This case examines modern endowment investment management through the lens of a leadership transition between Chief Investment Officers (CIOs). In March 2021, Paula Volent is about to step down as the CIO of the endowment of Bowdoin College after twenty-one years, and is preparing to meet with her successor, Niles Bryant, to plan for the transition. Under Volent's leadership, the endowment has grown from about $433 million to almost $1.8 billion while providing the college a consistent annual payout of between 4% and 5% of the value of the endowment to fund its operations. While returns have been exceptional under Volent's leadership (as compared for example to most other college and university endowments), she is acutely aware of the challenges ahead driven by capital markets conditions, including the persistently low level of real and nominal interest rates relative to history, high equity valuations, and the flow of assets into alternative asset classes. At the same time, colleges such as Bowdoin have become increasingly reliant on endowments in order to be able to offer admission to the best students, regardless of their financial situation, as well as compensation and research budgets to attract the best faculty in a highly competitive environment. Without the support of a growing endowment, this cost inflation would require significant tuition increases and quite possibly cuts to financial aid. The case offers students ample opportunities to examine the link between the financial needs of an investor ("liabilities") and its assets, and to analyze how this translates into effective investment risk management, liquidity management, return targets and the tradeoff between risk and return, and portfolio structuring decisions. The case also provides opportunities to examine performance evaluation as well as strategies for manager selection in an actively managed portfolio.
This decision-based case developed from primary sources utilizes disguised names, but actual data to afford students the opportunity to evaluate and suggest options regarding the financial implications of varying the timing of retirement. Leon and Billie Reynolds have asked their daughter, Lexie, to review their retirement planning. The couple had accumulated almost $2,000,000 in investments. The case gives the couple's net worth, current salaries, insights into their spending habits, possible retirement points, family situation, and current allocations of their retirement funds. The case asks students to apply his or her financial planning skills to review the implications of the timing of the couple's retirement.
On December 1, 2019, Stephanie Ball was hired as the new Executive Director (ED) for the Central Okanagan Journey Home Society (COJHS), a backbone agency tasked with implementing Kelowna's five-year strategy to end homelessness. A few months earlier, COJHS had been declined its charitable status by Canada Revenue Agency because of a lack of clarity of its purposes and main activities. This was due to several factors including the fact that the society was newly formed, it had a complex board and subcommittee structure, and the task ahead was immense. Expectations were high that this new society could make progress on a social issue that was becoming increasingly of concern for City of Kelowna residents. Recognizing that financial independence, community perception, governance complexity and an ability to effect social change were criteria that had to be weighed, one of Ball's first tasks was to recommend to the COJHS Board an organizational structure best positioned for the enormous task - reducing homelessness - that lay ahead. This case introduces students to different legal structures associated with socially focused organizations such as nonprofits, for-profits and hybrid organizations (specifically C3's as this case is set within a Canadian context). In addition, it provides an opportunity to explore and discuss new collaborative governance entities such as backbone organizations.
How can a popular neighborhood restaurant in the trendy Flatiron District in Manhattan survive the significant challenges that arise during the COVID-19 pandemic? Indoor dining is banned, offices are closed, and many residents have fled the city. This case describes how Klaas Claes, the co-owner of BXL Zoute, adapts his restaurant to the changing business landscape during the initial coronavirus lockdown. During the first ten days, he implements several initiatives to keep the restaurant in people's minds and to create much-needed cash flow. Claes develops the capability for customers to buy online gift cards and he adds alcohol to his delivery menu when New York States relaxes its liquor laws to help restaurants. He is also taking steps to sell and deliver ready-to-heat vacuum-sealed (i.e., sous vide) meals to customers directly. Ten days after the announcement of the lockdown by New York's Governor, it dawns upon him that the pandemic restrictions will be in force for a while and that these new initiatives will not be enough to get him through extended periods of indoor dining restrictions. Faced with considerable uncertainty, he wonders how he can he leverage his resources and his vast network of friends and restaurant professionals so that BXL Zoute will survive these "interesting" times?
