The case discusses the issues of autonomy
and
accountability in the healthcare division of a local self-government.
It highlights
the underlying tension between the elected representatives' need to
control the division and the executive's need for autonomy. It raises questions on the concept of cost
and responsibility centres in local self-governments and what happens
when one of the responsibility centres starts generating revenue and
becomes
a truly profit centre. Since the basic nature of the service is more
of a responsibility --- do the surpluses generated by the new profit
centre get ploughed back to the same facility or should it get into the
general pool of the Panchayat? If the argument is that it should be
ploughed
back to the responsibility centre to improve the overall facilities of
the division, then should the objectives of the division be redefined
and what should be the most appropriate institutional mechanism to
grant
autonomy for a division that is doing well? How would these mechanisms
work
in the long run? The case tries to sensitize the discussants to the
issues
and tensions that emerge in a well-managed division of a
local-self-government. It also raises the larger issue of autonomy and
accountability in democratic institutions.
Agricare Corp
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
TVAHelp.com is a small firm operating in the niche market of servicing laptop computers. After having a good run for the first four years – where the topline has grown eight times, they are facing problems in maintaining the profitability. In order to grow, the company has been examining various options. Some of these options are natural extensions of the current business and some require radically new way of doing business. One of the growth options considered by the company is to undertake software servicing on the net using a technology called Remote-Fix. However, the company, which has presence in only 4 cities in India, will have to roll out a radically new business model if it were to embrace this new product. Is this route to growth worth it?
Copies of the IIM-A cases can be
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Indian Institute of Management, Vastrapur
Ahmedabad 380015 India
Bonafide management teachers can have access to
teaching notes for the IIM-A Cases
For details on how to obtain teaching notes,
write to the above address