Case studies

This paper aims to draw its foundation from primary and secondary data sources. The primary data were derived through extensive interviews with the case protagonists and close observations of the settings and situations described in the case. These were further supplemented by secondary data, collated to enhance the depth and context of the case, aiding in a more comprehensive understanding for the reader. ChatGPT was used in rewriting some sections of the case and in developing the instructor manual, particularly with ideation and ideal student answers. The research team very carefully scrutinized and heavily edited all sections to ensure correctness.

This case chronicles the journey of two close friends, Sean and Connor, from their time as finance students at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah to budding entrepreneurs within the community. Anchored in their passion for Indian cuisine, they envisioned Mumbai Express as an innovative culinary enterprise seeking to offer authentic Indian food through an affordable quick-service model. They aimed to address common pain points often associated with restaurant dining, particularly in the local community. Internal factors such as developing their signature dish, Chicken-Tikka-Masala (CTM) and external factors such as COVID-19 created barriers for Mumbai Express along the way, including opening the restaurant and keeping it afloat. Reflecting on why the restaurant closed, students will be challenged to step into the shoes of aspiring entrepreneurs to understand the dynamics of Mumbai Express’ ultimate failure.

This case is well-suited for use in sophomore or junior undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship, especially those emphasizing concepts like the minimum viable product (MVP) and differing emotional equity within partnerships.

This case was developed using secondary sources, including newspapers, periodicals and academic references.

This case examines tech billionaire Elon Musk’s early moves after taking over Twitter and whether those moves demonstrated strategic leadership. During the acquisition, many people were torn between whether Musk’s leadership would lead to this company’s turnaround or demise. Musk’s early moves after his acquisition provided evidence for both arguments. He conducted mass firings, insisted on long and intense hours from those who remained, and pursued a subscription model that provided user authentication and allowed most banned accounts back on the platform. Many felt these early moves were chaotic, whereas others thought it was necessary. Did Musk’s early moves demonstrate strategic leadership or impulsive behavior?

This case, designed for strategic management or strategic leadership courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, has been rigorously tested in a classroom setting. It was successfully used with undergraduate business students in a strategic management course, supporting the chapter on strategic leadership.

The authors used a secondary research methodology, using news articles, research reports and media interviews as significant sources of information. Renowned business news websites like Economic Times, Money Control and Bloomberg were referred to, along with relevant sections of Times of India, Business Standard, India Today and The Hindu. The SUGAR Cosmetics official company website provided valuable insights. Social media videos and industry reports were considered for diverse perspectives. Articles were accessed from May 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024. Throughout the case, various data sources, including financial reports and funding information, were used to support arguments and draw conclusions.

The case depicts the entrepreneurship journey of Vineeta Singh, the Co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics and the protagonist in this narrative. It commences with a brief overview of Vineeta’s entrepreneurial spirit evident since her childhood. It also explores her academic accomplishments and alternative career paths, illustrating her entrepreneurial determination and decisiveness. Subsequently, the case outlines Vineeta’s challenges in establishing SUGAR Cosmetics from scratch with her husband Kaushik Mukherjee, now the company’s COO, and their journey to achieving a revenue of ₹500 crore in FY24 over 12 years. It then delves into SUGAR Cosmetics’ innovative strategies to overcome various challenges. In addition, the case emphasizes Vineeta’s principles and focus in managing and scaling the business toward profitability, showcasing her leadership amidst adversity. Expanding from D2C to offline retail, SUGAR strategically grew to 200 stores by June 2023, with a significant presence in the southern region. With US$87.5m in funding, a predominantly female workforce, and an annualized revenue of ₹500 crore, Vineeta led SUGAR into a prosperous era, highlighted by her role as a beloved judge on Shark Tank India. However, amidst ambitious expansion plans, questions emerged regarding sustainability, competition differentiation, global expansion and commitment to women empowerment practices. These challenges illuminated the path ahead for SUGAR Cosmetics as Vineeta endeavored to navigate toward sustained success and innovation in the face of formidable competitors.

This case is structured for undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA and management development programs, aiming to enhance learning in the Strategy field through real-world insights and challenges encountered in a dynamic business environment.

