Category Archives: Business

Business Case Studies

by | May 24, 2013

Case Studies of Locally Oriented and Green Business Networks

Studies about Locally Oriented and Green Business Networks

In 2002 about twenty local businesses in Austin founded the Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA), which is affiliated with the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA). AIBA was very popular with local businesses, and over the next three years the organization grew to have about 320 members. To support local businesses, the organization publishes and distributes a biannual directory that lists all of the members and is distributed to 10,000 local residents and businesses. AIBA has also sponsored “Austin Unchained,” a day when shoppers patronize only locally owned businesses. I interviewed Melissa Miller, the director of AIBA. After completing her studies in environmental resource management in the Geography Department at the University of Texas, Ms. Miller did fundraising and public outreach for environmental groups in the Austin area. She also worked for Cielo Wind Power, an Austin-based wind developer, before joining AIBA

Case Study on Green Business Networks

Membership in AIBA is limited to businesses in Austin or those in neighboring communities that provide services to Austin. Most members are in the retail or service sector, but there is no restriction on the type of business. They key membership criteria are that businesses must also be locally owned and operated, not public traded, and not national franchises. The membership criterion of allowing or not allowing franchises varies among independent business associations across the country, and AIBA’s policy on franchises or formula businesses is stricter than some of the other local business organizations. Although some franchise owners claim that they are really local businesses and want to join, Miller explained that AIBA does not have the time to distinguish among types of franchises. Keep reading…

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by | May 22, 2013

Case Study in Business Seasonality


Case Study: How a Seasonal Business Increased Off-Season Sales With Five Simple Email Tactics

A floral delivery company, Blooms Today was a seasonal business. Business around Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day was always booming—in fact, the company had just about as much business as it could handle around those two holidays—but it needed a way to drive sales during non-peak times. The company, which considers itself to be in the relationship business, nevertheless had no email marketing strategy to improve relationships with customers. By creating an email strategy based on little-known “holidays,” the company was able to spur gift-giving during the off-season. Click here to read more…

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by | May 22, 2013

Case Study on Business Strategy in Short Run & Long Run

A business strategy is the means by which it sets out to achieve its desired ends (objectives). It can simply be described as a long-term business planning. Typically a business strategy will cover a period of about 3-5 years (sometimes even longer).A business strategy is concerned with major resource issues e.g. raising the finance to build a new factory or plant. Strategies are also concerned with deciding on what products to allocate major resources to – for example when Coca-Cola launched Pooh Roo Juice in this country.


Strategies are concerned with the scope of a business’ activities i.e. what and where they produce. For example, BIC’s scope is focused on three main product areas – lighters, pens, and razors, and they have developed superfactories in key geographical locations to produce these items.
Two main categories of strategies can be identified: 1. Generic (general) strategies, and 2. Competitive strategies. Read more…

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by | May 18, 2013

A Study on Business Models in OER: Contingency Approach

A Study about Business Models in OER: Contingency Approach

Abstract:~ We will present an analysis of data from a literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts on OER, to identify different aspects of OER business models and to establish how the success of the OER initiatives is measured. The results collected thus far show that two different business models for OER initiatives exist, but no data on their success or failure is published. We propose a framework for measuring success of OER initiatives.

Case Study on Business Models

Introduction:~ Open Educational Resources encompass a wide set of resources – e.g., learning materials, courseware, software tools, educational services and support – that are freely shared within an educational community. There are many ways to do so, in terms of underlying technology, development, maintenance, support, and funding schemes. Downes (2007) provides an overview of these diverse models for funding, technical, content and staffing. But although several case studies and other reports on OER initiatives have been published. Keep reading…

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by | May 17, 2013

Case Study Method on International Business Research

Study about  Method on International Business Research

Abstract:~ The case study method has not been as frequently used in international business (IB) research as quantitative methods. Moreover, it has been sometimes misused and quite often criticized. Still, it can be very useful for understanding such complex phenomena as the internationalization process or the management of multinational enterprises. Based on case study methodology literature and the author’s personal experience from conducting case studies and reviewing case study articles, this paper proposes some ways for overcoming some of the critiques of the case study method and increasing its contribution to IB research. Key Words: Case Studies, International Business, and Qualitative Research.

