Case studies

The case was developed using a combination of primary and secondary data collection. The main source of primary data collection was an interview with the founder of The Hair Addict, Doaa Gawish, in August 2023, with later follow-up calls to clarify some aspects of the business model and obtain more specific information. For secondary sources of information, the authors relied on the company website, as well as a couple of published interviews with the founder in an online business magazine [1] and an independent news website that covers Egyptian news, culture and lifestyle topics (Makary, 2021). The case also relies on macroeconomic and industry data obtained from various databases and research report providers, which are referenced in the case and teaching note.

This case study explores the decision a woman business founder, Doaa Gawish (she), needed to make with her team regarding her firm’s growth strategy. Gawish founded The Hair Addict (THA) in 2018 in Egypt with a mission to provide all-natural hair products to women, motivated by an online hair challenge movement that encouraged women to defy social norms and embrace their curls. Following the success and growth of the business in Egypt, Gawish had to decide on her next expansion strategy, given the country’s various economic and financial challenges. The case allows students to evaluate the growth decision by conducting a full-fledged market sizing, sales and financial forecasting to compare two scenarios: growth by further penetrating the Egyptian market with new product offerings for a different segment or growth through venturing into a new country while leveraging on her experience with women needs. The case is intended for an undergraduate capstone business class or a graduate strategy class to expose students to real-life market challenges facing women entrepreneurs and businesses in an international context. Students will use quantitative and qualitative analysis to defend their recommendations. An Excel workbook is provided to aid with their analysis.

This case can be relevant for an undergraduate capstone business class or a graduate strategy class that uses a practical pedagogical case-based approach. The case allows students to apply and integrate prior knowledge in business strategy, international marketing, marketing strategy and finance in a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to make a strategic business decision within the context of women’s entrepreneurship in developing economies.

The case study was developed based on secondary data from the publicly available initial accident report of PIA flight PK8303. The facts presented in the report were then analyzed in the light of the Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS).

The case revolves around the terrible aviation mishap that occurred on May 22, 2020, when Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight 8303 crashed in a Karachi residential area. A total of 97 people lost their lives in this tragedy, and it was Pakistan’s 18th major aviation disaster. The case study explores the human errors and failures of ground handling agencies, air traffic controllers, regulatory agencies, airline employees and cockpit crew by using the HFACS. The focus remains on mistakes made by people, which revolve around inefficient and ineffective communication, and contempt of safety regulations at various stages of flight PK8303.

The case study is designed for the students of aviation management at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Learning Objective 1: Develop students’ ability to critically assess and probe the challenges of aligning business objectives with compliance to local and international environmental regulations. Students will learn to identify how tensions between regulatory compliance and business goals influence decision-making processes in resource-intensive industries.

Learning Objective 2: Increase problem-solving skills of students by exploring the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental stewardship. They will be able to examine real-world dilemmas, such as community displacement, biodiversity loss, and pollution in mining contexts, and understand how to navigate these complex challenges using insights from Dr Nick’s experiences.

Learning Objective 3: Advance integrative learning, inquiry and interpretive capabilities of students by demonstrating the significance of ESG principles in mining operations focusing on environmental management, community engagement, and ethical governance. Students will learn how to integrate these principles into corporate strategies to achieve a balance between profitability and sustainability.

Learning Objective 4: Equip students with hands-on experience through real business scenarios by addressing dilemmas companies face in the era of climate change and appreciate the role of leadership in driving and implementing sustainable practices. Students will understand how leaders like Dr Nick balance stakeholder interests, ethical standards, and operational efficiency, and how this balance impacts the company’s growth and sustainability objectives.

This case introduces students to the difficulty an environmental manager faces in balancing the interests of the community at large with the company’s goals. Dr Nick Okello, an environmental manager at Base Titanium, is the protagonist of the case. For several years, Dr Nick has overseen the business’s environmental programs at the high-grade mineral sand mine called Kwale Operation, which is situated along Kenya’s coast. The case allows students to explore how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are applied in a mining company setting by using this case study. Simple assessments can be applied by students to evaluate ESG and discuss their analysis of it. The mining industry’s intricate relationship between corporate governance, business strategy, and environmental stewardship is exemplified by the Dr Nick case at Base Titanium. It provides a critical analysis of the difficulties businesses confront in attempting to strike a balance between sustainable ethical business practices and economic growth, especially in areas where governance issues are common.

