow firms to create corroborated product definitions. This article provides important implications for managers interested in front-end management. It devotes specific attention to the differences between incremental and radical front-end development and to the front end in the light of increasingly open innovation processes.
Crowdsourcing is typically associated with the incorporation of company-external stakeholders such as customers in the value creating process. This article proposes a framework for a company-internal application of crowdsourcing methods. It presents a set of five goals companies can pursue employing internal crowdsourcing. The practical approach of an Austrian medium-sized technology company is described in detail, including insights on software design and appropriate procedures.
Strategically aligned and efficiently implemented spare parts logistics can differentiate a business from its competitors, lower costs, increase revenues, and thus help firms generate greater value for customers and ultimately increase profits. Based on multiple case studies with manufacturers in the machine and plant construction industry, this article examines the key components of a superior spare parts logistics strategy. The study suggests that an efficient spare parts logistics strategy can be developed with a three-step model that consists of nine components.
This article looks at the relevance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for engaging employees, including its impact on their motivation, identity, and sense of meaning and purpose. It explores three different ways that companies engage their employees through CSR: a transactional approach, where programs are undertaken to meet the needs of employees who want to take part in the CSR efforts of a company; a relational approach, based on a psychological contract that emphasizes social responsibility; and a developmental approach, which aims to activate social responsibility in a company and to develop its employees to be responsible corporate citizens.
Existing frameworks on growth do not distinguish between the managerial challenges of different growth contexts; they place considerable emphasis on the overall quality of companies' portfolios of strategic units, but less on how different units should be managed according to the growth context they are in. The managerial challenges of generating growth in low-growth contexts are very different from those of managing growth in high-growth contexts. This article introduces a matrix framework that incorporates four growth scenarios, which firm-units can map themselves on to, and then outlines the major barriers they face in each of these scenarios as well as the actions needed to overcome them. The results are based on longitudinal research on cross-national samples of small, medium, and large organizations.
The SpeedSim case study focuses on how mergers and acquisitions work in startup and entrepreneurial environments. It describes how an intelligent East Coast engineer built an extremely frugal company with a goal for acquisition and how the SpeedSim team masterfully executed and maximized their return by starting, growing, and selling a company. The case analyzes how small companies position themselves to be acquired and how an acquirer assesses a company. The case can be used for mergers and acquisition and exit discussions, as well as for culture and organizational behavior discussions for entrepreneurship curriculums.
GoodBelly is trying to boost its sales at grocery stores like Whole Foods Market. As a small start-up, GoodBelly must optimize the allocation of its limited marketing budget. It currently promotes through in-person demonstrations in stores, but management is concerned that these demonstrations are not effective enough to justify the cost. It is up to GoodBelly's student intern, Caroline Dickerson, to evaluate its promotional programs using statistical evidence. Dickerson will need to apply regression analysis to a GoodBelly- Excel Spreadsheet (WDI Publishing 1-429-273) to determine whether or not the company should continue its promotional programs.
In December 2011 the Lego Group (TLG) announced the launch of Lego Friends, the company's sixth attempt to market a product to girls. Lego Friends, which was supported by a $40 million global marketing campaign, was designed to introduce the fun of building with Lego bricks to girls, who represented less than 10 percent of Lego's audience. The company's poorly executed brand extensions and move from free-form building sets to story-driven kits had nearly cost it its independence in 2004, so the launch of Lego Friends was strategically important. However, within hours of the product's appearance it was heavily criticized for reinforcing gender stereotypes and damaging the valuable Lego brand. Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO since 2004, had saved TLG and ushered in an era of sales growth with a series of successful strategic initiatives. Would Lego Friends be another addition to TLG's graveyard of failed products for girls, or would it prove popular and finally enable the company to double its sales and profits by reaching this segment?
For the past 10 years, Turkey has grown its real GDP at about 6% annually. This came after a huge debt crisis in 2001-02, wherein Turkey had to borrow $16 billion from the IMF and comport with its difficult conditionality. Today, Turkey is a middle-income country in search of an effective development strategy. It tends to run high inflation with a devalued currency, despite massive capital inflows and a huge current account deficit. At home, the government has carefully managed between Islamicization, democracy and secularism. And abroad, it deals with a difficult neighborhood-Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Israel (not to mention Russia, Europe and the USA). Prime Minister Erdogan is trying to rewrite the Constitution before 2014, when the next election occurs.
Management of a company with extensive palm oil tree plantations questions the usefulness to management and investors of IASF1's requirement to value palm oil trees at their fair value.
Mary Spencer was putting the final touches on her personal financial plan before graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business HBA program in spring 2012. Generally, Mary was happy with her plan. Her goals, investment policy statement, and financial budget all made perfect sense to her. However, she kept returning to one number - a 43 per cent tax rate! It did not seem fair that just when she started to make some serious income, she would have to give 43 per cent of it to the government. During one of her courses, Mary had spent some time learning about tax strategies available to Canadians. They all seemed to involve three- and four-letter acronyms - TSFA, RSP, RHOSP, etc. - but she wondered which ones would have the optimal impact on her tax situation, and if there was a combination that would work best together.
This case is intended to be part of a first-year MBA marketing course, or a second-year elective in advertising, integrated marketing communications, market research, or marketing analytics. The case provides students with examples of two real advertising experiments and the challenges involved in executing the experiments. It allows for a discussion of the need for advertising experiments, and also, at a more general level, the need to measure the return on marketing. Biases surrounding the field experiments allow for a discussion of the problems with establishing a causal relationship between advertising and sales.
Ohio Art is shifting its advertising and distribution strategy for a new line of construction toys aimed at adults called nanoblock. Distribution is focused on toy and hobby outlets, avoiding mass merchandisers, but Amazon.com also stocking and selling the nanoblock line. Digital marketing strategies are being developed for both promotion through Amazon.com and social media. In the midst of its efforts to shift marketing to new media, management is distracted by the media storm over an aide to presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who commented that Romney's platform is "almost like an Etch a Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again." The case describes a number of digital marketing strategies, including temporary price reductions implemented through Amazon's "Gold Box" deals. The case is a sequel to the A case, which describes more traditional advertising experiments for toys distributed through mass merchandisers.
Mary Spencer was putting the final touches on her personal financial plan before graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business HBA program in spring 2012. Generally, Mary was happy with her plan. Her goals, investment policy statement, and financial budget all made perfect sense to her. However, she kept returning to one number — a 43 per cent tax rate! It did not seem fair that just when she started to make some serious income, she would have to give 43 per cent of it to the government. During one of her courses, Mary had spent some time learning about tax strategies available to Canadians. They all seemed to involve three- and four-letter acronyms — TSFA, RSP, RHOSP, etc. — but she wondered which ones would have the optimal impact on her tax situation, and if there was a combination that would work best together.
Snehalaya is a non-governmental organization giving care to HIV-positive individuals in Maharashtra, India. The case provides a background of the sex trade in India before discussing the founder’s upbringing and how it influenced him to serve society through working towards inclusion and rehabilitation for HIV-positive individuals and former prostitutes. The case then outlines various problems that the founder faced in securing resources and cooperation from commercial sex workers. It emphasizes his motivations in forming a dedicated team for Snehalaya, then explains various initiatives taken up by Snehalaya over the span of 21 years and how it expanded to create a bigger impact on society. It also discusses various challenges that Snehalaya faced involving quality, funding, and societal involvement, touching upon aspects of team-building and succession-planning. Finally, it summarizes evaluation parameters being used by Snehalaya to gauge its performance.