Since early 2015, Uber had been investing heavily in research and development for its autonomous vehicles to revolutionize the ride-hailing industry and provide better ways of competing and fulfilling its promise of profitability to investors. Constant innovation was crucial to stay ahead of its competitors. While this strategy was groundbreaking for the ride-hailing industry, concerns were sparked when one of Uber’s autonomous vehicles was involved in a fatal accident involving a pedestrian in 2018. This accident brought safety lapses in autonomous vehicles into the public eye and was deeply controversial. Consequently, Uber was forced to examine its corporate strategy pertaining to its innovation portfolio. Should Uber continue its current investment in autonomous vehicles? If so, what business models and strategies could Uber adopt with autonomous vehicles to move the company towards profitability?
In the winter of 2019, the Brazilian entrepreneur and founder of Insolar was proud of what he had accomplished in the five years since the company’s launch. His vision to democratize access to solar energy in Brazil was finally starting to become a reality. Insolar had installed solar panels that were providing a sustainable energy source to 5,000 residents in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The company had also founded an institute to train low-income residents on the installation of solar panels and was continuously designing new innovations to increase the institute’s impact. The founder was ready to make an additional investment and expand the Insolar brand. He had just received word from his research and development team that the final version of his most recent project, the solar kit, would be complete within the next year. However, he still had reservations about launching the product and had to make some key decisions before it could be ready for the market. What would be his next steps on the path to democratize solar energy?
Chris Down, Global Brand General Manager for Hot Wheels, and his team from the Advanced Play Group within Mattel, Inc., had developed an entirely new "mixed play" product experience that blended familiar Hot Wheels play in the physical world with breakthrough play in the digital world. The technology underlying the product was an NFC chip embedded in the physical Hot Wheels die-cast car that could be scanned to add a digital version of the car into a virtual domain, where users could see their stats and play video games with the car. The goal for the new mixed play experience was to extend the age of the Hot Wheels customer, as children were observed to be moving on from physical toys to digital play at a younger and younger age. The mixed play concept had received unprecedented investment and support, since it represented a whole new approach to play that could set the stage for the future of Hot Wheels and other Mattel brands. In early 2019, the product development phase was nearly complete and plans were being set for the launch. Key decisions needed to be made around positioning, naming, pricing, channel, promotion, and launch timing. Given the high expectations for the innovative mixed play platform, it was critical to get these go-to-market decisions right.
How leaders behave in difficult situations are an important part of controlling their narrative. This public-sourced case provides students an opportunity to examine how one leader behaves while under scrutiny. The material presents a short history of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver ""Ollie"" North, a US national security adviser under US President Ronald Reagan. North testified before Congress, and an analysis of his testimonies provides an opportunity to view how he conducted himself under pressure. This case is meant to be paired with another case presenting the story of the former president of Stanford University, Donald Kennedy, who was accused of overbilling the government for indirect costs on research contracts: "Acting and Speaking with Power: Donald Kennedy and Stanford Accounting-Indirectly Accused?" (UV8149). Used together, the cases present an opportunity to compare two very different approaches to speaking and acting with power.
How leaders behave in difficult situations are an important part of controlling their narrative. This public-sourced case provides students an opportunity to examine how one leader behaves while under scrutiny. The material presents the history of the former president of Stanford University, Donald Kennedy, who was accused of overbilling the government for indirect costs on research contracts. He testified before Congress, and an analysis of his testimony provides an opportunity to view how he conducted himself under pressure. This case is meant to be paired with another case presenting the story of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver "Ollie" North, a US national security adviser under former US President Ronald Reagan: "Acting and Speaking with Power: Oliver North and the Iran-Contra Deal-the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (UV8147). Used together, the cases present an opportunity to compare two very different approaches to acting and speaking with power.
Analytics Pros (AP) is a consultancy that gives elite and global brands the most accurate picture of their digital landscape. In particular, Analytics Pros analyzes any interaction an online- customer experiences with websites, mobile apps, marketing efforts and more. The firm leverages primarily the leading software platforms Google Analytics 360 Suite which is part of the Google Marketing Platform to generate insights that help customers better understand their own customer journey from marketing acquisition and purchase through to retention and loyalty. Founded by young entrepreneurs at the start of the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 with limited experience on how to run a business and no capital funding, AP reached $4.5m in revenues by 2014. A subsequent acquisition was considered to propel the company's growth but almost ruined the company if the CEO had not pulled the trigger to fire herself.
The case describes how FAVAC emerged and consolidated. During the Foundation's first 15 years, the care of elderly people - many of them with physical and mental disabilities, some living on the streets, displaced by violence or abandoned by their families - was possible with financial support from various sources: state entities, international friends, a French association, local companies, institutional events and self-sustaining profitable projects. In mid-2008, Albeiro received the feasibility study for the construction of a facility for senior citizens belonging to the wealthiest families of Bucaramangan society. This project would finance up to 30% of the care costs of the vulnerable elderly people to whom Albeiro had dedicated his life. The decision to either create the second center to serve the elite or instead remain focused on serving the vulnerable elderly people and consolidating the portfolio of funding sources concludes the first part of the teaching case.
The case describes how FAVAC emerged and consolidated. During the Foundation's first 15 years, the care of elderly people - many of them with physical and mental disabilities, some living on the streets, displaced by violence or abandoned by their families - was possible with financial support from various sources: state entities, international friends, a French association, local companies, institutional events and self-sustaining profitable projects. In mid-2008, Albeiro received the feasibility study for the construction of a facility for senior citizens belonging to the wealthiest families of Bucaramangan society. This project would finance up to 30% of the care costs of the vulnerable elderly people to whom Albeiro had dedicated his life. The decision to either create the second center to serve the elite or instead remain focused on serving the vulnerable elderly people and consolidating the portfolio of funding sources concludes the first part of the teaching case.
