Case studies

None.

The case study follows Ann’s journey towards entrepreneurship, focusing on the challenges she faced and how early educational interventions influenced her life decisions. Despite numerous obstacles, Ann’s perseverance, bolstered by her family’s support and her passion, led to her successful reintegration into academia and the launch of an entrepreneurial venture in the UK. Her story highlights the dilemma of balancing educational attainment with entrepreneurial aspirations, especially for at-risk students. Ann’s experience prompts critical discussions about the intersection of education and entrepreneurship, the importance of experiential learning and the role of mentorship in realizing business ideas. The nurturing environment of her business school, through guest lectures and real-world success stories, played a significant role in shaping her academic and professional outlook. This case raises essential questions about the role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurial skills and integrating experiential learning within academic curricula. Ann’s journey exemplifies the power of resilience and determination in overcoming systemic and entrepreneurial challenges, particularly for women facing similar struggles. Her story illuminates the multifaceted process of turning a personal experience into an entrepreneurial opportunity, emphasizing the critical role of mentorship and support networks in developing a viable business idea.

This case study is best suited to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in management and business-related courses that focus on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. The case study is relevant in various business disciplines as it informs students of the process and challenges related to business start-ups and acquiring related capabilities. Instructors are encouraged to have students read the extensive reference list provided at the end to broaden their understanding and knowledge of entrepreneurship, including its processes, context and practices.

The learning objectives of this case study based on Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956) will be to analyze the procurement process and identify the parameters for the procurement of services; evaluate the potential risks and challenges associated with relying on a single vendor for critical services; apply the four-stage model of crisis management to the breach of contract by Fresh Bites Catering; examine how adopting sustainable procurement practices, such as diversifying suppliers and establishing contingency plans, can mitigate these risks and ensure business continuity; and analyze the dynamics, roles and potential conflicts between the principal (Multan University) and agent (Fresh Bites Catering) using the principal–agent theory (PAT).

This case study explores the challenges and implications of sustainable procurement within the context of Multan University’s cafeteria services. It delves into the sudden contract breach by Fresh Bites Catering, a long-time partner responsible for providing central cafeteria services, and examines the resulting operational crisis faced by the university. This case study highlights key procurement processes, including vendor selection, contract management and adherence to sustainability principles, as well as the risks associated with single-vendor dependency. By applying frameworks such as the PAT, the four-stage model of crisis management and sustainable procurement practices, this case study encourages students to critically assess the failures in contract enforcement, risk mitigation and service continuity. Additionally, it stimulates discussion on the benefits of robust risk management strategies, multi-vendor approaches and clear contract terms to prevent future disruptions in essential services. This case study serves as a valuable tool for understanding how procurement strategies influence organizational performance and long-term sustainability in higher education institutions.

This is a decision-making case and can be taught in Master of Business Administration courses in purchase and supply management and operations management. This case study is mainly written to make students understand and analyze the potential risks of a single vendor, the benefits of diversifying suppliers and sustainable procurement.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and logistics.

The case study is based on field data, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with the main protagonist and related stakeholders of a large government hospital in Western India. After informed consent, the interviews with the stakeholders were conducted, transcribed and analyzed verbatim. In addition, secondary data from policy reports, newspaper articles and government websites was used to create the case. Since the protagonist works in the government system, her identity and other identifying information are disguised to maintain confidentiality.

The case study investigates the leadership challenges in a healthcare facility/hospital in public health. It traces the evolution of Dr Meena Sharma (Dr Meena), a leader in the government hospital ecosystem facing challenges such as infrastructural deficiencies, manpower deficit, healthcare bureaucracy and heavy patient load. This first-generation medical practitioner who transitioned from a private practice to a governmental one juggles balancing her demanding clinical practice, administrative responsibilities and teaching in the government hospital with her family responsibilities setup. However, in the wake of the upcoming LaQshya – Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, she strives to put together and motivate her team to work toward improving the quality of care during delivery and the immediate postpartum period at her hospital. Various issues arise in the organizational leadership for a woman leader such as adopting appropriate leadership style and using appropriate motivation and communication strategies for optimal performance.

The case study is aimed at teaching/training a) departmental heads of public and private hospitals, b) health program managers at higher and middle-level leadership roles, c) health policymakers at various levels in the government and other organizations and d) graduate and postgraduate students of public health, hospital management/administration. In addition to this, it can also be used for general management programs to teach organizational behavior, communication and leadership courses.