This social entrepreneurship case, anchored in 2018, portrays Go Baby Go's (GBG) founder Cole Galloway, Ph.D., debating how to scale GBG's impact given the numerous resource constraints. GBG was a project started by Galloway, a full professor at the University of Delaware. Galloway, a top physical therapy scholar, began to modify ride-on toy cars for his research on infants and mobility and serendipitously discovered that he was fulfilling an unmet need that could positively impact the development of hundreds of thousands of children and their families. What started with a simple idea - adapting ride-on toy cars turned into an international advocacy movement for infants and children with significant mobility issues. After eight years of organic growth with limited resources, Galloway was trying to figure out how to scale GBG's impact. The case describes Galloway's background, his journey as an "accidental" social entrepreneur, and his unique approach to scaling GBG. Through Galloway's experience, students will be able to discern social entrepreneurs' characteristics and analyze existing social enterprise growth strategies.
The recommendation of the newly appointed auditors of Paramount Projects Limited ushered in an unexpected dilemma for Sachin Menon, its Chief Financial Officer. The auditors recommended a switch from its existing output-based policy to an input-based policy for measuring the Percentage of Completion of Paramount's construction projects. Accepting the auditors' recommendation appeared a technical exercise that would not impact the company's cash flows or business prospects, hence the bank financing. However, the bank indicated that the accounting change would jeopardize the financing available to Paramount because of the decline in the qualifying assets to support the bank loans. Should Menon recommend going against the recommendation of the auditors that Paramount's board had recently appointed? While the new auditors' rationale for the recommendation to change accounting policy was sound, Paramount's existing policy also complied with accounting principles and was acceptable to the earlier auditors. Should Menon accept the recommendation to change accounting policy even if that entailed higher interest costs? Which accounting policy was conceptually sounder? How would different stakeholders respond to a voluntary change in the accounting policy? How would the change in accounting policy affect Paramount's systems and employee behavior? Menon had to present his final recommendation to the audit committee in its forthcoming meeting. This multidisciplinary case provides an experiential learning opportunity for students to understand that accounting policy decisions often affect other business functions. The case is appropriate for an MBA course in accounting in sessions on accounting policy, revenue recognition, earnings management, or flexibility in financial reporting. It can also be used in undergraduate accounting courses and executive training programs to illustrate the holistic nature of management decisions.
In March 2016, Wilder Jr., CMO at ESSEN, Argentina's leading aluminum cookware manufacturer, with a direct selling scheme and a 70% household penetration, faced a dilemma: the company needed to choose whether to launch the online DTC channel. As the CMO, and the founder's son, he wanted to start with specific initiatives to revamp ESSEN's distribution system, shifting from a single-channel to a multi- or omni-channel scheme. To this end, he needed to carefully consider the arguments made at the latest family-business Board meeting, chaired by his father and ESSEN's founder, Mr. Wilder Sr., to delve deeper in the analysis prepared by his team. To make matters worse, Maria Perez, the company's leading sales rep (the most active freelance entrepreneur and Network leader), whose sales organization accounted for over 15% of ESSEN's overall sales, had clearly stated that she would walk out if she "saw a shopping cart in the company's website." Meanwhile, sales reps were already using multiple channels (including online channels) to reach consumers (who largely belonged to low-income segments), even though the company did not support these methods. The time had come for a new change, but how should it unfold, and how should the company roll it out across its 13,000-member sales reps network, composed mostly by women who depend on the sale of ESSEN products to make ends meet? The "going online" decision involved both a channel conflict and a huge social responsibility concern. This was because it could affect its foundational commercial pivot, its sales force, made up of freelance entrepreneurs, mostly women. After analyzing all data and perspectives, Wilder Jr. had identified four possible alternatives. It was necessary to evaluate these alternatives and the way in which possible channel conflicts could be handled, this before making a final decision and presenting it at the next monthly meeting.
This technical note is an introduction to the world of financing entrepreneurial ventures. It is a primer on the different stages of a business and the different types of financing available. Most of the capital that high-growth entrepreneurial businesses will secure to fund their future plans is private capital. Private capital includes all the equity financing that is not in public equities; i.e. publicly listed companies. Hence, private capital includes not only venture capital and private equity, but also business angels and equity crowdfunding. We will go deeper into these sources in section 2 of this note.
Working remotely during the pandemic weakened social capital networks within organizations, making it harder for employees to maintain the same high level of productivity and for new employees to get up to speed. When thinking about returning to in-person work, leaders can help build those important ties by strategically addressing three areas: strengthening weak ties, building social capital in new teams, and onboarding employees.
