INTERNATIONAL MARKETING Case Study

Coping With Corruption in Trading With China

Corruption is on the rise in China, where the country’s press frequently has detailed cases of, and campaigns to crack down on, corruption. Indeed, China has been rated by Transparency International as #41 of the 52 countries the German organization rates on its “Corruption Perception Index.” Denmark is rated the least corrupt at #1 and Nigeria as the most corrupt at #52. Corruption’s long arm now is reaching out to touch China’s foreign business community. Traders, trade consultants and analysts have said that foreign firms are vulnerable to a variety of corrupt practices. While some of these firms said they had no experience with corruption in the PRC (People’s Republic of China), the majority said they increasingly were asked to make payments to improve business; engage in black-market trade of import and export licenses; bribe officials to push goods through customs or the Commodity Inspection Bureau (CIB); or engage in collusion to beat the system. The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption reports that outright bribes as well as gift or payment to establish guanxi or “connection,” average in the PRC 3 to 5 percent of operating costs, or $3 billion to $5 billion of the $100 billion of foreign investment that have been made there. The most common corrupt practices confronting foreign companies in China are examined below. Paying to Improve Business. Foreign traders make several types of payments to facilitate sales in China. The most common method? Trips abroad. Chinese officials, who rarely have a chance to visit overseas, often prefer foreign travel to cash or gifts. (This was especially true when few PRC officials had been abroad.) As a result, traders report that dangling foreign trips in front of their PRC clients has become a regular part of negotiating large trade deals that involve products with a technological component. “Foreign travel is always the first inducement we offer,” said an executive involved in machinery trade. In most cases, traders built these costs into the product’s sale price. Some trips are “reasonable and bona fide expenditures directly related to the promotion, demonstration or explanation of products and services or the execution of a contract with a foreign government agency.” But other trips, when officials on foreign junkets are offered large per diems and are not invited specifically to gain technical knowledge, may be another matter. Foreign travel is not always an inducement – it also can be extorted: In one case, a PRC bank branch refused to issue a letter of credit (L/C) for a machinery import deal. The Chinese customer suggested that the foreign trader invite the bank official on an oversea inspection tour. Once the invitation was extended, the bank issued the L/C. Angling for Cash. Multinational companies (MNCs) also are asked sometimes to sponsor oversea education for children of trading officials. One person told a Chinese source that an MNC paid for his/her United States (U.S.) $1,500-a-month apartment, as well as a car, university education and expenses. Firms find direct requests for cash payments – undeniably illegal – the most difficult. One well-placed source said that a major traders, eager for buyers in the face of an international market glut, has fallen into regularly paying large kickbacks into the Honduran, U.S. and Swiss accounts of officials at a PRC foreign trade corporation (FTC). 2 | P a g e M K T G 3 4 1 0 / J u n e 2 0 2 0 Refusing to make payment may not only hurt sales, it also can be terrifying. A U.S. firm was one of several bidders for a large sales; a Chinese official demanded the MNC pay a 3 percent kickback. When the company representative refused, the official threatened: “You had better not say anything about this. You still have to do business in China and stay in hotels here.” Not surprisingly, the U.S. company lost the deal. Traders of certain commodities may be tempted to purchase on the black market those import and export licenses that are difficult to obtain legally. A fairly disorganized underground market, for instance, exists for licenses to export China-made garments to the U.S. Some branches of the CIB also have posed problems for some traders. Abuses have emerged in the CIB since it started inspecting imports in 1987. A Japanese company, for instance, informed CIB officials of its intention to bring heavy industrial item into China – items that had met Japanese and U.S. standards. The officials responded that they planned to dismantle the products on arrival for inspection purposes. The problem was resolved only after the firm invited the officials to visit Japan. Some traders get around such problems by purchasing inspection certificates on the black market. According to the press accounts, these forms, complete with signatures and seals, can be bought for roughly U.S. $200. Some claim that, for the appropriate compensation, customs officials in a southern province are most willing to reduce the dutiable value of imports as much as 50 percent. Because the savings can far exceed transport costs, some imports that would logically enter China through a northern port are redirected through the southern province.

