Case studies

This case study aims to study cost benefit analysis, economic evaluation and its types, study and understand different costs involved in logistics and to identify the role of dynamic leadership in nonstructured organization.

This case study is about one such unique nongovernmental organization (NGO), which was working in commercial space but which did not work for profit. This NGO called Yuvashakti was a well-respected, nonprofit organization in Pune that promoted mountaineering, climbing and other outdoor adventure pursuits. About 30 years ago, a group of young adventure enthusiasts led by the late Dr Mohan Dharia, the organization’s founding president, established Yuvashakti with the goal of introducing young people to outdoor activities such as skiing, climbing and trekking. Since 1985, Yuvashakti had consistently organized several Himalayan trekking programs. Yuvashakti organized bike and motorbike tours, visits to wildlife sanctuaries and other types of excursions around India all year long. In the past 30 years, “Yuvashakti” had done a lot of good for the young people of Maharashtra. Their job was multifaceted.

This case study is suitable for undergraduate students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS12: Tourism and hospitality.

This case study provides students/managers an opportunity to learn about the following: to infer the challenges involved in the downsizing of employees; to asses and evaluate BYJU’S organizational culture; and to determine the impact of workplace toxicity.

The focus of this case is the controversy faced by BYJU’S due to its mass layoffs and toxic work culture. This case discusses the CEO’s dilemma in resolving the controversy. Two rounds of mass layoffs at BYJU’S are discussed in detail. The industrial dispute filed by Employees Union against BYJU’S accusing it of denying due compensation to laid-off employees is also discussed. This case consists of a section explaining the toxic work culture at BYJU’S, which is supported by employee complaints. The CEO’s justification and apology have been illustrated in this case. The case ends with a closing dilemma and challenges faced by the CEO.

The case is best suited for undergraduate students studying Human Resources Management subjects in Commerce and Business Management streams. The authors suggest that the instructor inform students to read the case before attending the 90-min session. It can be executed in the classroom after discussing the theoretical concepts.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

After completion of this case study, students/managers will be able to analyze reasons for the labor unrest at Wistron Corporation’s Indian manufacturing plant; examine the implementation of labor regulations applicable to the employment of contract workers by Wistron Corporation; infer the problems associated with rapid expansion in the workforce; analyze the labor regulatory challenges faced by Wistron Corporation; and demonstrate problem-solving skills.

The focus of this case study was the crisis faced by Apple’s contract manufacturer  –  Wistron Corporation due to labor unrest, riots and violence in its production facility located near Bangalore in India. This case study discussed the CEO’s dilemma in resolving the crisis and regaining the confidence of stakeholders, namely, the contract employees, Apple Inc. and the State Government of Karnataka. To give the readers an overview of the crisis – this case discussed in detail the underlying reasons for the labor unrest such as a rapid increase in manpower, unilateral increase in working hours without extra pay, unjustified pay cuts, understaffed and underqualified human resources (HR) department, ill-equipped attendance and payroll system. It also gave an overview of mistakes in labor management that could be avoided by a manufacturing firm. The case also discussed the pressure faced by the Wistron CEO due to probation and a new business freeze by Apple Inc. This case study is suitable for understanding the complexities of labor laws and the legal complications that can arise when a corporation disregards local labor laws while operating in foreign countries.

The case is best suited for postgraduate and executive MBA students studying labor law, industrial psychology and HR management in commerce and business management streams. The authors suggest that the instructor should inform students to read the case study before attending the 90-min session. It can be executed in the classroom after discussing the theoretical concepts.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Services Marketing: People Technology Strategy (Eighth Edition) By Pearson, Authored by Wirtz Jochen, Lovelock Christopher, Chatterjee Jayanta, 2017; Service-Marketing: Text and Cases (Second Edition) By Pearson, Authored by Harsh Verma, 2011.

Students will gain an understanding of business models, which has a positive impact on the environment.

This case study intends to help learners understand the concept of segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) in the case of services. The idea of services is different from that of a product as in services; intangible elements dominate the value creation. By exploring the practical scenarios faced by the protagonist, in this case, readers would enhance their problem-solving abilities in similar situations.

