Colchones Eldorado: dreaming of innovating

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Delio I. Castaneda ◽  
Luisa F. Manrique
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Organizational Dynamics ◽  
Case Discussion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Conditions ◽  
Challenge Testing ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

Subject area Innovation and creativity in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Latin America. Study level/applicability The case is recommended for creativity and innovation subjects, in undergraduate and MBA levels. The case is also suggested for subjects associated with the organizational dynamics on SMEs. Case overview Colchones Eldorado is a Colombian company dedicated to the bedding industry. The company was founded in 1957 by Gumercindo Gómez Caro, a creative man who in 1959 invented a machine to make springs, which allowed the company to grow steadily for several decades. On November 18, 2004, the founder's daughter, Martha Luz Gomez, was appointed as General Manager. On April 2011 it obtained a license from Sealy, the biggest mattress making company in the USA. The license implied a challenge - testing the company's innovative capacities to adapt Sealy mattresses to satisfy consumers in the Colombian market. Expected learning outcomes Students are shown the characteristics of the creative and innovation process in a Latin American SME, and the innovation challenges which are faced. From the reading and the case discussion, the students should be able to: analyse the manifestations of the creative process in an SME; identify examples of the innovation types of an SME; and discuss the organizational conditions to answer the creativity and innovation challenges in an SME. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Thinking styles, gender, and decision making in Latin American management

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camelia Ilie ◽  
Guillermo Cardoza
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Purpose Many studies have analyzed how gender diversity and local culture condition the cognitive styles of managers and affect decision-making processes in organizations. Gender diversity has been defended from an equality perspective; it has been argued to improve decision-making processes and to have a positive impact on companies’ return on investment. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the differences between the thinking styles of men and women, in Latin America and the USA that support decision-making processes. An argument is given in favor of gender diversity in management teams, because of its positive implications in decision making. Design/methodology/approach The measurement instrument used was the Neethling Brain Instrument, developed based on recent neuroscience discovery. The sample comprised 1,216 executives from the USA and several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, who have participated in executive training programs. Findings The results show differences in thinking styles by gender, but no differences were found in thinking styles or decision making between men and women at the same managerial level in either of the two regions. Similarly, results suggest that executives in the USA tend to base their management models on strategic thinking styles that focus on interpersonal relations and involve risk taking, while executives in Latin American countries tend to prefer thinking and management styles focusing on data analysis, execution, planning, and process control. Originality/value The results of the present study show that, in all regions, men score higher in rational thinking styles associated with the cortical areas, while women gravitate toward thinking styles where emotional schemes prevail, related to subcortical areas. These results could be useful for organizational leaders in charge of allocating roles and tasks to people, based on their thinking style strengths. The results can also be very valuable for Latin American organizations to design specific training and development programs for men and women accordingly with their individual needs and their managerial roles. They can also support the argument that diverse gender teams will guarantee complete decision-making processes.

An empirical investigation of innovation process in Indian pharmaceutical companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Lenka ◽  
Minisha Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Proactive Personality ◽  
Team Leaders ◽  
Team Creativity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Resonant Leadership ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework exploring innovation process in research and development units of organizations. Research and development (R&D) teams of pharmaceutical firms operating in India were the unit of analysis. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 352 leaders and equal number of team members working in R&D teams. Responses were collected through questionnaire survey method. Questions to measure variables of members’ proactive personality, emotional intelligence, trust, task reflexivity, team creativity and innovation adoption were answered by team leaders. Similarly, questions on variables, resonant leadership style of team leaders, team information sharing process and climate for innovation were answered by team members. Out of 450 distributed questionnaires, 352 completely filled responses were finally obtained, with a response rate of 78 percent. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling using AMOS 21.0 software package. Findings Findings of the study reveal that members’ proactive personality, emotional intelligence and trust enhance members’ learning ability called task reflexivity. This learning is further promulgated with the intervention of team information sharing process and support for innovation. Team creativity enhances innovation implementation in organizations. However, resonant leadership style of team leaders does not support task reflexivity. Practical implications Overall, the study highlights that creativity is promulgated when information is disseminated among members in a supportive climate for innovation. Organizations can create and innovate by developing capability of members who are proactive, emotionally intelligent and who trust their colleagues, so that team members can rationally judge organizational priorities, learn from their colleagues, plan and execute novice ideas to serve market needs. Originality/value R&D team enhances creativity and innovation in organizations by leveraging their talent and skills. This work is an attempt to develop an innovation process model in Indian pharmaceutical organizations to promulgate creativity and innovation through R&D teams.

