Case studies

This case presents the dilemma of a multinational oil and gas company, ExxonMobil, as it factors in the ethical issues related to the environment and cultural differences in deciding whether to proceed with building a pipeline in Chad and Cameroon, two of the poorest and most corrupt developing countries in West Africa. The many players in this project included the World Bank--which cofinanced the project and put restrictions into place that would hopefully prevent pipeline-related government corruption in both Chad and Cameroon--and many environmental and human rights groups that warned of potential disaster. The case also covers the environmental and social analysis of the areas that would be affected by the pipeline.

The strategic management literature states that firms who wish to have a competitive advantage through high customer service (rapid response) and product differentiation need to restructure their organization into empowered, self-managed work units so as to ensure that there is “value-added” at each stage of the value chain. (Porter, 1985; Hill and Jones, 2001) In this case, Vanguard altered part of its structure through the development of teams in order to maximize its operations; and given their results Vanguard successfully put theory into practice. When the major supporter of team management, Mike Wesley, leaves the firm, he is replaced by Wendy Kiefer, a strong supporter of team structures. Her replacement, Shari Lastarza, however is the “old” assembly manager and does not buy into the team concept. Could this be anything but a formula for disaster?

Carol O'Reilly is the Executive Vice President of a regional bank in the New York metro area. She is evaluating an investment in online banking as an extension of bank services. Her bank, East Side Bank, is one of the most productive in the U.S. In fact, it was named America's most efficient bank in 1998. This became a cornerstone of their marketing strategy and they fiercely protected their efficiency ratio. She received a visiting contingent of bankers from Finland. Their use of technology and online banking was far more developed than most U.S. banks. Yet they were not nearly as efficient as the top U.S. banks. They discovered on their visit, that their cross selling had suffered as their online capability advanced. The U.S. bank customer was more profitable because they used multiple bank services and were willing to pay higher fees for the personal contact. This case centers on the implications of this revelation to East Side Bank.

The primary subject matter of this case concerns the potential impact of the adoption of online banking to a commercial bank. Secondary issues include strategic decision making in the banking industry and a comparison of the impact of technology on banks in Finland and the U.S.

The case has a difficulty level of three, which makes it appropriate for a junior level course. The case is designed to be taught in ½ hours and requires about 3 hours of preparation. It is designed for use in Strategy, Marketing, Money and Banking, or International Business courses.

John Caldwell, president of Kio-Tek (KT), presents his company's business plan to a group of 30 venture capitalists at the November 2001 annual meeting of the Portland Venture Group. John's presentation is included in the case as an exhibit. The case begins with a brief overview of the meeting and John's presentation. The body of the case describes the question and answer period immediately following John's presentation.

Included in the case is a set of exhibits that John has handed out to the audience as supplemental information. These exhibits provide additional information on marketing, management, and financial issues facing the company and John refers to them throughout the question and answer period. The VC's ask John a variety of questions in an effort to determine whether KT is an attractive investment opportunity

David Walker, a senior attorney in a busy white-shoe law practice is involved in an in-office dispute between his administrative assistant and a respected colleague. He had spent numerous hours listening to both sides tell their stories and has no answers. How was he ever going to help two people he valued greatly work out a compromise between their extremely polar positions? The case provides opportunities to explore the sources of interpersonal conflict, causes of escalation, and ways of diffusing and resolving it.

This case, developed from a wide variety of publicly available information, presents ethical and economic issues arising from the development, marketing, and pricing of a biotech drug. Genentech developed TPA, the first genetically engineered drug that could be used in clot-dissolving therapy for heart attack, and marketed it as Activase. Public outrage focused on the disparity between the drug's $10 direct manufacturing cost and what Genentech charged for its drug. Activase/TPA was priced at $2200 a dose, raising immediate concerns about its affordability and therefore availability to those who needed it. Additional issues arise from other events, including concern over related-party relationships between the company and organizations which researched and recommended TPA, as well as aggressive marketing of TPA to physicians and the company's refusal to participate in an international drug study to compare TPA with competitor drugs.

This case presents the challenges facing a new pastor at Whitney Avenue Congregational church. For many years the church has seen declining membership. Karl, the new pastor, is expected to help foster growth, but as he has learned, some organization members fear that he may want to change more than they would like to see changed. Karl must decide how to conduct himself at the next church council meeting. He also must decide on an approach to effect positive change in the organization.

An employee&s husband made violent threats to the store manager of a Las Vegas shop specializing in skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products of an international company. The manager wanted the employee terminated. The employee confessed that her husband also threatened her. The employee's personnel file contained no performance problems, but the store manager admitted that she had kept a separate file with such documentation. The Executive Director and the Director of Human Resource Management wondered what they should do.

This case looks at the design and implementation of a risk management strategy. It reviews the early moves by Great Plains Energy (GPE) to establish a corporate-wide Enterprise Risk Management program. The corporate Chief Risk Officer is Andrea Bielsker. Andrea appointed Jana Utter to take charge of coordinating the design and implementation of the ERM program. Utter faces a number of challenges. She has had to first conceptualize the program given the charge by the Board of Directors, then design a process by which she identifies the risks that the corporation faces, assist in designing measures for the risks, and work with the various divisions and functional areas to put processes in place to mitigate the identified risks.

