e-Pay Malaysia: the next 10 years

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Khairul Akmaliah Adham ◽  
Shamshubaridah Ramlee

Subject area Topics covered by the case include: strategic management processes; and strategies, especially of a platform business. Study level/applicability The case is suitable for use in final-year undergraduate business/management degree programs and MBA or MSc in Management programs. The case can be utilized in courses such as strategic management and management of innovation. For MBA and MSc in management programs, the case can also be utilized in organization theory and design and organizational management, or any courses that cover topics of strategic management and management of innovation. Case overview By December 2010, the e-Pay terminal system was one of the most successful payment platforms in Malaysia. This business, which was launched in 1999, was an electronic prepaid mobile phone reload value distribution system known as e-Pay; it contributed about 80 per cent of the company's annual revenue. Over the past 10 years, e-Pay's terminal system had evolved into a comprehensive payment platform serving many providers on one side and end customers on the other side. However, since the past two years, the company has been facing pressures from their biggest customers on the provider side of its platform, the three giant telecommunication companies (telcos), which had moved to directly deliver reload values to their prepaid subscribers, bypassing e-Pay as the payment intermediary. On the customer side, the number of prepaid subscribers switching to postpaid services was increasing, and this threatened e-Pay's main source of revenue in the prepaid market. In response to this, the company added new service providers to its platform and launched multi-functional cashier machines with reload credits facility. By December 2010, as the market sunk into subscription saturation, the two founders of the company became deeply concerned about the company's future. They wondered if the problems would hinder their company from becoming a dominant payment player in Asia. This case presents an opportunity to discuss strategic posturing of a payment platform company operating in a mobile phone market which was mainly controlled by the telecommunication companies. Expected learning outcomes Understanding of strategic management process and related analysis enable case analysts to apply these concepts in many business situations involving strategy formulation and implementation. 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.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanghee Kim ◽  
Hongjoo Woo

Purpose According to the perspective of evolutionary economic theory, the marketplace continuously evolves over time, following the changing needs of both customers and firms. In accordance with the theory, the second-hand apparel market has been rapidly expanding by meeting consumers’ diverse preferences and promoting sustainability since 2014. To understand what changes in consumers’ consumption behaviors regarding used apparel have driven this growth, the purpose of this study is to examine how the second-hand apparel market product types, distribution channels and consumers’ motives have changed over the past five years. Design/methodology/approach This study collected big data from Google through Textom software by extracting all Web-exposed text in 2014, and again in 2019, that contained the keyword “second-hand apparel,” and used the Node XL program to visualize the network patterns of these words through the semantic network analysis. Findings The results indicate that the second-hand apparel market has evolved with various changes over the past five years in terms of consumer motives, product types and distribution channels. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the changing demands of consumers toward used apparel over the past five years, providing insights for retailers as well as future research in this subject area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-587
Author(s):  
Tevfik Demirciftci ◽  
ChihChien Chen ◽  
Mehmet Erdem

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of revenue management (RM) studies that focus on information technology (IT) and consumer behavior published between 2008 and 2018. Design/methodology/approach In total, 112 articles published in 17 journals were identified and analyzed. Findings This study shows the importance of IT and RM and focuses on the consumer perspective. It also emphasizes that technology is not the enemy of humans: it complements and adds value to their existing jobs. Research limitations/implications Book chapters and conference proceedings related to IT and RM were not included in this study. Besides, only journal papers published in English were included in the study. The categorizing of subjects can be seen as subjective. Practical implications This study helps researchers discover articles from 2008 to 2018 and helps hospitality executives interested in RM technologies from the demand side to use these findings in their business environment. Originality/value Based on the interaction between service providers (hotels) and users (consumers) on IT and RM platforms, the paper identified eight key components that have been relevant over the past decade.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Ammani Pagadala ◽  
Rajiv Gupta

Subject area Strategy Study level/applicability Strategic Management course in an undergraduate programme. Case overview PKC Laundries started a technology-driven laundry service that would be just a click away for their customers and would provide a quick and satisfying cost-effective solution to the customers’ laundry needs. The business, conceived as a start-up, was based on the asset-light aggregation model which used existing vendors to provide the service. The business has been running for almost two years now but has encountered certain operational challenges of vendor management and in generating sufficient operating profits. At this juncture, the question that is bothering the owners is would it be right if PKC went in for backward integration by investing in an automatic laundry plant to manage the risk of dependency on their vendors or should they strengthen and scale-up the present business model? The owners seem to be in a muddle about their strengths and weaknesses and the foreseeable opportunities and threats and going forward what sort of challenges should they prepare themselves for? This case requires the reader to understand the scenario in which a small and medium enterprise (SME) operates within its micro and macro environment. It then makes the reader think and critically analyse the dilemma the young entrepreneurs are facing and identify the problems and possible strategies to overcome these problems. The case highlights the challenges faced by PKC as an aggregator business and the scope of what PKC can do in the future to strengthen its position. It also explores various marketing management issues such as segmenting, targeting and positioning. The case also helps in understanding strategic management issues such as analysis and formulation and implementation of the strategy. Expected learning outcomes The expected learning outcomes are as follows: To understand the micro and macro environmental factors affecting a firm; to understand the issues involved in formulating and implementing a strategy; to understand the challenges faced by a start-up (both operational and for scaling up); and to understand the strategies adopted by the company to develop their business. 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 11: Strategy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Son Dinh ◽  
Hoang Viet Nguyen ◽  
The Ninh Nguyen

