Case studies

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

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

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

The learning outcomes are as follows: determine the conditions founders encounter when their company is not on the right track; examine the importance of ethics in entrepreneurship; draw up a broad framework to understand the degree of trouble an organization is in and how far it has gone since the early warning signs of trouble; and formulate a comprehensive solution for entrepreneurial founders to extricate their ventures from a crisis.

India-based Edtech company Byju’s was facing a slew of challenges as of mid-2023. Its founder and CEO Byju Raveendran needed to steer the company out of trouble.

Post Graduate/Executive Education.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS3: Entrepreneurship.

The case study is based on field data, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with the main protagonist and related stakeholders of a large government hospital in Western India. After informed consent, the interviews with the stakeholders were conducted, transcribed and analyzed verbatim. In addition, secondary data from policy reports, newspaper articles and government websites was used to create the case. Since the protagonist works in the government system, her identity and other identifying information are disguised to maintain confidentiality.

The case study investigates the leadership challenges in a healthcare facility/hospital in public health. It traces the evolution of Dr Meena Sharma (Dr Meena), a leader in the government hospital ecosystem facing challenges such as infrastructural deficiencies, manpower deficit, healthcare bureaucracy and heavy patient load. This first-generation medical practitioner who transitioned from a private practice to a governmental one juggles balancing her demanding clinical practice, administrative responsibilities and teaching in the government hospital with her family responsibilities setup. However, in the wake of the upcoming LaQshya – Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, she strives to put together and motivate her team to work toward improving the quality of care during delivery and the immediate postpartum period at her hospital. Various issues arise in the organizational leadership for a woman leader such as adopting appropriate leadership style and using appropriate motivation and communication strategies for optimal performance.

The case study is aimed at teaching/training a) departmental heads of public and private hospitals, b) health program managers at higher and middle-level leadership roles, c) health policymakers at various levels in the government and other organizations and d) graduate and postgraduate students of public health, hospital management/administration. In addition to this, it can also be used for general management programs to teach organizational behavior, communication and leadership courses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The data used in the case are collected through both primary and secondary sources. The interview method was used to collect data on the experience of the protagonist on visiting the expo and details about the Expo was collected using secondary sources.

The case study examines the success factors of initiatives implemented by the Dubai Expo 2020 team, with a focus on sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and communication. Even though not all objectives were met, the overall progress demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability and positive effects on environmental, social and economic aspects. In addition, the case study demonstrates how businesses can incorporate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices. It highlights the significance of sustainability in business operations, stakeholder collaboration and continuous improvement. In addition, the case study provides innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction, resource efficiency and inclusivity. This case provides business students with valuable insights into successful sustainability initiatives and strategies for creating a more inclusive and equitable economy.

This case study is appropriate for intermediate undergraduate students in their third year or postgraduate students in their first year, particularly those enrolled in courses on sustainability, operations management, strategic management, supply chain management and corporate social responsibility. The case study is designed to enhance cognitive skills by analyzing and evaluating real-world examples of successful initiatives in sustainability, energy efficiency, people-centric spaces, biodiversity preservation, water efficiency, waste management, green building and open communication. It also aims to develop affective skills by fostering a commitment to sustainable practices and psychomotor skills through practical applications and projects. By analyzing these initiatives, students can comprehend how businesses can integrate social and environmental factors into their decision-making processes, supply chain management and responsible procurement practices to create a more inclusive and equitable economy. In addition, the case study introduces innovative business models and practices that promote circular economy principles, waste reduction and resource efficiency while fostering economic inclusion and equity. Overall, the case study equips students with the knowledge and motivation necessary to drive sustainable change within organizations and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

The learning outcomes are as follows: to identify and analyze the importance of operations management in a situation demanding minimizing environmental impact and maintaining operational momentum; access the risks faced during project executions and apply project management concepts to facilitate Karachi Steel in implementing indigenous technological solutions; and evaluate the importance of adaptability, continuous improvement and innovation in creating sustainable solutions to address complex challenges.

Javaid Iqbal, CEO of Karachi Steel, was the case’s protagonist. With capacity expansion, Javaid relocated the steel facility from Rawalpindi to Islamabad, Pakistan. The company encountered several difficulties because of the air emissions’ inconvenience to nearby residents and the strict environmental regulations. To push the emissions into the air, the company first installed a locally fabricated chimney. Later, they hired a foreign Pakistani engineering firm to install air filters, but the project proved unsuccessful. To control emissions, the company developed a Wet Particulate Control (WPC) system based on a water-sprinkling mechanism. The endeavor was successful, but it resulted in water pollution. As a result, Karachi Steel signed a contract with a local engineering company that invented and effectively installed an air filtration system. Karachi Steel not only devised solutions for their predicaments but also made significant contributions toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the emissions reporting and monitoring mechanism continued to cause inconvenience for regulators. In addition, the filtration facility encountered a blocked duct conveying zinc sulfate from smoke, resulting in the periodic suspension of operations. As Karachi Steel seek long-term solutions to current challenges, it is critical to examine the relationship between internal circumstances and external forces and stimulate a holistic approach to resolving issues within the realms of operations management and project management.

The case study is suitable for students pursuing their undergraduate degree programs in business studies or management sciences. This case can be taught in specific subjects in the domain of management sciences, including project management and operations management. Furthermore, undergraduate students pursuing degrees in environmental sciences, specializing in environmental impact assessment and sustainable development, can also learn from this case study. These subjects have the potential to provide students with a detailed understanding of the dynamic relationship between environmental problems caused by business activities, and how to address these challenges using principles of project management and operations management. There is no pre-requisite for this case study, and the level of difficulty is moderate. The recommended teaching pedagogy for this multidisciplinary case study includes role-playing exercises, simulations to replicate real-world situations and the Socratic method, which encourages critical thinking.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management Science.

