In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had faced the largest existential crisis since its founding in 1948. The directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system, WHO had been severely criticized for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by several member countries - especially the U.S. The organization had been accused of being too China-centric, not doing enough to quickly obtain accurate information from China about the new airborne illness, failing to press China for the speedy admittance of a WHO team of international experts, and only declaring the spread of COVID-19 to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) at a time and in a manner that was deferential to the Chinese government. Dissatisfied with WHO's actions, U.S. President Donald Trump decided in April 2020 to suspend funding to the international organization and, three months later, formally withdrew the U.S. from WHO. Based entirely on public information, this case gives students an opportunity to reflect on WHO's role in dealing with global health crises, why it was criticized during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether that criticism was warranted, and how the organization could be reformed to prepare for future PHEICs.
Joy4Home Brands, the maker of novel houseware items, was gearing up for its launch. The company would be introducing two lines: kitchenware products and storage containers. The initial go-to-market plan called for a direct to consumer (DTC) channel strategy. While Joy4Home had a handle on its customer acquisition efforts, it had yet to determine the DTC pricing for each line. Moreover, two additional opportunities had recently emerged. The first was a B2B opportunity involving a modified kitchenware line, and the second was a brick-and mortar wholesale proposal for larger storage containers. The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) had market research data and other information to help her determine the optimal pricing scheme for these various sales avenues. Recommendations were needed soon.
In July 2018, Amir Bell was heading the Operational Excellence (OpEx) team for the Light Duty Pickup Truck Seat Cost Reduction program at General Motors (GM). GM had decided to launch the new full-size truck program in 2019 at assembly plants in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Silao, Mexico. To increase profits, GM sought to decrease costs in the manufacturing process. At the time, GM enjoyed a long-term tier-1 supplier relationship with Skübi Automotive North America LLC (Skübi) for its truck seats. Skübi’s facility in Indiana could not fully support the seat assembly for the new truck program, but Skübi did have capacity at its plant in Ohio, and so it approached GM about moving all or some of the new truck seat production. However, GM had investigated some additional cost-saving opportunities. GM could contract directly with tier-2 suppliers (directed buy) for some parts and negotiate volume pricing, though these arrangements could harm relations with long-time supplier Skübi. Alternatively, GM could assume the risk of raw material cost fluctuations by entering material indexing contracts with its directed-buy suppliers. Bell needed to analyze these alternatives and their related risks, and choose the most cost-effective option for GM.
In 2021, Rogers Communications Inc. (Rogers), one of the largest telecommunications companies in Canada, suffered a leadership crisis amid conflict between members of the Rogers family controlling the company. A decision by board chair Edward Rogers to oust chief executive officer Joe Natale triggered a chain of events that pitted Edward Rogers against his mother and two sisters (all board members). The company’s complex governance model, which consisted of a dual-class share structure and the Rogers Control Trust representing the majority shareholders on the company’s board, made it unclear who had effective decision-making power. In the light of this uncertainty, investors owning Rogers Class B non-voting shares had to decide whether to hold on to, sell, or purchase more shares.
Tire manufacturer Linglong initiated its green supply chain management (GSCM) program in 2018. By extending the ongoing green practices from within the organization to external supply chain partners, Linglong developed a green concept based on the entire product life cycle, which involved materials suppliers, equipment suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders. After a one-year trial, the company saw an opportunity to mitigate the environmental risks in the supply chain and to enhance both environmental and economic performance at the supply chain level. However, the company also encountered challenges, such as the supply chain partners’ limited understanding of the value of GSCM and a lack of senior leadership support among suppliers. Faced with these challenges, Linglong had to decide whether to extend its GSCM program and how to improve it.
Tom Ewart had been recently promoted to associate vice-president (VP) of Sustainability at The Co-operators Group Limited (Co-operators), a Canadian financial services company focused on insurance. Ewart and his team were in the process of publishing the company’s annual integrated report to inform stakeholders of the firm’s current environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and commitments. With sustainability trends rapidly growing, Ewart wanted to ensure Co-operators was well positioned to address upcoming changes and to continue to be a catalyst for a sustainable society. Ewart was excited about the growing industry, but he also wanted to find ways to improve Co-operators’ current sustainability strategies and ensure the company was on track towards its ESG commitments. One option Ewart was considering was to hire more individuals to join his Sustainability team, which currently had 3.5 employees. Given the lack of clear career structure in the industry, he was unsure of the types of candidates he should be looking for and what sort of experience they should have. Ewart reflected on his own career journey and the path he had taken to reach his current role as a sustainability executive. He also thought about the experiences and traits of his employees and how they brought value to the team.
Major League Baseball (MLB) had been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a shortened season without fans in attendance, revenue-generating opportunities decreased dramatically from previous years. This case examines issues that MLB teams dealt with during the 2020 season, including the loss of revenue during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. How would MLB move forward into the 2021 season, having lost a significant amount of money in the previous year? How should its teams invest their resources to maximize earning potential—despite the ongoing pandemic—for this upcoming season and possibly years to come?
Impact investing and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) have traditionally had different objectives, with the former being about supporting businesses committed to making a difference, and the latter focusing on mitigating the risk of harm. However, these two worlds appear to be merging, with the SRI industry talking more and more about having a positive impact. Yet in the corporate world, positive talk doesn’t always translate into positive action. The SRI industry might very well adopt impact practices, but if the worst-case scenario comes to pass, we are looking at a takeover by a dominant player that has frequently engaged in greenwashing. And given today’s market challenges, the last thing we need is to give investors who seek to make a positive impact another reason to stay on the sidelines. What’s needed is more transparency when it comes to language, promises, and practices. To clarify the distinction between SRI and impact investing, key players such as corporate managers, the accounting sector, environmental, social and governance indexers, market regulators, and industry standard setters need to work together to develop standardized evaluation criteria and certification systems for both impact and SRI funds. Actively sharing experiences and knowledge might even lead to the creation of a hybrid category like “impact SRI.”
