A fitness executive contemplates her next move. This fictional case study by Jon M. Jachimowicz, Francesca Gino features expert commentary by Sarah Robb O'Hagan, and Lan Phan.
A fitness executive contemplates her next move. This fictional case study by Jon M. Jachimowicz, Francesca Gino features expert commentary by Sarah Robb O'Hagan, and Lan Phan.
This case describes how Canature, whose main business is water filtration, spent like crazy to build a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system, turning its substandard wastewater discharge to zero discharge and even "negative discharge" since 2013. The ZLD system helped create a better campus environment while providing a basis for Canature to launch an industrial tourism program. When implementing the tourism program, Canature never advertised or marketed its products. Instead, it disseminated health-related concepts. Over time, Canature has initiated multiple extension activities to expand its industrial tourism program. After some shifts in the management team, Qu Yaming, who is son of the founder Qu Jianguo, took over the business and started redefining Canature's development path. Canature's water filtration business is booming overseas, increasing its sales revenue and profit significantly. Content as he is, Qu Yaming is wondering whether to generate ¥50 million in annual revenue from industrial tourism, the business that Canature prides itself on. He is thinking carefully if the effort is worthwhile and if so, how Canature should position its industrial tourism program.
It's no secret that short deadlines produce results more quickly than long ones. But who knew that no deadline would prompt the fastest response of all?
Airports are complex environments, with decision-making processes divided among numerous authorities, and many stakeholders pursuing their own interests. Based on Normand Boivin's tenure as chief operating officer (COO) of Heathrow Airport between 2011 and 2018, the case addresses various capacity-related issues ranging from customer satisfaction to solutions studied and implemented. Heathrow is Europe's busiest international airport and one of the major hubs of the civil aviation world. Yet Heathrow faces the same challenges as all other major airports in industrialized countries. When Boivin was appointed COO in 2011, the airport's competitive position had been heavily damaged by a reputation for poor customer service. When he stepped down, seven years later, Heathrow found itself once again in an enviable competitive position. The case reviews the steps taken by Boivin to resolve many of the problems it had faced.
Airports are complex environments, with decision-making processes divided among numerous authorities, and many stakeholders pursuing their own interests. Based on Normand Boivin's tenure as chief operating officer (COO) of Heathrow Airport between 2011 and 2018, the case addresses various capacity-related issues ranging from customer satisfaction to solutions studied and implemented. Heathrow is Europe's busiest international airport and one of the major hubs of the civil aviation world. Yet Heathrow faces the same challenges as all other major airports in industrialized countries. When Boivin was appointed COO in 2011, the airport's competitive position had been heavily damaged by a reputation for poor customer service. When he stepped down, seven years later, Heathrow found itself once again in an enviable competitive position. The case reviews the steps taken by Boivin to resolve many of the problems it had faced.
Impact Kommons was initiated by New World Development (NWD) as the first start-up accelerator in Hong Kong targeted at achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). As one of the leading property developers in Hong Kong, NWD has developed its connected business ecosystem, covering property development and investment, retailing, transportation, infrastructure development, health care, insurance, and logistics. With "creating shared value" as its corporate vision, NWD wants to achieve business sustainability by both bringing significant returns to shareholders and responding to the community and stakeholders' different needs. Impact Kommons was designed to facilitate business integration between the start-ups and NWD's business units with the aim of developing innovative solutions to solve NWD's clearly defined problems and achieve the relevant sustainable development goals of the UNSDGs. Impact Kommons can not only accelerate the business growth of start-ups but also raise their awareness of sustainability issues in the early stages of business development. This case describes how NWD initiated and developed Impact Kommons to pursue its sustainability goals, what the program achieved in cohorts one and two, and what problems it faced during the implementation process. The case shows the value and challenges of using accelerator programs to help start-ups to grow while enabling well-established companies to address sustainability issues. The case enables students to realize the importance of corporate social responsibility to companies and raises their awareness of the UNSDGs. After studying this case, students will become familiar with developing and implementing accelerator programs. This case also encourages students to seek innovative solutions to address sustainability issues.