This case is suitable for use in executive education, MBA, senior undergraduate, and other graduate-level business programs in courses such business management, organizational behaviour, environmental sciences, project management, strategic management, operations, finance, corporate governance, leadership, and sustainable development.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 4: Environmental Management.

The case was developed from interviews with the couple. Josh is a coauthor. The other coauthor was incorporated to offer an unbiased perspective. The names and banking institutions are disguised, but the financial information represents the couple’s actual financial situation at the time.

This case centers on Josh and Selene Stone, a real couple whose identities have been disguised. They are striving to optimize their budget and save for a better home. The case outlines the couple’s goals and details their income and expenses by providing their bank and credit card statements for a 3-month period. Students are tasked with applying their financial planning knowledge and skills to create a budget for the couple and make recommendations to optimize their spending patterns.

The case was designed for use in an introductory undergraduate Personal Finance course where personal budgeting is discussed. The case is best positioned following a lecture/discussion on personal budgeting such as:▪ Chapter 2 of Focus on Personal Finance by Kapoor, Dlabay, Hughes and Hart.▪ Chapter 3 of Personal Finance by Garman and Forgue.▪ Chapter 2 of Personal Finance by Keown.▪ Chapter 5 of Personal Finance by Siegel and Yacht.This paper has seen Personal Finance offered at a general education level, as an elective for Business Administration majors, or even as a required class in a specialized Financial Planning curriculum. Positioning a case in Personal Finance can often be challenging because of the diverse nature of these audiences. In this case, this paper has tried to use plain language whenever possible to make it accessible to a broad range of students while providing enough data for business students to make informed financial planning recommendations.

This descriptive case is drawn from the secondary sources by Mungaray (2018), a dissertation. The author, Kimberly R. Shannon (f.k.a. Mungaray) conducted the qualitative research over several months that included several dialogue or talking sessions with organization personnel. Additionally, she collected journals kept by the participants and conducted one-on-one interviews with each participant before and after the series of talking sessions. IRB approval was obtained prior to data collection. The people and places were disguised pursuant to the secondary sources. No AI was used in the writing of the case or Instructors’ Manual.

This descriptive case study considers the dynamics surrounding the promotion of women to top management (partner) in a Certified Public Accounting firm. The case study presents the perspectives of the current partner and the potential partners to help students recognize microinsults, microinvalidations and other privileged behaviors that perpetuate stereotype threat and learned helplessness, which thus creates barriers to career progression. These often unintentional comments and behaviors may further marginalize certain people (women, people of color and other marginalized identities, including an intersection of identities). The case concentrates on gender inequities and helps students develop an understanding of leadership implications while exercising their ability to consider multiple perspectives and motives. The case enables students to develop a plan of allyship.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate courses in ethics, organizational behavior, leadership, industrial psychology, sociology, women and gender studies, capstone courses in business or accounting and communications. Graduate courses in organizational behavior, leadership and women and gender studies.

The case was an application of a market demand and supply mechanism and its impact on the product’s price and focus on the following objectives:▪ Analyze the vegetable market in India and the challenges faced by the farmers (tomatoes) using demand and supply concepts.▪ Examine the impact of price elasticity on the revenue of the farmers.▪ Assess the challenges faced by the government in controlling prices of vegetables and food inflation.▪ Evaluate diversification strategies in agriculture to mitigate risk.

The market for tomatoes was highly cyclical because of erratic rainfall, and farmers went through a difficult time, especially when the prices fell below the cost of production. They moved out for crops that had stable prices. They expected government support for price stability. Government and policymakers considered price fluctuations a short-term phenomenon that required limited interventions when prices were high. This case was about Dilip, a farmer who was into farming tomatoes on a large scale in Karnataka, India. He was facing a dilemma as to whether he had to continue or move to other crops because of the low price of tomatoes in May 2023 or to diversify into some small but related business. He was worried at the same time, curious to understand the volatility in the prices of tomatoes, government responses, risks and returns associated with the cultivation of this crop and Agri-supply chain. Based on his understanding, he should make decisions to continue or diversify into some other farming or related business.