Doris, the Executive Director of the JCC, had a Board of Directors that lacked the requisite skills, perspective, behaviors, and willingness to change policies and practices in order to meet external environmental opportunities and threats or to address internal competencies and competitive capabilities. Changes in the external environment were exacerbating the JCC's internal deficiencies. In addition, the Board created impediments to the professional staff's efforts to implement good managerial practices and policies. The current management team was acutely aware of the changes in the external environment, how these changes impacted the JCC's operations and what the JCC needed to do in order to meet these challenges. The management team was frustrated by a Board that did not provide leadership, fulfill their responsibilities, hold each other accountable and undermined management by intervening in day-to-day operations. The staff was passively hostile to the Board and to the management team. As consumers, the members' expectations were higher and more demanding. Doris and her management team had to resolve a myriad of strategic and operational issues that confronted the organization.

This case examines the ethical issues raised when businesses contract for the military during time of war. Dow Chemical Company was a military contractor during the Vietnam War and the primary producer of Agent Orange - a defoliant used to clear vegetation. Agent Orange has been linked to a number of serious medical conditions in war veterans and Vietnamese civilians. In 2004, Vietnamese citizens filed suit against Dow for illnesses they believe were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Dow thought the issue should have been addressed through political and social policy, while Vietnamese citizens and U.S. Vietnam war veterans believed Dow was ethically responsible. As the case moved through the U.S. judicial system, some of Dow's investors grew uncomfortable with how it was handled. Dow CEO Andrew Liveris was left to wonder what his company could have done differently and what they could learn from the Agent Orange episode that might prevent similar problems in the future. This incident appeared to be a relatively distinct case, but in July of 2007 it was reported that the number of private contract employees in Iraq exceeded that of U.S. military personnel. Consequently, it is likely that companies and their stakeholders will have to address similar issues.

Dr. Lawrence Frazier was an emergency room physician who was an employee of Honore Staffing Services of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He worked at Methodist Health System hospital in Grant, Georgia. He had recently added the title of ER Medical Director and served as liaison between Honore staffing and the Methodist hospital. His additional duties included overseeing the other physicians which staff the emergency room. Methodist had a bonus system in place based on obtaining 31 patients’ satisfaction surveys each month. Dr. Frazier believed that the small sample lead to erroneous results and created problems for the physicians under his supervision. He wanted to change the data collection process (e.g. sample size collected, instrument), but encountered obstacles when he broached the subject with his hospital administrators.

In January, 2007, TJX reported that it had suffered from a computer intrusion. The company was sure neither of the identity of the perpetrators nor of how many customers were affected. A deeper analysis revealed that the intrusion had started earlier and affected more customers than previously thought. Ensuing investigation concluded that TJX was collecting unnecessary information, keeping it for too long and employing obsolete and insufficient safeguards. TJX denied any wrongdoing but implemented most of the recommended remedies to strengthen their security.

In 2007, BP sought and received regulatory approval to expand operations at its Whiting Refinery in northwest Indiana. Had the project gone forward as planned, the refinery would have discharged significantly higher levels of pollutants into Lake Michigan, but would have also contributed to economic development in the region. The result of BP seeking and being granted regulatory approval triggered a firestorm of controversy from multiple segments of society. This case study draws from secondary sources to examine the positions of a variety of stakeholders who influenced BP's decision as to whether or not it should expand its Whiting Refinery. Relevant stakeholders included for analysis are citizen and environmental organizations, political groups, trade associations, BP's employees, and stockholders. The intended target audience for this case is upper-level undergraduate business students studying issues related to business and society, such as corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.

Judy was a high-performing professional manager who was with her company for 15 years and was a manager for six. She was a confident, positive, and happy person but recently lost her confidence in herself and her abilities. She dreaded going to work because she never knew what she would face from her boss, Dennis. Dennis was a brilliant man who was recently promoted to Senior V.P. He was condescending, and he humiliated people in public. Complaints to the CEO and a harassment claim produced no results. Dennis did the CEO's dirty work and served a role needed in a fast-paced and profit-driven corporate culture. Judy enrolled in an MBA program to build her resume and her self-confidence. She faced a critical juncture in her career. Should she quit, transfer, complain to HR, or confront Dennis?

Anika, a new manager, is confronted by a dysfunctional organizational culture characterized by employee disrespect, insubordination, and low performance. Her charge is to “to turn the place around”. The case takes place in a service organization, a testing range run by the US Department of Defense. The staff is a combination of federal and contract employees who test clients’ high-tech systems in a sometimes dangerous, desert environment.

In addition, there are three vignettes that give a portrait of dysfunctional individual behaviors. Frequently, the response students want to make is “I'd just fire the guy.” Unfortunately, it is not so simple.