Information from secondary sources was used to develop this case study. The sources of the data included the organization’s website, yearly reports, news releases, reports that have been published and documents that are accessible online.

As of 2023, Kenya generated around 0.5–1.3 million tons of plastic waste per year, of which only 8% was recycled. The remaining waste was either dumped into landfills, burned or released back into the environment. In addition to the plastic problem, a deforestation crisis was looming large in the country. Despite the country’s efforts to improve recycling, banning the use of single-use plastic to reduce plastic pollution, plastic waste continued to be a major issue. Growing up in the Kaptembwa slums of rural Kenya, Lorna saw the adverse impact that plastic waste had on the local ecosystem. Also, she was perturbed by the widespread cutting down of trees for construction of buildings, etc., which had resulted in deforestation. Lorna’s concern for the environment and her desire to address these issues motivated her to found EcoPost, a business that promoted a circular economy by gathering and recycling plastic waste.

With the common goal of enhancing circularity, EcoPost and Austria-based chemical company Borealis collaborated to stop waste from seeping into the environment and to make a positive socioeconomic and environmental impact. The funding from Borealis would help EcoPost in increasing its capabilities, providing training and recruiting more waste collectors. The funds were also supposed to help formalize the work of the waste pickers (mostly youth and women from marginalized communities) by financing the entrepreneurial start-up kits. Lorna aimed to create a business model that would not only solve the plastic waste problem but would also contribute to the social and economic development of local communities. Amidst these gigantic problems of plastic waste and deforestation that Kenya was facing, how will Lorna achieve her ambitious goal of reducing plastic waste and save trees? How will EcoPost pave the way to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future?

This case is intended for use in MBA, post-graduate/executive level programs as part of entrepreneurship and sustainability courses.

After completion of the case study, students will be able to discuss the characteristics of sustainable enterprises driving the innovation; analyze the concept of waste to wealth, along with its associated benefits and challenges; provide an example of a sustainable start-up that operates conventionally and is attempting to increase production capacity through automation; and describe the strategies for scaling up the business.

Mr Manigandan Kumarappan’s goal was to provide the world with alternatives to plastic and other nonbiodegradable articles used in homes, offices, hotels and other places which compelled him to leave his corporate life behind and become an entrepreneur. His knowledge, expertise and creativity made him work toward providing a sustainable solution to the plastic-free world which made him create leafy straws for the world. His start-up Evalogia made 10,000 straws a day, mostly with manual production and machine-assisted in part of the processes. Evalogia got orders from all over the world after the ban on plastic from many countries. However, Evalogia was unable to meet the demand, as the manufacturing process mostly depended on manual production at present. Hence, the company planned to scale up its production capacity from 10,000 straws per day to 100,000 straws to meet the demand through automation or by increasing the production units to meet the growing demand from domestic and international markets. Kumarappan wondered if increasing the number of manufacturing facilities would make it harder to hire new staff, manage existing ones, train them and provide overall supervision; if these tasks were not completed well, the product’s quality and, subsequently, its demand, might suffer. The automation process required huge investment, time and a great deal of skepticism for its success. Kumarappan was stuck over whether to add more production units or automate the process to increase production.

This case study is suitable for graduate students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to discuss how social entrepreneurs identify problems and convert them into opportunities, analyze the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs in setting up and growing a new venture and formulate an expansion strategy for a startup.

Over 2.6 billion people worldwide needed access to sanitation services, and most of them stayed in rural areas. Lack of access to sanitation had several negative consequences. In the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, sanitation was one of the major challenges, with 66 million people still lacking basic sanitation facilities. Additionally, a very small proportion of the wastewater was properly treated. This lack of access to sanitation was a major barrier to economic development and poverty reduction. Out of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world, 11 were in the MENA region. About 15 million people in rural Morocco did not have a proper and sustainable sanitation system. However, there was an enormous opportunity to use wastewater as a resource. The global market for wastewater treatment services was valued at US$53bn in 2021, and it was expected to grow to more than US$71bn by 2026. Two Moroccan scientists – Dr Salma Bougarrani and Dr Lahbib Latrach, who were born and brought up in Morocco and had seen the wastewater problem very closely, decided to help the people at the bottom of pyramid (BoP) after completing their PhD in environment and water treatment technologies and multisoil-layering technology. They founded GREEN WATECH, a social enterprise, in 2018, which provided a low-cost, efficient and practical solution for wastewater management in the rural areas of Morocco. GREEN WATECH won many awards and cash prizes for its product and business plan. The company had already reached five regions of Morocco and positively impacted the lives of thousands of Moroccans. The founders were planning to expand to areas in the rest of Morocco and other African and Middle East countries. GREEN WATECH had the potential to significantly impact the lives of people in rural areas and help improve wastewater management systems in developing countries through its patented technology. However, the founders faced several challenges in making their dream a reality. They needed a bigger team to expand to different locations and countries but were finding it difficult to get the right people. They also needed funds to expand their geographical reach but found it tough to get investors as they were still unable to break even. It remained to be seen how the founders of GREEN WATECH would achieve their expansion goals and help people at the BoP in other developing countries.

This case study is suited to the Master of Business Administration/Master of Science and executive program.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.