The great carbon arbitrage, going short (retiring) on coal and going long (investing) on renewables (also known as an "asset for fuel swap") is positive NPV. The present value of the social benefits of avoided emissions is higher than the sum of the present value of the foregone cash flows of phasing out coal and the PV of the costs of replacing coal by renewable generation. The arbitrage is illustrated using a generic coal power plant in the U.S. energy market, retired 20 years before the end of its engineering life. The early retirement raises the issue of the financing of a stranded asset. The case shows how a green bond can facilitate the arbitrage by reducing the phase-out costs for the different parties involved (investors and ratepayers).
Universal Pictures’ animated movie Abominable was scheduled for release in Malaysia on November 7, 2019. However, Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board ordered the studio to cut the scenes showing a map with the controversial “nine-dash line.” Without those cuts, the Malaysian government would not allow the movie’s release in Malaysia. The nine-dash line was a geopolitically sensitive issue in the South China Sea region, pitting China against neighbouring countries. China claimed historic rights over the territories bound by the nine dashes it had drawn on a map in the South China Sea. In contrast, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei also claimed the part of the sea adjacent to their coastline. The US government also challenged the Chinese claims under the nine-dash line.<br><br>Universal Pictures was in a fix: Not deleting the map scene would mean that Malaysia and other countries in the South China Sea could ban the movie. However, deleting the scene could provoke the Chinese government, which in the past had reacted strongly against studios and actors who had disregarded Chinese restrictions. China was a significant market that no Hollywood studio could afford to lose. But should Universal Pictures focus only on its commercial interests at the cost of taking a morally sound position?
Until 2022, Peloton Interactive, Inc. had been focussed on keeping up with unprecedented demand. However, by early 2022, the company’s fortunes had turned. Despite layoffs, cuts to capital spending, and price reductions, more dramatic changes were required. The company appointed a new chief executive officer in February 2022, who wrote a letter to shareholders three months later outlining the steps taken to stabilize cash flow, get the right people in the right roles, and return the company to profitability.
In June 2021, 23andMe completed their IPO with the VG Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was more interest in genomics, as its value at scale had been demonstrated through many of the public health vaccine sequencing initiatives. Given these favorable market conditions and access to capital, was this the right time for 23andMe to shift their business model away from a consumer genetic testing company to a personalized health care company that collects genetic data to develop drugs and provide care? Did the company have the resources in place to achieve this vision? Could they do it alone or did they need to deepen their relationships with pharmaceutical companies, some of whom they were already in partnership with? In the age of growing consumer data privacy concerns, should Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s chief executive officer and co-founder be wary of this approach of collecting genetic data?
FlowerAura.com (FA)—established in 2010 in Gurgaon, India—was an online-first gifting company. FA offered door-to-door delivery of flowers, cakes, and gift items, along with personalized messages, across two hundred cities in India. In early 2022, the co-founder and chief executive officer of FA needed to revitalize the FA brand to drive sales and margins. He debated whether to (a) adopt a more aggressive sales initiative, which would elicit strong competitive retaliation, or (b) build the FA brand, which could increase the gross margins without a competitive response. The bottom line was that he had to make the best decision for his company in the short and long term.
Leaders may try to instill a sense of their organization's purpose in employees as a motivator for strong job performance, but many people's priorities lie elsewhere, such as simply earning enough to provide for their family or personal interests outside of work. The authors recommend three things leaders can do to better manage employees, whether they are job-, career-, or purpose-oriented because even those who don't share in the organization's purpose can make meaningful contributions.
In this case, set in June 2019 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Deepa Bachu of Pensaar Design and her team work with client ITC Ltd. to use design thinking and behavioral experiments to improve workplace safety and strive toward the company's zero-accident goal. The case contains information on the conglomerate ITC and its subsidiary, ITC Paperboard and Specialty Papers (PSPD), along with background on worker safety trends in India. During Pensaar's engagement, its team embedded at one of ITC PSPD's sites, conducting observations and qualitative interviews with employees. Next, Pensaar's team collaborated with ITC employees at different levels of the organization to design and implement a variety of safety interventions to better understand how to improve safety at the plant.
In this case, set in June 2019 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Deepa Bachu of Pensaar Design and her team work with client ITC Ltd. to use design thinking and behavioral experiments to improve workplace safety and strive toward the company's zero-accident goal. The case contains information on the conglomerate ITC and its subsidiary, ITC Paperboard and Specialty Papers (PSPD), along with background on worker safety trends in India. During Pensaar's engagement, its team embedded at one of ITC PSPD's sites, conducting observations and qualitative interviews with employees. Next, Pensaar's team collaborated with ITC employees at different levels of the organization to design and implement a variety of safety interventions to better understand how to improve safety at the plant.
