Branzei, O., & Nadkarni, A.G., (2008).

The Tata way: Evolving and executing sustainable

business strategies. Ivey Business Journal, 72 (2), 1-8

In this article, the authors highlight that CSR (corporate social responsibility) is a

progressively vital element in achieving and maintaining the competitive edge. They observe that

most firms have incorporated pro-environmental and pro-social initiatives. However, the authors

ask whether those types of initiatives can be beneficial to the company while strengthening its

competitive advantage. They give an example of TATA Companies Workout in 2001, where the

CEOs have jointly developed a unified attitude to integrating a sustainability approach into their

people, processes, as well as systems. They further note that in 2007, the TATA leader’s efforts

led to the introduction of a Leadership Protocol to support systemic personality and legacy path

for the group’s next generation leadership. The authors demonstrate inclusive approach can

reinforce the connection between CSR and global competitiveness.

The authors ask why few companies do business the TATA way. First, every TATA

employee regardless of the ranking deeply values their leaders, which directs them for each new

project in the company. Secondly, they observe the group has have developed a mutual

obligation to growing healthy connections between their ethics and business practice by putting

everyone in the same level and finding mutually beneficial bonds between them. The authors go

ahead and state that the group cares much because it is their way of doing business and they have

trusted staff that is expected to perform their duties and volunteering keeping the society in mind.

Their employees don’t do their tasks because it pays, but because it is important to their business

model, the company’s legacy, and personal development as leaders. This element fosters strong

connection between sustainability and competitiveness.

 The authors as how leaders are developed for Corporate Sustainability? They state it is a

two-fold approach at TATA. First, Index inspires a positive application of their business model

to foster a positive environmental and social impact. Secondly, their leadership profile to

sustainability guides their individual paths to generate a moral phase of improved reputation and

goodwill.

Constantinescu, E. M. (2014). Strategic marketing developments in informational

society. Knowledge Horizons. Economics, 6(4), 90-95.

According to this article, the market relation is reshaped structurally in the perspective of

informational society leading to management, conceptual, and technological changes in

marketing. The authors observe that there is a new and shaped marketing paradigm which causes

management changes through the evolution to strategic marketing and changes in the particular

communication mechanisms of cyber and e-marketing.

A mature market relation means that in the modern economy, offer is a result of a good

knowledge in demand which aims at satisfying demand leading to the main aim of any economic

activity which is making profit. From the author’s opinion, the future development of trade

relations will come with new approaches and differences form a management perspective and

regarding new technologies.

The author notes the restructuring of the trade relation in the contemporary economy was

as a result of the institution of strategic marketing to adjust to its demand offer and the

satisfaction of customer needs, and make profit. The author cites Gregory. P’s observation that

new developments have already materialized in the marketing era which he divides into three

stages. The first stage is the customer orientation which marketing was a way of examining

consumer’s needs to define the offer of the company in terms of product, price, and distribution
according to the needs, and the appreciation and distribution of this offer through promotional

strategies. The second stage is the orientation towards the consumer and the environment, and

the third stage which is mega-marketing which calls for a broader marketing scope to satisfy the

consumer as well as protect their rights and interests.

The author addresses the topic of marketing in a digital economy whereby she is

convinced the trade relation will experience new developments created by the information and

communication technologies in this new digital era and the companies that will adopt them will

definitely survive. She notes that most companies are currently experiencing the problem of

surviving in the market. She acknowledges that companies which consider that competition will

change, forecast the changes will be present in customer’s, and have the capacity to identify the

existing opportunities in the market, know how to avoid risks, and have staff motivational

mechanisms in place, will succeed in the market. The author advises that a company must think

and act strategically to achieve that.