Case studies

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

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

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

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

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

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

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

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Tiffany & Company was the leading U.S. luxury jewelry brand, generating more than $2.6 billion in revenue through 167 retail outlets globally and from catalogue and Internet sales. For nearly 170 years, Tiffany had managed its brand. In February 2007, a hedge fund, Trian Fund Management LP, announced that it had bought a 5.5% stake in Tiffany, and became its largest shareholder. Trian believed that Tiffany was undervalued and stated that it wanted to help the company “improve its earnings per share by addressing various operational and strategic issues.” In response, Tiffany began to consider different actions to increase shareholder value.

The case revolves around a marketing/sales executive who works in the Ad Sales wing of a popular search engine. Over the course of the case, the protagonist realizes that their marketing strategy needs to refocus on a different vertical than the one they have been paying the most attention to. He had done the required data analysis and feels the data strongly points to a need for change in their strategy. However, he needs to convincing the higher management by put together a compelling pitch using storytelling elements, so that the message in his data gets across clearly, compelling them to act.

After a tumultuous five months, Nestle India was exonerated in the Maggi crisis just in time for Diwali. Although the mood was one of vindication, the leadership team with Suresh Narayanan at the helm, knew they faced a major challenge to regain lost glory. Stock price had plummeted along with consumer confidence which went down from over 90 to less than 5 per cent. Part B traces the efforts of Nestle India to not only reinforce the message of product quality but also to engage consumer trust. Through changes in product strategy, organizational structure, and multi-pronged communication, Maggi was able to rekindle the emotional connect with the consumer and surge back. On 30 November 2019 despite loss of market share, consumer faith and trust in 2015, Nestlé India was trading at INR 14,453/55 (NSE/BSE;~US$225) per share after hitting a record low of INR 4981 (~US$76) on 29 February 2016. Part B of the case outlines the measures Nestle India took to bounce back and asks if Nestle India's reputation out of the woods. Could the past come back to haunt Maggi or was the worst behind them? 1. Evaluate communication strategies available to organizations in a crisis situation. 2. Analyse the power and influence of consumer sentiment in reputation management.

The learning outcomes of this study are to examine the financial performance of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) during past five years, to compare the financial performance with the initial projections, to identify the causes of deviations in the performance, to recommend the measures to improve financial performance and to apply the learning from the BMRCL project to other similar upcoming projects in India.

BMRCL has been struggling to perform as per projections made in the initial detailed project report. The situation has further worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its post-impact on the overall economic level of activity. Ramana Rao, the consultant for infrastructure projects, was worried after reading a news article which deemed the project a white elephant. Various articles published in the newspaper also reported that BMRCL was incurring a loss of Rs 45 lakhs every day. The consultant worried about the sustainability of the project. He wanted new ideas and plans which could turn around these losses and convert them into profitable ones. He, however, does not have any immediate plans to execute and is therefore in a dilemma about how a project that was launched with so much fanfare could be made profitable. Because of COVID-19 pandemic, BMRCL’s financial situation, which although improving, had taken a significant hit. It looked like the corporation might need government assistance to cover its losses. The transport utility suffered a loss of Rs 170 crore, as a result of a decline in ridership as well as other revenue sources including parking fees and leasing revenues. This amounted to a daily loss of Rs 1 crore. The pressure on revenues was putting the officials in a tight spot about meeting the company’s debt obligations and market borrowings.

The case study aims to enable participants to understand financial performance and viability of large-scale projects such as metro rail in India.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance

Undergraduate, postgraduate and corporate education.

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

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

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

The case explores Ayesha’s reasoning, who is also a financial expert, regarding how she approaches the question of Riba (interest) so that she can maximize her financial returns and remain true to her religious identity. The discussion in the case revolves around alternate rationalizations as to why Riba (interest) continues to remain important for many Islamic investors.

Historically, the prohibition of Riba (interest) prevented the exploitation of the poor borrower who was charged exorbitant interest rates by wealthy lenders. In the modern day, a banking system which operates in a regulated setup and charges market-based interest rates, the rationale regarding the exploitation of the poor seems less compelling. Furthermore, other economic realities such as inflation and currency fluctuations further lend support to protecting one’s investments through prudent financial decisions. In this case the authors approach this decision regarding the prohibition of Riba (interest) in Islam from the point of view of the protagonist, Ayesha Bhatti, who is religiously conscious and is faced with certain personal investment choices.

The case focuses on one of the core issues of Islamic finance (IF), that of the prohibition of charging Riba (interest) on debt and the reasons behind this ruling. The relevance of this prohibition to modern day financial markets is essential to understand IF.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

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

Leadership and leadership effectiveness; organizational change.

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

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

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

CSS 6: Human resources.

Transformational leadership, Organizational change, Gender and leadership effectiveness

After the successful release of the first Hunger Games film in 2012, the film's distributor, Lionsgate, was preparing to release the next movie in the series, Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Fan expectations had grown after the success of the first film, and Lionsgate faced the challenge of keeping moviegoers interested and engaged in another Hunger Games movie. In an era marked by the rising popularity of digital and social media, Lionsgate knew that attracting fans to a sequel meant pushing the boundaries of traditional marketing tactics.

Digital brand storytelling is about using digital media in a holistic way to tell a brand story and build excitement for an audience. Brand storytelling seeks to make a connection with the audience by giving them an emotional experience that resonates with them. While Lionsgate was aware that traditional marketing would need to be blended with a digital campaign to bring in moviegoers, it also needed to strike a careful balance between the two and choose the appropriate platforms to tell a cohesive story. Should Lionsgate launch a brand storytelling campaign to appeal to fans? Lionsgate's comparatively small marketing team gathered to brainstorm about how to execute such a campaign and position the film for another big success.