The learning outcomes are as follows: understanding strategic decision-making in EdTech: students will analyse the dynamics of strategic decision-making in the EdTech sector, exploring the rationale behind Unacademy’s shift from online to offline learning; assessing business model transformation: learners will evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with Unacademy’s transformation from an online-centric model to venturing into physical coaching centres, and this includes considerations of market trends, competition and financial implications; managing competitive dynamics: students will examine the competitive landscape in the Indian EdTech sector, comparing Unacademy’s offline move with industry players, and this objective aims to enhance students’ ability to assess competitive strategies and positioning; strategic response to funding challenges: participants will explore how Unacademy strategically responds to the funding winter, addressing questions of financial stability, organic growth and sustainability in a dynamic market; leadership in uncertain environments: the case aims to develop insights into effective leadership during periods of uncertainty, and students will assess Gaurav Munjal’s leadership decisions and the management team’s role in steering Unacademy through challenges.

These objectives align closely with the case’s focus on strategic management, innovation and business transformation within the context of EdTech, providing students with practical insights and decision-making skills applicable to real-world scenarios.

The case study revolves around Unacademy, a prominent EdTech player in India, undergoing a strategic shift since May 2022. Facing a decline in demand for online education, the company ventured into the offline learning space by establishing physical coaching centres, directly competing with established offline and hybrid players. The case spans the period from the strategic pivot in 2022 to the challenges faced during the funding winter. The protagonist is Gaurav Munjal, the CEO of Unacademy, leading the management team amidst uncertainties.

The case is designed to teach strategic management in the EdTech sector, focusing on the challenges associated with entering the offline education space, particularly without prior experience and amid stiff competition. It explores questions of achieving organic growth, ensuring profitability and making strategic decisions during a funding winter. The industry context is EdTech in India, and the sub-fields of academia include strategic decision-making, business model transformation and competition dynamics within the education sector.

Level and field of study: The case is designed for MBA students with a focus on strategic management, innovation and the EdTech sector. It can also be suitable for executives participating in short courses on business strategy and organizational transformation.

This case is structured for Undergraduate, Postgraduate, MBA and Management Development Programs, aiming to enhance learning in the strategy field through real-world insights and challenges encountered in a dynamic business environment.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS11: Strategy.

Working through the case and the questions that follow will allow students to evaluate: critically assess the effectiveness and feasibility of Berrylush’s business model through the lens of the Business Model Canvas; understand: explain the strategies used by the organisation to gain and sustain a competitive advantage; apply: use the principles of judo strategy to develop tactics for competing effectively against well-established brands; analyse: examine how environmental changes affect the organisation; and create: formulate a growth strategy for Berrylush.

Two young MBA graduates from a top Indian management institution dreamed of running a large-scale business, providing women all over India with high-quality western clothing. In 2017, Berrylush was born with an initial business model where they designed and manufactured all their products in-house. While at one point, their maximum production capacity was only 900 units a month, within a handful of years, the brand saw its highest selling week of 2022 with sales of over 50,000 orders on India’s largest apparel and fashion website. Co-founder Alok Paul is spearheading the company’s channel expansion, taking it from only direct-to-consumer online sales to offline sales, creating an omnichannel experience for shoppers.

The case can be used for an undergraduate or MBA program teaching a strategic management course after the fundamentals of strategic management have been taught but before strategy execution and implementation have been discussed.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

After completion of the case study, students will have the ability to identify and apply various distribution strategies in the low-income market segment, to identify how last mile distribution is organized and executed in unconventional market situation and to identify and apply the 4Ps to support low-income market in last mile situations.

Mariam Atinga, the founder and owner of Mariam Special, was a native of Garu in the Upper East region. Mariam Special had specialized in the processing of freshly grown sorghum in the community into sorghum drink alongside some other natural spice additives. The drink was popularly called and known in the Garu community as “Zomkom”. Although there were other women who also processed and sold the drink in the community, the competitive advantage with Mariam Special was on the hygiene and innovative way it was prepared. She was also outward looking and had already made some attempt at expanding her business and passion beyond the community/district and into the villages. This was where her passion and interest caught the attention of a non-governmental organization (NGO) with interest in supporting low incomes in last mile situations. Atinga’s main interest and that of the NGO was hence to develop a route-to-market and associated strategic marketing approaches to reach this type of market or audience in Garu environs in the Upper East region of Ghana.