Prerna is the founder of Ecoplore, an aggregator cum booking platform for eco-hotels. It onboards hotels only if they are made up of vernacular architecture and maintains at least 33% of greenery on its premises. Listed properties also harvested rainwater, used renewable source of energy, used sustainable options instead of single use plastic, composted organic waste. Most of these properties grow vegetables, fruits and herbs, and the visitors enjoy homemade organic meals. Ecoplore is the only aggregator platform to visit and verify these eco-hotels directly. Ecoplore is an early-stage startup; all customer queries were handled by Prerna, on-call or through a chat box. It included interacting with prospective clients, understanding their requirements, suggesting the most suited options and booking the eco-hotels. Prerna had to spend most of the time interacting with clients. Over time, she comprehended that only a few prospective clients became Ecoplore’s customers, and the conversion rate was low of owing to various reasons like ticket size, clients' age and psychology.

For students: This case is aptly designed for marketing students pursuing Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration courses to understand and apply STP theory and service marketing concepts.

CCS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows: this case deliberates the strategic design and business model that provides entrepreneurial opportunities to re-sellers and small business owners; this case discusses the complexities and opportunities related to using social media (Facebook) as a selling platform; this case provides a thorough understanding of the direct-to-consumer model; this case helps students understand the concept of social commerce in emerging markets; and this case discusses brand-building tactics, particularly for online businesses.

This case is about the entrepreneurial venture of three women on Facebook. A venture that started with the simple thought of creating a trusted selling and buying platform with convenience has turned into an opportunity for thousands of other women to become entrepreneurs and start their businesses with minimum investment and low risk. Shoppers Darbar is an online shopping portal on Facebook that started in 2016. This is a private group exclusively for women with more than 165,000 registered members, which saw a boom during the pandemic and merged as a parallel platform of e-commerce retail sites and physical stores and exhibitions. Although social commerce in India is still in its growing stage, it is facing indirect competition and an identity crisis. Hence, to build Shoppers Darbar as a brand and retain vendors, founders need to find methods within Shoppers Darbar’s limited means to sustain and create a community of sellers and buyers for getting more and more business for the vendors associated with them.

Postgraduate level.

Teaching Notes Consent Letter Annexure 1.

CCS 3: Entrepreneurship

Undergraduate, postgraduate and corporate education.

This case describes Ayanda Mbatha’s response, attitudes and beliefs after retrenched from his position as a technician and draughtsman at Rheinmetall Denel Munition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mbatha responded with resilience to losing his job. Mbatha’s attitudes and beliefs enabled him to creatively search for a new job amidst escalating retrenchments. The case examines the factors important for resilience and demonstrates why resilience is an essential skill for individuals dealing with adversity. The case dilemma involves the choices Mbatha had to make during and after the retrenchment process initiated by his employer.

We designed this case to facilitate the understanding of what is resilience and why resilience is an essential skill for individuals facing adversity. Specifically, the case aims to help students to: 1. Describe the construct of resilience in the context of individuals. 2. Identify factors that promote resilience. 3. Explain what resilient individuals do in the face of adversity. 4. Evaluate the importance of resilience during adversity. 5. Evaluate the role of prior adversity in the development of resilience.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

This case aims to assist students to learn about leadership theory and leadership effectiveness in terms of organizational change. It is best suited for undergraduate courses in leadership development, organizational behavior and specific teaching modules in Master in Business Administration courses.

Leadership and leadership effectiveness; organizational change.

This case is about a decade (2010–2020) of a transformation journey of the School of Business at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). Dr Durnin has been the first female Dean of School of Business in Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) who made this transformation possible and continuing on. With listening ears and a supportive heart, Dr Durnin first moved faculty and staff members out of a “sick” office building and then created a supportive and collaborative culture to build the consensus among faculty and staff members to change for good. It has been her personalized influence, charisma and extraordinary upward negotiation that lead the School to shape its collective effort toward a multi-year Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business accreditation process since 2014. When dealing the uncertainty caused by the 2020 global pandemic, her autonomy-supportive approach once again connected people meaningfully together to excel the challenges brought by COVID-19 pandemic.

This case provides an example of female leader in higher education to illustrate a successful transformational leadership (TFL) example in the USA, as well as its implications on gender issues and leadership effectiveness. Upon completing the analysis of this case, students should be able to: – understand the TFL concepts, theory and its behavioral implications on gender and leadership effectiveness; and – assess and evaluate effectiveness of TFL styles in organizations.

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CSS 6: Human resources.

Transformational leadership, Organizational change, Gender and leadership effectiveness

The case is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate business students. The suggestions in the teaching note would suit classes of varying sizes and can be organized by teams or for individual work.

