The Dialectics of Engaging the BOP through Microfranchising: Evidence from a Mexican Agribusiness

Microfranchising is emerging as a potentially powerful strategy for reaching the enormous markets at the base of the pyramid (BOP). Microfranchising also represents an effective and sustainable way to contribute to poverty alleviation and economic growth. However, we know little about how organizations maneuver contradictory forces as they use this innovative business model to engage the BOP. To address this gap, I offer a longitudinal case study of an emerging microfranchise effort by a successful Mexican agribusiness—one whose ambitions to continue growing were challenged by multinational agrochemicals suppliers. As this project shows, companies and BOP markets can realize mutual benefits from a value co-creation strategy. Specifically, I adopted a dialectical approach to analyze the tensions and competing forces that arose as business managers and local BOP distributors and producers collaborated in this emerging microfranchising venture. As a result, the research offers three contributions. First, it provides a detailed empirical account of how contradictory forces shaped the Mexican agricultural firm’s implementation of microfranchising to engage with BOP farmers. Second, it presents a conceptual synthesis that describes the major contradictory forces a company faces as it implements microfranchising as part of its BOP strategy. Finally, it offers lessons for how business managers can maneuver contradictory forces to co-create value with the BOP through microfranchising

The Role of Marketing Information Systems on Business Firms Competitiveness: Integrated Review Paper from Business Perspective

This review paper point out the role of management information Systems in businesses firms competitive advantage from business perspective. Currently, information systems and technologies are a imperative components of successful and competitive businesses. Information technologies consists of Internet-based information systems are playing a vital and expanding role in enhancing firms economic growth.The experience of organizations' managers needs to be provided with the necessary information to reduce risks and make the most appropriate decisions. Thus, firms turn to information systems for the provision of information as firms asset which supplements decision making and performance of business.For the last three decades, different types of information systems are emerged for different intention, depending on the need of the business firms. In today’s very competitive business world, there are various information systems are emerged such as transaction processing systems (TPS), office automation systems (OAS), managerial information systems (MIS), decision support systems (DSS), and executive information systems (EIS), Expert System (ES) and others that supports decision making at different levels of management. In addition to this, there are several functional business systems which enables functional areas managers to make right decision and support business operation in functional areas of business (marketing, manufacturing and production, human resource, accounting) and cross functional business information livelihood information-processing and decision-making needs of several departments such as Supply chain management systems (SCM), customer relationship management systems (CRM), enterprise resource planning systems (ERP). Each information systems, functional and cross functional systems plays a different role in organizational hierarchy and management operations. To purpose of this review, reviewer collected different information related with marketing/management information system that supports business decision making and enhances firms competitiveness. This review paper study endeavors to explain the role information systems in business organizations competitiveness. Keywords: Business Organ0i0 zation, Competitiveness, Strategic advantage, Information Systems. DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/72-01 Publication date:October 31st 202

Fair Labor Association 2007 Annual Report

Assesses the progress made by companies in the move towards sustainable corporate responsibility in their labor standards. Breaks up data by company

Method to Foster Intelligent Processes Automation into an Organization

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe present dissertation introduces a framework for process automation with the purpose of making them intelligent, in order to increase consistency, optimize execution-time and free workers from low value-added tasks. Foster Intelligent Processes Automation into an Organization is a topic that remains underdeveloped today. Being a relatively recent topic, intelligent process automation may be known as an extension of automated processes “on steroids”. The main objective of this project is to propose a method to find and promote Intelligent Automation to a target process, providing a walkthrough guideline, so organizations can identify, assess, and design a process of converting current processes into intelligent automated processes. In order to evaluate the proposed framework, a case study is presented, and a set of interviews was carried out with two groups: an academic group and a group of agents who manage processes in an organization

The Political Economy of Corporate Governance Change in Bulgaria: Washington Consensus, Primitive Accumulation of Capital, and Catching-Up in the 1990

