Page 20 - Case Lab Case Method

Abstract

With the growing visitor numbers to China, an increasing

GDP and increasing customer numbers visiting historic and

cultural sites an article appeared in The Shanghaiist, which
provided an opportunity to explore the rationale or lack

thereof, for management decision making in the face of
environmental change. The Temple of Heaven religious

park, a Unesco World Heritage Site, faced a problem in that

locals were stealing the attraction’s toilet paper.

Management considered the problem and came up with the

idea of approaching the Shoulian Zhineng hygiene company.

After consideration the suggested solution was a hi-tech one

where a wall mounted computer was provided that, after

facial recognition, dispensed a single sheet of toilet tissue

some two-foot-long to the customer. The customer had to

wait nine minutes before a further tissue would be

dispensed. This gave rise to issues of pilfering, image and a

solution (output) being fit for purpose.

Case Usage

The case was developed and used with both under graduate

and post graduate students (preferably at the early part of

the course). It is a case designed to allow in-class work to be

carried out and discussion to be developed in general

through applying theory to practice.