MAF661-Q-TEST-MAY 2024

CONFIDENTIAL 1 AC/MAY 2024/MAF661
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

TEST
COURSE : STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

COURSE CODE : MAF661
ASSESSMENT : MAY 2024
TIME : 1.5 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
1. This question paper consists of four (4) questions.
2. Answer ALL questions in the Answer Booklet.
3. Do not bring any material into the examination room unless permission is given by the
invigilator.
4. Answer ALL questions in English.
DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

This examination paper consists of 3 printed pages
© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA

CONFIDENTIAL
Bateeq Sari Sdn. Bhd. is a company specialising in traditional batik painting, located in Kuala
Terengganu. The business has been operating in the market for 15 years and currently
operates two branches, one in Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur and another in Johor Bahru,
Johor. The art and craftmanship of batik are deeply ingrained in the cultural identity of many
Malaysian groups, serving as expressions of creativity and spirituality. Bateeq Sari
recognises the profound symbolism and cultural significance of batik, which permeate
various aspects of life: from infants being carried in batik slings, to everyday attire worn in
both business and academic settings, and special items incorporated into wedding
celebrations and other artistic endeavors. Consequently, batik craftsmanship maintains its
unique position in the market. Traditionally, the knowledge and skills of batik craftsmanship
are passed down within families, as exemplified by the CEO of Bateeq Sari, Datin Sophea.
She inherited her skills from her late grandmother and has successfully replicated all the
batik designs used in the past.
At Bateeq Sari, artisans typically create designs on fabric by using dots and lines of hot wax
with synthetic dyes. This technique allows selective colouring by soaking the cloth in one
colour, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating the process if multiple colours are
desired. For centuries, batik fabrics in this company have been crafted using the traditional
method of ‘writing’ on the fabric with wax using special pens - a technique now known as
batik tulis. However, synthetic dyes are known to cause pollution, prompting a
recommendation for their natural counterparts, which are considered more eco-friendly. This
recommendation aligns with the National Heritage Act 2005 (NHA) set forth by the Badan
Warisan Malaysia (The Heritage of Malaysia Trust), aimed at protecting and preserving
various aspects of heritage, including the local community, its background, environment,
legends, myths, infrastructures, and socio-economics.
However, the market for traditionally made batik cloth has been affected by commercial
printing processes, resulting in the loss of many of these skills. Some batik patterns are now
simply printed onto fabric in factories. Nevertheless, new formal and informal methods of
teaching batik and raising awareness about it have revived interest in learning the skill.
Despite the lack of significant demand for special tools such as the canting used in batik-
making, Bateeq Sari employs highly skilled artisans. However, this situation has made Datin
Sophia hesitant to hire young workers. During interviews with potential workers, most are
lack of experience in using traditional canting methods, instead have experience with copper
plate stamps. Nonetheless, since Bateeq Sari provides in-house batik craft training facilities,
Datin Sophia believes that the comprehensive training offered by the company will help to
polish and enhance the skills of both senior and junior artisans.
Another concern for Datin Sophia is the sales of the business. Since the batik craft is
handmade, it is sold at a premium price. However, customers are now turning to other batik
companies that use batik stamps, as their products are cheaper. In the industrial age, new
methods of producing batik, such as batik cap (using copper plate stamps) and batik print,
have emerged. Datin Sophia and her team must consider incorporating new technology and
innovation into their existing batik painting processes. One of their new competitors, Vintage
Arts Sdn. Bhd. has implemented a sophisticated machine called Arduino-controlled Mega, a
gantry-style robot capable of drawing on textiles and applying molten wax surface using a
temperature-controlled pen. The machine offers an infinite printing area and can be utilised
to create decorative patterns or cutting paths for clothing. Datin Sophia is considering

CONFIDENTIAL
investing in this machine to reduce costs in various value-chain activities such as chanting,
waxing, and dyeing.
The Chief Operation Officer (COO) of Bateeq Sari, Encik Malik, has agreed to implement the
new machine and he also requested a capital injection to fulfill the strategy. Another key
aspect is the marketing of Bateeq Sari, which should focus on both domestic and
international trade. This can be achieved through extensive promotion, the appointment of
agents or salesmen to concentrate on aggressive marketing, and by opening additional
outlets at strategic locations outside the country to cater to tourists and locals. Datin Sophia
is considering collaborating with her good friend in Indonesia on batik design and fashion
show events. She believes that this networking can help her teams to share knowledge,
ideas, and resources, thus creating interconnected contacts for broader access to the latest
trends and business techniques.
Throughout the years of its existence, Bateeq Sari has contributed to job creation in local
communities, elevated the prestige of the country's fashion industry through creative fabric
design, supported the development of the country’s cultural tourism industry, and led the
advancement of Malaysian craft industries. These achievements make Datin Sophia proud,
even as she acknowledges the need to revamp certain areas of her business and
incorporate more fashionable and technologically advanced elements to compete in the
current market conditions.
Required:
1. Explain two (2) reasons how examining the internal capabilities can assist
Bateeq Sari in facing the current crisis.
(10 marks)
2. Explain three (3) general environmental factors that will affect Bateeq Sari’s
business.
(10 marks)
3. In today's extremely competitive environment, the most successful

companies are those that are ambidextrous. Demonstrate how being
ambidextrous could help Bateeq Sari gain its competitive advantages.
(10 marks)
4. In the knowledge economy, wealth is increasingly created by the effective

management of knowledge workers instead of by the control of physical
and financial assets. Discuss how Bateeq Sari can achieve this.
(10 marks)
(Total: 40 marks)
END OF QUESTION PAPER

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CONFIDENTIAL 1 AC/MAY 2024/MAF661

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

COURSE : STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

1. This question paper consists of four (4) questions.

2. Answer ALL questions in the Answer Booklet.

4. Answer ALL questions in English.

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA

© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA

3. In today's extremely competitive environment, the most successful

4. In the knowledge economy, wealth is increasingly created by the effective

END OF QUESTION PAPER

© Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA

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