Case studies

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

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

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

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

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

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

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

Upon completion of the case study, students will be able to assess the business environment a firm faces and develop strategies to match its strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis opportunities and threats; formulate growth/expansion strategies for a firm; and evaluate resources of the firm to develop a competitive advantage.

The case describes the journey of Praajasv Foundation, an institute that provides coaching for students pursuing civil service exams in Gujarat. Established in 2019 in a rented space in Ahmedabad, Praajasv made a name for itself in the competitive market of civil service exam coaching by 2022, thanks to its expert tutors and focus on quality education. However, with the changing dynamics of the industry, Malhar Bhatt, the COO of Praajasv, must navigate the institute to strengthen its position. The increasing number of aspirants for the Class-III cadre exams and the presence of strong national competitors pose significant challenges for Malhar in terms of strategic planning. The rise of online education as an alternative to classroom teaching has also altered the competitive landscape of the industry. How do these trends impact Malhar’s plans for Praajasv? How should Malhar plan to expand the Praajasv Foundation in the coming years?

This case can be useful for students majoring in strategic management and marketing management at the master’s level

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

The case is a secondary sourced case. Information for the case was found from news articles and interviews.

David’s Bridal was a privately held corporation generating $1.3bn in annual revenue and employing over 12,000 employees. David’s Bridal filed bankruptcy not once but twice. This case examines the bridal industry and the environmental factors that led to the two bankruptcies. Bridal dresses are at the top of wedding categories. Environmental factors causing bankruptcy included online competition, reputation as seen through the eyes of the consumer, COVID, and supply chain challenges. David’s Bridal first looked to Jim Marcum to turn the corporation around and when this failed, they created a new management team after the second bankruptcy to save the company.

The case is designed as an interdisciplinary case for undergraduate leadership, advanced accounting or undergraduate strategy courses. The case was tested in MGMT 330: Leading People in Organizations. This case is appropriate for junior- and senior-level students.This case will be used in ACCT 402: Advanced Accounting – a senior-level course. The case gives perspective on going concern opinions and the strategic implications of bankruptcy.Possible textbooks▪ Christensen, T., Cottrell, D. and Budd, C. (2023). Advanced Financial Accounting (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill.▪ Hoyle, J., Schaefer, T. and Doupnik, T. (2024). Advanced Accounting (15th ed.). McGraw-Hill▪ Rothaermel, F. T. (2024). Strategic Management (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill

The case study used a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative data from interviews with Ross Black and quantitative data from company financials and market reports. The analysis focused on understanding the strategic decisions, operational challenges and market positioning of Get Simple Box.

Get Simple Box, led by Ross Black, specializes in versatile portable storage solutions, offering container rentals, sales, modifications and delivery services across seven locations. With a focus on simplicity and essential modifications like windows and AC units, the company has generated over $10m in revenue, primarily from container sales. Using a service-oriented approach, Get Simple Box emphasizes direct local business communication and cost-effective solutions, differentiating itself from competitors. Applying Oliver Gassmann’s Magic Triangle framework, the company targets diverse customers, maintains streamlined operations and provides practical value, positioning itself strongly in the growing market for shipping container solutions.

Undergraduate Business Students in Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

After completion of this case study, students will be able to understand about characteristics of urban poor in the city of Mumbai which will aid in understanding about other emerging markets as well, to apply Health Belief Model to help students analyse behaviour change model, to apply social marketing strategies to popularize a social marketing cause, to learn about non-traditional intermediaries and apply to promote a social marketing cause, to apply Ansoff matrix and evaluate various strategies for growth and to analyse various challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enable learners to arrive at solutions (applicable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives).