This case study is suitable for undergraduate students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS8: Marketing.

This case was developed from secondary sources. The secondary sources included news reports, industry reports, company websites, annual reports and company websites.

The case discusses the comprehensive renewable energy transition strategy that Lynn J. Good (Good), CEO and President of Duke Energy and the Chairman of its Board, was undertaking. In September 2019, Good revealed a new climate plan aimed at achieving net-zero carbon emissions with zero methane emissions from natural gas operations by 2030 and zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. Duke Energy is a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and one of the major energy generation companies in the USA with two reportable business segments – Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). Good targeted interim carbon emission reduction targets of at least 50% from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and some Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035 and 80% from electric generation by 2040. To achieve this, she invested in large electric grid upgrades and energy storage, as well as in research on zero-emission power generation technologies including hydrogen and advanced nuclear technologies. She helped update the grid system and improved customer experience. As part of the revamped climate strategy, Good invested in crucial energy infrastructure and improved affordability of electricity for customers, especially in the North Carolina region. Despite her efforts at curbing emissions, Good faced criticism from various quarters. This included criticism of Duke’s carbon-cutting plans in 2022 in its core North and South Carolina service zones. The company also faced charges of environmental pollution. Its 2024 strategy, which aimed to address a projected increase in demand for electricity using natural gas plants capable of running on hydrogen, was also met with skepticism by industry groups, advocates, activists and local governments.

Good had to face the conflict between environmental ambitions and technological realities that highlighted the difficulties in transitioning to a cleaner energy future. It remained to be seen whether she would be able to successfully navigate the various hurdles and help Duke Energy reach its 2030 emission targets.

This case was written for use in teaching graduate and postgraduate management courses in entrepreneurship and economics, politics and business environment.

The idea for this case study evolved from the latest technological developments in the UAE and Etisalat’s role in digital facilities in particular. Being one of the Etisalat’s customer, an author wanted to develop a short case study on its resilience approach and strategic focus on digital future. The data for this short case study was collected through published sources, company website, personal visits to some branches of the company and author’s experience and priori knowledge on the topic. The one-on-one interviews with some employees helped to collect the authentic information on the history, nature of company’s business, company’s projects, IT setup and customer happiness centers.

Etisalat has set directions following the development of UAE. Etisalat did not have many challenges, as there are not many competitors in the telecom sector. The significant problems are on customer preferences, employees’ capability and governmental initiatives in technological reforms. Customer preferences refer to the demands in quick service, employees’ capability refers to the company’s response to technical issues, and governmental initiatives refer to connect all entities and different emirates at the federal level. UAE’s new initiatives in innovation, research, artificial intelligence and technological reforms in business are particularly focused on career welfare, organizational welfare and country welfare. The relevant literature on digital future and Etisalat’s approach as cited in the main case would benefit instructors and students. They can relate the major trends of business resilience and digital future with the modern technology management. The literature also connects the business resilience and digital future with the technological aspects as mentioned in the case study.

This case study is best suited for use in business management and technology management courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. The case study is also suitable for use in international business management focusing on business resilience, business intelligence and technology management aspects. The topics related to business resilience and digital transformation would be suitable for discussion. Following are the couple of resources than can be a good idea for some concepts on digital world.

This case study is based on Amazon, a global e-commerce giant, which is well-known for its extensive product range and customer-centric approach. The nature of the research is exploratory. This study is purely exploratory in intent. Secondary sources such as reputable newspapers, blogs, websites and trade publications were used to compile the information and write this case.

