Case study research for business

Case Study Research for Business

Jillian Farquhar

This book is a vital addition to the LRC. Designed for business and management students. It covers definitions about what is meant by case study research as well as chapters of collecting, managing and analysing data.

Textile Manufacture in the UK

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tutor2u.net/.../manufacturing/textiles.htm

It was Fashion student who this week asked me in the Park Square LRC to help find some information on the decline of the British textile industry. It was an unusual request because the student wanted to look at this topic over a long period, and not just the state of the industry now.

There were several articles on Business Source Premier, but in a way these were a little too detailed. Newsbank database was better for this purpose. Many of the Financial Times stories included a historical overview of the topic.

Here are a couple of facts which charted the decline :
(a) As long ago as 1990 one hundred jobs were lost each day in the UK textile industry
(b) Compare this with the 1900's when 25% of the world's textile trade was UK based

My keywords "textile industry", decline and britain ( in three separate search boxes )

Me in a Suit ( Made in Britain )

Well fancy that, with a family wedding coming up I've managed to squeeze into my suit. I last wore this to Chris Whitfield's wedding over 2 years ago. Chris is another of the academic liaison librarians here at Luton.

Even more surprises were in store when we found out that not only the suit but also Kathy's wedding outfit were made in the UK. In fact the dress which Kathy ordered online was made right here in Luton ( by Alexon Brands Limited ). It's hung up behind me in the photograph. Alexon - Eastex based in Guildford Street seems to be prospering quite nicely, and is one of the town's oldest firms.

Needing only a posh hat now we ended up in a shop which stoked boaters also made in Luton ( by the Olney Hat Company )Hardly suitable for a wedding though.

Who says UK manufacturing is dead !

Rebranding Unilever...

For those of you doing the Project on Rebranding Unilever, don't forget the Key Note Company Information which will tell you a little about the company's very varied portfolio :

Health care products, ice cream, tea, and cleaning materials !

You are never far from a Unilever brand such as Magnum, Cornetto, PG Tips, Knorr Soup ( once their best selling brand ) or Surf Washing Powder.

The Biz-Ed Database also has a good case study on Unilever.

Do they still sell CD's ?

Having heard that HMV is struggling I was surprised to find a new branch in Bedford ( see left ). In fact it's just relocated down the High Street.

Rack upon rack of games and dvd's, but very few CD's on display. Sales of discs must be at an all time low as more music is downloaded.

How on earth will I spend my birthday vouchers ?

Wonder of Woollies

Hearing a programme on Radio 4 the other day reminded me that a good measure of the current state of the UK economy might be the number of unoccupied Woolworths stores.

The store in Bedford (pictured) is still empty. In Luton M & S moved into the former Woolworth store well before the collapse.

In my home town of Sleaford ( Lincs ) a company called Yorkshire Trading Company seems to be doing brisk business. It's a bit like Wilko's....

Business Review

Another excellent source of UK case studies is this quarterly journal. Each 40 page issue is packed with them. The April 2010 issue looks at what has worked, and what has failed for Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Head of easyGroup) Although the journal is really aimed at A Level students you can always follow up your research on other databases such as Key Note and Business Source Premier.

In the meantime here are some 'easy' principles , and what they mean when you climb aboard your flight....

Price Elastic ( fall in price leads to high demand )

No frills ( High fixed costs but these reduced by no meals on the plane, quick turnaround on the runway )

Yield Management System Price changes according to demand. Book your plane early before the price goes up too much !

High Asset Utilisation Large % of seats will be taken on your flight.

Outsourcing to the customer ( Let them print out their own boarding card ).

Mike Sturrock ( Head of Operating Systems at easyJet ) has done some guest lectures at the University recently. These might be worth looking out for in the future.

Sandwiching in CSR

This week's Mary Portas article* looks at the Pret A Manger and EAT chains. These might make useful UK case studies if you are looking at either CSR ( Corporate Social Responsibilty) or e-business / Web 2.0.

Pret is now 24 years old, and has 202 UK outlets ( none in Bedford or Luton ?) Pret's website is full of material on their commitment to charity projects and sustainability. All tuna is pole-and-line caught...

http://www.pret.com/sustainability/

EAT is a smaller company ( 100 UK outlets ) which has a whizzy iPhone application...the charity page is 'coming soon'.

Both chains might be also suitable for comparison with Starbucks and Costa in their business practices....

*Portas, M (2010) Shop! Daily Telegraph Magazine, 15th May p.11