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An
Investigation of the Kaisha: A (Strategic) Study
in Partner Management -- Carolan
McLarney, Ed Chung and Sheila A Randolph
This
paper examines the factors that may influence buyer-supplier
relationships, particularly as they relate to the procurement
operation of an American automotive subsidiary of a Japanese
firm. The paper discusses how the Japanese parent company,
which had a long history of keiretsu supplier relationships,
translated them into American firm operations. The American
automotive subsidiary is undergoing an organizational restructuring,
which will have a future impact on supplier relationships.
Several factors are proposed for future research, which
include how the parent firm's keiretsu supplier relationships
impact the American firm's supply base and how successful
the firm will be in determining the particular aspects of
different supplier relationship models that will benefit
in establishing a supplier-partnering management program.
©
2008 The Icfai University Press. All Rights Reserved
International
Business Strategy: An Innovative Teaching and Learning Approach
-- Basil Janavaras, Emanuel Gomes, Punyadip Cheema
and Suresh George
This
paper confirms that postgraduate students using consultancy
software as learning tools enhanced their international
business strategy research, decision-making abilities and
skills of critical thinking skills. The authors discuss
one of the most important challenges faced by international
business faculties that is, how to bring the real world
into the classroom or training environment. The software
discussed in this paper aims to achieve this very important
pedagogical objective by providing the platform needed to
support students and business practitioners alike in their
roles as managers and decision makers in a global setting.
More specifically, the software enables the users to perform
a situation analysis of a company, determine suitable markets
for a company's products/services, perform detailed competitive
analysis and market research to develop an online international
business plan. The study shares teaching experiences based
on the use of the system and provides feedback from student
surveys. The findings indicate that the software enhanced
the students' understanding of international business strategy
and improved their team working, research and critical thinking
skills.
©
2008 The Icfai University Press. All Rights Reserved.
A
Strategic Study on the Potential Entry of Cigarette Companies'
into the Indian Bidi Industry --
Mukesh Taneja and R Patnaik
Working
in an environment which is full of changes always requires
the management of the companies to foresee the future. Only
those companies which can foresee the future are able to
sustain and the others perish. Then there are few others
who lobby for the government to create supportive environment.
Counter-intuitive to competition, tobacco industry is an
industry that has always been fighting with the government
rather than among themselves. It is an industry where the
political decisions impact tremendously the profitability
and the day-to-day workings of the companies. The present
situation shows that the bidi industry is way ahead of the
cigarette industry and the trend doesn't seem to be changing
in the coming future. The problem which is discussed in
this paper is the potential entry of the cigarette companies
into the bidi industry. Though no such attempts have been
found in the present situation, this project involves considering
the viability of such a move and its benefits and pitfalls.
The research has been done using the Event Analysis Method.
It involves the systematic identification of news reports
on events that bear on the area of research. The research
has been done using the secondary resources. However, to
improve the quality of the report some data has been used
from the primary resources. Based on this research, it is
ascertained that there lies an opportunity for cigarette
companies to explore a huge untapped market, though it involves
some challenges outlined therein.
©
2008 The Icfai University Press. All Rights Reserved.
Organizational
Learning: Crafting a Strategic Framework --
Feza Tabassum Azmi
In
today's fast-paced markets, business organizations are required
to constantly revitalize themselves for long-lasting success.
This mandates building and nurturing a no-holds-barred learning
orientation. Effective organizations are believed to be
configurations of management practices that encourage learning
which becomes the basis for competitive advantage. Creating
a learning organization is imperative for facilitating the
journey to long-lasting success. This paper focuses on organizational
learning as an important strategic initiative. The paper
bases itself on extensive literature reviews to identify
dominant thoughts on organizational learning in different
eras. The paper introduces the concept of `the learning
iceberg' which identifies the steps to building a strategic
learning framework. It also introduces the concept of the
`people-strategy matrix' for putting in place a workable
learning strategy. In the light of these concepts, the paper
discusses the cultural prerequisites and strategic implications
of organizational learning.
©
2008 The Icfai University Press. All Rights Reserved.
Strategic
Sourcing: Need for a Disciplined Approach
-- S N Mookherjee
Globalization,
aided by rapid technological innovation, is changing the
basis of competition in today's business scenario. Sourcing
in the traditional meaning was limited to functional activity,
but today it has acquired strategic implications. In order
to make their value chains more elastic and organizations
more flexible, successful companies are re-looking closely
at their core capabilities and redefining how and where
to source every single key activity in the value chain.
Outsourcing has become strategic in the sense that core
functions like design, manufacturing, HR, R&D, marketing,
logistics are moved offshore so that companies achieve competitive
edge in the market place. Strategic sourcing helps a business
enterprise to achieve process improvements, faster-to-market,
and create long-term value to its customers, thereby dramatically
improving its competitive position in the market place.
©
2008 The Icfai University Press. All Rights reserved.
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