The data used in the case are collected through both primary and secondary sources. The interview method was used to collect data on the experience of the protagonist on visiting the expo and details about the Expo was collected using secondary sources.

The case study examines the success factors of initiatives implemented by the Dubai Expo 2020 team, with a focus on sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and communication. Even though not all objectives were met, the overall progress demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and positive effects on environmental, social and economic aspects. In addition, the case study demonstrates how businesses can incorporate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices. It highlights the significance of sustainability in business operations, stakeholder collaboration and continuous improvement. In addition, the case study provides innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction, resource efficiency and inclusivity. This case provides business students with valuable insights into successful sustainability initiatives and strategies for creating a more inclusive and equitable economy.

This case study is appropriate for intermediate undergraduate students in their third year or postgraduate students in their first year, particularly those enrolled in courses on sustainability, operations management, strategic management, supply chain management and corporate social responsibility. The case study is designed to enhance cognitive skills by analyzing and evaluating real-world examples of successful initiatives in sustainability, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and open communication. It also aims to develop affective skills by fostering a commitment to sustainable practices and psychomotor skills through practical applications and projects. By analyzing these initiatives, students can comprehend how businesses can integrate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices to create a more inclusive and equitable economy. In addition, the case study introduces innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction and resource efficiency while fostering economic inclusion and equity. Overall, the case study equips students with the knowledge and motivation necessary to drive sustainable change within organizations and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

The learning outcomes are as follows: to benchmark and compare the theoretical models of the performance management and appraisal processes. (Questions 1 and 2) Remembering-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to understand the importance of practicing fair performance appraisal process. (Question 4) Understanding-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to analyze the implementation and effectiveness of 180-degree performance appraisal method and rating system prevalent in the IT Sector. (Question 1) Applying and Analyzing-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to assess the impact of perceptual biases on human behavior and performance (Questions 2 and 3) Evaluating-in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

The case study entitled “Is HR Blind? Why do People Leave Managers Not Companies? A Case of Unfair Performance Appraisal and Biases” is a classic example of a flawed and biased performance appraisal process and perceptual biasness, which resulted in the loss of a valuable and talented resource in a leading Indian IT MNC. The present case had been based upon the real-life experience of an employee (i.e. Rahul Verma), who worked with the company from year 2010 to 2021. It was among the top ten IT MNCs employing about 0.1 million people. The objective of the case was to highlight real time issues existing with HR practices, mainly in IT sector organizations. For example, in the present case, do the HR seek proper justification from the manager before taking a harsh decision like forcibly asking an employee to sign a termination contract without looking at the contributions of his qualitative performance or even performance rating (refer to the transcript) for that matter? Was the job of the HR to only ensure how to fit in employees in the faulty bell curve system? Whether the performance appraisal system being followed at the company is adequately capable of identifying and recognizing the talent. Do the different functions really work cohesively and organically toward achieving the intended goals and objectives of the organization? Was this a failure of the manager in recognizing talent or something went wrong at the employee’s part? Was this a failure of the entire HR system or performance management process at the organization that was unable to filter out the capable and skilled resources out of the crowd? Was this a problem of organizational culture that put on stake its most critical resource – the human capital – by allowing the appraisers to evaluate them just because of the hierarchical structure, and not because they are not being competent enough to perform this most critical job objectively? Who ensures the appraiser is free from any kind of prejudice or bias and is capable of fairly assessing the talent resource? So, the present case was a deliberate attempt to throw out these burning questions to the practitioners and students to ponder upon. Does HR really follow the blind process merely acting on the feedback received from the different units of the organization?

With the help of strong theoretical foundation and practical applications, the following objectives and questions have been framed to deliberate and propose the workable solutions for the benefits of the relevant stakeholders.

HR practitioners, HR managers, supervisors, senior management and HR students, IT heads, project managers.

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CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

The data set used to write this case was collected from 83 public sources, including company communications, company journals and reports and the company website, along with newspaper articles, industry reports, scientific articles and case studies. The data set was used to analyse both the industry and firm in which Arup operated to draw conclusions about the firm’s strategy and competitive advantage, specifically, as it relates to trust and knowledge management.