Why marketers are so eager to enter the China market even the corruption in the China’s foreign business community is on the rise?

For the appropriate compensation, customs officials in a southern province are most willing to reduce the dutiable value of imports as much as 50 percent. From this statement, what are your comments about the customs and its officials?

Halo University is a private faith-based university with less than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The largest sources of revenue are tuition and donations. In the past ten years, the football team has been wildly successful in a Division I conference. Led by Coach Joe Smith, the team played in bowl games all ten years and finished seven seasons in the top 25 in the AP Poll. University fans are wild with enthusiasm. Game are sold out and university colors are seen everywhere. Most importantly, enrollment and donations have increased by 5% each year for the past 10 years. Although Coach Smith receives a $4.5 million a year salary, university administrators agree he is worth every penny. They are not worried about the current $15 million buyout agreement; they want him to stay as long as possible! Joe Smith grew up in the city where Halo is located. He played high school football before becoming a student and player at Halo. After college, Joe played professional football for three years. An injury sidelined him from the game, so Joe decided to coach. Joe served as an assistant coach for another university for four years until his alma mater offered him the Head Coach position. He has been loved by the university community. Everyone knew that he would do an excellent job.

On July 5, the president of the university received a phone call from the state police department. Coach Smith’s home was robbed in the middle of the night. Coach Smith was fine but sent to the hospital for observation. The president immediately went to talk to Coach. Coach Smith assured the president that he was fine and was thankful that no one else was at home at the time of the home invasion. Coach’s wife and three children were on vacation that week. The next day, the president and the coach held a press conference to assure everyone that the Coach suffered only minor scrapes and bruises and that no one else was home at the time of the robbery.

On July 10, television reporters announced that Coach Smith was in fact not home alone at the time of the invasion. A woman named Kaitlyn Anderson was there with him. She hid in the closet during the robbery. She left the home prior to Coach Smith calling the police in an attempt to stay out of the press. Although she did not incur any physical injuries, she was experiencing severe emotional distress from the robbery. The reporters also revealed that the coach and Kaitlyn were having an affair for over two years. A former graduate assistant in the Halo athletic office, Kaitlyn recently completed her Master of Accountancy degree, passed the CPA , and is interviewing for a jobs at public accounting firms. The university formed an Ad Hoc Disciplinary Committee to address the issue. Members of the committee included the university president, the vice president of accounting and finance (who is a CPA), the human resource director, marketing and communications director, athletic director, and legal counsel.

1. What are the relevant facts of the case? Be sure to identify the problem.

          Halo is a small university (with 10,000 undergraduate and graduate student)

2. Governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations have their own Codes of Professional Conduct and/or Codes of Ethical Conduct, many of which can be viewed online. Select an actual faith-based private university and examine its Code of Conduct. Assume that Halo University has a code of conduct similar to the one you selected.

a. What parts of the code should the Ad Hoc Committee consider when making its decision about the ethical issue? (Identify the university your chose for your code of conduct in your answer and provide a link to the code.)

b. Does the Vice President of Accounting and Finance have additional professional obligations due to his CPA designation and position at the university? If so, what are the additional obligations? (Do CPAs have their own code of conduct?) c. What personal obligations, if any, should the committee members consider?

3. Who are the affected parties (stakeholders)? Be sure your answer includes any relevant stakeholders who are not specifically mentioned in the case.

4. What are the potential options and courses of action the ad hoc committee might pursue? List the potential ethical and/or practical ramifications for each option. In your answer, consider the points of view of the stakeholders you identified.

5. What do you think should be done in this situation?

Accounting Questions

1. What set of generally accepted accounting principles does Halo University likely follow? What are the potential financial effects of this situation and of the possible courses of action?

2. Budgeting and control are essential to not-for-profit organizations.

a. What are the key purposes of operating budgets?

b. How do operating budgets of non-governmental not-for-profit entities differ from budgets of for-profit entities? from governmental entities?

c. In this case, how might the present situation and different courses of action affect the present and future operating budgets?