Expatriate demographic characteristics and host country national support: an empirical investigation in Central/South America

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arup Varma ◽  
Young-Jae Yoon ◽  
Fabian Jintae Froese
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Central ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Cultural Similarity ◽  
Central South

PurposeThe support of host country nationals (HCNs) is critical for expatriate adjustment and performance. Drawing from social identity theory and self-categorization theory, this study investigates the antecedents of HCNs' support toward expatriates in Central/South America, focusing on cultural similarities and expatriate race.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a quasi-experimental study to understand the antecedents that promote the willingness of HCNs to offer required support to expatriates. Data were gathered from 117 Latin American participants, who were asked to respond to questions about their perceptions of expatriates from the USA and their willingness to offer support to those expatriates.FindingsOverall, our findings suggest that HCNs are likely to provide support to expatriates when they perceive the expatriates as similar in terms of culture and race. Specifically, African Americans received more positive attitudes and support than White Americans in South/Central America. The effect of cultural similarity on HCN willingness to support expatriates was mediated by perceived trustworthiness.Originality/valueThe present study extends the research on HCN support to expatriates, to Central/South America, an important region that has been under-studied in the expatriate–HCN context. Another novel feature of our study is that we investigate the role of expatriate race and cultural similarity and illuminate the underlying mechanism of the relationship between expatriate race and HCN support.

European franchise expansion into Latin America

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Baena
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Geographical Distance ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Latin American Countries

Purpose This study aims to enhance the knowledge that managers and scholars have on franchising expansion. In this sense, it is worth mentioning that although the body of literature on international management focusing on emerging markets is growing, the attention paid to the Latin American context continues to be limited. This is surprising given the substantive economic importance of the region with a population over 590 million, and a gross domestic product of approximately US$5 trillion. To cover this gap, the present study examines how a number of market conditions may drive diffusion of franchising into Latin America: geographical distance, cultural distance, political stability and economic development. The authors also controlled for the host country’s market potential, transparency, unemployment rate and efficiency of contract enforcement. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative approach applied to a sample of 77 Spanish franchisors operating through 4,064 franchisee outlets across 21 Latin American countries in late 2012. They are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. Findings Results conclude that geographical distance between the host and home countries, as well as the level of host country’s political stability, economic development, market potential and transparency are able to drive the spread of international franchising across Latin American nations. Research limitations/implications This study provides readers with a general overview of the current state of global franchising diffusion overseas. Results obtained in this study are useful for understanding and predicting the demand for franchising in Latin American countries. Practical implications Economics reports argue that by 2050, the largest economies in the world will be China, the USA, India, Brazil and Mexico. This fact highlights the substantive importance of Latin America for foreign investors willing to expand their business abroad. In an attempt to give insights from the Latin American context, the present paper develops and tests a model that can be useful to franchisors willing to establish new outlets in the region. In addition, our findings offer guidance to firm managers seeking to target their franchises in Latin America. Franchisors may then use the results of this study as a starting point for identifying such regions whose characteristics best meet their needs of expansion. Originality/value This paper explores how market conditions may drive international diffusion of franchising into Latin American markets. The scant theoretical or empirical attention given to this topic has usually been examined from the USA and British base and focused on developed markets. To fill this gap, the present study analyzes the international spread of the Spanish franchise system into Latin America as a market for franchising expansion.

