The mid-1990’s were not particularly kind to Pepsi Co.  Its flagship Pepsi product was losing ground to Coke in the United States and abroad, and Diet Pepsi had slipped to fourth among soft drinks (behind Coca-Cola’s Sprite citrus soda). Even the fast-food chains that had provided Pepsi with substantial revenue growth over the prior two decades — Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken — were experiencing declining revenues.  Only the Frito-Lay snack division continued to outperform its rivals.  In 1997 Pepsi spun off its fast-food operations into an independent company called Tricon. When it acquired Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in the 1970s, Pepsi seemed intent on becoming the world’s largest fast-food vendor.  After it successfully digested the pizza and taco chains, it was widely expected to further expand its fast-food empire.  By the mid-1980s, Pepsi’s next target was rumored to be Wendy’s Continue reading
Management Case Studies
Management case studies are real-life examples of issues and problems found in particular workplaces or business organisations. Case study assignments give the opportunity to relate theoretical concepts to practical situations. Most case studies are written in such a way that the reader takes the place of the manager whose responsibility is to make decisions to help solve the problem. In almost all case studies, a decision must be made, although that decision might be to leave the situation as it is and do nothing.
Case Study on Entrepreneurship: Rashmi Garments
Mrs. Rashmi Agarwal, who is a post graduate in Economics, has established Rashmi Garments, in May, 1987, by installing two machines — one her own and the other purchased from a local dealer, with a total investment of Rs. 20,000. The idea of starting her own business came in 1984, when she saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a one month Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) being conducted by the Small Industry Service (SISI), Okhla, New Delhi. She learnt how to start her own venture. Feeling encouraged, she decided to start a garment unit as she had learnt something about garments during her school days. In order to add to her technical know-how, in 1985, she enrolled herself for a two-year part time course in Fashion Designing with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), New Delhi and completed the course in 1987. In the meantime, on the advice of her Continue reading
Case Study on Entrepreneurship: Ted Turner
Ted Turner, founder of Turner Broadcasting System, is an entrepreneur who loves living on the edge. Who else would buy an unprofitable Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio for $ 1.6 billion? Who else would bet on producing the Goodwill Games with U.S. versus Soviet athletes at a cost of about $ 50 million? Who else would report that “the thrill of victory is everything we imagined it would be,” following the triumph of Turner’s Atlanta Braves in the 1995 World Series, following three consecutive, unsuccessful trips to the playoffs? Robert Edward Turner III was born in 1938, and his boyhood was spent primarily in Savannah, Georgia. As a boy, he was an enthusiastic reader of books about heroes, from Horatio Hornblower to Alexander the Great. Unsuccessful in playing any of the major sports, he turned to one that required no special physical attributes but relied on the ability to think, take chances, Continue reading
Case Study: The Magic of Ford
In 1903, in a small wagon shop in Dearborn Michigan, a man by the name of Henry Ford started what is today the Ford Motor Company. It started it in 1896 when Henry Ford built his first car. It was only experimental at the time, but less than ten years later in 1908 he introduced a more updated version to the public. This became known as the Ford Model t. Once people realised what a wonderful novelty this was and how it would greatly facilitate their lives, there was a huge demand for them. In order for the company to be able to satisfy this heavy demand, ford introduced the world’s first assembly line for cars. It revolutionised the industry. By 1923 more than half of America’s vehicles were made by Ford. Today, the Ford Motor companies the number two company in its industry as well as the number two Continue reading
Case Study of Johnson & Johnson: Using a Credo for Business Guidance
Johnson & Johnson, founded by Robert Wood Johnson and his brothers James and Mead in 1886, has grown into the world’s most comprehensive manufacturer of health care products and related services for the consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical devices and diagnostics markets. Today, Johnson & Johnson consists of more than 250 operating companies, employing approximately 121,000 employees, with more than 50,000 of those in the United States. Johnson & Johnson has operations in 57 nations and sells products all around the world. Johnson & Johnson’s product categories include, but are not limited to: allergy, colds, and flu; baby care; cardiology; dental care; diabetes care; first aid; medical devices and diagnostics; oncology; prescription drugs; skin and hair care; and vision care. The company’s sales have increased every year for since 1946, and in 2006, global sales were $53.9 billion and net earnings were $11.1 billion. Moreover, Johnson & Johnson was ranked ninth Continue reading
Case Study: A Phenomenon Called Steve Jobs
Ask any Techno-freak his list of dream gadgets and the odds are high that the list would be populated by products from Apple. Apple has reached to such an extent that these new age Geeks would consider it a sin akin to homicide not to know about Apple! No wonder many people may at least find it better to pretend to aspire for Apple products when in reality they may not even know its functionality! So who was (and is) behind this revolution called the “Apple Revolution” which has managed to dominate B-School case study discussions? (Dear Techno freaks this question is not for you!) The person attributed to this revolution was born in February 24, 1955 to an unmarried couple and was later adopted by a lower middle class family and was named Steven Paul (Steve) Jobs. Even before adoption Steve’s adopted parents had to assure his Biological mother Continue reading