Alan Belfield, an employee of Arup Group Limited for 29 years, and the company’s chairman since 2019, had witnessed significant growth since he first joined the firm. Operating globally, Arup had a proud past; since 1946, the company had served 6,931 clients across 143 countries, leading to its important contribution to many world-renowned landmarks within the built environment. From 2018 to 2020, revenue at the global multiservice engineering company had grown almost £250m [1] to £1.809bn.

Over the past few years and as 2021 came to an end, the global engineering services industry had experienced a flood of mergers and acquisitions, as the industry grew towards maturity and clients looked for full-service solutions. Arup’s strategy had proven successful in the past, evidenced by its capacity to grow revenues and partake in the design of well-known structures and buildings. However, with the trend towards consolidation, as Arup headed into 2022, how could the firm retain its position as one of the global leaders in the industry over time?

The case can be used in business courses on global strategic management at the bachelor and master levels, as it applies key strategic management concepts within a global context. The case focuses primarily on the transnational corporation (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 2002) and how it creates value through strategy and structure. Instructors who wish to integrate the human resource management aspect into the course are provided with optional material, including an additional reading, along with an assignment question and associated analysis and teaching guidance.

Risk identification and qualitative assessment are the learning outcomes.

The Bharat Bijlee Construction Limited (BBCL) was one of the largest construction companies operating in the power sector in India. After successfully completing a few projects in the Middle East, BBCL decided to expand its presence into African region. The BBCL was awarded a $85m contract for three sub-station projects to modernise Algeria’s power grid system by the “Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Eddraouch Spa”, a state-owned company in charge of power generation, transmission and distribution in Algeria.

The project, which is the first of BBCL in Saharan region in Algeria’s, presents many unique situations that company had never encountered before, including sand dunes, severe weather, remote locations, supply chain & logistics, strict contractual deadlines and a high level of construction risk. The project manager for BBCL was sceptic about how well his company would perform under the present project circumstances. How could he better align himself with the client, the various on-site local contractors and the numerous suppliers spread around the world?

The case emphasises the identification of various project risks that the project manager might encounter in the project. What do the PESTLE and ASCE frameworks for risk identification each represent, and how are they helpful for the project team in understanding various risks? How should the project’s qualitative risk assessment be conducted? And how can a heat map be a better tool for comprehending the criticality of each risk in the project?

Undergraduate and post graduate courses in project management, civil engineering and architecture domain.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 2: Built Environment.

Public data such as news reports, interviews and memos were used to craft the case. In addition, the technical reports released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with secondary data in the form of expert accounts and congressional hearings were used to round out the synopsis of the case study.

This case explores the Boeing–McDonnell Douglas merger and its impact on Boeing’s corporate culture, ethics and strategic decision-making. After the merger, Boeing shifted from a culture focused on engineering excellence to one emphasizing cost-cutting and shareholder value. This cultural shift contributed to the development failures and ethical lapses that resulted in the 737 MAX crisis, which involved two fatal crashes. The case is designed for courses in Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior.

Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior

This case was developed from published sources. Three types of data were used to develop this case. The accounting data were compiled by the case researcher from bank financial statements such as Form 10-K, Form 8-K and quarterly Financial Highlights issued by the bank. Market data were compiled from data providers such as FactSet, Yahoo! Finance, Pitchbook and the Federal Reserve System. Reports on market developments were gathered from major news outlets such as CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and S&P Global.

Interest rate risk played a big role in the banking crisis of 2023. For Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which specialized in providing banking services to venture-backed startups in the technology and life sciences sectors, its exposure to interest rate risk and the lack of hedging against interest rate risk had played a crucial role both directly and indirectly in the bank’s failure. This case study discussed the various channels that interest rate risk played in SVB’s failure as well as other risk factors that include an unusually high percentage of uninsured deposits and a high securities-to-asset ratio compared to its industry peers.

In the low interest rate years of 2020 and 2021, startups were able to fundraise a record amount of funding from venture capital (VC) investors. As many startups deposited their funds at SVB, they became an important and concentrated depositor base for the bank and held large deposit accounts that easily exceeded the $250,000 limit insurable by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. SVB benefited from the large deposit inflows in 2020 and 2021. The bank used some of the deposits to fund its loan portfolio, but most of the deposits were used to purchase debt securities such as US Treasuries and agency-used mortgage-backed securities. In fact, SVB’s investments in securities as a percentage of total assets were more than double its peers in the large banking organization (LBO) group, while the amount of loans funded as a percentage of total assets was almost half of its LBO peers.