The growing pressures on Groupon's once-successful daily deal business

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Cathy Leung Miu Yee
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Listed Company ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
Daily News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Daily Deals

Subject area Marketing Management, Business Strategy and Promotion & Advertising. Study level/applicability Associated degree, undergraduate and graduate students as well as executives from profit-making organizations. Case overview Groupon is the world's largest daily-deal Web site and a pioneer in the group-buying industry. The major feature of the company's business model is that merchants use Groupon as a platform to offer coupons with a discounted price, and the coupon buyers can then redeem these coupons. Groupon has done business in over 50 countries and, by 2012, had over 39.5 million subscribers received its daily news. It had a 59.1 per cent share of the daily-deals market in 2013. Groupon is a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ in the USA, trading under the ticker symbol of “GPRN”. Expected learning outcomes The students' business knowledge and skills will be sharpened by working through this case, and students will be challenged to identify solutions to the marketing concerns: specifically, how the driving approach of its daily-deal business model enabled the company to adopt a growth strategy that will confront the difficulties of the emergent “golden age” of the daily-deal industry in the twenty-first century. In addition, it will also be of help to the students to take the active roles of thinker, analyst, evaluator, decision-maker and implementer to evaluate the continuing changes in a competitive environment and consider how Groupon can seize available opportunities to predict future performance by comparing data from 2008 and 2012. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Citizen Chen: a challenging test for bilateral diplomacy

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Barthélémy Michalon
Keyword(s):  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
High Level

Subject area Diplomatic and consular policies; legal aspects of international relations and Asia regional scenario. Study level/applicability Undergraduate. Case overview In April 2012, high-level officials from China and the USA were about to meet in Beijing in the framework of the bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue, organized on a yearly basis. The event was always delicate, due to the ambiguous relationship existing between the two countries, which were at the same time rivals and dependent on one another. That time, the tension previous to the meeting increased significantly: a Chinese human rights activist had just sought and obtained diplomatic protection in the US Embassy in Beijing, thus creating an embarrassing situation for both States' foreign departments […] How could they possibly solve this contentious issue without affecting their already sensitive relationship? Expected learning outcomes Analytical: to be aware of the political nature of the current Chinese Government; to realize the concrete and practical implications of an Embassy's special status; to balance two contradictory objectives, in a specific situation where none of them can be fully discarded; to contrast and try to combine long-term goals (in this case, to maintain a functioning relationship between two main world powers) with short-term objectives (in this case, how to deal with a Chinese activist that required protection against his own country's security forces); to find a modus vivendi (conciliation) between values and interests; to get convinced that certain kinds of negotiations cannot be conceived through a “win or lose” approach: in this case, the only way out must be respectful of the two parties' core interests; and to take into account that image preservation (“face-saving”) must be included within any country's objectives in any situation involving diplomatic means. Conceptual: the purpose is to familiarize the students with specific concepts, such as: best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), which is to be mentioned as part of the discussion (it is not included in the case study itself); interdependence; (purported) Group of Two; asylum and refuge; Immunity; and sending state/receiving state. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Kick Andy, The Oprah Winfrey TV Show of Indonesia

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Amalia E. Maulana ◽  
Lexi Z. Hikmah
Keyword(s):  
Social Marketing ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Oprah Winfrey ◽  
Entertainment Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Tv Shows ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Right ◽  
Tv Show

Subject area Social Marketing, Entertainment Education Program. Study level/applicability Postgraduate program. Master in Strategic Marketing and Master in Business Administration. Case overview In the midst of the many TV shows that do not provide enlightenment, Kick Andy TV Show appeared to provide answers to the public unrest. In the spirit of “Watch with Heart” Kick Andy serves Entertainment-Education and Social rarely glimpsed by the television station. Success of Kick Andy TV Show made this brand doing brand extension such as Kick Andy Foundation, Kick Andy Magazine, Kick Andy Enterprise and others. Challenge for this program is to maintain the right balance between social, entertainment and education. Expected learning outcomes This Case Study illustrates that Kick Andy TV Show filled the value gap that viewers experienced from existing TV show. This show is similar to the offer of Oprah Winfrey Show in the USA. Student is expected to understand social marketing primarily related to entertainment-education TV show. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

“Eldorado” family: the survival and succession plan

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sandra Jennina Sanchez Perdomo ◽  
Mario Andres Manzi Puertas
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Succession Plan ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Harmony