This case describes the journey of Karson as he transitions from female to male. Throughout his life, Karson experiences a great deal of anxiety trying to reconcile his identity with the expectations of society. The anxiety inherent in this situation is described in order to get the reader to more fully empathize with the issues faced by transgender individuals. The case then focuses on issues specific to the workplace as Karson begins his career with a counseling agency and experiences several instances of discriminatory behavior.

Leadership development, career planning and management, management of start-ups, construction industry in India.

Post graduate management courses, executive training programs/modules in leadership development; organizational culture and construction management.

This case illustrates the shortcomings of both the management and leadership at a start-up business within a growing industry. The rapidly growing construction equipment manufacture and renting activity in India and the lack of structure, systems and resources characteristic of start-ups are complicated more by the fact that Itsun Heavy Industry India Pvt. Ltd (IHIIPL) was in India while its head quarter was in China. In exploring the diverse human, organizational and operational problems shadowing IHIIPL and their causes, students cannot only diagnose what went wrong and why for Dilip, but also sense how he could have handled these issues more effectively.

Dilip's case cautions managers against issues common to many industries and organizations and students will examine: self assessment and career choices: the case raises question of the gap between what was needed at IHIIPL and what skills and qualities Dilip brought to the job; leadership and leadership challenge: the case raises question of what kind of attitudes and actions constitute effective leadership; and managing the company performance for a start-up: Dilip faced a constant stream of operating problems: lack of procedures and systems, a non-supportive headquarter in China, inexperienced staff, shortages of resources and material and internal conflicts.

Teaching note.

International management control and organisational behaviour.

This case is suitable for final year undergraduate and Master's students as well as for the general practitioner. It is suitable for the university course program and for in-company training seminars. For company training seminars, the human resources department and finance would most probably benefit from the discussion of the case.

This case was about a company that was eager to expand its business internationally as it gains success in the home market. Having being entrusted by the company CEO to lead the project, the enthusiastic “project champion” lavishly spent the company investments with minimal control from the parent company.

After carrying out this exercise, students are expected to be able to: first, decide a firm mode of entry, scale of entry and strategic commitment; second, determine the market potential of a particular business venture; third, suggest the management structure and control for international subsidiaries; fourth, decide the possible exit strategy of a business venture.

Teaching notes.

Strategy, Emiratisation (national policy); human resources (recruitment, training and development, organizational culture and values) and marketing (branding, communication), tourism (destination image).

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Business and Management.

This case highlights the strategy and initiatives taken by Etihad to attract Emirati employees (local nationals) to join the organization. Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), based in Abu Dhabi, the national capital. Since its inception in 2003, the airline has grown faster than any other in commercial aviation history; it currently flies to more than 60 destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In the UAE, nationals or Emiratis comprise only 20 per cent of the overall population. According to the UAE 2021 Vision, the government's focus is on building the human capabilities on knowledge and innovation for Emiratis. This vision is reinforced in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which aims to boost national participation, encourage women (national women are on average more highly educated than the men) and decrease the education – market demand gap through training.

This case can be used to teach strategy from the point of view of government, human resources and marketing. From the government point of view parallels can be drawn to other nations whose government have focused on policies to create opportunities for and to encourage local employability. An example of a similar programme that was very successful is the “Bumiputra” programme created for indigenous Malaysians in 1971. In the area of human resource strategy, recruitment, training, inculcation of corporate values are some areas that can be reinforced. Form the point of view of marketing; the case can be used to discuss branding from the point of view of people, loyalty building (internal) and communication (internal and external). Destination branding and the role airlines play can also be a discussion point from the strategic point of view with some opportunity for macro-environmental analysis using the PESTLE model.

A teaching note available upon request.

Management consulting, foreign direct investment, location decisions, business planning.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Business and Management or Executive Education.

This case outlines the location decision-making process for Hay Group, a global management consulting firm. The process and factors involved in making decisions on new office openings in the Middle East region are highlighted. Particular attention is paid to location factors such as legislation, taxes, political risk and market attractiveness.

The case enables participants to learn about business conditions in the Middle East and to develop a business case for the opening of operations in new markets.

A teaching note is available on request.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Homegrown case is designed for teaching corporate social responsibility and business ethics at undergraduate and graduate levels. The case may be used on a variety of courses including: corporate social responsibility, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, and business ethics.

In May 2003, the headline of the East African newspaper screamed “The Kenyan Horticultural Industry under fire.” The industry was accused of exploitative labor policies with respect to working conditions, workers' welfare, sexual harassment, and exposure to harmful pesticides by the key stakeholders led by the Kenya Human Rights Commission. The stakeholders had announced plans to conduct national and international campaigns against the flower growing and exporting companies in Kenya. Mr Richard Fox, the Managing Director of Homegrown was worried that the publicity had adversely tarnished the image and reputation of the horticultural industry in Kenya as a whole, including Homegrown. He wondered how best to respond to these allegations. Should Homegrown wait to see what the competitors and other stakeholders would do, as these were industry-wide problems or should Homegrown take the lead? And if so, what should be the scope of the programs, given the diverse nature of the issues? He had to make decision quickly.

