Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo; García Pont, Carlos; Prats Moreno, Mª Julia; Agulles, Remei; Sachon, Marc; Fidler, Devin; Gorbis, Marina
The growth of "big data" has been declared one of the top business trends to watch in 2013. Far from looming on the horizon, however, it's already here, demanding that managers take a long, hard look at themselves and their organizations to see if they're ready. IESE professors and researchers suggest some ways for managers to assess their readiness for this and other major shifts ahead.
Read article 
Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo; Parasuraman, A.
The hard cost of flight delays came sharply into focus when the European Court rejected appeals by airlines to avoid paying compensation to passengers for late flights. Yet the soft cost of delays may be even more significant than airlines realize, costing them valuable customers, as a new study on the behavioral consequences of repeated flight delays reveals.
Read article
Sauerbronn Jacinto, Rodrigo; Cerquinho, Fábio; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
What can a company do when it enters a foreign market that is already dominated by an entrenched market leader? This is a common problem for companies seeking to expand their business to overseas markets. A case study on pipe manufacturer Amanco's struggles to expand its market share in Brazil offers lessons on how companies can take on and even overcome a domestic market leader.
Read article
Campoy, David; García Pont, Carlos; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
Staging a major sporting event affords the host city a chance to boost its international profile and reputation. Barcelona, for example, is still reaping the positive effects of hosting the 1992 Olympic Games. As Brazil prepares for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, a case study examines what can be learned from the "Barcelona Effect" 20 years later.
Read article
García Pont, Carlos; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
The authors reveal the main barriers that will stymie innovation, grouped according to your ability to know, understand and use market information. Overcoming these barriers is possible, if you have the right organizational attitude or mind-set.
Read article
Capizzani, Mario; Ramirez Huerta, F.J.; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
The emerging ranks of consumers in Latin America represent significant opportunities for companies, particularly those in the consumer credit and financial industries. In their paper, "Consumer Credit in Latin America: Trends and Opportunities in Credit and Store Cards," Mario Capizzani, Felipe Javier Ramirez Huerta and Paulo Rocha e Oliveira investigate the trends and prospects for consumer credit growth in the region.
Read article
Capizzani, Mario; Ramirez Huerta, F.J.; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
Although Latin America only represents 6.8 percent of world GDP, its rapidly growing middle class portends exciting opportunities for the retail sector. However, as the authors of a new paper make clear, it is a diverse continent with its own established retail traditions and values. As such, companies will have to do much more than simply transplanting the established retail models of mature markets to the region.
Read article
Guitart, Iván; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
The liberalization of utilities, both nationally and internationally, represents a milestone for the energy sector. A case study on Gas Natural looks at the strategy this Spanish group pursued to survive in the new competitive environment. Having held a near monopoly, Gas Natural went from selling a commodity to offering a service.
Read article
Bitran, Gabriel R.; Ferrer, Juan Carlos; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo
Managers worry that their customers will perceive waiting as an annoyance. But simply reducing the wait time may not be the answer. Indeed, as the authors argue, that's an outdated solution less relevant for today's new breed of customer. Using research that blends behavioral psychology and traditional marketing principles with operations, the authors propose a new framework to help businesses make better decisions about wait management. They offer six implementable ideas to improve the service encounter, which will greatly impact customer satisfaction and ultimately profitability. Stop watching the clock, they say, and start asking, "How can I best manage my customers' time with me?"
Read article
Bitran, Gabriel R.; Rocha e Oliveira, Paulo; Schilkrut, Ariel
It has long been known that by choosing to serve only the most profitable customers, firms can reduce the size of their customer base while simultaneously increasing profits: this is the basis behind the well-known principle of segmentation. In their paper, "Managing Customer Relationships through Price and Service Quality," IESE marketing professor Paulo Rocha e Oliveira and fellow researchers Gabriel Bitran (MIT) and Ariel Schilkrut (Scopix) present a novel model that captures the psychology of how customers behave as they interact with firms over time. By knowing when to lower prices or raise service offerings, they say it is possible to have fewer customers but higher profits even in situations where the customer base is homogeneous with respect to preferences and attitudes towards the service provider.
Read article