Professional Development Questions

1. Kaitlyn has passed the CPA and will apply to be a CPA when she completes one year of work. What effects, if any, do you think the enormous media coverage of this situation will have on

a. Kaitlyn’s job prospects?

b. Kaitlyn’s likelihood of becoming a CPA? (Could she be denied a license because of her actions related to this case?)

2. Is media, including social media, a concern for all individuals who are interviewing? Explain. What actions should students take concerning their social media prior to a professional job search?

Based on article below, Which distribution channel structure was adopted by IKEA in Russia? Please provide evidence to support your answer.

(word limit: 250)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, lKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

Based on article below, What internal and external factors impacted the pricing decisions of IKEA in the Russian market?

(word limit: 250)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, lKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

Based on Article below,Discuss the promotion mix for IKEA in Russia and its effectiveness. How would you improve it?

(word limit: 300)

IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with around 340 stores in 40 countries, selling a range of some 10’000 articles and having more than 150’000 employees. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in Småland, a province in Southern Sweden where people are renowned for working hard, being thrifty and innovative, and achieving big results with small means. Today, the IKEA group is controlled by a private foundation and the company is thus not on the stock market. Ingvar Komprad’s innovative idea was to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect the quality of products. This is a prominent philosophy at IKEA, which is now realizing its ambitious plans in Russia. IKEA opened its first store in Moscow, Khimki, in March 2000, followed by one more in Moscow in 2001, one in St Petersburg in 2003, and one in Kazan in March 2004. In 2012, IKEA had 14 stores in Russia and some of them in distant places such as Novosibirsk (2007) and the newest ones in Ufa (2011) and Samara (2012). All Russian operations are controlled as fully owned ventures by the IKEA group. IKEA is characterized by a strong brand based on its vision to create a better everyday life for many people. A set of explicit values is linked to the vision and plays a guiding principle in the strategy development. The values are the foundation of a culture called internally the ‘IKEA Way’, which is an expression of lKEA's history, the product range, the distribution system, the management style, the human resource idea, etc. Brand and cultural values coincide and affect the strategy, organizational processes product development and customer relationship. Thus the key value of cost-consciousness that lies at the heart of IKEA's flat-package concept dictates the necessity of global sourcing, define the customer relationship where 'IKEA does a half and customers do a half' and guides the product design, choice of material and logistics. The value of simplicity is reflected in the fast planning process, behaviours and routine governed by common sense, straightforward relationships with suppliers and customer as well as in the product development process. By linking vision and values, IKEA thus create a firm platform for entering a new market. In each new market lKEA enters it must recreate its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and extensive cultural education that was implemented by the team of experienced IKEA people. It was the overall company vision that guided the desire to establish business in Russia; most particularly, the impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. However, knowledge of the Russian market when IKEA initially decided to open its first store in Moscow was very scarce. No special market research was carried out before setting up the store. IKEA’s basic strategy is to neither adjust the style of products to local needs nor follow the competitors’ products development was central as the cornerstone in preserving the IKEA concept and image: ‘The range is supposed to be IKEA – unique and typical IKEA’. All products are divided into four major categories or styles – Scandinavian, Country, Modern, and Young Swede – which are clearly distinguished in all business areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasis the modern style, which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and fresh for the Russian customers because it symbolizes change. An important factor in the market approach was to identify needs that are not fully recognized and to teach customers what IKEA is about. IKEA's retail proposition is based to a large extent on its Swedish roots and history, which is, in turn, very different from Russian traditions. Therefore, learning as much as possible about the local culture and customer needs was considered essential. For example, IKEA made home visits to customers to talk to people, see how they lived and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully acknowledged by customer themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions then provided a basis for the effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. As exemplified by a store manager, the main priority for Russians is normal living costs; then comes the car and TV; and afterwards maybe a trip abroad. The idea of changing people's priorities by explaining to them that a beautiful home does not have to cost a fortune and they can afford both the wardrobe and a trip abroad is an essential leitmotif of the marketing campaigns in Russia. The importance of aligning the IKEA concept with the desired image was critical from the very beginning. The intention was to build an image with a low price brand that also guaranteed attractive and modern products of good quality. To achieve this, IKEA has faced many challenges such as: high customs fees; the requirement to purchase more from the local producers; difficulties in finding and developing suppliers in Russia; still low buying-power of Russian customers etc. For IKEA, it was critical to associate the low price with the desired significance. An increased capacity and bigger volumes by the Russian suppliers will allow the company to cut costs and reduce prices in Russia as well as to export the Russian made furniture to its other markets. As a matter of fact, IKEA prices are still very high for many ordinary Russians. For example, even in St Petersburg, the second-largest city, shopping power is, according to different estimate, 30 to 50 per cent lower than in Moscow, where an average purchase value equals that in Stockholm. But for Russian customers low price was very strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality, and one challenge has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offer good product at low prices. Therefore, it has also been an ambition to provide the Russian market with the best and most attractive IKEA products. Marketing communications became an important tool in creating the right image of IKEA in Russia. The ways to communicate the image were many: the outdoor product ads (price), image ads in the glossy magazine, TV (though IKEA has used this very restrictively due to high cost), and articles in the newspapers (press coverage has become very broad and quite positive towards the IKEA culture and philosophy). Another very important communication means in Russia is the buzz network or word-of mouth communication that works very effectively. In addition, IKEA had an open and friendly approach towards Russian journalists. This was in sharp contrast to most other large organizations. IKEA was completely open to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organizing press trips to Älmhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia became much more positive. In the spring of 2009 IKEA thus had 11 stores operating in Russia. Most of these locations were mega mall shopping complex operated by IKEA. The shopping complex at the Tyoplyi Stan site in Moscow for example accommodate around 210,000 square meters of retail space and 240 retail outlets. The mega malls were treated as a separate business, and were an addition to IKEA's core concept. Normally, IKEA does not manage or develop shopping centres but this was considered necessary in Russia due to its lack of an existing structure of large branded stores and external as well as central shopping centres of a Western kind. Previously, many Russians have shopped for furniture as well as other products in outdoor markets or at smaller, local stores. From IKEA’s perspective developing a whole mega mall was part of attracting Russian customers to the stores. As a whole, IKEA has made substantial investments in Russia, and turnover is increasing rapidly. However, a major principle has been that monetary returns are needed to back up further expansion: ‘As soon as we make a profit, I can see at least ten years ahead when we will need all the money that is generated in Russia. So, the day when we will start to take out profit from Russia and use it in other countries is perhaps 15 years away'.

