[Diptarka Saha]

Analysing the situation the first step should be a comprehensive SWOT Analysis. The biggest strength of Xian Inc. is the smart band which is their intellectual property right and the biggest weakness is competition from market leaders and loyal users of competitors. Xian Inc. should take the opportunity and acquire exclusive distribution rights of its intellectual property so as to ward off competition from encroaching on it.

The product should be advertised near colleges and during fests with free trails of the smart bands so as to get the targeted audience interested. A referral program with exciting rewards should also be implemented to increase the audience base.

A customized experience should be provided to the audience thorough the smart bands, for example those interested in sports should be provided with vocal match updates, or those interested in movies should be provided with vocal film reviews. This will go a long way in building a loyal customer base, who will stay logged on to the platform.

For generating funds, the CEO should participate in conferences like NASSCOM500, which are attended by investors. Pitching the platform in such conferences will be beneficial in two ways- 1. It will attract investor. 2. It will provide insights about possible flaws to rectify.

Studying the growth pattern of market leaders like Facebook and Twitter will also help in setting appropriate growth targets and benchmarks.

Also, a dedicated HR team should be put in place for hiring motivated individuals who are looking for an exciting opportunity of working in a start-up environment.

[Diptarka Saha]

The primary stakeholders in this scenario are the BCA, the individual CEOs and the women workforce. Before arriving to a solution of the problem it must be noted that the BCA is not a profit making organization, whereas the chief objective of a CEO is to maximize revenues for his business organization. Appointing women in senior positions just because of the fear of pay cuts is ethically problematic, even more so in a country like India where there is a high gender divide between the male and female workforce.

Tying executive compensation to the promotion of women is ethically and morally wrong, a person should be applauded and promoted irrespective of his gender, in order to achieve equality in the truest sense. CEOs should not be reprimanded if they fail to appoint women to senior positions, instead as an alternative approach to tackle the problem, they could be reprimanded if they suppress employees, especially women, from achieving senior positions. This will ensure a free and unbiased hierarchical ladder for every employee irrespective of their gender.

Alternatively, the HR department of the company could undertake mandatory training for the workforce on issues like unequal pay, sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

A culmination of the above alternatives could to my mind aid to the achievement of true gender equality.

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