Normand Turgeon

Feeling the Effects of a Competitor’s Product Recall: Lessons Learned by Quebec SMEs in the Cheese Sector

This article explores learning opportunities and portrays the product recall as a crisis situation from which small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) indirectly impacted by the event can and must learn. It describes the raw milk cheese recall in Quebec. A semistructured interview guide was used. The population studied comprises 12 cheese makers specializing in processing partly or totally raw milk and presents the results of interviews with managers of companies that survived the ordeal. Excerpts from interviews show that cheese makers took advantage of this crisis to improve their capacity to manage product recalls. The comments by the producers interviewed indicate that the crisis had a marked influence on knowledge creation related to prevention and preparedness for product recalls.

Le rappel de fromages au lait cru au Québec : quelles leçons en tirer?

En 2008, les fromagers quebecois ont vecu un rappel spectaculaire de produits. Des entrevues realisees aupres de certains d’entre eux ont permis de sonder les causes de ce rappel et d’en evaluer la gestion afin d’en tirer des lecons au regard de l’adoption de procedures de prevention et de prevoyance de rappels de produits. Ces procedures comprennent notamment une amelioration marquee de la gestion de la qualite, la mise en place de systemes de controle et une simulation d’un rappel de produits. Ces apprentissages sont applicables a tous les secteurs d’affaires, peu importe le pays ou se trouve une entreprise qui doit gerer un rappel de produits.

A Review of the Structure and Participants in Cameroon's Advertising Market

This article reviews the structure of Cameroons advertising market. After discussing changes in the market since 1985, the authors describe its current structure. A comprehensive approach leads them to consider the market as a system based on interaction between institutions or organizations involved directly or indirectly in the advertising process. The authors conclude that, overall, Cameroons advertising market is weakly structured and dominated by a small number of large advertisers. They feel that the advertising agency system, especially in terms of the services it offers, is poorly adapted to Cameroons small and medium-sized advertisers. They therefore propose a system of small and medium-sized agencies that would play a specific role geared to the limited needs of these advertisers.