This case was written for microeconomics and managerial economics of undergraduate and postgraduate students. This case demonstrates the application of the demand and supply mechanism for a perishable product such as tomatoes. Price fluctuations are common in these markets because of various uncontrollable factors such as rain, pests and natural calamities. The case could show the relationship between the firm’s elasticities and revenue. This case also highlights the policy constraints in controlling the prices in the short run. This case could also be used for understanding macroeconomic concepts such as food inflation and its impact on general price inflation. The students or target audience with a background in the functioning of the markets could very well relate to the concepts discussed.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS: Entrepreneurship (3); Management Science (7).

After completion of the case study, students will be able to enumerate the unique process of project management, address unforeseen challenges in large-scale projects and develop strategies for mitigating risks. This case gives an opportunity to learners to analyses the time impact of failure of such infrastructure projects using project evaluation technique. The students would be able to discuss the social and financial implications of such mishaps on the overall economy.

The case tells the story of Gokhale Bridge in Andheri, Mumbai which serves as a vital link between the densely populated suburb’s, eastern and western part. Originally built in 1975, the bridge collapsed in 2018. The 90-m bridge reconstructed in just 15 months was lauded as an “Engineering marvel” by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a civic body responsible for Mumbai’s infrastructure. However, during the grand inauguration on February 26, 2024, a critical misalignment with the adjoining CD Barfiwala Flyover was revealed. This 2-m gap rendered the bridge inaccessible to motorists, undermining its intended purpose and frustrating commuters and residents. The case highlights systemic issues in operations and challenges faced by the BMC. Despite the BMC’s substantial budget and history in managing Mumbai’s infrastructure, the Gokhale Bridge debacle raises serious questions about project management. Amidst public criticism, BMC threw the buck on railways and hired two reputed Engineering colleges to propose solutions to rectify the menace. This situation emphasizes the need for meticulous oversight and risk analysis in civic projects, making the Gokhale Bridge a symbol of both ambition and caution. The case study is intended for Graduate, Postgraduate students in Project management and operations. It is also beneficial for Executive education programs intended government officials, civil servants and project managers.

Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Executive education.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.

This case study introduces some elements of strategic management process that instils competitive advantage on an entity such as a higher educational institute (HEI). It endeavours to achieve the following goals: comprehend strategy implementation through the sustainability paradigm; demonstrate the concept of cost-benefit analysis in strategy; analyse the challenges to new product adoption; and deliberate on extension of the project to include newer areas for greening. Thus, students would be taught about strategy implementation through the sustainability paradigm: they would be introduced to the concept of cost-benefit analysis through an application of the concept in strategic decision-making; students would be taught the about the challenges in new product (such as greening equipment) adoption; and they would be guided to deliberate on the extension of the project in newer areas of greening.

Prof Atmanand, as the Director of MDI Murshidabad (MDIM), was combating the challenge of leading the campus of the fledgling institute in its initial years. It was May 2023. MDIM was a business school in West Bengal, India. Atmanand had formulated a strategy of “greening” of the campus using a solar lighting system and organic waste converter to start off. The first steps were initiated in early 2021. The possible gains from this move needed to be weighed against the possible costs. Possible benefits included reductions in electricity expenditure, easier conformation to contemporary waste disposal norms, better scores in HEI-ranking exercises and increase in brand value of MDIM. The principal costs were: capital expenditure, possible higher payback period and challenge in adoption of sustainability products such as organic waste converter. The case study engages the student to learn about competitive strategy design and implementation in an HEI, and the resulting challenges. The case study can consequently be used in a Master’s level course in strategic management (competitive strategy) in the context of sustainability management, or as a case in the elective sustainability management offered to the senior batch in the MBA curriculum. The case study weighs out the benefits of the “greening” programme at MDIM against its possible costs. The possible benefits were manifold: reduction in electricity bills, easier conformance to contemporary waste disposal norms and higher scores at HEI-ranking exercises, both at the national and the international levels. Some benefits were not so quantifiable, such as better “press”, and consequent increase in brand value of MDIM. Weighted against these were the costs, capital expenditure, possible higher payback period and lack of in-house operational expertise (such as mechanics). The decision is not easy; although there are numerical tools (indicated in the case), they must be supplemented with a holistic understanding of the context, and any decision to be taken would require a combination of qualitative understanding along with numerical indicators. The case also exhorts the reader to understand problems in adoption of sustainability products and attempts to look to the future in terms of managerial initiatives.

This case study is suitable for postgraduate level (MBA) and executive programmes.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS4: Environmental Management.

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.