This case study/article, titled Rotable, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder has been quoted saying that his company does acqui-hiring than buying the company for the company itself. In December 2011, when reports suggested Facebook acquired location-based startup Gowalla, many analysts remarked that it was unclear whether it was an ‘acqui-hire’, or if Facebook was also interested in any of Gowalla’s technology. Most of Gowalla employees were to work for Facebook Timeline feature after the deal was finalized.

Other examples include Facebook acquiring FriendFeed and founder Brett Taylor became the CTO of Facebook. When Google bought Slide, it acquired talent – Max Levchin who was made the VP of Engineering.

This case study/article, titled Acqui-hire, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

According to Dr. Laurence Peter, in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. As an employee is promoted based on his/her performance in the current job, he/she may not be competent to perform in the post he is promoted to. Dr. Peter based the principle on his own experience when he was promoted as an administrator to do budgets, a post he was not competent enough as he was a competent teacher.

This case study/article, titled Peter Principle, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

An ingredient brand, as the name implies is an element of a product with an identifiable brand identity. The host product includes the ingredient product.

The element or the ingredient brand enhances the value of the product and mostly used as a label or icon on the main product. The idea is to convey to the customers that they are getting a quality, trustworthy product. Ingredient branding helps increase awareness and easily connects with wide-ranging consumers.

Difference between InBranding and CoBranding

Ingredient Branding, also known as InBranding differs from CoBranding. In InBranding, a new product can exist individually from the ingredient brand, while in CoBranding, the two brands unite resulting in a unique product, which does not exist if either separates.

Examples of ingredient brands:

• Intel Inside branding of PCs (The Intel Inside program started in 1991)
• Microsoft Mediaroom – Microsoft’s IPTV platform
• NutraSweet in soft drinks
• GE’s Ecomagination
• Dolby noise reduction in stereos
• Honda Civic Sedan with XM Satellite radio
• Techron in Chevron gasoline
• Teflon in cookware
• Gore-Tex in outerwear and ski apparel
• Sainsbury with brand ambassador Jamie Oliver
• Smart phones with Android OS
• Siri-powered iPhone 4S
• 3M brand used in various products
• Swarovski with Play Bling as its authorized retail brand partner in China
• Vibram rubber soles in many leading shoe brands
• Chiquita banana in Beechnut baby foods
• Smucker’s Jam – Kellogg’s pop tarts

This case study/article, titled Ingredient Brand, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

2 pizza teams were behind some of the innovative features on the Amazon.com website like the Gold Box (animated icon on Amazon’s home page with special offers that last for an hour) and Bottom of the Page Deals (daily bargains on daily essential items with prices so low that they are listed at the bottom of the page).

This case study/article, titled Two Pizza Team, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Vetting every returned product to avoid any improper acceptance helps minimize goods return and keeps the return costs low. Any good/product that is not meant to be returned or reaches a wrong destination is avoided. Gatekeeping also helps in avoiding any negative customer impact. A company with a good returns management strategy has good return avoidance procedures i.e. a good gatekeeping policy framed as per the type of returns (e.g. failure, shipment damage or errors, store returns etc.) a company might run into. The key is to identify which products should be accepted as return as early as possible.

Case in point 1: In the 90s, return rates were very high across the technology industry. To counter the high return rates, Nintendo began R&D and developed systematic methods that could effectively control returns. In 1999, the outcome of research was the Point of Sale Electronic Registration and return validation technology, which helped retailers with easy gate-keeping tools. Later, Nintendo spun off the unit as an independent subsidiary SIRAS to make it commercially available as an industry wide utility.

Case in point 2: Apple makes return of its products very easy. Apple had two different return practices – one for a direct purchase from an Apple store or online and the second for buying from retail partners.