"Nigeria: Africa's Giant" delves into the economic development and state building record of Africa's most populous country. Despite being one of the continent's largest oil-exporters, Nigeria's economy has been struggling, and poverty is widespread. The country's economies woes are mirrored by its political challenges, as Nigeria suffers from 'state weakness': corruption is entrenched at all levels of government, the country's fiscal system is weak, and the state fails to provide basic public goods, including internal security. At the same time, there are signs of economic and political success. Economically, Nigeria has witnessed rapid growth of financial services and telecommunications, and is home to numerous cultural export products, including film (Nollywood), fashion, and music. Politically, Nigeria has maintained its commitment to democracy since 1999, and has seen increased civic participation of its bulging youth. This case allows students 1) to assess the deep roots of Nigeria's economic struggles and state fragility; 2) to learn about the role of the 'fiscal contract' in societies; and 3) to explore avenues for Africa's "troubled giant" to achieve to its economic and political potential.
The OKR framework is a popular goal-setting and strategy execution tool that uses goal setting through "Objectives" and measuring performance using "Key Results" on a periodic basis to measure and drive performance. The OKR framework has been adopted and practiced at companies such as Intel, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Netflix among hundreds of others ranging from start-ups to large businesses. Users have found it to be a powerful performance management and goal setting tool as it focuses on near-term measurable goals without losing the aspirational aspect of an organization's unique mission or purpose. This primer aims to explain fundamental OKR concepts, summarize implementation best practices, discuss OKR mistakes to avoid, and compare OKR with other common management goal setting tools.
Universal Pictures' animated movie Abominable was scheduled for release in Malaysia on November 7, 2019. However, Malaysia's Film Censorship Board ordered the studio to cut the scenes showing a map with the controversial "nine-dash line." Without those cuts, the Malaysian government would not allow the movie's release in Malaysia. The nine-dash line was a geopolitically sensitive issue in the South China Sea region, pitting China against neighbouring countries. China claimed historic rights over the territories bound by the nine dashes it had drawn on a map in the South China Sea. In contrast, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei also claimed the part of the sea adjacent to their coastline. The US government also challenged the Chinese claims under the nine-dash line.<br><br>Universal Pictures was in a fix: Not deleting the map scene would mean that Malaysia and other countries in the South China Sea could ban the movie. However, deleting the scene could provoke the Chinese government, which in the past had reacted strongly against studios and actors who had disregarded Chinese restrictions. China was a significant market that no Hollywood studio could afford to lose. But should Universal Pictures focus only on its commercial interests at the cost of taking a morally sound position?
Until 2022, Peloton Interactive, Inc. had been focussed on keeping up with unprecedented demand. However, by early 2022, the company's fortunes had turned. Despite layoffs, cuts to capital spending, and price reductions, more dramatic changes were required. The company appointed a new chief executive officer in February 2022, who wrote a letter to shareholders three months later outlining the steps taken to stabilize cash flow, get the right people in the right roles, and return the company to profitability.
In June 2021, 23andMe completed their IPO with the VG Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was more interest in genomics, as its value at scale had been demonstrated through many of the public health vaccine sequencing initiatives. Given these favorable market conditions and access to capital, was this the right time for 23andMe to shift their business model away from a consumer genetic testing company to a personalized health care company that collects genetic data to develop drugs and provide care? Did the company have the resources in place to achieve this vision? Could they do it alone or did they need to deepen their relationships with pharmaceutical companies, some of whom they were already in partnership with? In the age of growing consumer data privacy concerns, should Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe's chief executive officer and co-founder be wary of this approach of collecting genetic data?
FlowerAura.com (FA)-established in 2010 in Gurgaon, India-was an online-first gifting company. FA offered door-to-door delivery of flowers, cakes, and gift items, along with personalized messages, across two hundred cities in India. In early 2022, the co-founder and chief executive officer of FA needed to revitalize the FA brand to drive sales and margins. He debated whether to (a) adopt a more aggressive sales initiative, which would elicit strong competitive retaliation, or (b) build the FA brand, which could increase the gross margins without a competitive response. The bottom line was that he had to make the best decision for his company in the short and long term.
In the Fall of 2014, Heather Berthelette, the recently appointed COO of Tribal Councils Investment Group of Manitoba Ltd. (TCIG), was preparing a recommendation to the Board of Directors about whether to dissolve the company and return any remaining funds to the seven Tribal Councils that were the firm's shareholders or rebuild the organization. The firm was founded in 1989 with an investment of $175,000, $25,000 from each of the seven Tribal Councils, that collectively represented 55 Indigenous Nation communities and over 100,000 citizens. TCIG was dedicated to the economic and social development of member First Nation communities by placing strategic investments in the mainstream economy for the long term. The firm aspired to provide a reasonable return, generate a solid foundation of wealth and employment opportunities, and create a capital pool for sustainable economic development. The firm grew to over $100-million in revenue and then everything collapsed and the firm was placed under the control of a manager receiver. The case considers the rise and fall of TCIG, corporate governance practices in the context of a consortium, the role of the board in managing risk, and the feasibility that one firm can pursue both community social development and community economic development.