Subject area Entrepreneurship and family business. Study level/applicability The case is suitable for BA and MBA levels and for courses focusing on family businesses, entrepreneurship, or small and medium-sized enterprises. Case overview The Gomez family is the owner of Colchones Eldorado, a Colombian mattress company, in business for more than 50 years. Its founder and CEO Gumercindo Gomez, 75 years old, had no succession plan but he wanted to ensure the future of his business. Given the urgency of this situation and the complexity of the family structure, Martha Gomez, General Manager, hired a consultant to design the succession plan. To prepare this plan, the consultant must take into account: the preservation of stock ownership within the family, the company's sustainability under the new CEO family member, and the assurance of the family harmony. Expected learning outcomes These include: understanding the characteristics of a family business in the Latin American context; recognizing the stages of the family ownership; and identifying personal characteristics and roles of family members in order to design the basis of the succession plan. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Pacari Chocolate: preserving biodiversity, living without regret

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel C. Lupton ◽  
Angélica Sánchez ◽  
Annette Kerpel
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Agricultural Product ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Mission ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Marketing Activities

Subject area Emerging Markets. Study level/applicability Undergraduate, Masters. Case overview Pacari Chocolate is the flagship brand of SKS Farms CIA Ltda., located in Quito, Ecuador. The company specializes in organic chocolate production which it sells in Ecuador and exports to other Latin American, European and North American markets. The company began operation in 2002, founded by Carla Barbotó and her husband Santiago Peralta. Carla is the Director of SKS and Santiago is General Manager. The case is set just after Santiago negotiated a deal to supply Emirates Airlines with mini bars to be distributed to flight passengers. Santiago is excited about this new deal, which will provide a new revenue stream, enhance brand image and potentially create new customers. Carla and Santiago pursue excellence with their products, as evidenced by over 160 awards, many globally recognized. However, their mission is also very much social in that they seek to improve the lives of Andean farmers, indigenous peoples and broader Ecuadorean society. The principle author uses this case in a course on innovative approaches to engaging emerging market opportunities, in which shared (social + economic) value and the formation of strong national industries are key outcomes, to be addressed through complementary market and non-market entrepreneurship strategies. Expected learning outcomes Expected learning outcomes are as follows: to identify the contextual challenges faced by an emerging market firm, and explain what must be done to overcome them; to identify the role of a firm in developing a national competency in an agricultural product industry; to demonstrate the creation of “shared value” and examine how the social mission of a company can reinforce and sustain its economic value creating activities; and to generate and evaluate options for developing international markets when a firm has limited resources to invest in marketing activities. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

scholarly journals Provision of education for sustainability development and sustainability literacy in business programs in three higher education institutions in Brazil, Colombia and Peru

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Franchini Cavalcanti-Bandos ◽  
Silvia Quispe-Prieto ◽  
Alberto Paucar-Caceres ◽  
Toni Burrowes-Cromwel ◽  
Héctor Heraldo Rojas-Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Programs ◽  
Sustainability Literacy ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper aims to report on the status and the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability literacy (SL) in three Latin American (LA) higher education institutions (HEIs) business programs in Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The paper examines institutional efforts to both introduce and implement ESD curricula and provide SL. Design/methodology/approach The methods used in this paper included reviews of university Web pages and course materials. Structured interviews were also conducted with program leaders, to examine the level of ESD, as input affecting the business programs curricula of the universities concerned. Findings Initial findings suggest that, in the three HEIs surveyed, there is still a tendency to talk about issues related to ESD but actions that confirm this interest are not sufficiently advanced. The authors surveys a sample of business programs curricula and interviewed its leaders and a mixed and dated picture emerged. When compared to other regions particularly the USA and Europe, the findings show that the HEIs surveyed still have not developed enough work to distinguish conceptually between sustainable development, ESD and SL making the embedment of these concepts in the curriculum not fully developed. Originality/value In LA HEIs, the ESD message seems to be slowly taking ground, equipping HEIs to respond to SL concerns. Implementation and practice in some HEIs are still at an embryonic and conceptually confused stage with regard to LA HEIs SL. This paper sheds light to help ESD delivery. It offers some strategies for moving on from this inception phase to a more structured SL provision and ESD outlook.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document