This case study/article, titled Gatekeeping, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Figure shows a sample statement with a Likert scale for people registered on a CRM course. The scale runs from one extreme (where the respondent totally agrees with the statement) to another (where the respondent totally disagrees with the statement given) and requires the respondent to answer one statement at a time. Neutral options are generally not used among the options though some experts disagree. Each option on the scale assumes equal importance/weight and may be a limitation in some cases. Likert scales can also be scored by weighting the response options unequally (E.g. a score of 5 for strongly agree and 1 for strongly disagree).

This case study/article, titled Likert Scale, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Strategy Tax, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

‘The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation’ a book by By Thom S. Rainer, Jess Rainer gives more insight into this generation. Many companies target the twenty-something crowd to boost sales as they represent a more diverse group than previous generations. Case-in-point/Example: In 2011, Gap Inc., largest U.S. apparel chain, planned to customize its fall marketing campaign towards millennials as its’ clothes were not connecting with consumers in recent years. Earlier, Gap’s clothing – neutral workplace basics, classic denim etc. were targeted to a wider audience. With its new range GAP planned to target young net savvy consumers with design and manufacturing process video releases on blogs and social media websites and also increase transparency.

This case study/article, titled Millennials, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

For example, Gillette spends a huge sum of money on R&D. Based on this investment in R&D, Gillette had set a goal of getting 40% of its sales from products launched within the past five years. Its products like Mach3, Sensor and Turbo were very successful and it was able to meet its stated goal.

This case study/article, titled Red Queen Effect, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled IKEA Effect, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Applied in a human resources context, it refers to an employee’s inability to focus on multiple assignments or tasks at the same time because of an incomplete task. Missing lunch breaks as a result is quite common as well. Other scholars have also researched and found that completing tasks can have a positive psychological impact while failure to complete tasks has
corresponding negative psychological consequences. E.g. When consumers assembled IKEA boxes, they valued the self-made products higher and of equivalent value as any product made by experts.

This case study/article, titled Zeigarnik effect, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

The unwillingness or total rejection to use an idea or product because it originates from another culture is also seen as a form of nationalism (where any thing Not-Invented-Here is not as good as ours and the thinking that if if the idea was good enough we would have already thought of them) and is closely related to the ‘Let’s Re-Invent the Wheel’ syndrome’.

The opposite syndrome or culture is referred to as Proudly Found Elsewhere (PFE).

Case in point: Procter & Gamble’s (P&G’s) strategy for the new century, “Connect and develop” was introduced after its 1980s global innovation model (invent-it-ourselves model) proved ineffective. P&G decided to look sources for innovation outside. The ‘connect and develop’ model used technology and networks to seek new ideas and solutions externally.

This case study/article, titled Not Invented Here Syndrome, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Therefore, listening skills and right consulting channel creation are essential skills a consultative manager should possess.

This case study/article, titled Consultative Management, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Zipper Clause, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Cassandra Complex Example /case in point: When HP and Compaq planned a merger, many critics felt it was doomed to fail as HP would not be able to integrate with its competitor. To avoid the us-versus-them mentality among senior managers in the HP-Compaq merger, HP’s CEO, Carly Fiorina had each senior executive buddy a counterpart from Compaq. This buddy system was also referred to as “Noah’s Ark” staffing plan. What led to the merger’s success was that managers from either side helped each other during the integration process.

In the case of the AOL-Time Warner failed merger, the us-versus-them attitude prevailed.

This case study/article, titled Cassandra Complex, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

The term comes from a war metaphor as many companies use flanker brands to counter attack a competitor who challenges the existing main brand with a unique offer or proposition. So the prime focus is to position the flanker brand to counter the competitor’s offering or positioning but not disturb the main brand. Flanker brands help cater to various market segments though an inherent risk of diluting the brand image exists.

Example of a Flanker Brand: Intel introduced Centrino line of processors to protect its flagship Pentium brand when competitors were gearing up to launch lesser-priced alternatives.

This case study/article, titled Flanker Brand, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Mazur plans come under the subject area organizational patterns in retailing. With the growth of many branch stores Mazur plans typically have three derivatives – main store control, separate store organization and equal store organization.