As interest rates increased rapidly throughout 2022, bond prices fell. SVB experienced unrealized losses of $15.2bn in its held-to-maturity securities portfolio, which was almost equivalent to its equity of $16bn at the time. However, SVB implemented little or no hedging against the risk of rising interest rates. At the same time, fundraising activities slowed in the VC sector amid high interest rates and, thus, SVB’s startups clients had to draw on past deposits to continue to fund their operations. This resulted in SVB experiencing significant deposit outflows throughout 2022.

On March 8, 2023, SVB announced that it had sold all $21bn of its available-for-sale securities portfolio and suffered an $1.8bn in realized losses, which was greater than its entire last year’s net income. Markets jittered following the news. Over the next two days, depositors rushed to withdraw $142bn of deposits that represented 82% of its last year’s total deposits. Unable to withstand the crippling weight of deposit withdrawal, on March 10 the parent company of SVB filed for bankruptcy.

Given the multiplexity of the banking crisis of 2023, this case study specifically discussed the collapse of SVB, which was the second largest bank failure at the time of its collapse. This case would be valuable for finance and economics students to learn how various risk factors interact that precipitated SVB’s failure. While there were many risk factors at play, this case study homes in on how SVB’s exposure to interest rate risk and the lack of hedging contributed to its downfall. For purpose of pedagogy, this case also explains how a bank could use on-balance-sheet as well as off-balance-sheet methods to hedge interest rate risk. This case is appropriate for courses in Risk Management, Derivatives as well as Financial Markets and Institutions with a focus on interest rate risk and its corresponding hedging methods. A course in Money and Banking may also find this case relevant. Before starting, it is assumed that students have already taken foundational finance and macroeconomics courses, have a basic understanding of financial statement analysis and its interpretations, derivative instruments such as futures and swaps, as well as have prior experience with basic duration calculations.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to understand BRalu Profile’s product range, customer base and historical developments; analyze how BRalu Profile’s procurement strategy evolved and its impact on business profitability; calculate and compare procurement costs and evaluate their role in decision-making for different suppliers; examine how market conditions (includes domestic and international dynamics) and pricing strategies influence procurement choices; assess the pros and cons of different procurement options and make informed recommendations based on supply chain principles; and identify potential procurement risks (e.g. currency exchange rates and supplier reliability) and propose strategies to mitigate them.

This case study explored the challenges faced by BRalu Profile, a prominent aluminum profile products company based in Ahmedabad, India. It focused on the critical task of supplier evaluation, selection and the complexities of maintaining relationships with existing suppliers. This case study delved into the intricate dynamics of procurement decisions within the supply chain and their direct impact on the firm’s overall performance. It also emphasized the supply chain’s susceptibility to disruptions and their consequences on company operations and supplier selection criteria. The protagonist, Dhaval Choladiya, had to navigate the complexities of cost-benefit analysis to identify the most suitable supplier, maximizing the firm’s net benefit while considering nonpricing parameters. This case study revealed the critical importance of maintaining strong supplier relationships in a competitive market and offered insights into the complexities of sourcing.

This case study is suitable for an undergraduate or graduate-level course on strategic sourcing or supply chain management or a risk management module in operations, strategy or finance course (e.g. how to deal with input cost fluctuations).

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

After reading this case students will be able to understand the role of General Environment analysis in strategic decision-making; to understand the use of different models such as Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT and resource-based view; and to enable graduates to apply different strategies such as business level and growth strategies and environmental analysis to any company or industry on their own.

Pizza Town Sukkur, once a popular spot for delicious pizzas, was facing a tough situation. New competition was threatening its success, and the manager, Mr. Faisal Gul, was torn between sticking to old ways or trying new ideas. A surprise invitation to a special industry summit added excitement but also uncertainty. The restaurant, started by Honey Bhai in 2007, used to be a hit, but now it struggled with challenges like not having online ordering and falling behind in marketing. Other pizza places in Sukkur, like Pizza Mart, Pizza King and Pizza Grill, were giving tough competition. The story unfolded in the lively setting of Sukkur's food scene, with Pizza Town at a crossroads – whether to embrace change and technology or risk fading away in the face of new rivals.

Undergraduate and Graduate

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CSS 11: Strategy.

