Discount retailer Dollar Bill's has been struggling to maintain its margins over the past two years because of inflationary pressures, delays on imported goods, and decreased foot traffic. Now the board has asked CEO William Fisher Jr. to develop a strategy for raising prices. William worries that raising prices will hurt the company's reputation and alienate customers, but he recognizes that something has to change. Should Dollar Bill's maintain the dollar price point by reducing product quantity, such as repackaging five-packs of chewing gum into four-packs for the same price? Or should it abandon the dollar price point and begin offering an array of more-expensive goods? This fictional case study features expert commentary by Greg Besner, the CEO of Sunflow, and Barrie Carmel, the vice president of pricing at Michaels Stores.
When two software engineers decided, in 2013, to launch an enterprise software-as-a-service business around GitLab-the open-source collaborative software-development application that they'd been working on-they didn't intend to turn it into the world's largest all-remote organization. But they lived 2,000 kilometers apart-one in Ukraine and the other in the Netherlands-and their first hire was in Serbia. None of them wanted to move, so GitLab began its corporate life with a small, distributed workforce. As the founders began hiring more people, they made it official: The company would have no offices; employees could work from anywhere. Today GitLab's 2,000 team members are spread across some 60 countries and regions around the world. The company neither owns nor rents any corporate office space. Well before the Covid-19 pandemic hastened such a shift for other organizations, GitLab's leaders embraced and developed best practices around virtual collaboration. They learned that success depends on measuring output, not input; aligning people on norms and values; ensuring that policies and processes are continually and openly documented; and reinforcing key self-management and people-management skills.
Once upon a time, leisure was a sign of prestige. Today that idea has been turned on its head, and busyness is the new status symbol. Busy people are considered important and impressive, and employees are rewarded for showing how "hard" they're working. Such thinking is misguided. It can cause organizations to overload their employees, base their incentives on the amount of time they put in, and excessively monitor their activities, all of which undermine productivity and efficiency, research shows. Meanwhile, reducing work to manageable levels can actually enhance them. This article explores both the downsides of busyness (employee turnover, reduced engagement, absenteeism, and impaired health) and the reasons for our obsession with it. It's partly human nature: The harder we work to achieve something, the more we value it; most of us hate being idle; and we think customers like to see us busy. The authors also present strategies for breaking away from this fixation: Reward output, not activity. Eliminate low-value work to make time for "deep work." Force people off the clock, and allow time for their minds to wander creatively. Model the right behavior, and build slack into your systems. Activity is not achievement, and the sooner companies recognize that, the better off they and their employees will be.
Many of us assumed that by now, years into the pandemic, we'd have settled on new structures, practices, and processes for hybrid work. But we haven't. Instead most companies are stuck in a transitional phase, where little is resolved. Why is it taking us so long to work this out? Because, the author writes, the new world of hybrid work isn't simply about determining whether everybody should come back full-time to the office. It's also forcing us to test long-held assumptions about how work should be done and what it even is. The changes to workplace practices and norms that we're contemplating could be more significant than anything that's happened in generations, Gratton writes, and we may need years to fully sort things out. So it's time for leaders to start thinking differently about the problem and approach it just as they would any other major change in how they do business-by asking tough questions and learning deeply. Gratton surveys recent research on the pros and cons of hybrid work and offers leaders some fundamental questions they can use to guide their organizations into this new phase of redesigning how we work.
The case explores the journey of developing and implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) solution across the vast LVPEI network. The leadership team at LVPEI decided to take the unconventional approach of developing the EMR solution in-house and chose Anthony Vipin Das, an ophthalmologist with a flair for information technology (IT), to head this development project. The case is set in 2017 and illustrates the challenges that Das, Consultant Ophthalmologist at LVPEI, faced and overcame in developing and implementing the eyeSmart EMR software. Although LVPEI had expertise in developing and implementing eye care solutions both inside and outside India, it needed a fresh strategy for developing and scaling up eyeSmart EMR. With the efforts of Das and his team, eyeSmart EMR was successfully implemented within the LVPEI network. The case ends with Das considering different options for the evolution of eyeSmart EMR.
NET ZERO TO NET HERO - CAN WE GROSS IT? is a two-part case that highlights the pressing need for businesses to move towards sustainable practices. This is particularly relevant in today's Climate Crisis environment, where governments and businesses need to work together at COP summits to lay out policy roadmaps. Paving the way for sustainability in a firm, is a multipronged approach with interlinkages to local as well as global policy directives and understanding this, through the context of what CII does, gives the bigger picture for any small, medium or large firm to strategically plan and communicate their approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as to be seen as clearly "walking the talk" when it comes to showcasing themselves as being oriented towards truly caring for the planet.