The case provides opportunity for students to analyze, discuss, and debate topical issues in CSR. At the end of the case, students should be able to: identify emerging CSR and ethical issues facing the horticultural industry in Kenya; analyze the cost of implementing CSR programs in business organizations; evaluate the impact of CSR programs on business performance; justify and defend choices on CSR, and ethical decisions.

Not included.

Innovation, privatisation and property development.

Undergraduate and MA level property development courses; modules covering privatisation within undergraduate, MBA and MA level management programmes.

This paper presents the genesis and motivating factors that stimulate a managing director of a housing development (D&B Private Limited Company) to introduce innovation as a strategic solution to the challenges which hinder his firm's growth. The recently launched Ten Malaysian Plan and the Sustainable Programme for Corporate Malaysia are identified as the two stimulating events that triggered the initiation and subsequent implementation of innovation into Design and Build Sdn Bhd. Innovation has been recognized as an endeavor that impacts positively and significantly the performance of the firm that innovates. There was a major focus on factors that enhance innovation of a firm: structure, culture, resources and how to address or react to external factors such as government regulation on innovation, environmental uncertainty and market competition. The quest to be an innovative firm has led to major changes in the structure, culture and review of the firm intangible resources. Coupled with some corporate responsibilities, Design and Build Sdn Bhd has been recognized for its unique performance resulting from the competitive advantage derived from this very idea of innovations.

Students are expected to be able: to present a basic understanding of the motivations and driving force behind the housing developer's keen interest to innovate, to present the multiple benefits of adopting innovation in the housing industry, to highlight the internal and external factors which positively influence innovation among housing developers?, to present how housing developers are able to manage challenges facing their companies through innovation.

Teaching notes.

Human resource management; primarily employment law impacting on employment relations.

Second year (or 200 level) students up to post graduate programmes in Business Management, Human Resources Management and Law.

The world is still fascinated by South Africas transition to democracy; what with stories of massacre (Sharpeville, etc.) of those who dared challenge white supremacy and the battle for prominence between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party. Since gaining independence, South Africa has attracted investors from far and wide. Now and again, one hears news stories that report about forms of disgruntlement from whites and blacks, respectively. In some quarters, you may hear stories suggesting the white community has not completely gotten over their resentment of black leadership. In some other quarters, you are likely to hear the blacks insist that the South African land space belongs to them and as a result they should be in charge of the distribution of wealth, one must understand that much of the wealth of the South African land still resides with the Whites. In what is considered as a fair attempt to integrate all the citizens of the republic, the new government of Nelson Mandela came up with a constitution that is hailed as perhaps the best in the world. Carved out of the United Nations Human Rights Charter, it proposes a free society that recognizes all its inhabitants regardless of colour. Within the world of work, the constitution identifies seven very important statutes that not only give effect to and sustain the republics membership of the International Labour Organisation, but also help to realize and regulate the fundamental rights of workers and employers.

Test students understanding of the legal statutes that pertain to employment relations and human resource management in South Africa.

Understand the legislation affecting management and staff. Understand and apply the principles of recruitment and selection of staff. Identify and apply the options open to managers in staff training and development. Identify and apply the appropriate performance management systems. Understand and apply the strategic human resource planning process.

Teaching note.

Tourism development, emerging market entrepreneurship.

This case may be used in lower or upper division courses. Lower division courses may want to focus on the elementary issues of project planning, business plan development, and marketing. Upper division courses will find opportunities to enhance the discussion with ethical dilemmas and more advanced business plan development.

The case takes place in a nature conservancy in Namibia. A local villager wants to open an attraction portraying local customs, traditions, art, and dance for tourists. This case can be used as an introductory strategy case study in at least three types of classes, strategic management, entrepreneurship, or hospitality management. The case presents many opportunities for students to analyze various business topics, including start-up financing, competitive and industry analysis, questions of pricing, product, and promotion, government relations, tourism development, and ethics. It is designed to be taught in either a 1 hour class or a 1.5 hour class with student preparation taking between 2 and 3 hours depending on the questions assigned. If students are asked to complete a business plan the preparation and discussion time will be longer.

Students will demonstrate ability to prepare a business plan, conduct market research, and evaluate potential business idea using Porter's five forces. Students will also demonstrate depth of understanding ethical dilemmas in an emerging and foreign market.

Teaching note.

Leadership, psychology.

Organizational behavior, international business, gender and society at Undergraduate level.

This short case describes a qualitative investigation on the dynamics of power between young business leaders and senior supervisees in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Views from both the supervisors and supervisees on current working relationships are presented.

After reading and discussing the case, participants are expected to be able to identify key concepts from organizational behavior theory, including stereotyping, leadership styles, and influence tactics. Participants should also become sensitized to gender roles and their influence on workplace behavior.

Teaching notes.

Business strategy and human resource management.

Undergraduate Business and Management.

This case spotlights Oilfield Services branch in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It focuses on various problems encountered whilst operating in Abu Dhabi. Oilfield Services was first established in Dubai in 1995, primarily to meet the growing demand of quality human resources in the oilfield, shipping, and fabrication sectors in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region. The case highlights the challenges of motivation and compensating staff and the importance of strategic decision making.