This case is based solely on secondary, publicly available information. Sources include the X social media platform, Anna Maria College’s (AMC) website and the Massachusetts-based Spectrum News.

AMC administrators knew student-athletes held a stake in the institution’s success. After all, over 40% of the College’s students played on its 13 Division-III (D-III) teams, which meant a significant portion of the private institution’s tuition and student fees were paid by student-athletes. But student-athletes were not AMC’s only stakeholders. In Spring 2024, this came to a head when the College found itself intervening as a faculty member and his student-athletes struggled to communicate with one another. AMC administrators were left wondering: How should they reconcile the competing needs of their diverse stakeholder groups?

This case and its accompanying teaching note are appropriate for lower-level undergraduate organizational communications classes that explore how stakeholder theory can drive messaging development. The case was tested in the classroom with upper-level undergraduate students in a strategic managerial communication course. It was embedded in a unit that focused on stakeholder management and communication, and it should be a prerequisite to a unit in which students build on the case’s content to develop full, multi-touch communication campaigns.

The case was written using information and data from secondary sources. It describes real people, real companies and the situations experienced by them. It does not use any fictitious names, scenarios or organizations.

The case “Maggie Timoney of Heineken: Shattering the Glass Ceiling and Forging a New Path,” traces the career of Maggie Timoney (Timoney) (she), the CEO of Heineken USA (HU) – a subsidiary of Dutch multinational brewing company Heineken N.V. (Heineken). The case starts by documenting the early life experiences of Timoney that were thought to have shaped her thinking and strategic capability. It then describes in detail the 25+ years of her career at Heineken, wherein she held several senior positions and worked in various global offices of Heineken. Timoney had a leadership style that was transformational, collaborative and inclusive. In 2018, she was made the CEO of HU and consequently, she became the first woman to hold the top position at one of the top five beer companies in the USA.

The case then describes in detail the challenges she faced as the CEO of HU, which led her to formulate various strategies. Timoney brought innovation to Heineken’s core brands to meet customer needs and follow industry trends; diversified into new market segments; served new consumption occasions; and reached out to the customers through novel marketing strategies. Timoney did achieve excellent business results at HU, but the decline in the global beer industry was still a tough challenge. Having broken gender stereotypes and become a role model through her leadership capability, can Timoney put HU on the path of sustainable future growth?

The case is intended for use in teaching the subjects, “Leadership Skills & Change Management,” “Organizational Behavior” and “Organizational Development: Diagnosis and Interventions” in both graduate and postgraduate programs.

At the end of this case discussion, the students should be able to analyze the challenges of Strategic Talent Management in the expansion phase of a tech startup; analyze the strategic elements of “Recruiting ahead of the curve”; interpret the application of different employment nodes in creating a differentiated human resource architecture, particularly in the context of an ed-tech startup; recommend Talent Management interventions for Edtech startups.

The protagonist in the case Mr. Rohit Manglik started his EdTech startup EduGorilla in year 2020 in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. His passion for transforming test preparation assistance for competitive examinations coupled with innovative AI and ML-driven testing portals has led to tremendous growth. He has received several rounds of funding, and the investor community is now expecting robust growth and returns. Manglik is now expanding in other states and has already started expanding in the Middle East to attain his ambitious growth targets. His current organization design, structure and talent management approach have worked so far, and he has managed to retain a productive workforce. To cater to its fast-growing client, base the company followed a novice hiring strategy where Manglik decided to overstaff his recruitment team to overcome the challenge of manpower deficit. He has been on a hiring spree primarily driven by anticipated projections. The operations team was hired primarily from the Tier II cities of Uttar Pradesh, which allowed him to balance cost and demand effectively. Manglik planned to expand into Tier-1 cities in India & Middle Eastern countries, but he wondered if his over-hiring approach to the recruitment team a tactic or a long-term strategy. The case will explore the talent management issues in the expansion phase of startups, particularly in the context of emerging markets. Will talent management and HR strategies have to be adapted in the context of different economies of emerging markets? The case explores the talent management strategies of an Edtech startup that is growing tremendously in an emerging market context. Hence, the case will augment the understanding of talent management approaches in a startup.

