Oxford Odyssey

Category: Management

  • The Innovator’s Dilemma in biotechnology

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    The Innovator’s Dilemma is a concept popularised by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. The dilemma refers to the challenges that established companies face when they have to decide between focusing on improving their existing products and services or investing in disruptive innovations. Established companies’ management face strong pressure to focus on their existing, profitable…

  • Political resources and competitive advantage

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    The resource-based view (RBV) of firms posits that competitive advantage is rooted in the possession of scarce, valuable, and non-substitutable resources. While this framework traditionally focuses on tangible and intangible business assets like intellectual property, skilled labor, or unique technology, political connections can also be seen as a vital resource. The ability to influence, navigate,…

  • The evolution of marketing

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    The philosophy behind marketing has been evolving over time, adapting to the surrounding economic and technological structure. Of course, some industries will remain laggards, while others will be more advanced in their progression. This is a general guide as to how marketing has changed. First Era: Product Focused “Build it and they shall come.” In…

  • Using collectible experiences as a marketing tool and how to hack productivity in customers

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    Have you ever dreamed of staying in an ice hotel, or perhaps sampling exotic delicacies like balut or Casu Marzu? While these experiences might not be on everyone’s bucket list, there’s a fascinating reason why they captivate so many people. Keinan and Kivetz (2011) argue that consumers often approach unique experiences as collectibles, much like…

  • When to fire your customers: The Pyramid

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    Customers seem to equate with revenue, and one might be forgiven in assuming that the higher the growth of customers, the merrier. Unfortunately, this is not always true.The Customer Pyramid (Zeithaml, Rust & Lemon, 2001) is an essential part of marketing that is covered in the Oxford Economics & Management course. A major insight is…

  • What makes a good marketer?

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    Too often, marketing is framed as the art of getting people to buy stuff they don’t need – promoting consumerism and materialism. They do this with a mix of slick charm and lies about the efficacy of their products. At its best, marketing is about understanding customers deeply and creating meaningful exchanges of value. While…

  • The efficient labour market hypothesis – on passion

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    “Love your job and never work a day in your life.“ It’s a great platitude to work for a passion. Unfortunately, unless you have a niche interest, following your passion is unlikely to result in financial upside. The Efficient Market Hypothesis This hypothesis states that no one can beat the market, because the market is…