Case studies

Firstly, leaders are assessed according to a wide variety of criteria. To be an effective leader, one should be aware of these criteria and perform accordingly. Secondly, there is an ongoing debate between scholars on whether leaders are lonely at the top or not. Leaders might feel lonely because of the great responsibility and exhaustion related to the role. Social support from the leader’s network helps to cope with the loneliness. Thirdly, work motivation and job satisfaction have an impact on employee performance. A leader should pay attention to these concepts for higher organizational performance.

In the early 2020s, the world of Turkish football met a new leader: Hakan Karaahmet, the club president who led Giresunspor’s rise to the Turkish Super League. In the summer of 2020, Karaahmet was elected as the president of Giresunspor, which is the most popular football club in Giresun, a small city in Turkey on the Black Sea coast. The club was founded in 1925 and re-formed in 1967 as three other small clubs merged. It played in Turkish Super League (Turkish first league) between 1971 and 1977 and was back in the top flight after a 44-year absence, with the leadership of Karaahmet in the 2020–2021 football season. Even though it was quite a difficult task, the president ensured that the club was not relegated from the super league in the 2021–2022 season. Although Giresunspor made a promising start to the 2022–2023 football season with two wins out of three matches, the team fell behind its rivals regarding squad depth because of financial difficulties. As of 1 February, the consecutive crushing losses pushed the team into the relegation zone. The team, fans and the president were devastated. Karaahmet was faced with the dilemma of resigning from the club or not.

This case study can be taught to undergraduate students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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The learning outcomes of this study are to recall the fundamental concept of revenue management in the hotel industry (remembering); explain the various performance measures used to evaluate room revenue in hotels (understanding); use revenue management strategies to improve room revenue in hotel operations (applying); and examine and evaluate the optimal solution for revenue enhancement, considering factors such as capacity management, duration control and differential pricing (analyzing).

This case study delves into the challenges faced by Hotel King’s Cross, a business hotel located in Pune, Maharashtra, in the year 2022. A week before Christmas Eve, Soham Dande, the hotel’s revenue manager, sought a meeting with Rohan Chopra, the director of sales and marketing, to discuss “revenue optimization for the hotel.”

During their meeting, Dande mentioned that the hotel had fallen behind its budgeted room sales targets for 2022 across various metrics, such as room booking nights, occupancy percentage, average room rate and revenue per available room. Furthermore, the hotel was trailing behind its competitors. The situation was compounded by the management’s decision to raise the targets for 2023 by 5%–7%, factoring in upcoming events, competitive performance and pandemic-related losses over the past two years. Chopra faced the dilemma of formulating an action plan to achieve the ambitious 2023 targets and establish Hotel King’s Cross as a market leader.

Students undertaking executive development programs and graduate-level courses in non-profit hospitality and tourism management, as well as revenue management courses in the executive MBA, management development and graduate MBA programs, may all benefit from this case study.

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In the light of the case study and the accompanying case study questions, the incumbent would be able to gain a comprehensive understanding on the theoretical underpinnings of retail store expansion, identify the challenges for expanding a brand into emerging markets such as India and apply various marketing strategies aimed at in-depth analysis retail expansion. Learners can further comprehend the importance of brand communication incorporated by the brand to attract its customer subset.

It was in December 2022, when Mason Chatterjee, the Indian brand head of Armani Exchange (A|X), was confronted with the managerial dilemma whether launching the second store in the city of Ahmedabad would be a right decision. Another issue that was troubling him was how to go about launching a second store in a city which was not a home to other luxury sublabels. The case study illustrates the decisional aspect of retail expansion adopted by Chatterjee, considering the distinct managerial perspectives. Chatterjee found potential in the city of Ahmedabad, owing to an increased number of high-net-worth individuals and other macro factors. The case study is primarily an outcome of research carried out at A|X store at Ahmedabad One mall, Ahmedabad, for over a fortnight in the month of February 2023. The expansion decision of Chatterjee proved to be a success in the city of Ahmedabad reaching a sales figure of INR 1 crore (US$130,344.11) in the very first month of its launch. However, he was confronted with the managerial dilemma of further expansion, just six months after the launch of the latest expansion.

The case study is intended for advanced undergraduates or postgraduate programs in management or electives such as marketing, retail management and strategic management. It has not only been specifically designed for teaching the concept of retail expansion but can also be used to integrate contexts on brand’s merchandise mix, retail positioning, visual merchandising and brand communication. The case study has an overview of each of these elements. The instructor may choose them into the context for a wider encompassing detailed lesson or particularly on the main aspect of the case.