Amazon India’s innovative Storyboxes packaging initiative has transformed the online shopping experience by integrating compelling stories of sellers into the delivery process. This case study explores the rationale, implementation and impact of the innovative approach on customer engagement and the seller community. By featuring QR codes and images of sellers on the packaging, and directing customers to their narratives on Amazon’s platform, the initiative fosters a deeper connection between buyers and sellers. To enhance customer loyalty and adapt to the dynamic e-commerce landscape, Amazon must navigate the challenge of fostering intimacy through unique initiatives like Storyboxes, while also maintaining the effectiveness and reach of its traditional methods. The solution lies in finding a strategic balance that upholds the brand’s core values and meets evolving customer expectations amidst a competitive market environment.

This case is structured for Undergraduate, Postgraduate, MBA Programs.

The case was written using publicly available information from library databases, news articles and other print and video sources. Where possible, direct quotes were obtained from recorded interviews, official announcements and other primary sources of data.

The case follows Fran Drescher (she), president of the actors’ union Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, as she navigates the historic labor strike that brought Hollywood to a standstill over the summer and fall of 2023. As film and TV productions continued to be delayed and actors remained out of work, Drescher’s leadership style faced criticism, not only from the opposing side in the negotiation process but from her own constituents as well. Through the case, students explore the interplay between gender, leadership and power in the labor negotiation context.

The case is designed for a course in organizational behavior and may be taught to either an upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate audience. The instructor’s manual has been thoughtfully designed to guide instructors through the available options in terms of learning objectives, discussion questions and suggested teaching activities. Broadly speaking, the case may be integrated into any course after the topics of power and/or women in leadership have been taught.

The primary learning objective is to challenge students to evaluate the decision facing The Magic of Sarees (MOS) Preloved. The students will need to assess the risks involved versus maintaining the status quo. Students should apply strategic management concepts in their analysis. The second learning objective focuses on developing the students’ understanding of effective merchandising and pricing strategies for MOS Preloved. This case study discusses how MOS Preloved manages its inventory, the constant refreshing of collections and seasonal relevance and also discusses challenges and opportunities associated with managing a preloved inventory, considering factors like authenticity and quality control. This case study also considers pricing strategies (BCG matrix could be referenced for differential pricing) that could be used to strengthen the brand’s identity of “affordable, accessible, and authentic sustainable fashion”.

This case study is based on the brand “MOS Preloved”, an e-commerce market place in India for the buying and selling of preloved sarees. Founded by Susmita Misra in July 2021, the objective of the business is to create an online marketplace, buy and sell, for preowned sarees that facilitates circular economy. The accompanying saree stories add to the allure and ensure the magic of these sarees continues for the entire lifetime of each saree. Being an unstitched garment, the saree has no size limitation and with a little care could last for at least 100 wears. This case study discusses the founder’s dilemma of deciding to premiumize the merchandise which would include both adding higher priced preowned sarees as well as charging 50% of market price for current merchandise (currently being priced at 25%–40% of the current market price). The decision requires considerable investment in terms of information technology, infrastructure, human resources and marketing spends. Given how nascent, unorganized and unbranded the preloved saree market is, the founder is unsure of the time that it could take to get the return on investment. The risk: the longer she hesitates, the more vulnerable her monopoly becomes. The case study also discusses the evolution of saree into contemporary wear, the hurdles and possibilities in the preloved fashion sector and brand MOS Preloved’s attempts at creating a distinctive positioning.

This case study is suitable for postgraduate programme for MBA.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS11: Strategy.

The following are the objectives of the case study: building and leveraging core competence, realizing the strategic advantage of incumbency and contribution to nation building as a business potential.

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) started as a trading company in 1938. By 2023 L&T was a mammoth infrastructure company with a market cap INR 4,750bn operating 800–1,000 projects in engineering and construction at any point in time. It also worked in the domain of hydrocarbons, power and heavy engineering including defence engineering, financial services and development projects supported by technology. The company went through several phases of environmental disruptions in the form of the Second World War and India’s independence, which brought several opportunities for growth. L&T built competencies to leverage these opportunities, which also contributed to the nation building efforts in India. In 2023, several changes were occurring in the ecosystem in the form of energy changes, sustainability becoming a way of life and digitalization impacting every aspect of business. The managing director and chief executive officer Mr S.N. Subrahmanyan reiterated the need to focus on performance to make L&T a global leader in futuristic tech-driven engineering and solutions. He faced three major challenges – reducing exposure in non-core businesses, adopting technology to strengthen traditional business and leveraging the competence built over 85 years to improve the performance of L&T, while contributing to nation building.