Courier company XDel Singapore is not only involved in express courier and delivery services, but also e-commerce and last-mile fulfilment, international and cross-border deliveries, as well as mailroom and logistics activities. It has grown from a two-man operation in 1993 to a firm of close to 100 staff as at 2021, with its revenue rising from US$26,150 in its first year of operations to US$5.4 million in 2020. To enable the company to gain a competitive edge in the local logistics industry, XDel Singapore has invested heavily in information technology (IT) infrastructure. It has developed key technological innovations to improve its efficiency and productivity, which include the HOMES Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, its proprietary mobile app LUKE, and a website with enhanced capabilities. In addition, it has also switched to using the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system and adopted the use of the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Springboard engine as part of its Vehicle Route Planning (VRP) system, while tapping on WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps to communicate with staff and customers. Additionally, XDel Singapore has started to use data analytics to make better decisions on deploying staff and conduct route planning.
The 911 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 shook the world and changed the modus operandi of security forces around the world. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was no exception; it underwent a paradigm shift, from peacetime preparedness to an in-between: a new term called Operation Other than War (OOTW). This case examines how then-SAF Major (MAJ) Koh Cheng Boon, a newly minted Commanding Officer of the Field Defence Squadron (CO FDS) at Paya Lebar Airbase (PLAB), dealt with this black swan event as a leader and commander, as well as how this surge in operational tempo transformed his life, his perspective as a professional soldier, leader and commander. As he connected the dots between leadership theories and best practices for the aspiring officers attending his lessons on Leadership in Context, he reflected on his command tour as CO FDS, his first and most challenging command tour. How did he cope during this arduous and challenging time? What are the leadership qualities required, and that he had displayed, during crisis situations? How do challenges hone and reflect our leadership competencies? How may we handle black swan events that come our way?
Set in Mumbai, India, during 2020, the case explores how Munish Sharda, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Future Generali India Life Insurance Company Limited (FGILI), turned around the firm's key business metrics. FGILI was a joint venture of Future Group, an Indian retail behemoth; Generali Group, a leading Italian insurance company; and Industrial Investment Trust Limited (IITL), an investment trust company. In 2014, seven years after its incorporation, FGILI was persistently underperforming on several key business metrics. The company brought Sharda on board to effect an organizational transformation. He implemented a well-orchestrated transformation plan by focusing on building an ethical foundation, fostering customer centricity, and grooming a strong leadership team to steer business strategies. He also harnessed technology to build organizational capacity for the transformation. Ruchira Bhardwaja, the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), aided Sharda in operationalizing the transformation strategy. Five after the transformation began, FGILI had improved its rank among the country's life insurers, enhanced customer satisfaction, and mitigated workforce attrition. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in January 2020 brought the world to a standstill and hamstrung FGILI's transition. With most of its employees working from home, FIGILI had rolled out measures to sustain the changes and gains it had accomplished. With a surge in demand for coverage anticipated, Bhardwaja had to uphold the performance orientation and customer centricity of FGILI's workforce, which had suddenly become widely dispersed and remote. Meanwhile, Sharda, not satisfied with having risen to the 15th spot among the country's life insurers, wanted FGILI to become one of the top 10. He was concerned about the way forward for increasing FGILI's growth, which was short of the targeted 30% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
This case demonstrates how, through trial and error, Qingdao Kutesmart Co., Ltd. ("Kutesmart," formerly known as Qingdao Red Collar Group Co., Ltd.) executed its strategy of "building a customer-to-manufactory (C2M) business ecosystem," following transformation from mass production to mass customization. In 2015, Kutesmart launched Magic Manufactory to explore consumer-oriented garment customization. However, when public response fell below expectations, the new brand closed its physical stores in the second half of 2016. Drawing on the lessons learned from the failure of Magic Manufactory, Kutesmart launched Cotte Yolan, a proprietary made-to-measure garment brand designed by founder Daili Zhang with an eye on handing over the reins to daughter Yunlan Zhang. To ensure a successful succession, Daili, who was about to retire, formulated Cotte Yolan's own governance framework and carried out a range of organizational changes. He believed that with this governance system, companies in other industries could also transform to customization and succeed in succession. Looking ahead, father and daughter had different views regarding the future position of Cotte Yolan: should it be a fashion brand, a made-to-measure garment supplier, or a project to promote the transformation and upgrade among traditional companies? In addition, would Cotte Yolan's governance framework prove crucial for implementing Yunlan's C2M strategy and leading the company into the future?