In July 2018, Amir Bell was heading the Operational Excellence (OpEx) team for the Light Duty Pickup Truck Seat Cost Reduction program at General Motors (GM). GM had decided to launch the new full-size truck program in 2019 at assembly plants in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Silao, Mexico. To increase profits, GM sought to decrease costs in the manufacturing process. At the time, GM enjoyed a long-term tier-1 supplier relationship with Skübi Automotive North America LLC (Skübi) for its truck seats. Skübi's facility in Indiana could not fully support the seat assembly for the new truck program, but Skübi did have capacity at its plant in Ohio, and so it approached GM about moving all or some of the new truck seat production. However, GM had investigated some additional cost-saving opportunities. GM could contract directly with tier-2 suppliers (directed buy) for some parts and negotiate volume pricing, though these arrangements could harm relations with long-time supplier Skübi. Alternatively, GM could assume the risk of raw material cost fluctuations by entering material indexing contracts with its directed-buy suppliers. Bell needed to analyze these alternatives and their related risks, and choose the most cost-effective option for GM.
In 2021, Rogers Communications Inc. (Rogers), one of the largest telecommunications companies in Canada, suffered a leadership crisis amid conflict between members of the Rogers family controlling the company. A decision by board chair Edward Rogers to oust chief executive officer Joe Natale triggered a chain of events that pitted Edward Rogers against his mother and two sisters (all board members). The company's complex governance model, which consisted of a dual-class share structure and the Rogers Control Trust representing the majority shareholders on the company's board, made it unclear who had effective decision-making power. In the light of this uncertainty, investors owning Rogers Class B non-voting shares had to decide whether to hold on to, sell, or purchase more shares.
Tire manufacturer Linglong initiated its green supply chain management (GSCM) program in 2018. By extending the ongoing green practices from within the organization to external supply chain partners, Linglong developed a green concept based on the entire product life cycle, which involved materials suppliers, equipment suppliers, distributors, and other stakeholders. After a one-year trial, the company saw an opportunity to mitigate the environmental risks in the supply chain and to enhance both environmental and economic performance at the supply chain level. However, the company also encountered challenges, such as the supply chain partners' limited understanding of the value of GSCM and a lack of senior leadership support among suppliers. Faced with these challenges, Linglong had to decide whether to extend its GSCM program and how to improve it.
Tom Ewart had been recently promoted to associate vice-president (VP) of Sustainability at The Co-operators Group Limited (Co-operators), a Canadian financial services company focused on insurance. Ewart and his team were in the process of publishing the company's annual integrated report to inform stakeholders of the firm's current environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and commitments. With sustainability trends rapidly growing, Ewart wanted to ensure Co-operators was well positioned to address upcoming changes and to continue to be a catalyst for a sustainable society. Ewart was excited about the growing industry, but he also wanted to find ways to improve Co-operators' current sustainability strategies and ensure the company was on track towards its ESG commitments. One option Ewart was considering was to hire more individuals to join his Sustainability team, which currently had 3.5 employees. Given the lack of clear career structure in the industry, he was unsure of the types of candidates he should be looking for and what sort of experience they should have. Ewart reflected on his own career journey and the path he had taken to reach his current role as a sustainability executive. He also thought about the experiences and traits of his employees and how they brought value to the team.
Major League Baseball (MLB) had been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a shortened season without fans in attendance, revenue-generating opportunities decreased dramatically from previous years. This case examines issues that MLB teams dealt with during the 2020 season, including the loss of revenue during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. How would MLB move forward into the 2021 season, having lost a significant amount of money in the previous year? How should its teams invest their resources to maximize earning potential-despite the ongoing pandemic-for this upcoming season and possibly years to come?
Joint ventures make meaningful contributions to corporate revenue and can enable new growth strategies, but they increase their shareholders' risk exposure, often in ways that are hard to manage. The authors see a clear statistical correlation between good governance and the medium-term financial and strategic performance of JVs. To build a foundation for good governance, JV owners must reach clarity and alignment on the JV's purpose and operating model.
Changing socio-economic trends led to the emergence of the men’s grooming segment in India. With the rise of e-commerce, the progression of social media, and growing awareness among men towards their personal grooming, a number of start-ups emerged in a category once dominated only by established players like Gillette. One such start-up was LetsShave, which was founded by Sidharth Oberoi in 2015 and catered to men’s shaving and grooming needs by offering products online only.<br><br/>Since its inception, LetsShave had maintained a product-centric approach to growth with a focus on high-quality products at affordable prices. This helped LetsShave gain a strong foothold in the market, growing at a sustained rate of 40 per cent per year with a loyal clientele and healthy rate of repeat sales. Other start-ups had adopted aggressive advertising and promotion strategies and were growing at a much faster pace than LetsShave. By continuing with its existing product-centric strategy, LetsShave might not be able to achieve its stated revenue target of US$10 million by the end of 2023. Oberoi had to quickly decide whether to continue with the company’s current approach or change course towards pursuing an aggressive marketing strategy to boost its top line.
This exercise can be used in conjunction with the main case "Zalora: Data-Driven Pricing" to facilitate class discussion without requiring data analysis from the students. Instead, the exercise presesnts reports that were created by the data science team to answer the pricing question presented in the case. The students analyze those reports to facilitate learnings about data genertaing process, descriptive analysis, statistical analysis, and other aspects important for data driven decision making.