This case can be used to teach decision making, cost/benefit analysis, employee motivation, and compensation and elements relating to international business strategy.

A teaching note is available on request.

Property development, the built environment and privatisation.

Undergraduate and MA level property development courses, modules covering privatisation within undergraduate, MBA and MA level management programmes.

Property development is complex and diverse. It involves many agents with diverse roles, strategies and actions that affect the return. In a way, privatisation reduces government's financial burdens and offers ease of procedures to agents. This case study investigates privatisation of property development projects by a local authority in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In particular, the study focuses on modes of privatisation (MOP) and the extent to which it affects the return of the projects. The MOP studied are the land swap, land lease and the joint venture development on 15 selected privatisation projects.

Students are expected to be able to understand the MOP for land development projects using Malaysia as an example; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these MOP; assess the benefits and impacts to the local Malaysian authority, landowners and land developers of MOP; and apply suitable MOP to alternative development projects.

Teaching note.

HR, strategic alignment, organizational culture and change and organizational theory and design.

Suitable for undergraduate and graduate students taking up advanced courses in HR, Change Management, Organizational Theory and Design.

This case spotlights Production Services Network (PSN) Emirates JV and the strengths of its global network. The case raises many important issues related to building a unified culture across a global organization. The case specifically focuses on the significance of sourcing the right talent and training them for the success of PSN's global network.

This case may be used to teach topics such as leading cultural changes, steps to build a strong organizational culture and the significance of systemic alignment for successful strategy execution.

A teaching note is available on request.

Agriculture knowledge, market intelligence, emerging business model.

It is best suited to teach undergraduates and graduates in the areas of rural marketing, agri-business management, service management and information and communication technology for development.

India is changing with great pace by inclusive growth on espousal of technology into the mainstream. Indian farmers are wholly depending even now on traditional methods for decision making on entire agriculture supply chain. The constant decision making provides middle men with a chance to exploit and empower themselves on the returns produced by farmers. Technology is creating waves providing an opportunity for farmers to benefit by adopting information and technology to solve their basic livelihood problems. The Thomson Reuter group launched a SMS-based mobile information service to support India's 250-million-strong agricultural community. The service, named Reuters Market Light (RML), is trying to provide a missing link by providing required information in the quickest possible time to farmers; user need-based services are critical to this. How far RML services are delivering in this context is quizzed by some analysts. Thomson Reuter's service started with the global climb down in commodity prices, coupled with increased risk of natural disasters as per experts. The competitors providing similar services at price which differ with RML wondered about the success, scalability and sustainability of its venture.

This is a practical view of how these interventions can be better looked at and can get into policy for a framework for rural areas' socio-economic development.

Teaching notes.

Human resource management.

Undergraduate and graduate level Human Resource Management programmes; Leadership modules.

This case accounts the experience of a Malaysian company, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, in implementing talent management practices in its organization. There were several developments that prompted Telekom Malaysia Berhad to initiate a talent management program. The emergence of competitors had forced the company to introduce initiatives to sustain the business. One of the key initiatives involved the need to better manage its talent. The talent management process at Telekom Malaysia Bhd is divided into four key stages. These are first, talent spotting; second, talent assessment and endorsement; third, formulation of individual development plan; and the fourth, readiness level assessment. Each of these stages is implemented using a well-defined set of standards and activities.

This case examines how commitment and support from line management is crucial in the successful implementation of a talent management program and HR-related initiatives generally. Line managers are identified as the missing linchpin between HRM and organizational performance. The case will also identify how the role of line managers is now shifting to support the HR in a strategic sense. Thus, we find a shift in the HR profession from personnel management to strategic human resource management. The case examines the importance of a positive leader-member relationship, creating a culture which is receptive to change. This can be achieved by transformational leader who fosters closer relationships with subordinates. Finally, the case pinpoints how development can occurs in three main ways – on the job experiences, relationships, networking and feedback and formal training opportunities.

Teaching note.

Ethics in IT, community informatics, management.

Undergraduate and postgraduate information technology and citizens' rights, strategic decision making.

This case spotlights Athlete Sports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It focuses on the malfunction of the company's equipment that is rented from ABC Sports Equipment. Athlete Sports has been in the UAE over a decade and has positioned itself fairly at the top due to its qualified coaches and quality of facilities it provides. The case highlights the company's transition from owning equipment to leasing equipment that increases profits. However, it also sheds light on ABC Sports' venture into code reusability in order to upgrade equipments faster. The case looks closely at the ultimate consequences of ABC Sports' practice and the impact it has on Athlete's Sports' clients and the subsequent decisions the managers are expected to make.

This case can be used to teach strategic decision making, and ethics in information technology.

A teaching note is available on request.

The case is directly related to courses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the Management of Business Administration (MBA) Programme.

Courses like “International Business/Marketing”, “Strategic Planning” and “Business Ethics” of the MBA Programme. Management Development Programmes for working executives, on the Topics “Corporate Social Responsibility”, “Manpower Planning”, “Growth of Business Clusters” and “Social Accountability”.

