Author(s):Martin Dandira
Title – Delays in probing case irks workers, AMARA, Zimbabwe. Subject area – Business management, corporate ethics and management of change. Study level/applicability – The case study is relevant for undergraduate and post-graduate management degrees. It includes courses such as Business Management, Corporate Ethics and Management of Change. Case overview – AMARA, a leading parts dealer and a subsidiary company of MTD Holdings has been hit by allegations of corruption which involved a ring of senior employees who are said to have swindled the company out of spare parts worth millions of US dollars with the help of a few security guards who were authorising illegal movements at check points. The workers' committee who blew the whistle on the scandal were now impatient that the investigations ordered in December last year 2011 have not taken off as management appears not keen on them. Management was dragging its feet when it comes to dealing effectively with the allegations. There was no proper strategy on how the allegations were going to be dealt with. There was also victimisation of workers. Senior managers who have been tasked to investigate the issue were suspected to be involved in the scandal thus that is why they were dragging their feet in the investigation. Expected learning outcomes – Students can focus on the importance of good corporate governance as a cornerstone of good business practice. The importance of an active board of directors is also vital for the smooth running of a business. Students will also appreciate the importance of making quality decisions by top management as an important ingredient for the success of an organisation. The issue of an effective control system in an organisation is also important to avoid leakages which will cost an organisation millions of dollars. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available, please contact your librarian to access. Close

Author(s):Aluisius Hery Pratono, Irzameingindra Putri Radjamin
Title – Kopy Luwak: a conservation strategy for global market. Subject area – Niche products and environmental ethics. Study level/applicability – The case is suitable for undergraduate students who have some understanding of competitive advantage in emerging economies, of niche products, the resource-based perspective and environmental ethics. Case overview – The case concerns the Indonesian coffee industry, specifically the production of Kopi Luwak, a coffee that involves a type of local wild animal as an essential part of the process. The case outlines a typical problem for a new leader who has to start his tenure with a creditable performance. The company is a resource-based one that has to manage a potential risk of violating environmental ethics. Expected learning outcomes – The case reveals the value of the international value chain for a cup of coffee. Through investigating the intersection between business feasibility and conservation issues, students should be able to understand what are appropriate business opportunities with environmental ethics considerations. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available; consult the librarian for access. Close

Author(s):Gaurav Tripathi, M. Durgamohan
Title – Uncertainties in business environment – political exigencies versus economic realities: the saga of Zimbabwe Iron & Steel Company (ZISCO). Subject area – The political and economic environment of business. Study level/applicability – The case is suitable for students of MBA and equivalent courses; courses on the international business environment, international marketing and related subjects. Case overview – The case focuses on cross border acquisitions in the sub-Saharan economy of Zimbabwe. It discusses Essar Steel's attempt to acquire a stake in Zimbabwe Iron & Steel Company (ZISCO) with long term goals. However, recent political developments have led to the situation hanging by a thread. The case attempts to provide an overview of the complex business environment in Zimbabwe. Expected learning outcomes – Students are expected to highlight the economic and political factors during the analysis of any country's business environment. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes are available; please contact your librarian for access. Close

Author(s):Urs Müller
Title – Corruption by design? L'ArtiMarché's struggles in Russia. Subject area – Business ethics/corporate social responsibility. Study level/applicability – From undergrad to executive education (the case series has been successfully used with MBA students and executives). Case overview – The case series starts by describing how a fictitious company (called L'ArtiMarché) faced an individual corruption issue after entering the Russian market. After describing the company's creative reaction, the case shows that corruption issues can easily reoccur and might require a more systematic approach of L'ArtiMarché to fight corruption within the company and in the society at large. Expected learning outcomes – Responding/reacting to (external) corruption; governance and compliance systems to prevent corruption; and contribution of companies to the development of the social/political/moral framework of their own operation. Supplementary materials – Teaching notes. Close

Author(s):Stephanie Jones, Gregory J. Scott
Title – Changing business culture: theory and practice in typical emerging markets. Subject area – Organizational behavior, human resources, culture, international business, international entrepreneurship and emerging market studies. Study level/applicability – MBA and MSc students (and some advanced-level undergraduates) in an MBA module being taught face-to-face in an emerging market context. MBA courses such as managing cultural diversity, cross-cultural management, organizational behavior, human resource management, international business and business in emerging markets. The exercise is also relevant to teaching the subject of assignment- and dissertation-writing, given the element of data collection and analysis. Case overview – This exercise is designed to be an MBA class exercise in which students try to answer the question: what are the national cultural characteristics of the typical executive or manager in my country? Are these behaviors as the textbooks describe, or have they changed, especially with economic development?The example of country chosen for the class exercise can be any emerging market country, especially one undergoing significant change. Much of the research on cross-cultural management conducted in emerging markets was carried out 20 or 30 years ago and the changes in emerging markets have been dramatic since then. It is highly likely, when reaching the results of this exercise, that the culture of the chosen country has indeed changed dramatically, becoming more like a typical developed or “emerged” country. Much of the original cross-cultural management research was also based on a similar group – employees of US-based high technology companies, arguably similar to the sample to be involved in our exercise here. Expected learning outcomes – National cultural characteristics can be described and defined in ways which will allow for comparisons, to gain useful insights – and these behaviors are not good or bad, just real and different. Cultures can change or stay the same, due to certain demographic, economic and social influences, which we can study and measure. If we proactively interview colleagues and other contacts to test our understanding of these national culture constructs, we can gain more insights and awareness (rather than just listening to a lecture). Supplementary materials – Teaching notes, student assignment. Close