Postgraduate business management students enrolled in SHRM & Talent Management courses. Prior knowledge of the basic concepts of human resources is required for analyzing the case. The case can also be used in Management Development Programs for senior HR professionals and HR consultants.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

After studying and analyzing this case, students will be able to evaluate the strategic alternatives for growth for a small entrepreneurial business in an emerging market, analyze the trade-offs between maintaining continuity and change in the growth strategy adopted by an organization and synthesize an appropriate growth strategy for managing the trade-off between continuity and change in an organization.

It was late April 2022, and Mohammad Hamza – the founder and marketing head of Engineering & Environmental Solutions (E&E Solutions) – disconnected the call of his sales manager. His mind was fixated on how to craft the strategy for the next phase of the company’s growth. The deadline for their biggest tender was at the end of May 2022. Should he commit all the company’s reserves to this project or pursue global markets? Launched in 2015, E&E Solutions had come a long way from being a start-up with just one product to a full-blown manufacturer and environmental monitoring equipment service provider. Growing pollution and strictness in compliance propelled the demand for environmental monitoring equipment in India, poised to reach $342m by 2025. E&E Solutions leveraged its technological capabilities in Internet of Things and sensors producing low-cost monitoring equipment to gain an edge in an evolving market and bootstrapped its way to almost $5m annual turnover in 2021. However, the last review meeting brought many concerns for the next growth phase. E&E Solutions had so far focused on the domestic market, catering to the demands of private as well as government clients. A significant cause for concern had been the small order size of private players, averaging $2,000 and a lower net margin of 8%. Moreover, the company had been missing out on opportunities to bid for large government contracts owing to stringent bidding credentials required (such as turnover of at least 50%–80% of the project value and previous similar order experience with a range of at least 70% of the project value). Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled their efforts to tap a promising global environmental monitoring market (predicted to be $44bn by 2030). As Hamza and his team sat in their board room for a discussion, they had two alternatives. Either continue focusing on the domestic market, especially the big government contracts (more than $12m order size) or explore the markets in other emerging economies with demand for similar products (such as Middle East and North Africa region) more aggressively. Hamza was, however, wondering if they could do both, for he knew that to qualify for big government contracts, they needed to scale up. He was also getting restless after missing his target of reaching $20m in five years, especially since India’s ecosystem for start-ups and the small business sector had witnessed favorable policies and support from the government. He started pondering how to leverage his organization’s strengths and continuities to achieve the required pace and scale of change. His thoughts wandered around dividing the cash reserves of $500,000 to fuel growth without reducing the R&D budget. After all, R&D has been E&E Solutions’ forte since its inception and has been pivotal in creating its differentiation.

This case study can be used for core strategic management course at the undergraduate and graduate level of management programs. It can also be used in advanced strategy courses like strategic change, entrepreneurship and small business management offered in MBA programs.

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CSS 11: Strategy

After completion of the case study, students will be able to understand the format of for-profit social enterprise working for menstrual hygiene sustainability and its contribution toward U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, to appreciate the company’s alignment with the triple bottom line framework, to analyze the blue ocean mechanism that the company has developed to create an impact and to critique the strategies the Asan Cups company could adopt to increase its market share and growth.

Asan Cups was a for-profit social enterprise founded by Ira Guha in 2021. The company crafted reusable menstrual cups from liquid silicone, sporting a patented design in India, the UK, Europe and the USA. Successfully retailing its products in India, the UK and Europe, Asan Cups operated on a bootstrap model with a compact team of four, led by its visionary founder. From the get-go, the company embraced a compelling 1-for-1 donation initiative. For every cup sold, Asan Cups generously donated another to women who could not afford it. Collaborating with nongovernmental organizations, schools, educational institutions and social workers, the company spearheaded campaigns to heighten menstrual hygiene awareness. This proactive approach aimed to boost the acceptance of menstrual cups among rural women and championed the cause of environmental sustainability. The company did not just stop at providing an eco-friendly alternative. Asan Cups fervently educated the masses on the detrimental environmental impact of traditional disposable period products like sanitary pads and tampons. Fast-forwarding to 2023, Asan Cups had garnered approximately 30,000 users, with the adoption rate steadily climbing. The company strategically used an education-intensive model to foster awareness about period products in collaboration with partners nationwide. However, being a for-profit entity, the founder, Guha, was at a crossroads. Balancing the need for profitability, there was mounting pressure to explore additional revenue streams and expand operations and market reach. The dilemma loomed large: opt for a quicker marketing strategy or stay true to the company’s foundational education-centered approach. This case study delves into the dynamic strategies, impactful operations and growth scenarios Asan Cups navigated since its inception. It examines the pivotal choices faced by the founder and explores potential strategies for sustained growth.