Which Shackleton leadership principles can be clearly identified in the Malden Mills story?

An example of Shackleton’s Leadership skills is presented in Dennis N.T. Perkins's book, “Leading at the Edge”. Mr. Perkins tells the story of a commander and how he followed the Shackleton Leadership Skills during his trying time as the president of a company on the verge of collapse. The "commander" was Aaron Feuerstein, president of Malden Mills Industries, a textile company that manufactures Polarfleece and Polartec. In 1995 the sales for Polartec were more than $200 million and the demand for Malden Mills' product was continually increasing.

On a cold night in December 1995, three of Malden Mills' four plants erupted into fire, and the 40-mile-per-hour winds that night were threatening to engulf the fourth plant. That night Mr. Feuerstein was quoted as saying, "Whatever technical progress we had made was in those buildings, and whatever specialty processes we had developed were in those buildings." Presented with the question of how Malden Mills would be able to stay in business with the fire burning in three of the buildings and the fourth on the verge, Mr. Feuerstein responded with an unrelenting desire to save his business and the jobs of his 3,100 employees.

He realized that the only chance he had in saving his business relied on the ability to save the fourth building. If the fourth building were saved, it would provide a basis on which to rebuild the company. Mr. Feuerstein instructed his employees, "Do anything you need to do, just save that building." He later recalled, "They were in that building all night, and they saved it, and therefore the company, from certain destruction." [Malden Mills] began as a place where senior executives had their offices in the same buildings and on the same floor as the manufacturing equipment, where managers had to yield to fork trucks as they went to meetings. This was the way the Feuerstein family wanted the mill to work. The family members didn't want their managers to ever forget what their work was truly about.