Supplement to cases IMB951 and IMB953. Transcript from the interview of IIMB Case Writer Ms. Jacqueline Gomes in conversation with Ms. Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII.
This case focuses on the challenges faced by the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJBTK) in managing the fund collection drive project for the construction of the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. The campaign was designed to raise awareness of the temple's construction, enlist public support, generate a large base of contributors, and accept contributions, regardless of size. While raising funds was part of the campaign, the focus remained on the masses' emotional and social support. The targets were defined based on the number of connections established and the number of people reached out to, rather than on the collected funds, the COVID 19 pandemic notwithstanding. The campaign wanted to reach out to as many people's hearts and not just their wallets. Various strategic dilemmas needed to be resolved. Accountability, integrity, and trust are the key focus areas of this campaign since misuse of funds can create a huge trust gap between the people and the campaign management team of SRJBTK. What role does communication play in building and sustaining trust? Could a loosely defined network of organizations run an extensive campaign with no formal organizational structures in place?
Banglanatak dot com (BNC) is a unique example of an initiative that grew from a folk-theater-based social effort in rural Bengal to a pan-India effort, evolving different needs-based programs with the mission of fostering pro-poor growth and protecting and upholding the rights of women, children, and indigenous communities. In the last two decades of its evolution, BNC has built a unique model of community-led development riding on the cultural heritage of the places where it intervened. Over the years, BNC came to occupy a unique position, having developed a series of innovative programs during its journey and evolved to become an institution spread across multiple programs and with different capabilities. From a management perspective, BNC might be stretched across divergent objectives, but in the social sector, it appears to be an enlightening story of successfully building an institution for impact. By 2020, Amitava Bhattacharya, the founder of BNC, was grappling with the challenge of scaling up BNC and building capacity within the organization. This case gives us the opportunity to explore multiple areas in the context of social enterprises and the sector: 1. Growth drivers (social development goals) 2. Social enterprise business models 3. Scaling-up challenges 4. Organizational evolution
Online retailers frequently assume that pleasing customers requires shipping each item in an order as quickly as possible rather than assembling the entire order and delivering a consolidated shipment. But new research with an online fashion marketplace found that customers receiving consolidated shipments were less likely to return items, lowering the retailer's logistics costs and improving sales. The authors suggest how to adapt fulfillment strategies in light of their findings.
In early 2022, the economy was in a precarious situation. After a pandemic-induced recession that saw the global economy grind to a halt, the U.S. entered a phase of recovery. Unemployment was nearing record-lows and GDP surpassed its pre-covid levels. However, prices had been rising for months and unexpected factors, including a disruption of global supply chains, the threat of new covid variants, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, meant a variety of goods were not making it to consumers without major delays, driving prices to even greater heights. In fact, inflation in February climbed to 7.9%, marking the biggest annual increase in four decades. Calls on the Fed to take decisive action to tame inflation intensified, however any decision would be closely scrutinized, and the Fed was wary to repeat past mistakes.
In early 2022, the economy was in a precarious situation. After a pandemic-induced recession that saw the global economy grind to a halt, the U.S. entered a phase of recovery. Unemployment was nearing record-lows and GDP surpassed its pre-covid levels. However, prices had been rising for months and unexpected factors, including a disruption of global supply chains, the threat of new covid variants, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, meant a variety of goods were not making it to consumers without major delays, driving prices to even greater heights. In fact, inflation in February climbed to 7.9%, marking the biggest annual increase in four decades. Calls on the Fed to take decisive action to tame inflation intensified, however any decision would be closely scrutinized, and the Fed was wary to repeat past mistakes.
The chief technology officer of a leading pharmaceutical distributor in the US is facing a crossroads. Driven by the company’s mission of “reimagining healthcare,” his team has just conducted a pilot of blockchain. Having designed the blockchain and tested it in real-world conditions, the team is now keen to use it in the company’s supply chain. As the team leader, the CTO is grappling with how to move forward. How can he ensure he chooses the right business partners for incubating blockchain technology at Cardinal? And how can he ensure he chooses the right business processes for implementing blockchain technology?