New World Development (NWD) is a leading property developer in Hong Kong seeking innovative ways to solve Hong Kong's deep-rooted housing problems. NWD has gotten involved in several social housing projects to create shared value with the community, but NWD considers that these projects are not groundbreaking and innovative enough. To better tackle the housing problems, NWD has developed a not-for-profit organization, New World Build for Good, to bring in experts from different industries and policy areas to find more innovative solutions to solve Hong Kong's housing crisis. To facilitate students' discussions on possible innovative solutions, this case gives a comprehensive background of the housing industry in Hong Kong, such as its terrain restrictions and history. The case illustrates how the private and public housing markets work in Hong Kong, showing the housing challenges that young people, the "sandwich" class, and the elderly face. To give students a full picture of the housing challenges in Hong Kong, the case also reviews the government measures to tackle the housing issues over the past two decades. Moreover, the case also outlines the new proposals considered by New World Build for Good, which will inspire students to think of more innovative solutions. This case provides an opportunity for students to learn about the concept and process of social innovation, especially to understand the complications of social problems, identify the sources of innovation, and formulate innovative solutions. The case helps to raise students' awareness of ESG issues, especially in improving people's living conditions and quality of life. After studying this case, students will learn to identify potential areas for improvement, make innovative suggestions, and evaluate projects' feasibility.
In 2022, the newly appointed general manager (GM) of the global cookie business at Groupe Aliments Choix must build his business unit in the throes of a major corporate shift in strategy and structure. The newly announced corporate changes are a challenge to the GM because of his unit’s traditional country-centred approach to business. He is under added pressure because he has been given just forty-five days to develop an action plan. His recommendations will include structural changes and targets for building new organizational capabilities. As a new leader in a new position, the GM also needs to assess his own capabilities relative to the challenging tasks ahead.
Icario Health has built a market-leading AI engine to help health insurers drive better health behaviors for their members, enabling the insurers to improve their Medicare.
ZS Associates, a global consultancy, has been hired by the head of marketing at the global pharmaceutical firm Rensselaer to identify a promising strategy to protect and grow Rensselaer's oncology business. Currently, Rensselaer is a large player in the market, but its intention is to grow this business into the "largest" in the industry within the next decade. Combined with this long-term ambition, Rensselaer faces the acute, near-term worry that one of its key products (generating almost one-fifth of sales) is facing patent expiration. Anna Schumacher is charged with presenting a recommendation to Rensselaer. She has identified several promising drug candidates (assets) that Rensselaer could pursue in its project-development portfolio. Now she must decide which of the assets Rensselaer should prioritize, given the firm's current strategy and objectives and the competing interests of several departments within the company. This disguised field-based case is taught at Darden in the second-year MBA elective "Managing Innovation." It can also be adapted for courses on new product development, core strategy, and project/program management. The case is also suitable for Executive MBA and Executive Education audiences, which are likely to have experienced portfolio decision-making. Given its content and context, it can also be particularly applicable for audiences in the consulting industry or with a background in the pharmaceutical industry or biological sciences.
This case set is part of the Giving Voice to Values (GVV) curriculum. To see other material in the GVV curriculum, please visit http://store.darden.virginia.edu/giving-voice-to-values. Isabel is a young, recently graduated finance professional who works for ABC Group, a small investment bank. Due in part to high staff turnover, she has recently been promoted to senior financial analyst, and her first important independent project is a business valuation for a five-star hotel out of town; ABC Group would intermediate the hotel's sale. At a business trip where she gets to know the hotel and gathers all the data necessary to do the valuation, she also discovers that the hotel sale might be connected to money-laundering activities. Back in her office, right after finishing the valuation, she receives a call from her boss asking her to manipulate the figures to obtain a much higher offer price. This request goes against Isabel's personal and professional values of honesty, truthfulness, and fairness, and it seems to confirm her suspicions of money laundering. This A case asks students to step into Isabel's shoes and figure out a feasible action plan that is consistent with her values. This case set is targeted at undergraduate students taking finance, leadership, or ethics courses.