To stop the fire and overcome the many obstacles that remained during the long journey of rebuilding the company, Mr. Feuerstein had to implement many of the Shackleton Leadership Skills. He never lost sight of the ultimate goal: to save the company. He also focused his energy on the short-term objectives: saving the fourth building. By focusing on the short-term objectives, Mr. Feuerstein saved the building and was able to salvage a base on which to rebuild the business.

One of the next challenges encountered was to prevent his employees from becoming discouraged about the company's ability to recover. To meet this challenge, Mr. Feuerstein reinforced the team message constantly: "We are one—we live or die together."   The story of Malden Mills has focused on Aaron Feuerstein, and how he eschewed the option of taking the insurance money and running overseas. Instead, the third-generation owner opted to pay 1,400 displaced employees for three months, extend their health benefits for nine months and rebuild the plant—all at a personal cost of $15 million. Feuerstein did not throw his money away. It was not generosity, but a well-reasoned and sound leadership decision to invest millions in Malden Mills’ most critical asset-its workers. Nevertheless, Feuerstein's vow to rebuild Malden sounded the trumpet. Meanwhile, HR shifted into high gear with a Crisis Team—the foundation of which was actually laid before the fire. The team met daily to discuss the status of those injured, to assess the immediate needs of Malden employees, to set up a communications and workers' training center, to call upon community resources.

A third challenge was to overcome the risk of losing customers if Malden Mills was not fully operational in time to meet the winter demand. To satisfy the customers, Mr. Feuerstein had to instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality. He called his customers and assured them that he could be in production in 30 days. Through sheer willpower, and strengthened by the renewed confidence of Mr. Feuerstein, the production crew made the first test run of Polartec within 10 days of the fire. Although there were still tremendous challenges ahead, this symbolic event caused the workers to believe that they might achieve their goals.     A series of operational moves also were enacted to keep production going. Dyeing and printing were farmed out to other textile companies in Massachusetts and the South. Equipment, designated for the company's German operations in Goerlitz, was brought to the States.

By the end of December, Malden Mills was producing at 20 percent of normal output, even though the fire had destroyed 75 percent of Malden Mill's operations. By the end of February, Malden Mills was producing at 90 percent of pre-fire levels.

In the following months, Mr. Feuerstein encountered many more challenges. These ranged from the insurance companies' unwillingness to pay the claims that deprived Malden Mills of its need for cash, to the emergence of a number of new fleece manufacturers. Despite these setbacks, he refused to give up. Just over one year after the fire, an investigation cleared Malden Mills of any negligence, and the insurance companies slowly paid the remaining millions due to the company. By early 1997 Malden Mills began to reach pre-fire revenues.

Reflecting on the disastrous experience, Mr. Feuerstein stated, "You're out there all alone in the world, and in the last analysis you've got to do something. In those situations, I stand forward, and I do what needs to be done." Feuerstein says the tremendous amount of change in the past few years makes me once again recognize HR's strength and courage. At Malden Mills, we have self-confidence to change without fear.

Conclusion

Understanding Shackleton's lesson is your first step to improving your leadership skills. Implementing "Shackleton's Way" will take time, but will reap rewards. There are likely to be bumps along the road that you will need to maneuver past and overcome. However, the rewards of employing leadership throughout the claims process are plentiful. You will create teams across your company that will work together, and you will enhance the claim information available by having greater accountability. Finally, you will have a sense of accomplishment and closure as you command the oversight of the many stages of recovery.

Be firm in your vision and understanding with your team. Remember the traits of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Challenge yourself and you will raise the bar for others and even surprise yourself. The key is to take an active role in the claims process and in leading your team.

