Case Studies

Mission and market A mission statement sets out why an organisation exists. Having a mission statement helps to clarify what the business is trying to...

When a new product is launched, which is subtly different from existing brands and the new arrival is successful this often leads to hectic...

Branding of a product is important for both buyers and sellers. For buyers, branding reduces the random nature of product selection. It helps them...

As an organisation develops a strategy, it is not making short-term decisions. Instead, it is creating a pathway that leads to a long term...

Most large companies produce a variety of goods and services designed to meet consumers' needs and requirements. Consumers' expectations and requirements change over time,...

Pricing is one of the most important decisions made by any business organisation. Economists use the term market clearing price to identify a price...

This case study examines an exciting new product idea from Australia - the Yowie - and shows how it is a good example of...

The NIVEA brand is one of the most recognised skin and beauty care brands in the world. NIVEA creme was first introduced in 1911...

Over recent years many changes have taken place in traditional service organisations. There have been many reasons for these changes. Some have been brought...

Britain relies on rail. The railway is a vital part of Britain’s economy and infrastructure. More people travel by rail now than since the...

Asda is the UK’s second largest supermarket. It was founded in 1949 under the name of Associated Dairies and Farm Group but shortened this...

Tarmac was formed in 1903 as TarMacadam Syndicate Limited. The original name came from the developer of the modern road construction system John MacAdam....

Aldi is a leading retailer with over 8,000 stores worldwide. It continues to expand in Europe, North America and Australia. The Aldi brand is...

Virgin Media was created from the merger of NTL, Telewest and Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile and is a part of Liberty Global plc, the...

UNISON Formed in 1993 when three public sector unions joined together, UNISON is the UK's largest union. The merger created a stronger union voice to...

Internal communications occur between various members and parts of an organisation and, usually, there are several different ways of delivery. Communication is a two-way...

What is insurance? Life is full of risks. Insurance can provide security against some of these risks. For example, motor insurance provides cover for certain...

Harrods is a brand that is recognised all over the world. Its Knightsbridge store has 1 million square feet of selling space with over...

Investment decisions involve weighing up the risk and the likely rewards of various options. It is often the riskiest alternatives that yield the highest...

CIMA is the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Its members are trained and qualified in the vital area of management accountancy. Businesses can only...

The development of a transportation system which links up places both within the UK and across the world has enabled people, goods and services...

Investment decisions involve weighing up the risk and the likely rewards of various options. It is often the riskiest alternatives that yield the highest...

The capital market enables individuals and organisations with spare capital (money which they want to invest) to channel these funds to businesses and other...

This case study examines the importance of futures trading and focuses more specifically on commodity futures trading. The futures market plays a key role...

Limited companies (those owned by shareholders) are required by law to produce Financial Statements. These statements must be published and made available to shareholders...

PricewaterhouseCoopers was created in 1998 by the merger of two firms - Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand - each with historical roots going...

It was the European Commission that first coined the term ‘small and medium enterprise’ (SME) to describe businesses which employ less than 500 workers. This...

Syngenta is one of the world”s largest plant science companies. It is a leader in crop protection - developing products to control weeds, pests...

Lafarge may not be a company name that you would quickly recognise but its products and expertise have helped to create some of the...

Portakabin is an international company. It produces some of the most advanced building systems available. The company is part of the £700 million turnover Shepherd...

Nestlé is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company. It employs around 330,000 people and has 461 factories in 83 countries around the...

The reputation of a business may be affected by what its customers think and say about its products or services. This is driven by...

It is easy to take for granted everyday fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) such as bread. When consumers go to a corner shop or the...

Corus is an international metals company. In 2005 it was the eighth largest steelmaker in the world. The company has an annual turnover of...

Today, a jar of instant coffee can be found in 93 per cent of British homes and increasingly consumers are trying out different types...

We live in a digital age. Music, video, phone calls, information creation and information consumption are all, by and large, done digitally. A huge...

asos.com is the UK's leading online fashion store for women and men. Launched in 2000, the online retailer targets fashion conscious 16-34 year olds....

In order to grow, a business needs to develop competitive advantage. This means that it is different or does things better than its rivals....

Web opportunities By exploiting opportunities offered by both the Internet and intranet, Cummins has pioneered some innovative methods to enhance communications with its employees and...

Anglo American is one of the world’s largest mining companies. The company operates in Africa, Europe, South and North America, Australia and Asia. It...

The changing market for building societies Building societies have a long history of caring for their members. They encourage them to save and help them...

Every year thousands of entrepreneurs decide to set up their own businesses, anticipating great financial rewards. However, over half of new business start-ups fail...

One of the challenges facing every organisation today is how to make best use of its limited resources. In any aspect of business, there...

Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL) is the world's largest independently owned Forgemaster. The Company’s origins date back to the 1750’s, but it was Edward Vickers, a traditional...

CIMA is the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. It supports over 164,000 members and students in 161 countries.  CIMA works with some of the...

Suppose that every person in the world were to demand goods and services in the same quantities as people in western industrialised nations demand...

The importance of ethics in business Ethics concern an individual's moral judgements about right and wrong. Decisions taken within an organisation may be made by...

Lubricating oil is the vital component of every internal combustion engine. From a small passenger vehicle to a Formula 1 racing car, from a...

The first decade of the 21st century has been a rollercoaster ride for economic activity. Business confidence was high at the start of the...

The purpose of competition policy Competition is an essential element in the efficient working of markets. It brings important benefits to the consumer by: encouraging enterprise,...

Gas is the carefully controlled source of nearly half of the country’s energy needs. And most of that gas is transported safely and reliably...

After the Second World War, the British welfare state was further strengthened. The welfare programme offered citizens an education, an opportunity to find a...

Vodafone is a leading international mobile communications company with interests in 27 countries and partnership agreements with a further 40 countries, including Safaricom in...

This case study focuses on the HSBC Group, which, as one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, is able...