Emerging Markets Case Study - Mothercare International Expansion

Its sometimes quite tricky finding well-resourced examples of international expansion - but this is a good one.  Mothercare has quietly adopted a strategy of repositioning its group by focusing on expansion into emerging markets like India, Russia and China using its two “global brands” (Mothercare and Early Learning Centre). It has set itself an objective of opening at least 100 international stores every year, using the franchise model of operation.

This streamed revision presentation provides a collection of stimulus materials which students could use to discuss Mothercare’s strategy.  I have brought together some materials from a variety of sources, including press cuttings, annual reports and analyst presentations.

Launch streamed presentation on Mothercare’s International Expansion Strategy

School for Santas

Here is a great example of skills training to meet a seasonal need, which was reported on the BBC website yesterday . A visit to santaschool.co.uk will enable you to register for one of the latest training courses.

Run in association with Dumfries and Galloway Council, Stuart Thompson is, for the second year running, offering a training course which has a very specific objective - to ensure delivery of unforgettable, quality experience to children of all ages. The training at Mabie Farm Park near Dumfries aims to help people take on the role in places like shopping centres and children’s parties and the website says that the training syllabus includes the History of Santa, voice training, costumes, make-up, roleplay etc. They also take bookings for personal home visits and reindeer hire - and the website is very carefully worded to ensure that the integrity of ‘the one and only Santa’ is maintained.

It is a spin-off of a business called Heatherbank Promotions which is an Entertainment Agency for Parties & Events, and strikes me as a great example of entrepreneurial product development!

Sainsbury’s and the electric vehicle superhighway

This story seems like a good example of how understanding your customers can help to develop a competitive advantage. Sainsbury’s already claim that they are one of the country’s biggest users of electric vehicles, and are now encouraging their customers to follow their lead by installing vehicle recharging points for customers’ use at eleven of their London stores. They will not charge for the service, which presumably will enable customers to top up their cars for an hour or so while they do their shopping. Neil Sachdev, Sainsbury’s commercial director, said: “This will turn London into an electric vehicle superhighway, giving electric car drivers greater freedom.” According to the company’s press release, almost 70% of harmful particulate emissions in London come from road transport, whereas electric cars have zero emissions when being driven. Electric vehicles result in between 25% and 50 % less CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere and reductions could increase considerably as technology improves. 

Critical Path Analysis

CPA is probably my favourite topic to teach. I love it. This idea is not a magic bullet, but is a way to make it slightly easier. Who came up with this idea? One of my students.

I like to operate a slightly ‘Kaizen’ approach to my teaching. I always ask my students what they thought of an activity or how they think they would learn something better. I asked this question recently after teaching CPA and one of them came up with this really simple idea.

What I find is that when students first start to draw the diagrams, they end up in a right mess. Crossing things out, making changes, re-doing the est’s in the nodes etc etc. There notes look awful. How can they revise from that?

One of my students said that I should buy some fine liner pens and get them to draw the diagrams on the mini-whiteboards first. Then, if they get anything wrong, they simply rub it out and start again. Once I have checked their network and it is correct, they can copy it into their notes and they have a sparkling network diagram to revise from. Not only that, they have went back through it, consolidating their learning. Genius.

Can’t take the credit for this one, but it just shows that Kaizen actually does work, as long as you have a ‘motivated workforce’

Enjoy.

I want to tell you a story

This is a great activity for revision and developing skills of application and analysis.

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

The Biz Quiz - 6 November 2009

Back after the half-term break, the Biz Quiz has 10 new questions on this week’s business news:

Launch interactive version

Download printable pdf handout version

Download SCORM-VLE ZIP file

Survive and prosper - emerging markets in the global recession

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just published a report that seeks to examine the business opportunities within emerging markets in the context of the current economic climate.  They have surveyed over 500 companies during July and August 2009 to identify the issues and concerns of businesses that either already operate in emerging markets, or are actively considering doing so.