The labour-demanding industry of Tirupur knitwear exports is facing both happy and sad situations. While orders from importers are piling up, lack of manpower planning proves a stumbling block. The industry employs more than 300,000 workers. After hours of toiling, workers still lead a pathetic life; have no access to good housing or quality education for their children. Highlighting on this situation, the case brings forward the questions, why is it that firms have not realised their CSR to provide commendable standards for their employees? what situations would provide the drive or compulsion to adapt social responsibility? and how far is fulfilling the social responsibility a direct answer to solving the labour issue faced by the export firms?

The case serves to help students to understand the theoretical concept CSR. It brings to the students understanding: the drivers of CSR; challenges that would make the business units to honour their social responsibility; what lies as the practical situation on awareness of CSR; and to have a wholesome practical view of CSR in the context presented in the case.

Teaching note.

HRM; recruitment; managing cultural expectations in business; leadership.

Undergraduate management courses; MBA and MSc.

This case focuses on recruitment problems in Europe with an Asian dimension. A young Dutch and a young Chinese graduate are considering a career with postal, courier and logistics firm TNT – what are their concerns as graduating students in looking for a job? From the opposite perspective, the case considers how employers attract graduate recruits. The case encourages students of a wide range of cultural backgrounds to question if they are following their cultural norms, or their own personal needs, regardless of their culture. It introduces students to the concept of perceptions of employer value propositions (EVPs) and how employers can “market” themselves to employees. The case is appropriate for courses in leadership, human resource management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), managing culture, also job hunting and career workshops.

This case is aimed at projecting the importance of career choice criteria from both graduate and employer perspectives. The case examines issues of national culture and associated differences in employee and organizational expectations. The case also examines the role of CSR in attracting employees; and the particular concerns of Generation Y employees.

Teaching note.

Strategic market entry; international business; marketing.

MBA/MA in management; international business; postgraduate.

This case is based on a real-life situation of an existing transnational firm contemplating to enter a new market in a developing country. It involves a gamut of issues ranging from firm-strategic market entry, competitive positioning, international marketing strategies (including international market segmentation) and international product lifecycle. These issues revolve on numerous theories namely theories on internationalization (motive, scope, process, scale and timing of entry) and globalization of markets (standardization versus adaptation). In the past, the market was heavily regulated and protected which makes market entry simply impossible. However, a change in government policy is opening up new opportunities for foreign providers to participate in the host country. Although the market potential is enormous, there are various factors that concern the firm in determining its market entry and marketing mix decision.

After carrying out this exercise, students are expected to be able to: evaluate a firm's internal and external position in market expansion decision; assess a country's attractiveness in terms of its potential, competitive intensity and entry barriers; identify and discuss the factors that influence firm's marketing mix decision (standardize/adapt); and determine the firm market entry and the tactical decisions.

Teaching notes.

Innovation, marketing, strategic decision making.

Advanced undergraduate, MBA/executive education.

Zwack Unicum is an enduring icon of Hungarian business and culture having survived many generations of change. The case describes historical development of Zwack Unicum focusing on the years after 1989 through EU Accession of Hungary in 2004, while the company shifted away from a family business to become a publicly traded company. Elements hint at how corporate governance changes incentivize and constrain decisions of top management. The marketing strategy called “Innovate on tradition” is examined and it demonstrates how product and marketing innovation can be led by leveraging tradition, and how companies in emerging markets faced with competition from established developed-country brands can use local culture to outmaneuver attempts at market-share capture. Threats explored include the impact of a global economic crisis on sales domestically and internationally, and the changing demographics in their primary places of commercial activity (an overall aging and decreasing population in tandem with a growing minority population). Management must find a balance between short-term and long-term strategic decisions and revisit the sustainability of a marketing strategy associated with messages that are not necessarily preferred by a growing number of their consumers.

To understand the need for wide-perspective, flexibility, and foresight in emerging markets and companies therein.

Teaching note.

International management strategy.

Graduate and upper undergraduate classes.

This case deals with an information technology (IT) outsourcing company based in Egypt which has ventured into the international market right from the start without establishing itself first in the local market. Its record of success was due largely to a group of young Egyptian entrepreneurs with an international orientation. Their strongly held values were translated into an organizational culture that was manifested in the company's relationships with its clients, whether multinational companies or regional governments. This mutual trust has generated work through referrals and has saved the company the need, at least initially, to adopt a proactive marketing strategy. In addition to culture the company's structure has shown considerable agility in dealing with the unexpected demands from clients through developing strong functional departments supported by numerous cross-functional teams. The case also presents the development of the human resource function which is considered the backbone of IT outsourcing companies.

Students are expected to learn the following: internationalization of business start ups in developing nations can take place even in the face of limitations of the local markets; the importance of leadership and culture in fostering trusting relationships with clients; the need to constantly reconfigure resources to meet challenges of competition and the needs of clients; the viability of a defensive strategy for newly established companies if supplemented by trusting relationships with clients; and the role of an evolving structure to fit the growth stages of the company.

Teaching note.

The built environment

This case can be used for undergraduate and post graduate level business and management studies. The topics identified for this case study would be environmental management applicable to green management, corporate sustainability and financial planning, buildings conservation, sustainable constructions and projects and the hospitality industry.