The case is suitable for classes discussing a range of topics including business ethics, values-based leadership and entrepreneurship. The case is told from the perspective of a Hispanic, first-generation female CEO in tech – a male-dominated field. As some of its decision points include discussions with other female entrepreneurs in similar positions, this case is also suitable for discussions on gender and minority leader representation.

This case tells the story of a female tech entrepreneur in Baltimore, how her personal values influenced the values of her company and how she successfully applied those values even in the early stages of her venture. It includes a discussion of her former career in the military and her experiences as a first-generation American.

The case offers several decision points where students are invited to anticipate and discuss the protagonists’ values and their application of them in her work. It likewise invites students to reflect on their own values and how they influence their business decisions. As the case is based on true events and uses real names, students may also perform research on the real business and its context to extend this case even further.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Women are chronically underrepresented in leadership positions and some choose to become entrepreneurs because it offers a surer path to CEO roles. Additionally, this case offers some perspective on the different leadership styles of women, such as this protagonist’s choice to allow her personal and corporate values to drive important early decisions for her business. The instructor and students also may wish to focus on aspects of the case related to the protagonist’s ethnicity and her family’s status as recent immigrants to the USA. Ideally, class discussions will consider the protagonist holistically, and her identities as intersectional.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Graduate or Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Majors

Entrepreneurship/Venture Capital (VC) Investing

The case highlights a women-founded venture capital firm that values investments in diverse entrepreneurs and an innovative retail business started by two minority entrepreneurs. Students will be asked whether the firm should invest in the venture and will also be asked to discuss models that may help transform the retail business into a VC-backed scalable technology business.

By the end of the discussion, students will be able to evaluate the feasibility and scalability of a new business venture; and evaluate the alignment between a venture capital company and a new venture.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

This case highlights the lack of resources for women and minority entrepreneurs as well as the underrepresentation of minority women in the VC industry.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

The case could be effectively used in courses on entrepreneurship, strategy and brand management in MBA programs and executive-level training programs.

Entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, women leadership and women in business.

This case deals with the business decision-making situation of Ms Jyotsna Ramachandran, a first-generation woman entrepreneur from Southern India, who has created a Global collaborative business network in self-publishing of books from India. After gaining industry experience for five years in some of the leading retail brands of India, she decided to take a plunge in entrepreneurship. She tried several businesses ranging from retail staffing to custom-made chocolates. Though it was profitable, the volumes and margins were smaller, and Jyotsna aspired big. As, at that time she was on her family way, she decided to identify a profitable business with better value creation and premium for the consumers and at the same time free from minute-by-minute concentration to take care of her child. In other words, a less-hassle home-based business with better revenue streams and margins. The case gives a thorough background of her rise in the industry and talks about some of her new ideas and plans.

Students will be in a position to: 1. Understand gender issues and bias affecting women in work. 2. Illustrate the initial phases of entrepreneurship. 3. Understand and apply the evaluation tools like PESTLE, SWOT and then business model canvas. 4. Understand the value chain and the intensive and integrative growth strategies. 5. Illustrate blue oceans in an industry setup – irrespective of the industry growth rate. 6. Apply perspectives on brand management.

Detailed teaching notes attached. Teaching notes are available for educators only.

The case addresses the important gender issues affecting women’s work–life balance. It will also inspire many women through the success of the woman protagonist and her project head well documented in this case study.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

This case study provides students with the challenge of advising a small restaurant reeling under the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in South Africa. In the process, they must use their analytical skills combined with tools derived from value-based management theory to develop a revised business strategy for the owner.

Agility in any business in modern times is essential to survival – and this is particularly so for small, entrepreneurial enterprises that lack the history and resources to survive dramatic changes in the operating environment. A small restaurant in the coastal holiday village of Port Alfred, South Africa is managing to deliver a reasonable return for its owner, a former corporate financier from Johannesburg. The Covid-19 crisis requires a fundamental rethink of business strategy to ensure a future for the business.

This case study is ideal for a module in entrepreneurship for delegates in a diploma, undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS: 3 Entrepreneurship.

The main learning outcomes that can develop from this case are as follows. These have been articulated for an approximately 90-min class discussion. Opportunity identification in times of crisis: at a macro-level, the case serves to illustrate the nature of identifying and exploiting opportunities in times of crisis. In particular, it shows how an agile small team and quickly respond to need and develop a sustainable and scalable business. Pivoting the business model: the case raises an interesting and important debate as regards what constitutes a “pivot”. While the classical interpretation would be a change in direction without a change in strategy, this case within the context of Covid-19 challenges this definition. Resource use and allocation: The case illustrates well how existing resources, networks and skills can be used in a very different business venture to alleviate immediate cash flow needs and potentially build another business venture.