Emerging Markets - Strategies for Doing Business in China

The UKTI service is a superb support for businesses looking to expand into international markets, and they’ve just released a detailed guide to Doing Business in China.  Its quite a detailed, 45+ page document, but it includes some expert guidance on factors for businesses to consider - particularly if they are looking to invest in China for the first time…

Emerging Markets - China’s Growth in Charts

Here are a series of up-to-date charts which help illustrate the rapid economic growth in China and its effect on key consumer markets of interest to businesses in developed economies…

“Promoting mental wellbeing at work” - superb resource materials

The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NIHCE) has today published a set of guidelines for employers on promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions.

Buffett Bets on the Railways

Ignoring seemingly better growth opportunities in emerging markets like Brazil, China & India, Warren Buffett has just made his largest investment yet - in a US railway!

Emerging Markets - 10 Tips on Successful Market Entry Strategy

PA Consulting’s head of emerging markets Dean White has contributed a recent article to The Times Business Section on how to expand into emerging markets.  The article gives a ten point guide on how to overcome the risks that come with trying to expand overseas…

Rated: (3/5), based on 1 review

Emerging Markets - Investing in Brazil 2009

Students preparing for BUSS4 Jan 2010 (Emerging Markets) may find today’s special feature in the FT really useful.  The FT carries a print special edition (also available online) on the opportunities for investing in Brazil.

Nominations sought for sexiest HR Professional!

In response to the launch of the Farmers Weekly Britain’s Sexiest Farmer Competition (yes, honestly!), Personnel Today has invited members of the HR profession to unfasten a few buttons, slip into something seductive and nominate colleagues for the Sexiest HR Professional Award. 

The recent success of Yum! Brands

It’s supposed to be a tough environment for the fast food companies and – with their poor reputation for investing in their employees - it’s surprising to hear that one is implementing a training programme that is described as the “biggest culture-change initiative in the world today”, affecting all of the firm’s 1.4m workers spread across 112 countries.  The business is Yum! Brands, once part of Pepsi, before it was sold in 1997.

The Decline of the Pub

If you’re a bit older, you reflect more on big (but slow) changes that have taken place in your lifetime.  One huge transformation is the British High Street – a topic under much discussion during the current recession.  Yes, small independent retailers have been hurt and much is said about the decline of the Post Office.  But one huge change is the steep decline of the local pub.  Sounds like a good opportunity to use SWOT and PEST analysis to try and understand some of the reasons behind this trend.

Rated: (3/5), based on 2 reviews

Flexibility: Does it work?

An understanding of the concept of flexible working, including temporary and part-time employment, as well as term-time working and other more recent initiatives, is a fundamental part of the AS level syllabus. An article in the current edition of Management Today challenges the assumption that all such initiatives - particularly job-sharing - are beneficial to both employer and employee.

T2U and the Theatre of Dreams

Terrific news from Michelle that Manchester United have asked tutor2u to develop some Business Studies materials based on the club.  The work will follow in the footsteps of our business management game (The Hot Seat) and our Business of Football tour for Chelsea FC.  Looks like Michelle is going to have to brush up on her knowledge of Premier League football one more time…

Halloween - packed full of business studies lesson ideas

Its over for another year (thank goodness).  But the seasonal horror fest that is Halloween is a great source of business teaching material, as demonstrated by this BBC Video…

Rated: (2/5), based on 2 reviews

Competition regulator blocks Friends Reunited sale

A good example of competition regulation in the news today.  The OFT has referred ITV’s proposed disposal of Friends Reunited to the Competition Commission on the grounds that, post sale, there will be just two main competitors in the market for researching ancestry.

Lessons from BA and Royal Mail: Strike Now, or Strikes Later

Why do companies wait so long before making the organisational changes they know are necessary?

A great online article (summarised below) on the importance of taking action to ensure that a business survives.

Revision Presentation - Business Culture

Here is a revision presentation which looks at the role of business or corporate culture

Revision Presentation - Leadership

This new streamed revision presentation examines some of the key business studies issues on leadership

Rated: (5/5), based on 4 reviews

Q&A - What is the continuum of leadership?

