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The pandemic pushed companies to rethink competitive strategies and the innovation ecosystem structure. Then, we studied four small organizations from different industries through interviews, observations, and documentation. We offer five key findings: First, the crisis affected the cases in distinct ways, benefiting those in the healthcare sector. Second, innovation ecosystems provided opportunities for digitalization to keep businesses running. Third, resilience and initiative from the ecosystem leaders were crucial in responding to the crisis. Fourth, shifts in competition and cooperation favored survival. Lastly, the competitive strategy and ecosystem goals set before the pandemic have not changed, but how to achieve them. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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Research methodology: This case study was prepared through secondary research. The secondary data was collected in electronic format from the internet. Archived data from the company sources as well as other resources available online was used. Financial reporting about Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer) was done using data from the company's annual reports. Case overview/synopsis: This case discusses US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's successful rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla (Bourla). In March 2020, when the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, leaders of pharmaceutical giants worldwide were in no way prepared to find a cure for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. On the other hand, Bourla stood up like a true leader and sought to do something to address the problem. Bourla's huge gamble paid off. In December 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer. Pfizer was ready with 50 million vaccine doses for global distribution. Complexity academic level: This case is intended for use in MBA/MS level programs as part of the curriculum on Effective Leadership and Decision-making, and Crisis Management. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has happened for nearly two years, and all the countries worldwide accept to live with the pandemic. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered a competitive strategy to help businesses gain customers' trust and strengthen their brand image in the long term. Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM) has proven its close relationship with CSR and brand trust with digital platforms. The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship of CSR to brand trust and EWOM in the Vietnamese market during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper applied both the qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative approach is to confirm and adjust the scale, whereas quantitative research aims to find the relationship of CSR to brand trust and EWOM. The result indicated that CSR has a closed relationship with brand trust and EWOM and the impact of responsibility towards consumers to CSR is the most robust influencing relationship. The study has proposed recommendations to improve and develop CSR for Vietnamese enterprises. © 2022 IEEE.
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Learning outcomes: The learning outcomes are as follows: to understand and examine the strategies that help platforms fight competition and manage networks;to analyse the role of platform governance in the management of the networks and partners’ trust;and to evaluate the strategic risks of disintermediation and multi-homing firms face while trying to sustain profits and capture value. Case overview/synopsis: The case presents the dilemma faced by Deepinder Goyal, the young founder and CEO of Zomato in formulating the growth strategy for its food delivery platform, struggling to retain its market leadership position amid intensifying competition and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zomato has become a public company with an IPO announced in mid of July 2021. Therefore, there is growing expectation for profitability among its shareholders and investors considering tailwinds of COVID-19 crisis, which have given the push towards adoption of food delivery among the customers. This has also resulted in increased competition in the industry. On other hand, there is growing dissatisfaction among its restaurant partners who have been hit hard by COVID-19 and struggling for survival. CEO Deepinder has to find how he will ensure the long-term growth for Zomato to tap the growing food delivery market in India and regain its restaurant partner’s trust. Complexity Academic Level: The case is intended for post-graduate courses (MBA, PGDM) on digital business strategy or strategic management of technology-oriented businesses. The case can be used to understand the nature of competition and different strategies for platform-based businesses in the digital world. The case can also be used to study the role governance can play in efficient value creation and capture on the platform by the partner entities. Finally, the case also highlights how are platform businesses are coping with the Covid challenge. There are no specific prerequisites but knowledge on basic strategy concepts and platform business concepts will be good for better understanding. Level of difficulty is medium. Supplementary materials: Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code: CSS 11: Strategy. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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This research paper has the main objective to study a generic strategy proposed by Porter. In addition, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each of these strategies for the company. The analysis for the application of the strategy was carried out in the food industry sector, namely Shake Shack, Inc. The study was conducted based on secondary data obtained from articles, journals, research reports and company websites. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the Shake Shack implementation differentiation strategy rather than cost leadership and focus strategy. However, with the covid-19 pandemic this strategy will affect the sales results of the Shake Shack in 2020. Therefore, an increase in the cost leadership strategy needs to be considered as a shake shack strategy in the future. © IEOM Society International.
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Supply chain disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic led to the weakening of many organizations and supply chains globally, including the automotive industry supply chains such as the biggest automotive spare parts company in Indonesia. This paper aims to analyze the strategic adaptation of automotive spare parts manufacturers in Indonesia to maintain the Company's business continuity during Covid-19 pandemic and examine the influence of the strategy applied by the company on profitability. We analyze that the company is always chasing cost leadership in its strategic action since before and during the covid-19 pandemic. To improve financial performance during the economic crises, the company has employed some strategies such as market development strategy, product diversification strategy, operating expenses controlling, and wiser financial management. © IEOM Society International.
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More than 150 million people have been infected with COVID-19 (covid19.go.id 2021), which has affected day-to-day life and is slowing down the global economy (Haleem et al. 2020), including the challenges of business sustainability, especially Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs). The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of competitive strategies application on company profitability. Will it maintain the company's old strategy? Through observations, Tatuis's profitability and operation are generally good due to its accurate competitive strategic positioning. With the company's agility and ability to see opportunities, changing competitive strategies to increase profits. Therefore, this preparation of this paper would like to clarify the concepts of fair, competitive strategy that have a positive effect on the company profitability. At the same time, this paper puts forward some views on implementing the strategy for the Tatuis that take as the typical one to implement the cost leadership strategy while retaining its differentiation strategy. In addition, this paper also provides broader and more precise information, providing new ways for companies to get through times of crisis on how companies should respond to concerns such as COVID-19 at the level of a competitive strategy. © IEOM Society International.
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Purpose: This paper aims at understanding how companies in the agri-food are reconfiguring their competitive strategies to face the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Literature has focused mainly on the effect of the pandemic on the supply chain or in its value chain but little has been said on the competitive strategies adopted to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted on Italian companies operating in the agri-food industry from May to September 2020, following a mixed method approach. First, a focus group with experts in competitive strategy and agri-food industry has been organized to identify the most important challenges that companies are facing. Second, through a structured questionnaire, data from 123 companies operating in the agri-food industry were gathered and analyzed with K-means clustering method. Findings: Four clusters of companies were identified, each implementing different strategies to face the COVID-19 pandemic: “the cost fanatics”, “the brand focused”, “the sales centered” and “the strategists”. Furthermore, it was possible to identify new trends in competitive strategies to increase the added value that the Italian agri-food industry can provide to the customer. Originality/value: The paper answers to the need for an investigation of the competitive strategies that agri-food companies have put in place to face the COVID-19 pandemic;moreover, it provides insights on how companies are adapting themselves to this rapidly changing environment. From a managerial point of view, it gives practitioners and managers useful insights on the different strategies that companies are undertaking to maintain a competitive advantage. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the continuous identification of tangible and intangible strategic resources needed to achieve competitive advantages in uncertain times in Spanish wineries, highlighting the critical value of human capital.Design/methodology/approachBy means of a case study of a Spanish Sherry winery theoretically based on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, the paper focuses on the influence of environmental uncertainty on firms’ strategic resources and the need for in-depth knowledge. Direct participation and experience in the business have allowed access to data for longitudinal exploratory analysis.FindingsHuman capital, especially managers’ knowledge and experience, has been the key to the survival and success of the company analysed, throughout its history.Practical implicationsThe paper guides managers, especially in microenterprises and SMEs, on the inclusion among the firm’s strategic resources of a part of their own human capital that is generally not considered.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the RBV and self-reflection theory by demonstrating the value of human capital in a small family business under extremely uncertain times.