個案總覽

In 2014, the co-founders of Professionals for Resource Identification and Management (PRIMA), an architecture and planning consultancy firm in India, faced several issues. The company prepared feasibility and project reports, and provided project management services during a project's construction stage for government organizations, the public sector, and the private sector. PRIMA's consultancy services addressed the restoration of old buildings of historical importance (such as monasteries, temples, and museums), tourism development, urban planning projects, capacity building, and project management services. However, in the latter half of 2008, the global recession made it difficult for new companies to survive, and growth had further stagnated since 2012, with only one new project procured in 2013 and none in 2014. PRIMA's cofounders were constrained by critical issues in three intricately linked categories: human resources, financial management, and project management challenges. To stabilize PRIMA's cash flow, the co-founders needed to increase the firm's project portfolio, which required hiring more people for business development, personnel management, and project work. How could the co-founders build PRIMA's capabilities to compete with bigger companies in this fragmented but consolidating industry?

Student Spreadsheet for case W16589.

Instructor spreadsheet for product 8B14M127.

Tata Steel Zoological Park (Tata Zoo) has been created on a large piece of land in the middle of a growing city. As its sponsoring corporation, Tata Steel, has become more cost conscious, there is pressure on the corporation to stop funding Tata Zoo. Some consultants are of the opinion that the land would be better utilized for commercial purposes. As a result, Tata Zoo now faces a dilemma: how can it generate finances and also serve its social and environmental initiatives?

Tata Steel Zoological Park (Tata Zoo) has been created on a large piece of land in the middle of a growing city. As its sponsoring corporation, Tata Steel, has become more cost conscious, there is pressure on the corporation to stop funding Tata Zoo. Some consultants are of the opinion that the land would be better utilized for commercial purposes. As a result, Tata Zoo now faces a dilemma: how can it generate finances and also serve its social and environmental initiatives?

From the 1970s onward, after the emergence of microfinance, lending for the poor started shifting from informal sources (e.g. moneylenders) to formal sources. The Grameen Bank (Grameen) led this change, primarily due to its chief executive officer (CEO) and his innovative microcredit model. On the basis of the CEO's rich understanding of on-the-ground realities, he began to experiment and modify the business model for microfinance, which, in the past few years in Bangladesh, was largely dominated by a few big players. As a result of some very interesting and insightful experiments that had been conducted, the microfinance landscape was changing the way banking services were modeled for the poor, not only in Bangladesh but throughout the world. The case profiles a situation wherein Baring Private Equity Partners India, one of the largest private equity players in emerging markets, was looking to invest in the high-growth, profitable microfinance industry of South Asia.This case is oriented toward helping students understand the credit needs of the poor and their perspective on money management, hunger, investment and savings. Students should be made to appreciate how an innovative business model can be developed through a deeper understanding of the local context combined with conceptual thinking. The case strongly vouches for the development of sustainable solutions that require both financial viability and sensitivity to the conditions of the poor. The most important point to be highlighted about the microfinance landscape is that the entrepreneurship model is changing from being socially focused to being business focused. Earlier, most players entered the microfinance arena as a not-for-profit venture; however, many for-profit organizations have now entered this sector.

From the 1970s onward, after the emergence of microfinance, lending for the poor started shifting from informal sources (e.g. moneylenders) to formal sources. The Grameen Bank (Grameen) led this change, primarily due to its chief executive officer (CEO) and his innovative microcredit model. On the basis of the CEO's rich understanding of on-the-ground realities, he began to experiment and modify the business model for microfinance, which, in the past few years in Bangladesh, was largely dominated by a few big players. As a result of some very interesting and insightful experiments that had been conducted, the microfinance landscape was changing the way banking services were modeled for the poor, not only in Bangladesh but throughout the world. The case profiles a situation wherein Baring Private Equity Partners India, one of the largest private equity players in emerging markets, was looking to invest in the high-growth, profitable microfinance industry of South Asia.This case is oriented toward helping students understand the credit needs of the poor and their perspective on money management, hunger, investment and savings. Students should be made to appreciate how an innovative business model can be developed through a deeper understanding of the local context combined with conceptual thinking. The case strongly vouches for the development of sustainable solutions that require both financial viability and sensitivity to the conditions of the poor. The most important point to be highlighted about the microfinance landscape is that the entrepreneurship model is changing from being socially focused to being business focused. Earlier, most players entered the microfinance arena as a not-for-profit venture; however, many for-profit organizations have now entered this sector.