This case study looked at a Mumbai-based organization, Medow Brite Enterprises, which sold sanitary napkins under the brand FeelOn to women particularly from urban poor background. The protagonist Mrs Ameeta Neel Ramesh was at the helm of the organization and was stuck with a dilemma – whether to enter rural markets or focus on selling incinerators and aid in disposing used sanitary napkins which was adding to the volume of non-biodegradable waste in the city. In 2019, Ameeta made her first investment in Medow Brite. The organization had seen turbulent times during COVID-19 outbreak. However, Ameeta with her astute strategy, helped the company get back on its feet. Medow Brite instead of manufacturing started procuring quality sanitary napkins from specific vendors. In contrast to many other sanitary napkins available in the market, FeelOn had cotton sanitary napkin variant without presence of plastic in the pads. Ameeta had taken a different route for sale of her sanitary napkin, she conducted awareness sessions with the help of non-governmental organizations in various locations of Mumbai as well as Maharashtra. Post these sessions she sold her sanitary napkins among the attendees of the awareness sessions.

The case study can be included in marketing management course, consumer behaviour as well as social marketing courses in both undergraduate level and postgraduate level. In addition, the case study is also suitable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives to discuss about non-traditional sales and marketing approaches, identifying unique segments and understanding behaviour change theories.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

At the end of the case study exercise, students will be able to evaluate a company’s competitive standing and formulate business growth strategies based on internal and external environment analysis, develop business strategies for a company to strategise product offerings and recommend promotional strategies for a company to best market new product offerings.

This case study is about the Central Production Unit (CPU), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sirah Heritage Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (owner of the popular restaurant brand “Tuuu […] Dia Pak Tam”), which was initially set up to standardise production for the whole company. However, ever since the subsidiary was set up, the management realised a few pertinent issues that needed their attention. Firstly, the CPU was underutilised even with the large number of Tuuu […] Dia Pak Tam restaurants across Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, the CPU was also tasked to introduce new products and services that could attract consumers and increase the visibility of their restaurants, but the company had no idea how to promote its new products. This study aims to look at the issues faced by the CPU by applying analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, Ansoff matrix and promotion mix.

This case study is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students who are taking courses such as strategic management, marketing management and business development. This case study can also be used by training departments, corporate trainers and other relevant managers to improve growth strategies using business theories.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing

The data used to present this case was collected from secondary data sources. These sources included media reports associated with Michael Jordan and his trajectory since entering the sport, as well as specific information published about his time at the Chicago Bulls. Another key source of information is the ESPN documentary conducted specifically on Jordan’s relationship with his National Basketball Association (NBA) team.

The case follows the story of Michael Jordan, who took his team, the Chicago Bulls, to fame in a rather controversial manner. To do so, Michael Jordan had to alter his leadership style over the years to be respected as a leader and motivate his team to win one NBA championship after another. On 20th April 2020, ESPN’s “The Last Dance”, a 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and his time playing for the Chicago Bulls was released to much acclaim. The documentary became highly noted as Jordan himself, both directed and starred in the documentary. Jordan’s great achievements stood out, but so did the conflicts that the basketball star had with The Bulls’ management team and mainly, his teammates. Relationships between teammates were far from harmonious, which led to questions around whether Michael Jordan was as good a leader, as he was a star player. Cultural change within the organisation was primarily linked to the often-contested leadership of Jordan.

The case can be used at UG, MSc and MBA levels. It works for in-person teaching and for online teaching. It is most suitable in leadership, strategy and strategy in practice courses. However, it is critical to note that the case can shed light on the dynamics that leaders and teammates have within their teams. Therefore, this case may be valuable to students studying courses where they themselves must work in groups and oftentimes encounter challenges in managing their team. These challenges can arise at all levels of experience. As such, the case provides particularly useful reflection for decision makers who may be beginning to develop their leadership skill (UG), those who have already experienced working in teams (MSc) or leading teams themselves (MBA, Executive MBA). The case addresses the challenges associated with achieving high team motivation and performance. It also sheds light on the challenges associated with leading a cultural change within a team and the approaches of different actors involved. It may be best to introduce the case in the context of a (1.5–2 h) workshop once students understand the basic frameworks and tools used to analyse leadership styles and their characteristics.