This case study is suitable for MBA and executive programmes.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Video of protagonist in conversation with Anant Maheshwari, President Microsoft India discussing the future plans of L&T for adopting new age technology. The video is available at the following YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKb-_z_ch4E

CSS 11: Strategy.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to recall the fundamental concepts of group arrival and the check-in process within the hotel industry; explain the various operational procedures used to enhance a smooth group check-in in hotels; use the steps defined in group check-in procedure to improve service efficiency in hotel operations; and examine and evaluate the optimal solution for a smooth group check-in for hotels.

“The Big Fat Indian Wedding” delves into the challenges faced by Hotel Plaza Blu, a business hotel in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2023. A big wedding group was arriving at the hotel, which comprised almost 350 adults and 120 children. Mr Parag Patil, the front office manager, had done all the preparations for group arrival but just one hour before the arrival Mr Suresh Menon, the group coordinator, came and informed that 150 additional guests would be arriving, as the other hotel, where arrangements for these guests were made, had a major electricity generator breakdown and the hotel was in complete blackout. Patil had the challenge of formulating an action plan to achieve a smooth group check-in with the last-minute changes.

Executive development programmes and graduate-level courses in non-profit hospitality and tourism management might benefit from this case study. The operational management courses in the BBA, UG management programmes might all benefit from using this case study.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

The case is primarily based on publicly available data, which includes the company website, industry reports and articles published in various media sources, as well as video-recorded interviews with the company representatives. Some factual data is fetched from or triangulated with public and licensed databases such as Statista, Crunchbase and PitchBook.

In November 2021, six years after its establishment, a Finnish food delivery platform startup, Wolt Enterprise Oy, was acquired by San Francisco-based technology company Doordash, Inc., in a staggering all-stock transaction of approximately US$8.1bn (EUR 7bn). This case invites students to analyze the international growth of a startup from its establishment toward becoming a unicorn amidst an ongoing pandemic and further toward a top-level exit deal and continuation as a subsidiary of a publicly listed multinational company. The case provides an overview of the food delivery industry and its key players and examines the challenges and opportunities faced by Wolt as it expanded to different regions, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The case provides a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the strategic decisions and trade-offs that entrepreneurs face in the rapidly evolving food delivery market. By the end of this case study, students will learn about internationalization challenges and opportunities in the food delivery industry, how to navigate external shocks like COVID-19, analyze the competitiveness of a born-global startup in a competitive delivery business and evaluate the pros and cons of an acquisition deal for future international growth.

The case is designed for use in graduate courses in international business and entrepreneurship, such as internationalization of the firm and global marketing, strategies of business growth and international business strategy. A more diverse student body will be beneficial in uncovering different views on country differences, including various competitive, technological and regulative landscapes.

It provides insights into the challenges digital platforms like Wolt face when expanding globally. Students can apply theories such as the Uppsala model and platform economics while exploring how network effects and first-mover advantages influence Wolt’s competitive edge. The case also highlights localization strategies for global marketing and serves as a basis for examining valuation and integration in mergers and acquisitions. Overall, it helps students understand the unique dynamics and growth strategies in digital platform businesses worldwide. This case was classroom tested in the Internationalization of Firm and Global Marketing course for first-year master’s students of the International Business and Entrepreneurship program of LUT University Business School, Finland, during the years 2020–2023. Prior to this course, the students completed the Global Business Environment course, where they learned how to analyze forces in the external environment for further development of firm-level internationalization strategies.

This case study draws on secondary sources as well as my personal experience and industry contacts within the cement sector during my time teaching in Spain, a country where the cement industry plays a significant role in the economy. I have also benefited from conversations with my colleague, Arnaud Blandin, an ESG expert with a deep understanding of the sustainability challenges facing the cement industry, particularly in Asia, where he lived for several years. His contribution is acknowledged in the disclaimer below the title.

