(3) Case Study Report
Case Study Report
Harshitha G 2131366
English and Cultural Studies Department, CHRIST (Deemed to Be University)
ENG422: Professional Communication- II
Kishore Selva Babu
15 Jan 2023
Executive Summary
The following case study report provides an analysis of the value conflict faced by the business partners of a home baking business with regards to the nature of their packaging of cupcakes. There is a conflict between compostable cupcake liners and cardboards boxes against the regular paper ones argued on either side by the two business partners. The report offers recommendations to resolve the conflict. It identifies the interference of personal values in professional work, the effect of personal relationships on professional decisions and the conflict between pragmatism and idealism in this case. To resolve this, it recommends using the compostable packaging to attract sustainable investors and diversify their business model and research-based evidence to prove the better approach among the business partners.
Introduction
Maria and Sylvia, two undergraduate students, decide to start a home baking business. They plan all the aspects of the business like procurement of raw materials, number of varieties to sell, pricing et cetera. There is a difference of opinion between Maria and Sylvia regarding the sustainability of the packaging. Sylvia wants compostable cupcake liners costing Rs 250 for a pack of 60 liners and cardboard cake boxes costing Rs 56 each, that need not be recycled at all as they are compostable. Maria wants to go with the regular paper cupcake liners costing about Rs 80-100 for 100 liners and regular cardboard cake boxes costing Rs 12 as they don’t have the budget being in their beginning phase of the business. Though Maria believes they can accommodate the sustainable alternatives when their profits increase, Sylvia doesn’t want to postpone it. They need to come to an agreement to get started with their business.
Body
There seems to be a value conflict between Maria and Sylvia with their business decisions. While Sylvia is idealistic in her approach to ensure sustainability, Maria is practical and wants to have a calculated approach. The friendship they share with each other also makes it complicated to involve in a professional discourse. The pragmatism varies between Sylvia and Maria. If the costs of the sustainable alternatives are considered, it clearly shows the increase in the budget of the business.
To bring a professional approach to resolve the conflict, a neutral third person whom both Maria and Sylvia trust and value have to be consulted. This would give them a neutral perspective and a reality check without getting involved personally. Further, they can also conduct a survey to understand their market audience inorder to gauge their preferences in terms of sustainability. Matching the results with the objective of their business would give them the clarity to move ahead.
Sylvia should establish the relation between her idea of compostable zero waste sustainability with the increase in the profits or any other benefits that meet the objective of their business. This would convince Sylvia with the worth of the compostable packaging and the long term effect it has on their business. Maria on the other hand can put up a long term plan with specific details to include the compostable packaging. She can use her knowledge of accountancy to show at what stage of their business according to their profits, can they afford and successfully maintain the compostable packaging. This would give Sylvia the confidence and would allow her to trust the business plan.
Another approach could be to raise more funds and find investors to meet the adequate budget to include the compostable packaging. They can pitch the idea of compostable packaging as their business USP to attract the investors and provide a well- researched and business plan that would give irresistible returns to the investors. This would make the investors interested in looking at the business more than just a business and as a socially responsible startup. Therefore, this conflict can be used as an opportunity to magnify their business model and look at a bigger picture of their business.
Conclusion
There is a conflict of approaches between the two business partners, Maria and Sylvia. There is a difference of practicality and idealism with regards to eco-friendly sustainable packaging in their home baking business that is yet to start. To solve the conflict in the packaging, Maria and Sylvia should place a professional framework to work, in order to reduce the interference of their personal relationship in their business. Further, they should use this conflict as an opportunity and make the USP (Unique Selling Point) of their business as compostable packaging. This USP would attract sustainable investors. According to a Bloomberg study, sustainable investing is going mainstream with an estimated $37.8 trillion in assets under management in FY2022. Maria and Sylvia should explore the possibilities to get sustainable investments in order to create an effective opportunity. If the packaging alone wouldn’t be attractive enough for the investors, the business plan can include more elements of sustainability in the ingredients that go into the cupcakes. Adding vegan cupcakes could be one of the options. The raw material costs and the increased costs of the compostable packaging could be brought down by using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients by collaborating with local farmers in the area. Till the investment comes in, they should keep working with the existing budget and Maria should firmly assert to Sylvia the need to cut down the packaging cost to fit within the budget.
References
https://www.sustained.kitchen/latest/2020/2/26/5-steps-to-sustainable-cake
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
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