Between 1988 and 1990 three $150 million amusement parks opened in France. By 1991 two of them were bankrupt and the third was doing poorly. Despite this, the Walt Disney Company went ahead with a plan to open Europe’s first Disneyland in 1992. Far from being concerned about the theme park doing well, Disney executives were worried that Euro Disneyland would be too small to handle the giant crowds. The $4.4 billion project was to be located on 5,000 acres in Seine-et-Marne 20 miles east of Paris. And the city seemed to be an excellent location; there were 17 million people within a two-hour drive of Euro Disneyland, 41 million within a four-hour drive, and 109 million within six hours of the park. This included people from seven countries: France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Britain. Disney officials were optimistic about the project. Their US parks, Disneyland and Disneyworld, were extremely successful, and Tokyo Disneyland was so popular that on some days it could not accommodate the large number of visitors. Simply put, the company was making a great deal of money from its parks. However, the Tokyo park was franchised to others—and Disney management felt that it had given up too much profit with this arrangement. This would not be the case at Euro Disneyland. The company’s share of the venture was to be 49 per cent for which it would put up $160 million. Other investors put in $1.2 billion, the French government provided a low-interest $900 million loan, banks loaned the business $1.6 billion, and the remaining $400 million was to come from special partnerships formed to buy properties and to lease them back. For its investment and management of the operation, the Walt Disney Company was to receive 10 per cent of Euro Disney’s admission fees, 5 per cent of food and merchandise revenues, and 49 per cent of all profits. The location of the amusement park was thoroughly researched. The number of people who could be attracted to various locations throughout Europe and the amount of money they were likely to spend during a visit to the park were carefully calculated. In the end, France and Spain had proved to offer the best locations. Both countries were well aware of the park’s capability for creating jobs and stimulating their economy. As a result, each actively wooed the company. In addition to offering a central location in the heart of Europe, France was prepared to provide considerable financial incentives. Among other things, the French government promised to build a train line to connect the amusement park to the European train system. Thus, after carefully comparing the advantages offered by both countries, France was chosen as the site for the park. At first things appeared to be off to a roaring start. Unfortunately, by the time the park was ready to open, a number of problems had developed, and some of these had a very dampening effect on early operations. One was the concern of some French people that Euro Disney was nothing more than a transplanting of Disneyland into Europe. In their view the park did not fit into the local culture, and some of the French press accused Disney of “cultural imperialism.” Others objected to the fact that the French government, as promised in the contract, had expropriated the necessary land and sold it without profit to the Euro Disneyland development people. Signs reading “Don’t gnaw away our national wealth” and “Disney go home” began appearing along roadways. These negative feelings may well have accounted for the fact that on opening day only 50,000 visitors showed up, in contrast to the 500,000 that were expected. Soon thereafter, operations at the park came under criticism from both visitors and employees. Many visitors were upset about the high prices. In the case of British tourists, for example, because of the Franc exchange rate, it was cheaper for them to go to Florida than to Euro Disney. In the case of employees, many of them objected to the pay rates and the working conditions. They also raised concerns about a variety of company policies ranging from personal grooming to having to speak English in meetings, even if most people in attendance spoke French. Within the first month 3,000 employees quit. Some of the other operating problems were a result of Disney’s previous experiences. In the United States, for example, liquor was not sold outside of the hotels or specific areas. The general park was kept alcohol free, including the restaurants, in order to maintain a family atmosphere. In Japan, this policy was accepted and worked very well. However, Europeans were used to having outings with alcoholic beverages. As a result of these types of problems, Euro Disney soon ran into financial problems. In 1994, after three years of heavy losses, the operation was in such bad shape that some people were predicting that the park would close. However, a variety of developments saved the operation. For one thing, a major investor purchased 24.6 per cent (reducing Disney’s share to 39 per cent) of the company, injecting $500 million of much needed cash. Additionally, Disney waived its royalty fees and worked out a new loan repayment plan with the banks, and new shares were issued. These measures allowed Euro Disney to buy time while it restructured its marketing and general policies to fit the European market. In October 1994, Euro Disney officially changed its name to “Disneyland Paris.” This made the park more French and permitted it to capitalize on the romanticism that the word “Paris” conveys. Most importantly, the new name allowed for a new beginning, disassociating the park from the failure of Euro Disney. This was accompanied with measures designed to remedy past failures. The park changed its most offensive labor rules, reduced prices, and began being more culturally conscious. Among other things, alcohol beverages were now allowed to be served just about anywhere. The company also began making the park more appealing to local visitors by giving it a “European” focus. Ninety-two per cent of the park’s visitors are from eight nearby European countries. Disney Tomorrowland, with its dated images of the space age, was jettisoned entirely and replaced by a gleaming brass and wood complex called Discovery land, which was based on themes of Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci. In Disneyland food services were designed to reflect the fable’s country of origin: Pinocchio’s facility served German food, Cinderella’s had French offerings, and at Bella Notte’s the cuisine was Italian. The company also shot a 360-degree movie about French culture and showed it in the “Visionarium” exhibit. These changes were designed to draw more visitors, and they seemed to have worked. Disneyland Paris reported a slight profit in 1996, and the park continued to make a modest profit through to the early 2000s. In 2002 and 2003, the company was once again making losses, and new deals had to be worked out with creditors. This time, however, it wasn’t insensitivity to local customs but a slump in the travel and tourism industry, strikes and stoppages in France, and an economic downturn in many of the surrounding markets.