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the factors which influence consumer adoption of mobile payments. It also proposes strategic initiatives including integrated marketing communications to enhance and promote consumer adoption of such a mode of payments. Design/methodology/approach This paper focuses on the case of an emerging economy, Vietnam. Findings The key motivators of using mobile payment services include perceived usefulness, convenience, promotional offers, and social approval. In contrast, major barriers to consumer adoption of this mode of payment are lack of trust, limited opportunities for usage, complexity, and habits associated with cash payment. Practical implications Mobile payment service providers and their partners should make every effort to improve their consumers’ experience. Their marketing communication strategies should incorporate various consumer contact points such as the internet, social media, point-of-purchase communications, TV commercials, and product placement and endorsement. Originality/value This paper is among the first of its kind which provides insights on consumer adoption of mobile payments in Vietnam. Hence, it would be of interest to consumers and also to key stakeholders such as mobile payment providers, financial institutions, retailers, telecommunication companies, and policymakers.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zhuo Jun ◽  
Huang Yingrui ◽  
Li Lele ◽  
Mark J. Greeven

Subject area Strategic management. Study level/applicability This case is suitable for graduate students, postgraduate students and MBAs. Case overview YC Company is a foreign trade SME operating in the lighting fixtures export business in Ningbo City, a major outdoor lighting products manufacturing base in mainland China. Established by Li Lele in 2008, the sales revenue and gross profit of YC Company have been increasing every year, reaching $ 4.06 million and ¥ 1.00 million, respectively, by the end of 2011. However, the growth rate of profit lagged far behind the growth of sales revenue. If this situation were not controlled, YC Company would hardly survive in this increasingly competitive market. Li Lele, the CEO of the company, was trying to find a way to enlarge the profit margin. Expected learning outcomes This case lets students learn more about strategic management. Students are expected to learn: how to precisely identify and map a problem; and how to select a better solution by analyzing the context and using some strategic analysis tools, such as Porter's Five Power, Smile Curve, SWOT. In the learning process, students are expected to acquire a better knowledge of some strategic management theory/method, international business, the condition of small and medium trading companies in China. 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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Olimpia C. Racela

Title Bangkok beer & beverages: in pursuit of growth. Subject area Entrepreneurship, Strategic management, Importer/Distributor, Marketing, Environmental forces, Wine, Thailand. Study level/applicability Senior undergraduate or graduate MBA students taking a course in entrepreneurship, strategic management, marketing or small business management. Case overview Bangkok Beer & Beverages (BB&B) Company is an importer, distributor and marketer of premium spirits and wines in Thailand. The case takes place in April 2007, after the public announcement of BB&B's distribution agreement with Fosters Group of Australia to distribute the Group's Penfolds brand throughout Thailand. Coinciding with this milestone of BB&B is the rising interest in wine and the announcement by the Thailand Government to impose stricter regulations for the distribution and promotion of alcoholic beverages to curb consumption in response to demands made by several public interest groups. Within this backdrop, Pongchalerm Chalermsaphayakorn, co-founder and CEO of BB&B, was working with a team to consider future opportunities to pursue for sustainable long-term growth. Expected learning outcomes This case problem can be used to increase students' understanding of: how an entrepreneurial firm attempts to build/develop organizational capability; how decision-makers should assess the impact of, and respond to, the threat of significant and uncontrollable changes to the business macroenvironment; a firm's market position and the identification of strategic groups in an industry; and evaluating different growth opportunities and the implications on a firm's mission. 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.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh

Subject area Hospitality and tourism management; strategic management; marketing, transportation system management and human resource management. Study level/applicability Undergraduate in business and management and hospitality and tourism management. Case overview This teaching case outlines the historical background, successes and challenges of the national airline of Jamaica. It shows how a national airline, which is a heritage asset and one that has provided nostalgic and sentimental value to the Jamaican people and its passengers, had to be divested. The airline has been faced with several challenges; the major one being high-operating costs, especially in light of the global economic recession. The case also highlights the various procedures carried out by the Government of Jamaica before and after the divestment arrangement and also by the acquirer, Caribbean Airlines. Expected learning outcomes The student should be able to: first, differentiate among the various strategic management terms and concepts used in the case; second, explain the importance of strategic decisions versus emotional decisions; third, assess the environmental factors that impacted Air Jamaica's operation; fourth, analyse the environmental factors that should have been considered by Caribbean Airlines before making the decision to acquire Air Jamaica; fifth, carry out a comparative analysis of the various corporate-level strategies to identify the best option for the Government of Jamaica; sixth, propose reasons why Caribbean Airlines acquired Air Jamaica. Supplementary materials Teaching note.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harsandaldeep Kaur ◽  
Harmeen Soch

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the factors influencing Indian consumers’ loyalty toward mobile phone service providers by exploring the mediating roles of commitment, corporate image and switching costs on causal relationships between customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 855 Indian mobile phone users was carried out to test the hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling. The results support most of the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe direct linkages in the model are found to be statistically significant. Of these relationships, corporate image emerged as the strongest determinant of attitudinal loyalty. Calculative commitment and corporate image are found to be partial mediators between satisfaction and attitudinal loyalty. Calculative commitment and switching costs are each proven to be partial mediators between trust and attitudinal loyalty, while corporate image is proved to be a complete mediator.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to examining the impact of relationship variables on Indian consumers’ loyalty toward mobile phone companies. Future research can examine the impact of variables such as rate plans, value-added services, billing experience and voice quality on customer loyalty.Practical implicationsThe results have implications for retaining customers in highly competitive and maturing Indian mobile telecommunications. The research provides some initial insights into corporate brand building as an important area for mobile phone companies.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to test the mediating role of commitment, switching costs and corporate image in the relationship between satisfaction, trust and loyalty in the Indian context.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Srinivas Reddy ◽  
Havovi Joshi

Subject area – Marketing, innovation, strategy. Study level/applicability – Undergraduate, post-graduate and executive education. Case overview – This case is set in January 2012, a few days before the launch of Mysore Sandal Millennium, a super-premium luxury soap offering from the Indian public sector enterprise, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd. (“KS&DL”). Three years of research had been put into this product, which contained some of the finest, high-quality ingredients. KS&DL had, over the past decade or so, observed a significant fall in brand image for its signature product, the Mysore Sandalwood soap. While this soap had for many years been considered the premium brand in India, it had lost its place when well-known foreign brands became available in India, and local manufacturers moved towards this segment, manufacturing a whole new range of competitive products such as liquid body washes and gels. It was with an aim to rebuild its image that the company decided to launch the Millennium soap. KS&DL was clear that the product would be initially aimed at the high-income Indians, and then move to expand into the overseas market. However, it remained to be seen if the company could be truly successful in marketing a product priced at a level which would make it unaffordable to most Indians, other than a very thin layer of the ultra-rich. The question remains as to how KS&DL could best go about executing and communicating its strategy to make this launch a success. Expected learning outcomes – This case provides students the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced when a company launches a new brand, particularly a luxury brand in a developing country such as India. Through this case, students will learn about the concepts of brand extension, and, above all, vertical brand extension. It can also be used to discuss the spill-over effects of the launch (and its success) on other existing brands of the company, as well as the overall corporate brand. 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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Fauzia Jabeen ◽  
Marios Katsioloudes ◽  
Syed Zamberi Bin Ahmad ◽  
Mohamed Behery

Subject area Entrepreneurship and/or Strategic management/International Business Management. Study level/applicability This case is intended for teaching entrepreneurship/Strategic management/International Business Courses at the undergraduate level. Case overview This is a field-researched case about a budding Emirati female entrepreneur “Azza Al Qubaisi” who established the ARJMST Jewelry brand in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ARJMST brand, a UAE-based jewelry design and art pioneer company in the local art and craft is one of the most popular jewelry brands in the United Arab Emirates. Azza, the entrepreneur faces many challenges and hurdles if she is to successfully sustain her business in the long term. She is considering what her next step ought to be in light of the competition. Should she expand? If yes, where and how? This case will enable students to critically think about the various issues and reach a decision based on the facts provided. The case is based on primary and secondary data collection and has been tested in an International Business Management class at BBA level, with great success. Expected learning outcomes This case study illustrates the journey of an Emirati female entrepreneur who uses simple things in a creative way to build a business. The case will help the students to identify the start up motivation and evaluate the business strategy for further growth. This will also enable the students to critically think about the various factors and reach a decision based on the facts provided. 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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document