In a 2014 documentary, the multinational technology company Apple Inc. was implicated in alleged human rights violations at Pegatron, a large Chinese supplier that assembled Apple's iPhones. The allegations followed similar, well-publicized violations in 2009 at another China-based Apple supplier. Although Apple had promised to improve its practices, doing so had clearly proven to be a difficult task. How should Apple respond to these new allegations? Should it evade the accusations and instead point to its existing efforts? Could it do more to protect workers? Should it rethink its offshoring and outsourcing strategy? Is it fair to blame Apple for the activities of its suppliers? Where does the blame fall?

Not long ago, it was generally accepted that nice guys and gals finish last in the cutthroat world of big business. Over the past decade, the social enterprise movement has changed the way many people view the end game of capitalism. Nevertheless, the idea that jerks make better CEOs survived the 2008 financial crisis. Since then, Ivey Business School research on leader character has demonstrated that long-term sustainable success is best gained through company executives having a balance of personality traits including compassion, humility, and empathy. In other words, putting a jerk at the helm of a company isn’t advisable even if they have excellent experience, drive, and competencies. <br><br> There is a persistent notion among entrepreneurs that the right “Startup DNA” is comprised of characteristics such as resilience and the ability to accept risk, along with arrogance and the ability to be a huge jerk. But what if billionaire jerks had reined in their inner boor when bringing ideas to market? According to Ivey Professor Ann Frost, many of the world’s successful jerks might be richer if they had played nice, or at least nicer. When venture capitalists invest in start-ups, they spend a lot of time with the management team they’re betting on. VCs also typically add founders of their new portfolio companies to their CEO networks, which tend to function better when members comfortably share ideas instead of aggressively clashing over egos. As such, some VCs have “no A-holes” policies, meaning having a bad reputation can limit one’s ability to strike a favourable deal before negotiations even begin. “The goal [of negotiations] is really finding common ground,” says Professor Frost. “And nobody wants to share ground with a jerk, so they are inclined to make them pay.” While conflict over ideas generally leads to superior outcomes, interpersonal conflict leads to the A-hole tax.

At the Benedictine monastery of Admont in Austria, which had been economically active for over 940 years, the monks tended to think in centuries rather than quarters. However, the monastery’s business director needed to make a decision in a much shorter timeframe. The monastery employed approximately 600 people in its forestry, wine-growing, energy, real estate, services, and industrial businesses. Its largest subsidiary, an industrial manufacturer of wooden floorboards, was faced with severe challenges in 2015, including highly fluctuating demand and a growing pressure on margins due to low-cost competition from Asia. The business director had to decide how to proceed with the loss-making company, bearing in mind his responsibility towards the monastery and its higher purposes (such as providing pastoral care and fostering regional development through the creation of jobs).

Former Trader Joe's President Doug Rauch developed an innovative idea to address the challenge of food insecurity, food waste, and nutrition. His concept was a new retail grocery model, offering nutritious affordable food to a food insecure population in the inner city using excess inventory. His path was not an easy one, but by April 2015, Rauch was celebrating the upcoming launch of his Boston pilot and flagship store, Daily Table. Daily Table would be able to test its operating model and impact, better understand its customer base, and establish community partnerships. After further expansion to other sites in Boston, Daily Table planned to expand nationally. But there were questions about whether acceptance by one community would transfer to others and what could Rauch do to prepare himself and his team.

This brief note explores the critical issues in modern anti-trust policy.

In the past twenty-five years, the world had seen an exponential growth in the number of companies reporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) data. Investor interest in ESG data also grew rapidly. A growing belief that increasing levels of social inequality and natural environment degradation were pressing problems that the capitalist system was failing to resolve had led many stakeholders to advocate for changes in measurement and corporate reporting as a potentially powerful "lever" that could move the discussion from "Reimagining" to "Reshaping" Capitalism. Some suggested that increased transparency could change corporate behavior, increase corporate accountability and lead to better outcomes for employees, customers, the environment and local communities. Others suggested that ESG data were value relevant from an investor standpoint and that firms "doing good would do well." According to this view, investors that used ESG data would be able to make better investment decisions and widespread disclosure of such data would improve market efficiency. However, some commentators doubted the sincerity of company ESG disclosures and suggested that firms that did good were less competitive, and therefore earned lower returns for their shareholders. As the business community entered the second half of the second decade of the twenty first century, whether the widespread adoption of ESG metrics would happen -- and whether, if it did, it would lead to systematic change -- was very much an open question.