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Upon completion of the case study, the students will be able to apply business upscaling strategies to an upcycling social enterprise that is embracing a circular economy approach by using the Ansoff growth matrix; to analyze strategies for transition to circularity using the butterfly diagram tool for both business and personal use; to indulge in upcycling exercises for a used product of their choice, not only unleashing their creative potential but also contributing to an idea that might get them to win a contest; to analyze different operational problems and efficiency opportunities that arise when a company takes on social and environmental causes as a business opportunity; and to strategize how a social enterprise can be sustained and made for-profit by applying business strategies.

This case study covers the concepts of upcycling under the gamut of circular economy, a concept that has become more of a strategy to sustain and survive in today’s world. This case is about Rimagined, an upcycling company that could be a model for circular ideas and upcycling of stuff. This case study narrates the growth and the challenges faced in upcycling and encourages students to ideate a new design for any upcycling item of their choice. This case will also make students strategize the expansion plan for Rimagined. Shailaja Rangarajan is the protagonist of this case study who started this social enterprise to make a difference and do her bit. Sustaining a social enterprise requires business acumen and risk-bearing capacities like any other business. Rangarajan was facing the dilemma of expansion and was trying out several feasible options. Rimagined had been unable to attract investors because their expectations of quick returns could not be immediately fulfilled. Investors focused more on waste management as an industry and not on upcycling as a separate area of work.

This case study is suitable for students of MBA or executive MBA level. Specifically, this case study can be used in business strategies and circular economy courses.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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After completion of the case study, students will be able to analyze the marketing mix strategy of a firm, discuss the importance of a generic strategy to gain a competitive advantage, analyze the basis of consumer segmentation in furniture and highlight the importance of positioning in influencing the overall marketing mix strategy of a firm.

It was April 18, 2022. Puneet Singh Seehra (Seehra), the owner and director of Shearling Skins Private Limited (Shearling), was visibly worried as he was looking at the recent sales report. Shearling was in the business of manufacturing premium-quality furniture for corporate clients. Seehra was happy about the growth of his company. However, he was lately concerned about the declining sales figures. Some important questions were troubling Seehra. Was competition eating into his business? How could he differentiate Shearling from competition? What was the right marketing strategy for a market dominated by unorganized competitors and a few major players? His head spinning, he leaned back on his chair as he looked out of his office window.

The case study can be taught in a graduate-level course in marketing or strategy.

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The case study has several objectives: to gauge the evaluation of the direct-to-consumer industry in the economy of India, to analyse the competition of the brands, to ascertain the evolution of smaller direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands on the purchasing capacity of consumers, to analyse challenges in branding in Tier 2 and 3 cities and to evaluate the strategic branding decisions of Mamaearth.

During her pregnancy, Ghazal Alagh and her husband Varun Alagh, the co-founders of Mamaearth, were looking for some good and natural products for their baby’s skincare. However, she could not find products that were 100% safe. Hence, as a concerned mother, she started using a few hands-on home remedies for her baby, which were 100% organic, and then the idea clicked to her to start a baby care brand named Mamaearth, which later also included personal care products. The company started as a DTC/internet-first brand in 2016, which only used to sell products online without any intermediaries when it was still trying to make its way in the market and was aware of the stiff competition by giants such as Hindustan Unilever and Proctor & Gamble, who were ruling the market for decades. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the market saw a shift in consumer buying patterns. There was greater use of e-commerce touch points for shopping, as various digital platforms such as the official site of products, social media and mobile platforms were used by consumers during the pandemic, leading to digitalization in buying and digitalization of consumer shopping journey. These technology platforms were expected to play a substantial role in reaching and creating consumer awareness, transaction and retention post-COVID according to reports by Deloitte 2020. Moreover, such a shift in behaviour amidst the COVID-19 pandemic shot up sales of this DTC brand and made itself the big shot it is today, where they were looking to get into an initial public offering in just seven years of its launch. They re-evaluated their strategy, which helped them become the biggest brand in no time.

This case study is suitable for Doctor of Philosophy students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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An instructor engaged students in managing and reporting sustainability initiatives at an organisation. After completion of the case study discussion, the students will be able to critique the sustainability initiatives that can be undertaken at an organisation; understand sustainability reporting; analyse how result-based management aids in sustainability report preparation; recommend critical considerations for conducting a sustainability impact assessment by an educational institute.

The case contributed to the growing knowledge base about reporting sustainability initiatives at an organisation and managing them to aid in decision-making. The case called for better integration between sustainability activities and reporting under organisations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.

Ajay served as the head of the management department and a leading member of the sustainability initiatives at University Alpha, Delhi NCR, India. He was assigned the task of publishing the university’s annual report. The management had requested him to consider preparing a standalone sustainability report for the university.

He began the task by examining the benefits of standalone sustainability reporting. He proceeded to analyse the specifics of SDG reporting, SDG Accord reporting and ESG reporting using the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. During discussions with a consultant, the necessary steps for creating an SDG-only report and an integrated SDG and ESG sustainability report were clarified.