In main store control, the headquarters retains the final authority while in separate store organization the branch stores have individual buying responsibilities. The equal store organization is the most widely used today with both branch store and headquarters having equal status. However, modern retail stores have changed and even have six to seven functions in their organization to address complexity.

This case study/article, titled Mazur Plan, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

A book about Improving Processes in the 1990s by Geary Rummler and Alan Brache had proposed Swim Lane Diagrams.

This case study/article, titled Swim Lane Diagram, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Case in point: Automobile manufacturing sector is probably the most affected when it comes to supply disruptions. Companies manufacture automobiles in the U.S. or UK source parts from all over the world. Japan is a popular sourcing destination for many companies. In 2011, Japan’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami led to major car manufacturers like Honda and Toyota to suspend production. Honda set up two teams to source components to ensure production continued at its Swindon plant. It also announced that it could make up for lost production later in the year owing to its flexible working policy. There would be no loss of earnings for the workforce while the company cuts production as in 2009, it had negotiated a working-time agreement Unite.

This case study/article, titled Business Continuity Strategy, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

In March 2011, Puma, the France based Sports and Lifestyle brand announced a first-ever Environmental Profit and Loss (EP&L) statement using a new accounting methodology to measure the full economic impact of the brand on ecosystem services.

This case study/article, titled Ecosystem Services, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

A company’s website is useful for understanding purchase triggers. Conversion patterns, visitor click-streams or website traffic can be analyzed in detail to understand the customer’s actions – whether he/she makes a purchase or exits from a website.

This case study/article, titled Purchase Trigger, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

A business process model which is developed by applying improvement opportunities to the present business model (the AS-IS Model). The To-Be business process model defines a concept of what the exisiting processes should be i.e. it can identify if the current business process are effective or need improvement. Consequently, a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) exercise may be required.

In effect there are two types of Business Process Models the “As-Is model” (the present state) and the “To-Be” model (the present state with improvements).

Example of a As-Is model to a To-Be Business Model

E.g. Dell tweaked its direct sales model as the PC business was maturing and a direct sales model alone would not work. Dell had to consider selling through retail channels. Dell then started offering its Dimension PCs and Inspiron notebooks via retailers like Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

This case study/article, titled To-Be Business Process Model, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Open Kimono, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

In 2011, in its latest rankings of World’s most ethical companies, 110 companies from over 3000 in 100 countries made the cut. These included companies like eBay, Gap, Xerox and Adidas. Housing Development Finance Corporation ( HDFC) was the only Indian company figuring in the list.

This case study/article, titled Ethics Quotient, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

While many local businesses oppose Wal-Mart’s entry into their country, some governments refrain from opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) to foreign multi-brand retailers. E.g. An AC Nielsen study reveals that India leads other countries wr.t shops per capita with about 40 million shop owners and employees. Wal-Mart’s entry into India can have an impact on many local corner stores. The Indian government has a FDI limit in single-brand retail and allows only cash-and-carry stores that can only sell to other local retailers or restaurants. (see related case study – Wal-Mart in India)

This case study/article, titled Wal-Mart Effect, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

The title is inspired by the dragonfly which is a symbol of happiness, new beginnings, or change in some cultures. When its four wings work together it is the only insect that can fly in any direction. According to the authors, the four wings of the dragaonfly represent focus, grab attention, engage, and take action. When these four elements work together it creates the maximum impact. Capturing people’s emotions is important to use social media effectively. Nike’s WE Portal and HopeLab’s Re:Mission are good examples of the Dragonfly effect.

This case study/article, titled Dragonfly Effect, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Chinese businesses typically do not begin a relationship with someone they do not know. If one business party has guanxi with another there is reciprocation of social exchanges and favours. Gifts are used to maintain the balance in/strengthen the relationship. Businesses entering the Chinese market are generally advised to go with a local partner.