WaterCo's new customer information and billing system (CIBS), its largest information technology (IT) project ever, was over-budget and very late, with no end in sight. In the (A) case, the board of directors must decide what action to take with regards to management's actions, and regarding the project contractor. The (B) case outlines what happened afterwards. The cases span a 10-year period from inception to litigation. The case is useful as a tool to explore governance issues at the board and senior management levels as they pertain to enterprise risk management and IT risk.

WaterCo's new customer information and billing system (CIBS), its largest information technology (IT) project ever, was over-budget and very late, with no end in sight. In the (A) case, the board of directors must decide what action to take with regards to management's actions, and regarding the project contractor. The (B) case outlines what happened afterwards. The cases span a 10-year period from inception to litigation. The case is useful as a tool to explore governance issues at the board and senior management levels as they pertain to enterprise risk management and IT risk.

In November 2014, JCB - the world's leading construction equipment manufacturer, with a presence in 150 countries - decided to add two more facilities to its existing manufacturing strength in India. Based in the United Kingdom, JCB had put US$300 million into building its production and service capabilities since its entry into the Indian construction equipment market in 1979. However, the intricate business environment in India and its difficult terrain, coupled with the recent infrastructure downturn in the country, posed great risks to this large investment. As the management of the privately owned company evaluated the viability of this investment decision, it faced a tough question: How should JCB sustain its market position in such a competitive, demanding, and dynamic Indian construction equipment market, given the tough challenges it faced?

On May 21, 2015, food inspectors in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh tested Maggi instant noodles that had been manufactured by Nestlé India Limited. Their results led them to declare that the samples contained higher-than-permissible levels of monosodium glutamate and lead - substances that could, at those levels, potentially cause harm to consumers. The well-known brand accounted for 26 per cent of Nestlé India Limited's annual revenue, and the subsequent recall was a source of controversy. The recall was one of the biggest business stories of the year in India and was estimated to have cost Nestlé India Limited US$50 million. The company's response to the problem ranged from inaction and denial to attempts at rectification and redemption. The overall actions of the company were characterized by confusion regarding product safety and contradictory statements about the accusations that had been made against it. Given the material losses and the damage to both the Maggi and Nestlé India brands, the company wanted to know how the situation could be corrected - and avoided - in the future. Was the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India correct to recall Maggi noodles? Once the crisis was in motion, how could Nestlé India Limited have handled the situation to appease customers, regulators, and stakeholders?

At a Jilltronics Systems board meeting in 2015, the chief executive officer (CEO) indicated an interest in reviewing the firm's supply chain strategy in light of increasing product and service demand. Jilltronics, a regional player in the U.S. home security market with sales approaching $100 million annually, had experienced significant growth in both the new housing and retrofit markets. The CEO expressed his desire to take a more analytical approach in developing the supply chain strategy that might include expanding the number of vendors. He reported to the board that this initiative could pose some risks due to the challenges associated with managing multiple suppliers. The board meeting concluded with the CEO tasking the chief analytics officer with developing a vendor selection assessment plan and reporting her findings at the next board meeting.

At the Benedictine monastery of Admont in Austria, which had been economically active for over 940 years, the monks tended to think in centuries rather than quarters. However, the monastery's business director needed to make a decision in a much shorter timeframe. The monastery employed approximately 600 people in its forestry, wine-growing, energy, real estate, services, and industrial businesses. Its largest subsidiary, an industrial manufacturer of wooden floorboards, was faced with severe challenges in 2015, including highly fluctuating demand and a growing pressure on margins due to low-cost competition from Asia. The business director had to decide how to proceed with the loss-making company, bearing in mind his responsibility towards the monastery and its higher purposes (such as providing pastoral care and fostering regional development through the creation of jobs).