Mr Niranjan Khatri is one of the people involved in ITC's successful implementation of green management techniques. The key issue causing concern to management is how they initiate this new concept to the already existing and functional hotels in the country. The second key challenge is managing their stakeholders. Being in the service industry, customer service and convenience is of prime importance and at times they may be in conflict with the sustainability agenda of ITC.

Students should be able to analyse the importance of environmental management in the hospitality industry; recognize the operational constraints and legal obligations surrounding environmental performance in hospitality and tourism, Interpret environmental theory and work out an implementation plan for implementing environmental management in hotels.

Teaching note.

Talent management.

Management level proposed courses: knowledge management, human resource management, leadership and fundamentals of strategic management.

Legacy and succession issues plague rising economies. Attracting the local talent to stay is becoming increasingly difficult. This is especially the case for the family run businesses and also local government lead industries. Many MNCs have to bring in their own qualified staff making that an added cost and a disincentive to work in Malaysia. Thus, Malaysia has been experiencing a brain drain. The case study explores the generational differences in retaining staff and the challenges of a global demand and war for top talent. This affects emerging economies that are competing to keep their top talent from being lured away by their competitors. Brain drain is occurring in almost all sectors, but the Malaysian accountancy sector is the most affected. In view of this issue, this case addresses the common challenges facing accounting firms which is talent management and succession planning. ABC Ltd, a fictional firm is one of the Big Four accounting firms (four largest international accountancy and professional services firms), chosen as the context. Jeremy Tan is a manager of ABC Ltd

This case is the basis for class discussion and group presentations. Students will be able to understand generational differences, apply strategies to recruit and retain high-potential talent, and develop awareness of issues regarding Generation Y in Asia.

Teaching notes.

The decade from 2000 until 2010 was a turbulent time for Toyota Motor Company. The carmaker came under significant criticism from the United States government, consumers throughout the world, and media critics amid allegations of poor quality control and vehicle safety concerns. Problems with accelerators and brake systems were found on several of its most popular models, a situation initially exacerbated by the slow and somewhat tentative response from top management. Toyota was accused of not addressing early warning signs that appeared several years before the crisis received intense negative publicity. Toyota struggled to retain the confidence of consumers and governmental regulators, eventually recalling approximately eight million automobiles.

Strategic management, sustainable development, business economics, construction management, energy management.

Undergraduate and Master's level business and management programmes with a focus on environmental or strategic management.

Fewer than two percent of Guinea Bissau's rural households had access to electricity from the grid. Efforts by the state monopoly to improve that figure by expanding the grid have had little effect, in part because the rural population was sparse. Central Electronics Limited, a public sector based company in India, was assigned to develop economic solar systems as a safe and eco-friendly substitute for the diesel gensets under IBSA (a trilateral, developmental initiative among India, Brazil, and South Africa) with the help of United Nations Development Program. The case provides an opportunity to examine the strategy of a small and poor nation to meet the needs of modern energy sources needed for improvement in health, education, transportation, and commercial development. The case focuses on Guinea Bissau's use of a trilateral partnership to achieve its rural electrification objectives despite several push backs.

Students will demonstrate ability to analyse, comprehend, and evaluate the essence of solar energy as an alternate for costly grid energy in the initial stage of development. It will also provide students to converse with the specific advantages of solar systems over conventional power generating systems and construct a novel solution that serves the needs of various stakeholders at the bottom of the income pyramid.

Teaching note.

Entrepreneurship, Corporate sustainability, CSR, Supply chain.

Master's courses: Entrepreneurship, Strategic management.

In 2002, potential risks deriving from emerging normative demands in the CSR debate prompted Axel Springer (AS) to rethink their supply chain strategy for Russian wood. Being one of the first movers in CSR in the publishing business, AS realized that current practices could spark future public discussion that might put pressure on AS, a key player in these supply chains. In early 2002, AS and one of their main suppliers, Stora Enso, started a joint initiative to redesign the supply chain processes in two of the major Russian logging regions to improve their social and ecological performance. Sometime later, other major players in the publishing sector as well as critical reviewers from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were invited to participate in the design of the new voluntary sustainability initiative called “Tikhvin Chalna project”, the second phase of which was accomplished by the end of 2006.

Learn that organizations (specifically high-brand owners) are responsible for practices within their entire supply chains (social as well as environmental performance).

Explore proactive corporate sustainability, CSR strategies are market but also institutional driven; Strategizing involves forming and transforming the rules, norms and standard models of customers as well as institutions such as NGOs or governmental bodies. Whether the initiator of such strategy is successful in increasing or manipulating demands is dependent on its resources and capabilities as well as on its network position. The case supports students in understanding resources being used to successfully transform or create institutional arrangements.

Discover that the value of a business' relationships and its network position.

Teaching note, Video files

Social entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Human Resource.

The case study is relevant for students of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. This case can be used as a case in strategy (growth strategy), marketing and innovation subjects as well.