This study examines three key determinants of corporate governance change in Bulgaria: the Washington Consensus policy, primitive accumulation of capital forces, and 'catching-up' factors. The study reveals that in the early transition (1989-96) primitive capital accumulation prevailed over the Washington Consensus impact on corporate governance transformation while since 1997 Washington Consensus has been in the process of becoming the decisive factor for institutional change. The emerging corporate governance system has been neither Anglo-American (market based) nor bank-based, but rather a 'crony' relationship-based one. The striking features of this system are as follows: (i) a dual enterprise sector, (ii) ownership heterogeneity; (iii) fragile capital markets; (iv) pervasive banks lending behavior; (v) globalization factors discretion. The challenge to policy-makers in Bulgaria is how to design institutions for 'catching-up' that would curb both managerial and globalization factors discretion.

Дослідження системи операційного менеджменту організації, на прикладі Apple Computer, Inc

The object of investigation is the process of managing of operating activities of Apple, Inc. The aim of the work is to formulate theoretical approaches and to develop practical recommendations on directions of improvement of operating management at the organization. Research methods cover methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, detailing, system approach. This master’s research paper analyzes the operational management of Apple, Inc. and provides recommendations for it’s improvement. In particular, the main directions of solving the problems of operational management of the company have been outlined, the proposals on improvement of expansion distribution network and organization of innovative activity of the Apple Inc. have been made.Об'єкт дослідження ‒ процес управління операційною діяльністю компанії Apple, Inc. Мета дослідження - формування теоретичних підходів та розробка практичних рекомендацій щодо напрямів вдосконалення системи операційного менеджменту компанії Apple, Inc. Методи дослідження: методи аналізу, синтезу, порівняння, деталізації, системний підхід. У роботі проведено аналіз операційного менеджменту Apple, Inc., а також викладені рекомендації щодо його вдосконалення. Зокрема, окреслено основні напрями вирішення проблем операційного менеджменту компанії, внесено пропозиції щодо розширення дистриб’юторської мережі, а також вдосконалення організації інноваційної діяльності Apple Inc.Introduction 6 CHAPTER 1 THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT 8 1.1 Meanings and definition of operational management 8 1.2 Principles and methods of operations management 12 1.3 Factors affecting the Operations activity of Apple Inc. company 21 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS 31 2.1 Сompany introduction 31 2.2 SWOT - analysis of Apple Inc. Company 46 2.3 Analysis of operation management at Apple Inc 50 CHAPTER 3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING OF OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT AT THE APPLE INC 63 3.1 The main directions of solving operational management problems of the company 63 3.2 Recommendations concerning improvements of Distribution in the organization 65 3.3 Recommendations concerning improvements of innovative activity at the organization 67 CHAPTER 4 SPECIAL PART 73 4.1 Current trends in the field 73 4.2 Company policy in the market 75 CHAPTER 5 RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS 77 5.1 Statement for recommendations at Company 77 CHAPTER 6 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY AT THE ENTERPRISE 79 6.1 The aim of occupational health 79 6.2 Organization of occupational health and safety at the enterprise 86 CHAPTER 7 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 92 7.1 Environmental issues in the field 92 7.2 Еnvironmental factors 94 Conclusions 96 References 98 Appendices 10

Studies in Trade and Investment: The Development Impact of Information Technology in Trade Facilitation

In Bangladesh, SMEs are very important players in the economy. About 90 per cent of all industrial units in Bangladesh are SMEs, which generate some 25 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), employ about 31 million people and provide 75 per cent of household income. There is no denying that SMEs act as the driver of the economy and are very important for national economic and social development. They serve as employers creating new jobs and providers of products for daily needs. They also act as stewards over employees and the community. However, SMEs in developing and least developed countries face considerable barriers in running their businesses and are often constrained financially and technologically. This includes inadequate and/or complex sets of policies by the respective governments. Such impediments largely contribute to the under-involvement of SMEs in international markets. This is where the nature and extent of SME participation in the global trading system needs to be highlighted. Trade facilitation is thus a crucial factor in providing SMEs with access to global markets.Trade facilitation, ICT, IT, SMEs, international trade, Bangladesh