China is Apple's fastest growing market but the road to success has not been smooth. This case documents Apple's journey on this road to success; the role that Tim Cook played on this journey; the basic dynamics of China's telecommunications sector, the world's largest and most dynamic; and obstacles Apple is likely to encounter on the road to its future there. Apple's products are predominantly contract manufactured in China by Foxconn, a Taiwanese company that was the focus of considerable criticism and negative publicity for poor working conditions and suicides among its young workers. Apple, an aspirational brand in China, was named the top brand in the world in 2015 by Brand Finance--followed in second place by their global nemesis, Samsung. The growing consumer power of the Chinese middle class has accelerated demand for Apple products. Apple's popularity in China led to considerable counterfeiting or copying of their prototypes, products, know how, trade secrets, service model, and store concepts. It has spawned a cottage industry that supplies fake Apple stores with logos, uniforms, shopping bags, shelves and other accessories to make them appear real. Face-seeking behavior, the propensity of some Chinese to show off high status consumer goods, further spurs the activities of Apple counterfeiters and imitators to meet market demand. After more than a quarter century of continuous high levels of economic growth, China's economy is cooling. Despite a panoply of obstacles, Apple CEO Tim Cook maintains that China is key to Apple's bottom line now and in the future.

At a Jilltronics Systems board meeting in 2015, the chief executive officer (CEO) indicated an interest in reviewing the firm’s supply chain strategy in light of increasing product and service demand. Jilltronics, a regional player in the U.S. home security market with sales approaching $100 million annually, had experienced significant growth in both the new housing and retrofit markets. The CEO expressed his desire to take a more analytical approach in developing the supply chain strategy that might include expanding the number of vendors. He reported to the board that this initiative could pose some risks due to the challenges associated with managing multiple suppliers. The board meeting concluded with the CEO tasking the chief analytics officer with developing a vendor selection assessment plan and reporting her findings at the next board meeting.

WaterCo's new customer information and billing system (CIBS), its largest information technology (IT) project ever, was over-budget and very late, with no end in sight. In the (A) case, the board of directors must decide what action to take with regards to management's actions, and regarding the project contractor. The (B) case, 9B16E004, outlines what happened afterwards. The cases span a 10-year period from inception to litigation. The case is useful as a tool to explore governance issues at the board and senior management levels as they pertain to enterprise risk management and IT risk.

This is a supplement to 9B16E003.

On May 21, 2015, food inspectors in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh tested Maggi instant noodles that had been manufactured by Nestlé India Limited. Their results led them to declare that the samples contained higher-than-permissible levels of monosodium glutamate and lead — substances that could, at those levels, potentially cause harm to consumers. The well-known brand accounted for 26 per cent of Nestlé India Limited’s annual revenue, and the subsequent recall was a source of controversy. The recall was one of the biggest business stories of the year in India and was estimated to have cost Nestlé India Limited US$50 million. The company’s response to the problem ranged from inaction and denial to attempts at rectification and redemption. The overall actions of the company were characterized by confusion regarding product safety and contradictory statements about the accusations that had been made against it. Given the material losses and the damage to both the Maggi and Nestlé India brands, the company wanted to know how the situation could be corrected — and avoided — in the future. Was the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India correct to recall Maggi noodles? Once the crisis was in motion, how could Nestlé India Limited have handled the situation to appease customers, regulators, and stakeholders?

In November 2014, JCB — the world’s leading construction equipment manufacturer, with a presence in 150 countries — decided to add two more facilities to its existing manufacturing strength in India. Based in the United Kingdom, JCB had put US$300 million into building its production and service capabilities since its entry into the Indian construction equipment market in 1979. However, the intricate business environment in India and its difficult terrain, coupled with the recent infrastructure downturn in the country, posed great risks to this large investment. As the management of the privately owned company evaluated the viability of this investment decision, it faced a tough question: How should JCB sustain its market position in such a competitive, demanding, and dynamic Indian construction equipment market, given the tough challenges it faced?

PowerPoint presentation for instructors.

For several years, a credit card holder had been using a cash-back rewards credit card issued by a major credit card company. He received an email from his mobile phone provider, letting him know that the company was introducing a new rewards card with lower rewards but also a lower annual fee than his current card. The credit card user suspected there might be a level of spending at which one card was preferable to the other, but he thought it might be difficult to find that level because of the structure of the reward tiers offered by his existing card. He also wondered whether the new card would have the same convenience and protections as his old one. How could he evaluate these other factors?