1. What is Walt Disney Company shown as multinational enterprises (MNE) characteristics?
2. Disney instead of licensing some other firm to build and operate the park and settling for a royalty, it takes wholly ownership strategy in the firm, why?
3. Are Walt Disney and Euro Disney indicate the same strategy of MNE?
4. Before going ahead with Euro Disney, was there an external environmental analysis from Disney? Clarify.
5. total answer must be 800 words

Convenient Food Markets (CFM) is a chain of more than 100 convenience stores. The company has faced increasing competition over the past several years, mainly because department store chains have been adding grocery departments and gas stations have been adding full-service convenience stores to their locations. As a consequence, the company has lost market share recently to competitors. The company has set a target minimum rate of return for its stores of 22%.

John Nicholson is the district manager of the 17 CFM stores in Bailingham. Nicholson’s district happens to include the original store, the first in the CFM chain, which opened more than 40 years ago. In fact, Nicholson’s first summer job was as a stock boy at the original store in the year that it opened. After university, he returned to CFM as a store manager, has worked his way up to district manager, and plans to retire in about five years.

CFM leases store buildings, investing significantly in the interior design, display, and decoration. The original CFM store remains profitable, in part because the fixtures and fittings are almost fully depreciated. While the company has invested in significant leasehold improvements in other newer stores, little has changed in the original store since opening day. While Nicholson has a sense of nostalgia for the original store, in reality, sales volumes have been falling and foot traffic has declined significantly in recent years. Fewer people are moving to the neighbourhood, as more and more people are moving to the suburbs.

All 17 stores in the district report to Nicholson, who is evaluated on the basis of average ROI for the stores in his district. For this calculation, the net book value of investment in furnishings and fixtures Page 504represents the operating assets of each of the stores. Operating income after depreciation on leasehold improvements represents the numerator for this calculation.

Nicholson is considering a proposal from a developer to open a new store in a newly developed residential neighbourhood. The developer has completed about 60% of the new homes planned for this neighbourhood and will complete the other 40% within the next 18 months. Due to limited capital to invest, Nicholson realizes that opening the new store would mean closing down an old store, and the original store seems to be the best candidate. To aid in his decision, Nicholson has collected the following information:

Required:

1.Calculate the ROI and residual income for both the original store and the new store.

2.Take on the role of an internal auditor at CFM. Assume that your task is to evaluate the effectiveness of the performance evaluation system for CFM district managers. In this capacity, write a short memo to the CFO of CFM to discuss your findings. In the memo, you should indicate whether you believe Nicholson will want to open thenew store, whether your analysis indicates that Nicholson should open the new store, and why or why not. You should also include your observations about the effect of the performance evaluation system on the decisions made by CFM district managers and what might be done to improve it.