This case study explores how two Cape Town-based entrepreneurs, Josh Meltz and Adam Duxbury, responded to the Covid-19 crisis and the subsequent lockdown in South Africa. The pair had built a successful swimwear brand – Granadilla Swimwear – and two other businesses: a function venue and a kombucha brand sold at a well-known food market. As the Covid-19 lockdown tool effect, the entrepreneurs saw not only declining revenue in their food and function venue business but were about to enter a six-month period of negative cash flow on their seasonal swimwear business. The entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to deliver food boxes of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and other staples within the Cape Town metropolitan area. Their kombucha brand had a ready-made food processing and handling facility (including cold storage) and existing relationships with customers, suppliers and other vendors at the food market gave them ready access to a range of locally produced food products available immediately and on consignment. Meltz & Duxbury quickly launched an online shop and started marketing via Instagram. Within 48 h, they were delivering food boxes, with little risk and upfront capital investment. As the lockdown continued and other competitors entered the market, the team wondered at the longevity of the pivot and whether this was a business that would sustain itself or whether it was just a short-term fix for their immediate cash flow problems.

Undergraduate and postgraduate

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS: 3 Entrepreneurship.

Distinguir las diferentes estrategias de expansión. Discutir cómo mantener la cultura y los valores en una empresa a pesar del paso del tiempo y del crecimiento. Analizar el mercado actual y los objetivos a largo plazo, así como los diferentes competidores de la marca. Tomar decisiones estratégicas a nivel corporativo.

Marisa^® es una pastelería consolidada con una amplia variedad de productos de postre en Guadalajara, México. Ha logrado un rápido crecimiento y se ha diversificado con otras marcas, bien sea comprándolas o desarrollándolas. Los ejemplos son Tía Lola^® (tortas económicas) y Dolce Natura^® (helados artesanales). La fundadora de la compañía no solo ha mantenido el crecimiento y desarrollo de su marca, sino también sus valores y cultura organizacional, los cuales ha transmitido a sus 400 empleados. La compañía se encuentra actualmente en expansión.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Students are exposed to debt and equity financing; analysis of company affairs using selected financial statement information; use of ratios in financial analysis; the impact of adequate financing on company performance; and trade-offs companies must make in their day-to-day operations.

Jetcon Corporation’s business model involved the importation of pre-owned cars from Japan for re-sale in Jamaica. It was a fiercely competitive business as there were over 100 companies involved in this sector. There was also a vibrant new-car sector. Jetcon focused on importing mid to low price Japanese pre-owned models, which were already common on Jamaican roads, and which would be affordable to the larger segment of buyers. Like most small businesses, it experienced difficulty raising financing in the amounts and cost that is required and this contributed to its decision to raise equity capital through an initial public offer. It was the first used-car dealer to list on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

This case is suitable for final-year undergraduate students in finance. By that time they should already have been exposed to debt, equity and stock markets. It helps students to explore some of the issues involved in financing a company’s operations.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Leadership and team building, Human resource management, Organizational behavior.

The case may be most useful for MBA or any other PG level courses, particularly in human resource management, team leadership, motivation and morale. The Case could also be appropriate in the courses that cover General Management or Business Management, Executive Education Programs. This case can also be taught to the middle level and senior level managers in Management Development Programs.

The case study describes the leadership lessons drawn from the role of Kattappa in the movie Baahubali. He took bold decisions to save the Mahishmati kingdom from Bijjaladeva. Being a slave and agile swordsman, he obeyed all the orders of the king of the realm. He made strategic decisions which resulted in positive outcomes for the kingdom. His leadership style can be linked with the theories of servant leadership style. The case tells us about some selected instances from the movies Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which had happened with Kattappa which can be used to understand the different principles and philosophy of servant leadership.

The expected learning outcomes are as follows: to understand the different dimensions and essential skills of servant leadership; to analyze and learn the servant leadership style from the role of Kattappa; and to evaluate the appropriateness of servant leadership in context to other leadership styles.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing and strategy.

Master’s, postgraduate and executive level programs.