In 2021, the investment bank Credit Suisse Group AG lost an estimated US$6.4 billion from exposure to two hedge fund implosions that occurred within a month. Archegos Capital Management lost US$4.7 billion and Greensill Capital lost US$1.7 billion. Various arrangements between Credit Suisse Group AG and Archegos Capital Management, as well as structural factors at Credit Suisse Group AG, may have contributed to the bank having a higher level of exposure to these collapses than its industry peers. Underlying these miscues were recent changes in leadership, strategy, and tone at Credit Suisse Group AG. All three of these changes appeared to have collectively impaired the skepticism and voice exercised by its risk management group. In July 2021, Credit Suisse Group AG replaced its chief risk officer in an attempt to reshuffle its risk and compliance leadership. The task of the new chief risk officer was to reshape Credit Suisse Group AG's risk management framework and internal controls, from the top to the bottom.
The chief technology officer of a leading pharmaceutical distributor in the US is facing a crossroads. Driven by the company's mission of "reimagining healthcare," his team has just conducted a pilot of blockchain. Having designed the blockchain and tested it in real-world conditions, the team is now keen to use it in the company's supply chain. As the team leader, the CTO is grappling with how to move forward. How can he ensure he chooses the right business partners for incubating blockchain technology at Cardinal? And how can he ensure he chooses the right business processes for implementing blockchain technology?
This exercise is a way for facilitators to make in-the-moment adaptations to existing scripting exercises, in order to address questions and scenarios that arise during Giving Voice to Values (GVV) sessions. In a GVV program, participants are invited to practice scripting responses to and creating action plans for a values-challenging scenario. Sometimes, a participant's values challenge starts to dominate the conversations in the room, or participants find themselves doubting whether the GVV approach will work in their own circumstances. The Barry case in this exercise outlines how to adopt (with permission and care) the new, authentic values challenge brought up by the participant. This exercise adaptation is designed to occur after the GVV approach has been introduced and participants have worked through the role of purpose and the reasons and rationalizations we all face in voicing our values. It can be run at any point between the introduction of these elements and the final scripting and action-planning stage and will naturally adapt itself based on how much GVV content the participants have already covered. The exercise aims to demonstrate to GVV participants that the toolkit they have begun to develop is adaptable and personalized, and that the GVV approach is fit for use in "real" settings.
Although Blaser Swisslube (Blaser)'s market share in the coolant space in the Indian industry is relatively low as compared to other players, India is an important market for the company. With India becoming a global sourcing hub for many auto companies, the auto sector is the prime driver for the metalworking fluids segment. Since starting operations in 2002, the company has, over the years, operated as a sales subsidiary of its parent company located in Switzerland. The parent company strongly believes in innovation and delivering value globally to customers through customized solutions and safe products. Blaser is facing a challenge in India in convincing industrial customers of the value of its products and solutions and their potential to create financial returns for them. The reason is that most Indian customers are price-conscious. And the price of Blaser's coolants is higher than the price of its competitors. It is in the context of this challenge that Punit Gupta, the managing director of the Indian subsidiary, is facing some dilemmas. How should his sales team convince Indian customers to try out Blaser coolants? Who could be the right person to approach in each organization to sell the concept of the coolant as an investment in productivity improvement rather than as a consumable? Where does the ongoing digitalization of Indian manufacturing fit in? What holistic approach can the company take to intensify its growth journey in India?
The case is set in June 2021, 15 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. It begins with the CEO of a boutique hotel in Singapore battling mental burnout as he struggled to keep his hard-hit hotel business afloat. He then sought advice from a friend working with the Mindfulness Initiative@SMU and was recommended the Mindfulness-Based Strategic Awareness Training (MBSAT). MBSAT is a course designed specifically for executives who wish to improve their decision-making through a heightened sense of strategic awareness to derive good outcomes. It is particularly suitable for organisation leaders and individuals who aspire to acquire skilful decision-making abilities. Through an eight-session program that teaches formal and informal mindfulness techniques to enhance mental clarity, the key objective of MBSAT is to increase personal well-being, thus resulting in a flourishing life. The case proceeds with five participants of the previous course runs sharing their experiences, their interpretation of mindfulness, and the MBSAT interventions they found useful. It also details how they managed workplace stress, navigated the decision-making process, and coped with COVID-19-related challenges. The case ends with the protagonist feeling excited about the potential benefits mindfulness training could bring to the workplace. He then mulled over the possibility of introducing mindfulness to his organisation.