This case study explores how Holcim, the global leader of the cement industry addresses the sustainability imperatives through a set of structured initiatives and policies. The case focuses on the challenges faced by Holcim at a time when the imperatives of climate change, resource scarcity and stakeholder expectations converged to reshape the very foundations of its business strategy, compelling the firm to reimagine its operations through a lens of environmental, social and governance principles. The case starts with a brief description of the industry of cement, which is, at the same time, one of the most consumed products globally but also a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions and then to global warming. Next, the case briefly introduces Holcim and its major competitors. Then, the case presents the major environmental challenges for the cement industry as well as the possible solutions with operational advances, innovation and collaboration within actors. Finally, the case details the ESG strategy of Holcim in 2023 with a first evaluation of its results.

This case study has been written for Master of Business Administration and Master of Science students. The case can be used in multiple courses, including Corporate Strategy, Business and Society, Ethics and Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and General Management Implementation.

The learning outcomes are as follows: to analyse the issue(s) presented within specific case study context (C4); to formulate solutions to identified issue(s) within specific case study context (C5); and to synthesise a group plan to solve issue(s) within specific case study context (A4).

In 2017, China proclaimed that it would no longer accept plastic waste for recycling, this was in-line with China’s Operation “National Sword” to review the quality of these plastic imports to ensure their recyclability. This sent shock waves through a now globalised recycling network, with China previously having imported 95% of the EUs and 70% of US plastics that had been collected for recycling. This plastic backlog was then diverted to South-East Asian nations, particularly Malaysia, which this case focuses the discussion upon. While the potential for significant economic benefits drew the attention of illegitimate and unscrupulous businessmen alike, the environmental degradation from the often, low technological recycling processes and even burning of low-grade plastics brought profound negative impacts. This case focuses upon, then Minister, Yeo Bee Yin who led the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, in which she took an active and aggressive stance in attempt to stop Malaysia becoming the dumping ground for the global plastic crisis.

This case is appropriate for final year undergraduate and any postgraduate degrees in Business.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 4: Environmental Management.

This case study can be used to highlight aspects of classic strategic management, such as industry analysis as well as cost leadership strategy, in the context of the space industry. After working through the case study and assignment questions, the students will be able to identify industry dynamics in a high-tech industry (space), examine the strategy of a focal organisation, in light of external and internal factors, evaluate the decision-making process behind adopting new technology and whether the strategic motivations for competing with global players are justified and develop recommendations to help an organisation in achieving its strategic goals.

This case study outlines the remarkable success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as well as the formidable challenges facing its chairperson, S. Somanath. While Somanath could point to major recent successes – ISRO’s picture perfect landing near the moon’s south pole, and successful deployment of a solar probe – he could also see two formidable missions ahead. First, there was Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight, which had already slipped its launch schedule a couple of times. Second was the mission to establish a space station by 2035. The first mission had been plagued by delays due to the long process of developing technology indigenously, as international technology transfer at an affordable price was not forthcoming. The second mission required ISRO to develop an ability to keep humans in space indefinitely, which again required acquisition of new technology. In addition, ISRO’s service of launching satellites in low Earth orbit was threatened by SpaceX, which delivered similar service at a much lower cost due to a new reusable rocket technology. In response to the new challenges, Somanath had accelerated collaboration with Indian private sector companies, including start-ups. The goal was to outsource and expand ISRO’s rocket development and launch capability. While the outsourcing might free up ISRO’s capacity, the technology and knowhow development required would still take a while to develop from scratch. Hence, Somanath (and learners) need to consider: What other strategic options might ISRO consider to adapt to the dynamics of the space economy?

This case study is suitable for courses in MBA/Masters.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

After reading and discussing the case, the students will be able to: apply paid, owned and earned digital marketing tools to Zilli’s, analyze the omnichannel and e-commerce strategy of Zilli’s, evaluate digital marketing strategy of Zilli’s and elaborate resources available to Zilli’s in the context of emerging markets.