Case Study on International Business Research

Introduction:~ The case study method has been used in several areas of international business (IB) research. For instance, the “Uppsala model” which is well-known to those researching internationalization is based on four Swedish cases introduced by Jan Johanson and Finn Wiedersheim-Paul in 1975. (The Uppsala model states that in the initiation of international activities, firms lack market knowledge and thus begin their foreign market entry from comparatively similar and well-known countries and prefer exporting as it is easier than establishing sales or manufacturing subsidiaries abroad.) Despite the success of this multi-case study, several scholars have affirmed that quantitative methods are more often used in many business and management disciplines, even if case studies and other qualitative methods are sometimes more justified. Keep reading…

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by | May 14, 2013

Case Study on Business Strategy

CAFE Coffee Day (CCD) wants to become a global brand after its success in India. By 2012-13, CCD plans to be a big global chain both with organic growth and acquisitions. By the end of this year it will have 900 cafes and 2,500 by 2012-13. CCD already has its cafes in Austria and Pakistan and wants to set up cafes in Poland, Russia, Hungary, Dubai, Kuwait, China and Saudi Arabia. The company has received investment from Darby Templeton and Deutsche Bank to the tune of $100 million for expanding its network. In August 2008, CCD announced that leading international brand consultant Landor will help it to reinvigorate its brand and take it to the next level. Only the brand name and logo saying ‘A lot can happen over coffee’ will remain the same. CCD will now focus more on projecting a feeling of togetherness (friendship, romance or office meeting in an informal environment) and celebration which are critical core values. Accordingly the cafe ambience, the look and feel inside will be changed. Click here to read more…

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by | May 12, 2013

Case Study – Hansa Marketing Services


Performance Management System Using Linkage Analysis: Case Study

Hansa|GCR has provided support to a client over a nine-year period in conducting a global brand management system. This system was used by multiple stakeholder groups to gain insight on what to do to enhance brand and market performance. One of the aspects of the brand management system was the development of linkage analysis to provide additional insight on what the organization could do to enhance the brand and ultimately increase financial results. The following pages provide a snapshot of sample results from this linkage analysis as well as background on the Hansa|GCR linkage approach.


Hansa|GCR views brand and customer management as fundamental to business management. A linked system of measures needs to inform the business and provide actionable direction for improvement. The best systems actively involve key stakeholders in conceptualizing their system and how it can support the business, plus integrate different functional groups’ perspectives in what can be done with results for on-going business management. Click here to read more…


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by | May 11, 2013

A Study for Changing Nature of Leadership in Law Firms

A Study about Changing Nature of Leadership in Law Firms

At its most fundamental level, leadership is about producing change, while management focuses on creating processes to produce predictable results. This article explores the practice of leadership in law firms today and discusses what will be necessary for law firms to succeed and thrive in the future. It draws heavily on early returns from research that spans hundreds of attorneys in large, global and midsized U.S. firms, conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®).1These initial findings provide a foundation for a deeper discussion about what constitutes effective leadership.

Case Study on Changing Nature of Leadership

In recent years, a new practice model has gained a foothold.2 The number of owner-partners has decreased and ownership power has become more concentrated. Growth now comes from many sources, including mergers and lateral entry of new attorneys. Clients are less inclined to remain loyal to a firm and more likely to follow an individual attorney who moves from one firm to another. The market for lawyers has become global, with competition coming from many new areas. Any firm interested in long-term survival must be able to cope with the loss of high-performing partners and their support teams. Keep reading…

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by | May 10, 2013

Implementing an Earnings at Risk Transformation

In the past, risk management was undertaken on a siloed basis at Eastman. FX risk was managed by the pensions manager, and commodity risk was the responsibility of procurement, with a variety of disparate systems in place. At Eastman, we pride ourselves in engaging the best people, processes and technology, and in maintaining a best-in-class position across all of our activities. We recognized that we needed to refine our approach to risk management to align with these standards, so we approached our Board with a view to transforming the way that we assess and manage risk. We have a high-calibre Board, whose members have a detailed understanding of risk management issues. We therefore received considerable support for this initiative amongst senior management, which is imperative for delivering a complex project with a variety of stakeholders. Click here to read more…

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by | May 10, 2013

Study on Significant Business Costs to Replacing Employees

Study for Significant Business Costs to Replacing Employees

Introduction: Implementing workplace policies that benefit workers and help boost employee retention is not simply a “nice” thing for businesses to do for their employees. Maintaining a stable workforce by reducing employee turnover through better benefits and flexible workplace policies also makes good business sense, as it can result in significant cost savings to employers. Thirty case studies taken from the 11 most-relevant research papers on the costs of employee turnover demonstrate that it costs businesses about one-fifth of a worker’s salary to replace that worker. For businesses that experience high levels of turnover, this can add up to represent significant costs that can potentially be avoided by implementing workplace flexibility and earned sick days at little or no cost at all.

Case Study on Significant Business Costs

Because some jobs have very high costs of turnover and others are less significant, there is a wide range of estimates across all types of employment. Above, we reported the “typical” cost of turnover using the median among the case studies. This means that half of the case studies had a cost above what is “typical” and half had a cost below. The estimates of the cost of turnover in the 30 case studies analyzed here range from 5.8 percent up to 213 percent, depending on the job and employee skills. But the estimates are clustered around the “typical” (median) values. Looking only at estimates of the cost of turnover for workers earning, on average, $75,000 per year or less, 17 case studies find a cost of turnover in the range of 10 percent to 30 percent. Keep reading…

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