The case study revolves around Mr Harish Hande and his efforts to build a for–profit social enterprise Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) to provide electricity to poor and under–served. Harish focused on providing cheap, clean and sustainable energy sources to rural customers at bottom of the pyramid of the society. From the conception of SELCO, Harish has been on a roller–coaster ride of success and failure. Harish has used the problems as a learning ground and improved his business model successfully. But, when Harish tried to scale his operations in 2005–2006 he failed miserably. Some errors in the decision coupled with external pressure had brought SELCO to a verge of collapse. Owing to the determination of Harish and his team, SELCO was able to revive from the difficult times to generate profits again. Harish now again wants to expand but this time he would not take any chances. He wants to analyze and discuss every possible issue, he might face during his expansion plans.

The key learning aspects of this case is to understand importance and practice of talent management. The case also highlights the best practices that SELCO uses to reach its clients and provide them complete solution.

Teaching note.

Marketing strategy, retail/sales management and logistics.

Undergraduate and postgraduate.

Al Ain Dairy works is in one of the most highly competitive industries in the world – the food industry. In the dairy business, choice, freshness, safety standards, inventory management, supply chain and marketing are key to sustainability. Al Ain Diary explains some key challenges in this industry for managing and planning sales. This case builds on a previous case and can be used to teach marketing strategy, retail management and logistics. The case also gives an idea on the food industry especially the dairy market and some of the challenges associated with it.

Students can try forecasting and planning sales based on seasonal trends. Since the process complexity increases as the number of stock keeping units increase, the case provides a rich context of a company where inventory management is a key to success. Product portfolio management is another subject area of focus in this case. For market expansion, students can look at current organizational and market constraints, organizational competencies (and their transferability), and market synergies and similarities to recommend strategy.

Teaching notes.

Reverse logistics, environment, CSR.

Bachelor and Graduate students.

This case describes the role played by the company in linking various processes and taking the lead in the development of a unique “circular” flow of recycling activity which includes recovery, reuse and recycling schemes. Traditionally businesses were not held responsible for the product after use by the consumer. But, with growing stakeholder expectations in the area of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, businesses are more conscious about managing their social and environmental impacts. Today businesses are beginning to look at reverse logistics not only in terms of economic impacts but also environmental impacts. While consumers and other stakeholders want businesses to be more responsible in the way the product is produced such as to minimize waste production, the expectations have also changed to recovery of products after use in order to reduce cost and environmental impact of recycling. Businesses are becoming more responsible about collecting, reusing, refurbishing or dismantling used products to minimize environmental damage.

The case is significant for teachers and students of “environment management”, corporate social responsibility, “supply chain” and “the importance of networks”. It can be used to understand how reverse logistics helps to minimize waste.

Teaching notes.

Strategic management and social innovation

Undergraduate and graduate level management/business school students. It can be taught in strategic management and social innovation courses.

GOONJ is a non–profit organization which has life and dignity for lakhs of people in India over the last decade. It aimed at bringing up clothing as one of the important aspects of human life and make it available for the needy keeping their dignity intact. The case begins with Anshu Gupta, founder of GOONJ thinking deeply about the high–priority meeting to take GOONJ to the next level and scale up the operations of his social innovation. It then tries to bring up the potential problem of clothing and menstrual hygiene in India followed by explanation of the present working model of GOONJ which allows them to manage the operations with 97 paisa per cloth. With the dream of taking GOONJ to the next level and converting it into a nation–wide phenomenon, will the present model work?

This case will cover two important aspects: social innovation process (themes, challenges and implications for practice); and strategic management concepts (stakeholder theory, internal–external factor evaluation).

Teaching notes.

The case study aims to investigate human resource management issues of national importance, and specific recruitment issues important to the company.

Students studying, e.g. Human Resource Management/Developing Human Resources as courses within an undergraduate business degree program. The audience is also targeted through courses that include the study of cross cultural management/diversity.

An industrial organization in the United Arab Emirates has a multinational workforce, where many employees are recruited from overseas. The recruitment process necessitates liaison with recruitment agencies at a distance, and locally with the government labor office.

Students will be able to:

• analyze that companies exist in an external environment that impacts on their internal policies;

• describe the importance of quality assurance to the HR function in an organization; and

• explain how the HR department works closely with all departments in an organization.

analyze that companies exist in an external environment that impacts on their internal policies;

describe the importance of quality assurance to the HR function in an organization; and

explain how the HR department works closely with all departments in an organization.

Teaching notes.

Human resource management.

The case might be used in teaching International Management or Russian society at a Master's level, including MBA.

Quotas for the employment of disabled people exist in many countries, including Russia. Many companies in Russia, however, are “forced” to find “creative solutions” to avoid this quota. This attitude is caused not by the unwillingness of companies to support disabled people, but rather by their moral and technical unreadiness to do so. Using one example of a company providing freight services, the case illustrates this. The company is faced with additional challenges: it is a 100 percent subsidiary, dependant on its parent company in many respects – especially in financial matters.

Students: learn some informal practices (legislative norms and networks) in the Russian business context;, discuss how organizations are faced with informal practices and establish problem solving techniques; and receive some additional information on the business environment in Russia.

Teaching notes.