This case study can be used at both undergraduate and master’s levels. The case study will be handy for strategic management and business strategy courses and can also be used for social entrepreneurship, marketing and entrepreneurship courses.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

This case study involves interviews with radiologists of various hospitals and with company personnel. Both primary and secondary data sources have been used. The first-hand perspective from the radiologists highlighted the challenges they face concerning time and the patient load. The company personnel highlighted using machine learning for used cases to make the platform more robust and accurate. This case has been tested with MBA students.

An emerging health-care artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, DeepTek.AI, wants to expand its reach in the radiology market. The company intends to leverage technology to assist radiologists in diagnostics. India's health-care sector faces the challenge of needing more trained doctors and nurses to meet the ever-increasing needs of patients. This case study revolves around the radiologists' concerns about implementing the new technology and its ease of use. The features and benefits of integrating AI in diagnostics are the need of the hour, but the reliability of results needs to be ascertained for adopting it.

This case was written for marketing applications and practices, trends in marketing, marketing strategy and technology adoption in marketing courses at the post-graduate level. Consumer adoption of finance, hospitality, travel and health-care technology is vital for increasing the company's market share and growth prospects. The students will have an opportunity to understand the challenges and the opportunities.

MBA.

Master’s level in Change Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management.

Mr Sharma, the dynamic and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed Soni Manipal Hospital (SMH), Jaipur, and Unit Head, Manipal Hospitals [Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. (MHEPL)], in a meeting with SMH’s Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Nursing Management, Mr Yaduvanshi realised the exponential growth of employee resistance, their lack of skills and technological advancements for documentation hindering the hospital's transformation goal. The case study highlighted the challenges the protagonist faced when taking charge as the CEO after nine months of acquisition and the factors contributing to them.

Students reading this case are expected to understand leadership theories, strategic and quality management approaches, and theories of social behaviour, such as Herzberg’s two-factor theory and social exchange theory (SET) and the application of these concepts in acquired organisations to develop healthy leadership–employee relations and change management theories.

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CSS 6: Human resource management.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to explore the challenges involved in growing a business during its early stages inorganically, discuss the challenges faced by start-ups in their quest for growth in an emerging market, investigate the reasons behind the mergers and acquisitions, comprehend the issues in the merger of a start-up and a conventional bank, identify the various possible synergies out of the merger and examine the growth strategies that a troubled start-up such as Slice can follow to survive and expand its business operations.

The case study discusses the challenges that Slice, a modern fintech organization, and North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) face due to the changing business and regulatory environment. After working tirelessly to earn the trust of India’s banking regulator, Slice got the approval for its merger with NESFB. While Slice and NESFB got a new lease of life after the approval of their merger, Rajan Bajaj, founder of Slice, needed to make the merger a success by leveraging on the strength of the combined entity and meeting all the lending and other regulatory requirements applicable to small finance banks.

This case study is suitable for MBA/MS/BBA/BS students.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

This case study is based on primary data collected through interviews with the company’s founder and CEO. It also includes secondary data collected through the Glassdoor job search and career community site. The names of the company and the employees have been disguised. However, the figures included accurately represent the primary data and the quotes are directly from the company representative.

When it was founded in 2009, employees were excited about the prospect of working at Wombat alongside its founder and CEO Dan Wallace. They had looked forward to making a difference in the lives of college students with the company’s higher ed-focused digital communication platform. But by 2022, Wallace could not ignore the significant change in these employees’ attitudes. Anonymous feedback pointed to employees’ commitment to Wombat having wavered, and employees’ reception of post-COVID organizational changes had become concerningly critical. Though he knew enough to be concerned, Wallace felt unsure of how to move forward based on the anonymous feedback alone. He was left wondering: how should Wombat communicate with employees to boost their attitudes and strengthen their commitment while making the hard decisions that best serve the company?

This case study is appropriate for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in organizational communication courses. It can constitute the employee communication module in a class that surveys strategic managerial communication, or it could be used as one of many examples in a course specifically focused on the internal communication component of the discipline. Students will need an understanding of communication theory, specifically interpretive organizational communication theory, to grasp the complexities of the case. While the focus company is in the educational technology industry, the themes presented are faced by companies of all sizes in all sectors.