Guidance from an expert led to an intention to use a result matrix in preparing the sustainability report and ongoing impact assessment of SDG initiatives for reporting. The dilemma involved deciding between continuing with the sustainability initiative listing in the annual reports or opting for a standalone sustainability report. Critical considerations concerning the sustainability impact assessment of SDG-related activities at an educational organisation were also explored.

This case is intended for discussion in the graduate-level program in strategy, general management, sustainability management, environmental management and environmental economics. The case may also be used for participants in executive program.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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Upon completion of the case study, the students will be able to conceptualize the importance of brand differentiation; suggest the implications of brand differentiation in the context of the traditional Chikan art form; examine the aspect of a brand’s product portfolio management; and critically analyse the competitive advantages of the brand using the VRIO framework.

The Chikankari art form gained worldwide recognition. In fact, it also received a geographical indication (GI) tag which is important for international branding. The case is centred around an entrepreneur, Mr. Vinod Punjabi, who redefined the essence of the existing Chikan art form by value addition in terms of intricate designs, patterns and exclusivity. He founded the brand Ada in 2015 aimed at preserving the traditional art form while curating elegance and exclusivity in its product portfolio. The case outlined Punjabi’s journey. The protagonist carefully analysed the open and unorganized Chikankari market and adopted the strategy of brand differentiation to stand apart from the competitors. Punjabi’s daughter, the chief operations officer of Ada, described the aspects. The journey was arduous, but over the years, Ada emerged as a successful name in the Chikankari market. The brand’s intent of becoming synonymous with Chikankari was successful owing to its authentic and exclusive hand-crafted products in the competitive environment of machine-made replicas. Furthermore, the brand also consistently worked on the aesthetic appearance of its store to attract a wide range of customers. Punjabi ensured that the brand was an amalgamation of all the essential elements for its survival in the long run.

The case is aimed for students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration/diploma in management, marketing and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, it will assist the management trainees in gaining valuable insights.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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After completion of the case study, students will be able to describe the crisis types and the various phases in mapping a crisis and outline appropriate actions during each phase; identify stakeholders in the context of change management initiatives and map them through their power, influence and interest needs; identify the needs and resistance present in change management initiatives through the systems-thinking perspective; recognize the leadership competencies for an effective crisis management approach; and identify the way to conduct challenging conversations with important stakeholders whose support and influence are required.

Stella Fernandez, the vice president of human resources management in a family-managed business organization, was disturbed by the media reports on rising number of cases of COVID-19 infection in India during the first week of March 2020. She thought that a continued rise in the number of infection cases could affect the business continuity as well as the safety of the employees. In her opinion, a faster introduction of a work-from-home policy could help to reduce the impact of the potential crisis. Fernandez understood that without the senior management team’s consent, she could not drive the information technology team to implement the work-from-home measure. However, she felt that there could be challenges in convincing the senior management team, who did not treat this outbreak to be of grave importance. Anticipating the unfavourable reaction, Fernandez planned her approach carefully by identifying and convincing influential members to support this change management initiative; nevertheless, to her dismay, her meticulous plan failed to convince the powerful members of the team, who continued to resist the change proposed by her. Disappointed and surprised by their reaction, Fernandez wondered what she could have done to make the senior management team to accept her proposal.

This case study is designed for use in undergraduate- or graduate-level programmes.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

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This case study aims to stimulate the students’ thoughts about the introduction of sustainability and its importance in the travel and tourism industry and introduce the concept of resilience and building of dynamic capability of a venture from the perspective of an entrepreneur.

Established in 2009, India Someday was a fledgling travel company based in Mumbai, India. The team comprised passionate travellers who provided planning assistance for those willing to explore India independently. The company offered customised, personalised and tailor-made trips to create a memorable travel experience for travellers with differing budgets and age groups. Upon the launch of Asia Someday, an extension of the travel venture India Someday, Mr Asif Munshi shared a moment of relief as he shook hands with his co-founder, Mr Harsh Shirodkar. The pandemic significantly impacted the tourism industry, yet it fortified their entrepreneurial spirit and inspired them to bounce back with a dynamic and vigorous comeback and further strengthened the foundation of the endeavour. The expansion of their entrepreneurial venture marked the initiation of the second innings of their enterprise. Although the company had managed to stay afloat because of savings, it was soon depleted. But the withdrawal of the no-fly list and the gradual opening of borders brought a ray of hope for India Someday. Munshi was preoccupied with his thoughts about the future steps of his dream venture. With emails from his previous clients regarding travel plans to India, he could see that the prior impact of India Someday had not gone in vain. Although relieved with the commencement of people travelling, the future was uncertain and the founders knew that they had to be prepared to successfully operate their venture.

Tourism and hospitality courses/entrepreneur courses

Beginner

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