In 2022, the newly appointed general manager (GM) of the global cookie business at Groupe Aliments Choix must build his business unit in the throes of a major corporate shift in strategy and structure. The newly announced corporate changes are a challenge to the GM because of his unit's traditional country-centred approach to business. He is under added pressure because he has been given just forty-five days to develop an action plan. His recommendations will include structural changes and targets for building new organizational capabilities. As a new leader in a new position, the GM also needs to assess his own capabilities relative to the challenging tasks ahead.
In 2022, Mazatlán was enjoying a reputation as a popular seaside town on the Mexican Pacific Coast, in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. Protected by a bay and three islands, it offered sandy beaches and favourable weather year-round, making it an attractive destination for Mexican, American, and Canadian vacationers. It was a popular stop for Pacific Ocean cruises, where tourists could enjoy beaches, sunshine, Mexican cuisine and culture, and various sporting activities including baseball, marathons, triathlons, sport fishing, and soccer. However, Mazatlán’s image was being tainted by unfavourable events, which presented unique challenges for the city’s marketers and threatened to endanger the city’s highly successful tourism industry. Mazatlán’s tourism authorities were wondering how to keep the city’s tourism brand and image strong, despite these new and significant challenges.
In July 2012, the French multinational company Michelin Group, one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, was facing accusations of failing to respect human rights and environmental rights in its operations in Tamil Nadu, India. This complaint came at the surprise of managers at the company who had made efforts to create relationships with local communities. At Michelin Group’s headquarters in France, the senior member of the sustainability team had to decide how to respond to the complaint in a way that would satisfy both external stakeholders (e.g., local communities and civil society organizations) and internal stakeholders (e.g., employees and managers from other departments).
The Merak Capital cofounders sought to tap into the opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, as the technology community in the region continued to expand. They envisioned creating a regional powerhouse that would invest in new technology companies in the region, and accelerate economic development. This case study explores how the three cofounders approach their immediate priorities, in order to position Merak Capital to broaden their vision to include venture capital, growth equity, and private equity. How would they use the next 12 months wisely, and effectively? How would they plan for the broader business scope-and think about expanding into other Middle East countries, and beyond?
Although gender representation among senior leaders has improved since 1980 (there was nowhere to go but up), there's still a lot of work to do. An analysis of Fortune 100 executives' career histories and demographics over the past 40 years shows where companies have made strides toward diversity at the top and where they can do better. To get closer to parity, employers must invest more in leadership development overall and give women more equitable access to growth opportunities.
The case is set in 2021, amid accelerating digitalisation in Singapore, as Marriott International is facing pressure to innovate and review the AI strategy for its hotel brands. Marriott is the second largest hospitality player in terms of market share in Singapore, with AccorHotels Group holding market leadership. In 2016, Marriott merged with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, valued at US$12.2 billion, making it the largest hotel chain in the world. Before the merger, Starwood had established itself as a technical innovation leader in the hospitality industry, which aligns with Marriott's goals to improve the guest experience and build loyalty using technology. For example, Starwood invested in an array of services such as a mobile app which guests can bypass check-ins and use their mobile devices for keyless entry. Marriott has also channelled efforts toward digitalisation and innovation, and is one of the pioneers in deploying guest-facing technologies such as keyless entries and smart rooms. The company had partnered with Alibaba Group in a joint venture to pilot test a facial recognition check-in system with Fliggy, Alibaba's travel service platform. This seamless and convenient alternative sought to meet the needs of tech-savvy Chinese travellers, who are receptive to technology powered by facial recognition.
In 2021, the HBS Impact Investment Fund student team met with entrepreneur Teresa Maynard, who had applied for a $25,000 impact investment loan. The students thought the former Harvard Data Scientist's bakery business, Sweet Teez Bakery, showed promise. Maynard had bootstrapped the business, growing it from a small-scale venture to a point where she now considered expanding her corporate clientele and possibly opening a brick-and-mortar location. Alas, funding for such small businesses had been sparse, and Maynard needed working capital to take her business to the next level. The student team was eager to evaluate her financials and submit a recommendation to the investment committee. However, Maynard had taken meticulous records of her financial transactions but had yet to compile them into comprehensive financial statements, meaning that Sweet Teez's financial health was difficult to parse. The HBS student team wondered: How could they best build a reliable financial model from the currently fragmented historical information?