Beryl is a leading brand in China's goji berry market that has stayed ahead of the competition quality-wise and is the only one to build a name for itself both offline and online. Beryl made a foray into e-commerce in 2015 and quickly outperformed rivals with low-priced berries. However, its success came at the expense of brand image. In 2018, Beryl repositioned itself by axing lucrative low-price products that brought the company ¥70 million in sales and accounted for 70% of total e-commerce sales. It shifted focus to new goji berry snacks to satisfy the demand for health products among younger generations. In 2020, the Covid-19 outbreak dealt a severe blow to Beryl's offline retail. As a bulwark against the pandemic, Beryl decided to embrace internet retail and make livestream marketing a strategic priority.
Feng Min, Sun Lei, and Li Shangzhen initially established Ruhnn as a Taobao brand called "LiBeilin". With the rapid development and growing integration of social platforms and e-commerce functionality, they partnered with fashion model Zhang Dayi to open an exclusive online private store. Following the store's promising debut, LiBeilin officially renamed itself Ruhnn and adopted an "influencers + incubator + supply chain" operating model. With its self-operated business, Ruhnn looked to optimize its model as the supply chain was too complicated and focus on influencer incubation and operations. It also brought in business partners to pursue monetization. Ruhnn's FY2021Q1 results indicated a dramatic surge in profitability, with the platform business becoming a significant driver of robust growth. In recent years, influencer marketing has exploded with a host of multi-channel networks (MCNs) mushrooming across China. Ruhnn faced a barrage of criticism for relying on Weibo despite declining commercialization. Ruhnn's management team faced several issues. Could influencer incubation be replicated at scale through institutional operations? How should Ruhnn empower influencers and better serve businesses with influencer marketing needs? Could the company's organizational structure keep up with the expanding influencer pool and business size?
This case series illustrate how Sanquan Food (hereinafter "Sanquan") evolved from a small family-run startup into an innovative listed company during China's reform and opening-up, and how the family's corporate "DNA" guided the strategic transformation. The cases offer a prime example of a smooth leadership succession at a Chinese family business and emphasize that successful successions are usually a drawn out process, rather than a one-off event. Case (A) describes how Sanquan's governance evolved as the business matured from a family-owned startup into a family-controlled public company. Governing family businesses is notoriously difficult due to the complex relationships between family members, company ownership, and management. This case describes the dynamic intersection between the "second curves" of corporate strategic upgrading and intergenerational succession at a time of sweeping social change in China. It explores family, business, and social systems to analyze how, and to what extent founders and successors are involved in business affairs, and looks at the key challenges faced by corporate decision-makers.
Case (B) discusses the implementation of closed-loop management at a family business that underwent a strategic transformation, and explores mechanisms for evaluating company performance by family, business, and social metrics.
The HR Lab served as an incubator within Bosch that rejuvenated the company with a history of more than a hundred years. Agile transformation solutions debuted in the Power Tools (PT) business unit, driven by the industry's evolutionary needs. Bosch used to sell Power Tools to two separate groups of consumers: Professional tools for users in trade and industry, and DIY, accessories and garden tools to amateur crafters like families or avid gardeners. However, e-commerce brought disruption to the past business model and threatened the unit's competitive advantage. To proactively provide employees with innovative solutions geared towards consumer needs, Rosa Lee, Executive Vice President of Bosch China, came up with the idea of the HR Lab. The idea followed rounds of discussions with Uwe Raschke, Bosch's board member responsible for Consumer Goods (including the Power Tools division and BSH Hausgeräte GmbH), and Elly Siegert, Bosch's Vice President for Human Resources in the Power Tools BU. HR Lab products such as Individual Development Dialogue, Team Staffing, Peer Recognition and Development Navigator were implemented in various Power Tools offices worldwide and received very positive feedback. However, new emerging issues pushed Lee to reflect and rethink how to measure the tools' efficacy and collect valid feedback for the initiative. After years of launching so many new HR Lab products, what should the team do next to achieve agile transformation for the entire company? Should Lee keep running the HR Lab or press pause to consider the future first?