The fashion industry has evolved over the generations. Fashion is what defines any person. Your style and quotient statement gives you an edge. In a world which is getting smaller and smaller with evolving mobile and computer technology connectivity, there has been a rise in new startups in personalized fashion. This sector of personal styling has seen an investment of over US$220m in the past two years. Social media is connecting billions of people around the globe. Roposo is the brand of Relevant E-solutions and was launched in 2012. It is the brainchild idea of Avinash Saxena, Kaushal Shubhank and Mayank Bhangadia. It has created a buzz in the fashion and social media industry. This case illustrates the connective power of social media and personalized fashion. Roposo has over 2 million active users which includes a number of Bollywood stars. These users are creating their own stories related to styling and fashion tips and inspiring millions worldwide. The case explores the journey of how Roposo has changed the style statement of millions of people.

The expected learning outcomes are as follows: to identify the new business opportunity in the fashion industry with the use of a social media platform; to understand the evolution of fashion with the boom in social media and mobile communications; to learn how the brand grows and how celebrities are also motivated to be a part of it to connect to their fans for free; to provide inspiration for students to start up an entrepreneurial venture; to find out how the use of recommendation engines should be done to keep users engaged; and to discuss threats of competitors.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

This case was designed to facilitate discussion of how a cyberattack was remediated by a major public university. Students are challenged to think through how to best manage the remediation project, including the application of best practices such as risk management, stakeholder management, communication plans, outsourcing/procurement management, and cyberattack remediation. The Phoenix Project was a success from multiple perspectives, and as such provides a useful example of how to manage an unplanned, mission-critical project well.

Entrepreneurship, Analysis of business problems.

Masters in business administration, Entrepreneurship management.

The CEO of Afrotouch Brands, Mr Emeka Emmanuel, must decide what level of investment his company would need to implement to increase its market share and revenue, thus ensuring adequate business competitiveness. Afrotouch Brands was among the leading names in gift items and indoor furniture in Nigeria. Despite the business main outlet in Victoria Island, the highbrow commercial centre in the city of Lagos, it has other high-profile outlets in Port-Harcourt and Abuja. From the very beginning, Afrotouch Brands attracted a lot of well discerning individuals who patronized the business based on the quality, the wide variety, the uniqueness and the lovely ambience of the showroom. The case describes the various investment alternatives needed for business expansion and discusses the probabilities of possible outcomes. Afrotouch Brands could maintain the medium scale indoor furniture they are currently doing, embark on a large aggressive investment to expand the indoor medium scale furniture to a large scale, maintain their business strategy in gift items and accessories or invest in outdoor furniture manufacturing. The challenge is to decide which of these alternative investment strategies the company should undertake in view of the associated levels of risk and uncertainty inherent in their implementation.

This case study teaches students the following: fundamentals of decision trees construction; calculating and understanding expected monetary values; assessing probabilities; determination of risk profiles for each decision alternative; display of risk profiles graphically; and identification of business alternatives.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurship.

Students in the middle or at the end of their undergraduate studies (BA level) in management and economics, graduate students (MA level).

This case study deals with activities of the company, which has a direct social significance and social impact. Based on analysis of benefits and limitations of the stakeholders of the company, principles and tools of social return on investment (SROI) analysis, students should try to understand, how the company can ensure a stable market position and optimize its value proposition on the criterion of target stakeholders’ satisfaction in the implementation of social projects.

In this case study, students should learn to differ socially responsible companies and social entrepreneurs; be able to value and compare the costs and benefits of different kinds of companies’ activities for the stakeholders; be able to perform SROI analysis; strengthen their communication skills by summarizing the main arguments of articles from economic and business press, as well as from corporate sustainability reporting.

Bookbridge (2014): Impact Report 2013 – 2014, http://bookbridge.org/en/impact-downloads/SROINetwork(2012): A guide to Social Return on Investment, http://socialvalueuk.org/what-is-sroi/the-sroi-guide. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Steven Rogers had always thought that someday he would like to own a business with one or both of his daughters. As his eldest daughter, Akilah, finished her final semester at Harvard Business School, she told Rogers that she would like to create with him a Chicago-based real estate venture that included buying, rehabbing and renting homes in the Englewood and South Shore neighborhoods of Chicago. Rogers quickly realized that his biggest challenge was how to equitably structure the ownership of the business. He gathered advice from family business experts and slowly began to build a plan that would benefit each member of his family. Meanwhile, Akilah assumed responsibilities associated with the business as she finished her final semester at HBS. The case ends with Rogers Family Enterprises owning its first three houses.

1. Students learn how to construct an equitable business ownership plan for a family business. 2. Students learn the agreements that family businesses should have in place. 3. Students learn why successful entrepreneurs tend to be those who control the growth of their company while envisioning an empire.