Anubhav Bhatnagar founded Zilli’s – The Spice Company to bring grandma’s recipes to modern kitchens. This case study chronicles the growth and challenges faced by the company. Zilli’s philosophy relied on hand-pounding spices, which retained their aromatic signature, flavor intensity, nutritional value and cultural importance better than their commercially processed counterparts. Bhatnagar started his business during the lockdown. The founder aimed to produce spices that were free of preservatives and had long-lasting aromas. His kitchen trials demonstrated that hand-pounded spice powders simplified cooking and improved flavor. Direct manufacturer ties and a Hyderabad production plant managed by local rural women enabled the firm to expand to India and a few neighboring markets. Zilli’s growth was slow due to heavy competition from well-known brands. E-commerce was Zilli’s only viable option. The prospect sounded great, but the company needed to strategize differently to build an effective digital marketing strategy. Marketing and sales of Zilli’s products presented various constraints as it was difficult to convince consumers of Zilli’s products’ authenticity, quality and pricing. Many retail outlets and e-commerce platforms already sold numerous competitor’s products. The company’s aspiration to establish a global footprint could be hampered by low consumer acceptance of Zilli’s goods due to its limited reach. Thus, Bhatnagar sought digital marketing tactics to promote Zilli’s products and create brand awareness and recall for his spice powders in the competitive spice powder category. This case requires the reader to debate, analyze and propose digital marketing strategies to boost Zilli’s product visibility, acceptability and sales. The readers could identify gaps in Zilli’s existing digital marketing strategy and offer suggestions to Zilli’s for increasing spice powder sales in the online marketplace.

This case study applies to a postgraduate-level management course.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

The authors gathered the core information for this case using publicly available filings from the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Publicly available news articles were used to complement the core information. All sources are cited.

This case involves an assumed fraud perpetrated by the C-suite members of Celadon Group, Inc. – formerly one of the largest trucking companies in North America. By 2016, the value of Celadon’s truck inventory significantly decreased in value. Instead of reducing the inventory to its market value on the Balance Sheet, management engaged in a series of trades and creative accounting to conceal the fact they had overvalued the trucks.

Investment analysts at Prescience Point Capital Management and Jay Yoon (both published on Seeking Alpha) found inconsistencies and red flags in Celadon’s 2016 and 2017 financial reports and reported their suspicions to the public. Soon after, Celadon’s audit committee declared the company’s recent financial statements could no longer be relied upon, resulting in an immediate market loss of $62.3m. In 2019, Celadon entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement and was ordered to pay $42.2m in restitution. The Department of Justice (DOJ) criminally charged Danny Williams (president of Quality, a Celadon subsidiary) and he entered a plea agreement. The DOJ also criminally charged Bobby Lee Peavler (CFO) and William Eric Meek (COO). Celadon filed for bankruptcy and operations ceased. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, in 2022, the DOJ dismissed the criminal case against Peavler and Meek.

This case allows students to apply theory learned in a fraud examination or forensic accounting course to an actual fraud case. It discusses red flags and how perpetrators of fraud often need to keep perpetrating wrongdoing to keep the original fraud from being discovered. The authors designed the case for upper-level or graduate business students. It should be included in the course when covering financial statement fraud.

Data for this case was collected through multiple interviews with the founder, staff and customers of Miss Rizos. In total, about 10 h of interviews were recorded and transcribed. To write the case, the authors visited the firm’s premises in Santo Domingo. Furthermore, observations, participation as clients and informal interactions also resulted in additional data and evidence that supported the case. In addition, the authors consulted corporate documents and archival data, as well as secondary sources, such as internet news, blogs, YouTube and other social media.

In 2011 Carolina Contreras opened a beauty salon (“Miss Rizos”) located in the heart of Santo Domingo, on the same street where slaves were once sold. The “unapologetic” powerful aim of the salon was to empower Afro-descendant, Afro-Latino, Afro-Dominican women, helping them revitalize their image and feel proud of their coils, curls and waves – and ultimately, of their identity. By the end of 2019, Carolina established a second hair salon in New York City. The case dilemma takes place in the summer of 2023. It involves choices the firm faces regarding the enhancement of its “activist” spirit, the adequacy of its organization and, more urgently, regarding its viability and possible growth/“scaling-up”.

This case is useful in undergraduate courses for teaching issues on social entrepreneurship, race and responsible leadership.