Tannenbaum and Schmidt suggested that there is a “continuum” of leadership behaviour.

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

Q&A - Explain the four main leadership styles

Leaders exercise their authority in different ways.  In doing so, they are said to exhibit a “leadership style”.  Leadership styles are essentially about:

• The way that the functions of leadership are carried out
• The way that a leader behaves

Rated: (4/5), based on 2 reviews

Q&A - What do Leaders Do?

The key tasks of top leadership in a business include:

Q&A - What is Leadership?

There are many ways of looking at leadership and interpretations about what it means. Leadership means different things to different people.  It is often taken to represent:

Rated: (2/5), based on 1 review

Innovation & Protecting a Business Idea - Classroom Video

A huge hat tip to Angela Aldridge for suggesting this terrific short video clip on the process of invention and innovation at Dyson.  This has to be one of the most useful videos you’ll ever have as a lesson starter on product innovation....

Rated: (5/5), based on 3 reviews

Some smart creative marketing thinking

Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup is viewed by many American households as a traditional comfort food for those suffering from a head cold or flu.  So what better place to promote the product at this time of year than alongside cold remedies?  Thanks to Drew for spotting and sharing this

Rated: (2/5), based on 2 reviews

Santa goes back to basics in attempt to reduce the cost of Christmas

A big hat tip to Sam Lavery on the EconomicsTeacher Twitter Group for spotting a useful topical piece in the Telegraph. The Toy Industry Association’s annual list of the top Christmas sellers (based on what they know toy shops to have ordered from suppliers) shows the average price of the toys in the basket has almost halved for Chirstmas 2009.  Electronic gizmos are out (along with their high selling prices); traditional favourites are back in.  However, there is still plenty of evidence of innovation - particularly amongst long-standing brands like Monopoly and Lego. 

Edibility and Danger - An Exercise in Market Mapping

Here is a left-field approach to illustrating the concept of perceptual mapping (Edexcel call it Market Mapping)…

Business teachers on Twitter

Twitter is a great way to keep up to date with useful business studies resources and connect with colleagues.  Now it is even easier - with the creation of a new Twitter Group just for Business Studies Teachers.  If you are on Twitter, then come along to the BusinessTeacher Twitter Twibe and connect with fellow teaching Tweeters.

Advertising spend for four global brands

An interesting chart from the excellent Business Insider delves into company accounts data to see how much some global brands are spending on advertising…

Estee Lauder is Lauderless

Fabrizio Freda was the first “outsider” to be chosen to run a company dominated by members of the founding family since it was founded by Estée and Joseph Lauder in 1946. His previous experience at PG was in stark contrast to the culture at Estee Lauder.

“I had to build my credibility,” he says of the months after being hired by William Lauder, the founders’ grandson who was then chief executive. “People were afraid that I would bring in processes instead of creativity.”

Diversification strategy : Tesco opts for own-label banking

An excellent article in The Guardian today would provide lots of scope for a good business strategy lesson for the Year 13s…

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

Auto Warriors - the Capacity Management Reality Show

Some wicked humour from the the Onion provides an alternative entry point into teaching capacity rationalisation and retrenchment.  Lots of HRM in here too!

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

A Recruitment Classic - Job Interviewing the David Brent Way

A timeless six minute clip from The Office provides a rich source of business studies insights into how not to conduct a recruitment and selection process…

Rated: (3/5), based on 3 reviews

Leadership styles in action - Dead Poets Society

Robin Williams stars in this short clip which illustrates the potential for inspirational leadership styles…

Mystery Shopping - Quality Control or Staff Snooping?

BBC Working Lunch has come up trumps for business studies once again - this time with a snappy 3 minute video looking at the growing use of mystery shopping…

McDonalds Tells Iceland - Burger Off

Are the forces of globalisation in retreat? Consumers in Iceland are about to join those in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina - they will no longer be able to buy a Big Mac.

Rated: (4/5), based on 2 reviews