1. CALL TAXI SERVICE ON THE FAST TRACK, Page No-1-1
M J Xavier, Arun Thamizhvanan, T N Swaminathan
Abstract:
Whenever one has to travel by a private transport in Chennai (a famous metropolitan city and capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in India), one is at the mercy of taxi/auto drivers. One has to make several attempts to hail a taxi/auto to the desired destination. An average traveler is fed up quarreling with auto drivers on fares, rash driving, refusal to travel to certain areas and above all rickety vehicles that have outlived their economical age. What Fast track Call Taxi services have done is, they have given the consumer the sense of reliability that they will get a cab to any destination within the city and its outskirts at reasonable and metered fare. Having grown from a humble beginning in Chennai with 51 cars in 2001 to more than 3000 cars carrying more than 10,000 passengers per day, the promoter of Fast Track Call Taxi Services Mr. Redsun Ambigapathy is mulling over the following growth related issues.
a) Now that Fast Track has become No.1 call taxi service in Tamilnadu, how to carry forward the success to other parts of the country in particular to Delhi and Mumbai.
b) Though the operation has been efficiently managed through mobile & wireless technology, how to migrate to GPS and other updated and sophisticated technologies.
c) What are the related & unrelated growth opportunities that could be exploited by Fast track?
d) How to maintain the competitive advantage edge Fast Track has, as compared to other call taxi services in terms of driver behavior & customer satisfaction?
The case study discusses origin of the Fast Track, growth stages, evolution of the business model, challenges encountered and ends with questions on sustainability, future growth & expansion opportunities and technology issues. The case can be analyzed from Entrepreneurship perspective, Business Ecosystem Model, Technology Management and Strategic Management perspective.
Keywords : Entrepreneurship, Business Model, Business ecosystem, Strategic Management, Services Marketing, Radio Taxi
2. UNETHICAL COMBAT OF RIN OVER TIDE NATURALS, Pages 14-27
C.V.KRISHNA
Abstract:
The branded detergent sector in India which is mainly predominant by the two companies Hindustan Unilever Limited and Procter and Gamble. The HUL brands Rin, Surf and P&G’s Tide brands are popular and there was heavy competition between these brands in the Indian branded detergent industry. Recently HUL has shocked the entire market by releasing an advertising campaign against Tide Naturals by directly comparing the brand in its Tele Vision Commercial, which is considered very unethical as it represented a Guerilla Marketing campaign. The present Case focuses on the issues of why HUL has resorted to Combative Advertising only on P&G’s Tide and not on any other brand or company, how the market was hit after the advertising campaign and the ethical and legal issues involved. The case gives insights into better understanding of negative aspects of Combative advertising and future courses of action to be taken.
Keywords : Combative Advertising, Advertising Ethics, Comparative Advertising, Guerilla Marketing, Advertising Laws.
3. ROLE OF HR IN MERGERS: A STUDY OF MERGER OF ICICI BANK & BANK OF RAJASTHAN LTD, Pages 28-41
SVETLANA TATUSKAR, SHWETA MAHESHWARI
Abstract:
The merger of ICICI Bank, a leading private sector bank and Bank of Rajasthan, an old generation private sector bank was announced officially on 21st May 2010. The merger announcement came in the wake of mounting pressure on Bank of Rajasthan because of its
unprofessional conduct, misleading share pattern, mismanagement of accounts, and irregularities in the operations. RBI also opined that the merger of Bank of Rajasthan was inevitable for the Bank’s sustainability. As Bank of Rajasthan started scouting for a suitable White Knight, ICICI Bank became the appropriate match for the marriage as it approached Bank of Rajasthan at the right time. Though the senior management of both the banks was convinced about the value enhancement however, the employees were extremely anxious about their future in the merged entity. This unfavorable reaction from the employees delayed the deal. This case focuses on the importance of Human Resources in M&A process during integration phase and the roadmap for successful integration keeping employees interests at the core.
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions, Human Resource, HR Integration, ICICI Bank, Bank of Rajasthan
4. THE LAUNCH OF INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL) BY BOARD OF CRICKET CONTROL IN INDIA, Pages 42-51
BALACHANDRA SIVARAMAN, MOHAMMED SADIQUE QURAISHI, SAKYABRATA DUTTA, SAYAN MAJUMDER
Abstract:
The Indian Premier League which was launched in 2008 by Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has proved to be a runaway success. It has reinvented the game of cricket in this country and has helped the already popular game attain a level of mass frenzy not unlike the soccer leagues in Europe or the NBA in USA. However, the transition of cricket from the more traditional test and fifty over formats in India was not a very smooth one. The BCCI was initially opposed to the idea of a twenty-20 format and the concept did not catch up in India until its T20 World Cup triumph in 2007. The case here attempts to make a complete analysis of this strategic decision of BCCI to lunch IPL. The intention is to analyse the environment, the organization (BCCI) and its core competencies, its competitive strategies and rivalries, implementation and evaluation of this strategy and its implication for the firm. Attempt has also been made to apply the frameworks of strategic management to analyze this particular decision.
Keywords: Indian Premier League, BCCI, Twenty20, Cricket, Indian Cricket League, Lalit Modi, Strategic Management, Resource Based Strategy
5. CUSTOMER RETENTION AT CELLULAR TELECOM LTD, Pages 52-69
SACHIN S. KAMBLE, SUDHEER M DHUME, PRAMUKH VASHISHT
Abstract:
This case describes Cellular Telecom Ltd. (CTL) operations in India in 2010. CTL was setup in the late 1990s and is now operating in all 22 telecom circles in India. Right from its inception, the company’s operations has changed hands as part of several mergers and separations. Despite these changes and the high competition levels exhibited in the Indian Telecom industry, the company has distinguished itself from the rest by being innovative in its approach and has now emerged as a top telecom service provider in the nation. The focus of the case is on the Sigeoll telecom circle in western India. Sigeoll circle accounts for 5.9% of the total subscriber base for CTL. The operations in this circle started after a major acquisition of an existing telecom operator. Sigeoll has segmented its postpaid customers based on loyalty. The major classification being Gold and Silver loyalty group. A comparison of the performance figures for the last two quarters (2009-10) shows that there is a reduction of customer base across the loyalty groups by 14.04% and the billing amount by 11.95%. The company has conducted a customer satisfaction survey and findings of the same are presented in the case. Apart from this, general information pertaining to the telecom sector in India is also included. This facilitates the understanding of the competitive environment in which the telecom companies are operating at present. This case can be used for critically analyzing the Indian telecom industry scenario, to ascertain critical success factors and addressing the problems of customer churn in Indian telecom industry. The pedagogical objective of the case is to understand the following
concepts/tools;
- SWOT analysis
- DMAIC Methodology in problem solving
- Quality tools (like frequency charts, pareto analysis, control chart etc) in analyzing the customer survey results.
This case is suggested for use in courses on Services Marketing and Quality Management .
Keywords: Indian Telecom Industry, Marketing Strategy, DMAIC Methodology, Quality tools, Customer Loyalty & Customer Satisfaction.
