BUSINESS UPDATES

Kraft Foods Inc. Observes Consumer Behavior as Prices Soar in the US

© 2008 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic or mechanical— without permission. To order copies, call +91-40-2343-0462/63 or write to the ICMR,Plot #49, Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India or e-mail: info@icmrindia.org. Website: www.icmrindia.org

Viagra in India : Competing Against Multiple Cost-based Competitors and Counterfeits

© 2008 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic or mechanical— without permission. To order copies, call +91-40-2343-0462/63 or write to the ICMR,Plot #49, Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India or e-mail: info@icmrindia.org. Website: www.icmrindia.org

CEAT : "Raising the Bar" with a New Logo

© 2008 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic or mechanical— without permission. To order copies, call +91-40-2343-0462/63 or write to the ICMR,Plot #49, Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India or e-mail: info@icmrindia.org. Website: www.icmrindia.org

CASE IN FOCUS

The Nordic Economic Model

-- Sachin Govind and S S George

The Nordic economic model, characterized by market-based economies and generous welfare systems, seemed to be working well, with the countries in the region figuring at the top of various lists that ranked countries on the basis of human development, per capita income, economic freedom, etc. The case discusses the history of the Nordic economies over the years. It then explains the main features of the Nordic economic model and goes on to examine some of the reasons behind the global competitiveness of the Nordic economies. The case also recounts some challenges that these countries face as well as the criticisms of the welfare model adopted by these countries. The case ends with a brief discussion on the outlook for these countries.

© 2008 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org

Collective Bargaining : The General Motors-United Auto Workers Deal

-- Hadiya Faheem and Debapratim Purkayastha

This case is about the collective bargaining agreement between one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers, General Motors Corporation (GM), and the United Auto Workers (UAW) in late 2007. The agreement, which a number of experts have termed as `historic', was the result of a very complex bargaining process. GM, which dominated the US market till 1980, with a market share of 46%, saw its market share decline steadily after the entry of Japanese competitors. In addition to issues relating to its products and marketing, GM's fortunes were severely affected with underfunded pension liabilities, rising employee and retiree healthcare costs, and a decreasing market share in the US automobile market. The company's US market share fell to less than 25% in 2006. In 2007, GM inked a new labor contract with UAW which, analysts felt, would change the competitive landscape of the US auto industry and go a long way in ensuring GM's survival. Analysts felt that the deal also showed the changing role of the labor union in the 21st century.

© 2008 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org

Azim Hasham Premji's Value-based Leadership

-- Manasi Pawar and Vivek Gupta

In July 2007, BusinessWeek nominated Azim Hasham Premji (Premji), the Chairman of Wipro, as one of the top 30 all-time great entrepreneurs in the world. The case discusses the leadership qualities of Premji. Under his leadership, Wipro, a small vegetable oil company in the mid-1960s, was transformed into one of the leading IT services company by the early 2000s. Premji had established a strong value system in Wipro and believed that values not only helped in achieving success but also made that success more enduring and lasting. The case discusses in detail the leadership initiatives taken up in Wipro in order to develop leaders within the organization. It also discusses Premji's contribution for the benefit of society. He had established Azim Premji Foundation (APF), a not-for-profit organization, in January 2001. The foundation made efforts to improve the quality of education in schools.

© 2007 ICMR. All Rights Reserved. For accessing and procuring the case study, log on to www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk or www.icmrindia.org