This case illustrates the founding and growth of Veja, the first eco-sneaker company in the world, in the broader context of the evolution of the fashion industry and the emergence of the eco-fashion movement. By September 2010, the five-year old venture had become a reference in ethical fashion, and an inspiration for other eco-fashion start-ups. Its path, its successes and its aspirations made it a perfect acquisition target; like-minded companies like Timberland were already feeling out the two founders.<br><br>Sebastien Kopp and Francois-Ghislain Morillion were still fulfilling their dream. They had fun trying to craft ever more sustainable business approaches. They were still excited about the opportunity to develop solutions or workarounds for socially- and environmentally-problematic business practices. The case presents several solutions, focusing on the development of sustainable business practices in organic cotton, wild natural rubber and traditional veggie-tanned leather. The case also deals with the issue of how ventures integrate sustainable practices into a holistic and ever improving offering, which engages multiple supply chain participants (employees, consumers, suppliers, partners, even artists) in co-devising a value proposition that appeals not just to our sense of fashion, but also to our conscience. Essentially, the case is a story of fashioning identities by artfully bending consumers' appreciation towards the expression of unity with the earth and across cultures.
After half a year researching technologies and examining the current and future environment for renewable energy in Ontario, Canada, two MBA graduates must decide which renewable energy field to enter — solar photovoltaic, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, biogas, or ocean. Each choice represents great opportunities, and the entrepreneurs must ensure that they select the most suitable technology based on their experience and management skills, and on the market potential and risk.
A business school graduate has been assigned the responsibility of running a profit centre that deals in the production and sales of animal feed. The structure and operations of a mid-sized agri-input company are discussed, along with the interactions among several stakeholders in the supply chain and the sources of cooperation and conflict between them. The case details the interactional dynamics among agri-input sellers, the nature of competition between them, their sources of trade dominance and the distribution channel structure. Amid such a scenario, the graduate is trying to enhance the performance of his profit centre. On the other hand, a former classmate and recruit in an NGO is striving to achieve the developmental objectives of her organization. The case poses questions to evoke reflection on building mechanisms and institutions that deliver benefits for the many rather than profits for the few.
The case explores decisions faced by Gilt Groupe co-founders in 2009 regarding how rapidly to grow, which growth strategies to pursue and how much capital to raise.
An entrepreneurial produce packaging firm, that has developed a disruptive technology that keeps fresh produce and flowers fresh for significantly longer faces strategic growth decisions. CEO Bob Wright must decide how best to bring his company's unique packaging product to market. The technology holds promise after a long development phase, but the packaging is expensive and Wright and his team must convince the industry stakeholders of the packaging's value.
In this, the second of a two-case decision analysis series, an entrepreneur must decide whether there are additional benefits from operating in more than one U.S. city. He explores the business model of operating local production facilities in major cities, metro areas with a population of over one million. Going national in year three would allow for a year four launch. Again, the entrepreneur must choose between a discounted and a premium strategy. He must also consider how the U.S. national florists might react to whatever strategy he chooses. Student spreadsheets are available for both the A and the B cases.
The owner/operator of an ice cream store has an opportunity to expand his product line to include soft-serve ice cream. He needs to analyze the costs and benefits of purchasing either a new or used single-head or triple-head soft-serve ice cream machine. He also wants to continue growing the business and he wonders about the best way of going about it. Students are asked to (1) perform a business size-up; (2) analyze the addition of soft-serve ice cream from a qualitative standpoint; (3) determine which of the cash flows associated with the opportunity are relevant and which are recurring costs versus one-time costs; (4) perform a differential analysis to determine the ROI and payback period for the purchase of both new machines; (5) determine the ROI and payback period changes if a used machine is purchased; and (6) decide whether to purchase a soft-serve ice cream machine and, if so, which one.
A faith-based organization from Taiwan has made considerable inroads in being able to operate effectively in mainland China. Is further expansion too risky?
This case shows how the Roman army adopted the tactics, types of arms, and pieces of armor that were effectively used by its adversaries. Besides equipment, the Romans also incorporated superior intangibles such as tactical knowledge of their enemies. For example, when the Roman Republic confronted the Gauls in 390 BC, the open fighting order of the Gallic tribes had revealed the weaknesses of the Roman phalanx fighting style. Over the next half-century, the Roman army incorporated these superior tactics and underwent substantial changes that made the Roman army an even more efficient fighting machine.
In January 2010, Fox Star Studios is preparing to release the Bollywood film My Name is Khan in Indian and international markets. What strategies should the company adopt to protect their intellectual property? How much should the company invest in anti-piracy initiatives? Should releases be restricted only to more secure digital screens? Should the company be concerned about the frequent comparisons of the movie with Forrest Gump, in light of several recent cases of Hollywood studios suing Bollywood producers for plagiarism?
A young man follows his passion through near bankruptcy. Armed with an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, he shuns the path of a high-paying corporate job and instead stars a stock-broking firm. After ups and downs in several businesses, he finally decides his real fulfillment will come from producing a full-length movie - Ashta Chamma, based on the Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Ernest. The case chronicles the various issues he faces: funding the production, choosing the director; choosing a story that will satisfy his requirement of family entertainment, casting the principal characters and creating a team that can bring the production to the movie theatres. The case goes behind the scenes of the film world in "Tollywood," the Teluga film industry in Andhra Pradesh, and highlights the pressures faced by an entrepreneur in the industry. Eventually, a rare combination of creativity, professionalism and good business sense bring about success for the entrepreneur. Part B of the case presents the outcome after the release of the movie.
A business school graduate has been assigned the responsibility of running a profit centre that deals in the production and sales of animal feed. The structure and operations of a mid-sized agri-input company are discussed, along with the interactions among several stakeholders in the supply chain and the sources of cooperation and conflict between them. The case details the interactional dynamics among agri-input sellers, the nature of competition between them, their sources of trade dominance and the distribution channel structure. Amid such a scenario, the graduate is trying to enhance the performance of his profit centre. On the other hand, a former classmate and recruit in an NGO is striving to achieve the developmental objectives of her organization. The case poses questions to evoke reflection on building mechanisms and institutions that deliver benefits for the many rather than profits for the few.
The chief leasing officer (CLO) of Arthur Hill & Company was preparing Sunrise Atrium (a commercial property currently in the company's portfolio) for sale. Currently, many of the tenants of the building had signed long-term leases that still had time to run but were significantly below market rates. The CLO believed that the majority of potential buyers of Sunrise Atrium would use the cap rate method of valuation, which made the future net operating income (NOI) a key component of the valuation and hence the sale price. To improve the value of the building, the CLO was considering offering a "rent holiday" to selected tenants as a way of raising some leases to market rates. To determine if it made business sense, the CLO identified the key success factors to be the choice of tenants eligible for the holiday and the duration of the holiday. His goal was to develop a lease reconfiguration plan that would add value to investors.
The investment manager at Prairie Ventures Limited, a Saskatchewan based venture capital firm, is examining the merits of financing a management buyout of Crestline Coach, a manufacturer of ambulances and distributor of buses. Students must design a term sheet and create an appropriate financing package. Students are provided with an Excel model to assist in their analysis.