Strategic Management from an Islamic Perspective: Text and Cases

Chapter 14

Case 5: MUSLEH (Part 1)a

The Dilemma

As a consultant, Muhammad Ariff was used to writing important reports. With every report, though, there was an element of fear. Did he miss something? Did he analyze the situation correctly? Yet this time he was more afraid of making a mistake than usual. His client was MUSLEH. Later in the evening, he had to fly to Kuala Lumpur. Tomorrow, he had to deliver a report to Ustaz Amin, the chief executive officer. The report would then be presented to the board of directors and would help determine its strategic direction for the next five years. At the heart of the report was a simple question: Should MUSLEH focus on operational excellence and organic growth? Or should MUSLEH find strategic partners overseas and try to expand overseas? Muhammad reviewed the facts.

MUSLEH

Throughout the Muslim world, the 1970s was a decade of awakening. Many Muslim intellectuals were calling for a return to pure Islamic values and principles. This call was particularly strong in the area of education. In the early 1980s, a group of young Malay professionals—engineers, entrepreneurs, and management consultants—got together and discussed a problem they shared. They all had young children, and there was almost nowhere for them to get an Islamic education that combined Islamic values with modern sciences. They decided to rent a house, hire some teachers, develop an Islamic curriculum, and provide an Islamic education for their own children. In those days, ...