Guanxi Examples

Mcdonald’s lack of Guanxi
In the ealy 90s, McDonald’s had a 20 year land-use agreement for a huge restaurant in Beijing. However, within two years it had to vacate the location for a businessman from Hong Kong (Li Ka-shing) who had the required Guanxi with him. Mcdonald’s lost the trial. Li Ka-shing’s Guanxi was outstanding as he had financed Chinese schools, universities, hospitals etc from his profits in China.

Microsoft – Guanxi instead of a legal battle
In June 2002, Microsoft dropped its legal battle with the Chinese Government and decided to build guanxi instead as it was determined to stay in China. This was in spite of its continued losses in the immediate and medium future. Bill Gates, CEO at the time even signed an agreement with the Chinese Government giving it restricted access to the source code of its Windows OS.

This case study/article, titled Guanxi, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

In the past retailing was considered an art. However, retailers today are analyzing large amount of data they gather on consumer purchases and preferences in making decisions and understand customer needs better. This gives the retailers the ability to respond and execute supply chain decisions better, align incentives within the organization and also explain the changes to the investors. In their book, The New Science of Retailing, HBS professor Ananth Raman and Wharton professor Marshall Fisher call this rocket science retailing, similar to the Wall Street transformation in the 70s era when physicists and rocket scientists applied their analytic skills to investment decisions.

Examples of Rocket Science Retailing

Borders Group, the book and music retailer uses past sales data to tailor the product collection in its stores. Zara, the fashion apparel retailer gathers sales trend information from store flows on a daily basis for developing new fashion lines, change existing products and decide the prices.

This case study/article, titled Rocket Science Retailing, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Porters diamond, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Examples of blue ocean strategy used by companies –

Company – Industry – new blue ocean market
Crocs, Inc. – Shoe industry – New lightweight footwear (Fashionable and at low price)
Air Asia – Airline – Point to point travel system, easy booking system
ING Direct – Banking – Superior interest rates on savings with no fees
Nintendo – Electronic games – Reducing complexity and improving ease of use and fun
Kiva.org – Non-profit – New microcredit model

This case study/article, titled Blue Ocean Strategy, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Examples of beachhead markets are Austria or Singapore for companies planning to enter Germany or Asian region respectively.

McCormick & Co. the U.S. based food products company chose McDonald’s (already its customer in the U.S.) as its beachhead when it entered China in the 90s. This beachhead strategy was successful.

For more on the beachhead concept: Geoffrey Moore’s work: Crossing the Chasm.

This case study/article, titled Beachhead Market, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Creolization, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

In effect supply learning is a process wherein a customer uses past supplier performance information to predict future supplier performance. A good performance report increases the chances of a customer ordering more from that supplier in the future. Supply learning impacts both sourcing and inventory strategies of a firm and helps in framing an optimal operating policy.

This case study/article, titled Supply learning, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Many supermarkets are commonly using the clicks and bricks model. For example, Tesco combines its retail stores and is also focusing on online shopping (Tesco.com) to differentiate itself from its competitors. Tesco has been very successful with its offline and online strategy.

Alternatively, some like Threadless.com, a T-shirt Web site and clothing startups like Lucy.com and Delias.com are moving/have moved from online to offline i.e from clicks to bricks. This is also referred to as a shift from e-tail to retail.

This case study/article, titled Bricks and Clicks, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Zero Base Budgeting, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Xerox PARC, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled White Knight, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Viral Marketing, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Unique Selling Proposition USP, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

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This case study/article, titled Murphys law, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Law of Conservation of Profits, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Kepner Tregoe analysis, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

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This case study/article, titled Adjacencies, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Adaptive Planning, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

This case study/article, titled Active Inertia, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.

Four different types of benchmarking -

• Internal Benchmarking
• Competitive Benchmarking
• Industry Benchmarking
• Best-in-class Benchmarking

This case study/article, titled Benchmarking, was originally published at Casestudyinc.com.