COVID-19 infections were still climbing across the U.S. and many other parts of the world in September 2020, and it seemed that every time Ken Frazier, the CEO of Merck & Co. consented to an interview in recent months he always seemed to hear the same question, "Where's Merck?" The company, a leader in the global vaccine business had a low public profile even though it was working assiduously on two vaccine candidates for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The U.S. Government had initiated a high profile program-Operation Warp Speed (OWS)-to accelerate the development of vaccines, but Merck was notably absent. Should Merck seek or accept funding from OWS, and what terms might accompany such an agreement?
Since its founding in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL), India's eight-week Twenty20 (T20) cricket competition, had become one of the most popular and lucrative sporting leagues in the world. In 2019, the IPL attracted 462 million TV viewers and 300 million digital viewers, and the total IPL ecosystem was estimated to be worth $6.8 billion. Key to the IPL's success was its league structure, which shared central revenues with its eight permanent franchises, set strictly enforced salary caps, and ensured transparent player purchasing. The basic logic was that these steps would maximize the level of competition throughout the league, making each match an unpredictable and unmissable event, which, in turn, would grow the value of the league's media rights. Equally important was the league's conscious efforts to market itself as entertainment for the whole family. Besides high-stakes cricket, IPL matches featured everything from dancing and singing to fireworks and fan competitions. This "integration of Bollywood and cricket" expanded the league's addressable market from what was traditionally a sport dominated by male viewers; indeed, 42% of the IPL's TV audience were women. The net result of these decisions was that the IPL was one of only two professional sports leagues in the world - the other was the National Football League (NFL) in the United States - in which all teams were profitable. The IPL's rise seemed unstoppable, but then, on April 15, 2020, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the IPL would be postponed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. There was little doubt that the pandemic would have financial repercussions for the league and its teams. However, some viewed it as an opportunity to rethink how the league was positioning itself to navigate the major changes underfoot in the world of sport - from how fans engaged with their favorite teams and players to the rise of esports and sports betting.
In April 2018, Hunter Leigh, the recently appointed head of esports for the Golden State Warriors (GSW), was in charge of developing a marketing communications strategy for the first season of the Warriors Gaming Squad, the first NBA 2K esports team to be geo-located and directly affiliated with the championship-winning GSW National Basketball Association team. The season was kicking off within a few weeks, and Leigh knew that his players and brand needed to perform for fans, not only on the virtual court, but also in the digital and physical market. He needed to quickly make choices about objectives, audiences, messaging, and media in order to successfully develop a large, loyal fan base.
In October 2019, the interim chief executive officer of Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS) in South Africa faced a dilemma regarding talent management. ATNS’s talent pipeline was unbalanced, and there was insufficient progression into more senior positions within the air traffic controller division. ATNS had been recruiting from disadvantaged communities through a bursary program, which trained recipients to become air traffic control officers (ATCOs). However, it took a minimum of eight years to become qualified at the highest level of ATCO, which was a requirement for more complex tasks and leadership roles at ATNS. Many bursary recipients preferred to remain in the lower levels due to the time it took to progress and also because of their potential to earn at lower levels due to the pay structure within the division. ATNS also faced the prospect of losing the highly skilled upper-level ATCOs to international air traffic services. Should ATNS redesign its talent pipeline?
Eagles Nest Association of Waterdown (Eagles Nest) was a not-for-profit organization (NFP) in Waterdown, Ontario which focused on assisting women and children fleeing abusive situations. They closed a transitional home because the lease was not renewed on the property and the lease on their thrift shop was not being renewed. That left a centre which provided support to families. The executive director had to recommend a new strategy, one that left Eagles Nest less reactive to environmental factors. Should Eagles Nest look for another property for the transitional home? Should it move the thrift shop or find another source of funding? Should it just focus on The HOPE Centre; and if so, should it expand the Centre’s programming?
In 2016, the Plan Foundation in Colombia was the organization with the largest investment in social programs of all those that made up the global organization of Plan International Inc. Its annual investment budget exceeded 24 million euros, almost three times higher than that collected by other countries in the region. In recent years, the Colombian organization had transformed its role within PII, from being an implementer of programs funded by organizations from economically developed countries, to an organization that combined the roles of collection and implementation.
In March 2020, Jay Powell, Federal Reserve (Fed) chairperson, faced a daunting prospect that only a few months prior seemed like a remote possibility: massive expansion of the Fed's balance sheet. Over the past five years, the economy had experienced steady economic growth, permitting the Fed to reduce its balance sheet. The Fed's economists expected the trend to continue. But the rapidly spreading global coronavirus pandemic (known as COVID-19) had rendered moot all prior forecasts. In addition to the health crisis, the United States-and the world-faced the prospect of another economic crisis-just over 10 years after emerging from the largest recession since the Great Depression. How should Powell and his counterparts who ran fiscal policy respond to the crisis? And to what extent could the policy experiments implemented in response to the Great Recession of 2008 guide the monetary and fiscal policy interventions in response to the pandemic crisis?
In April 2018, Hunter Leigh, the recently appointed head of esports for the Golden State Warriors (GSW), was in charge of developing a marketing communications strategy for the first season of the Warriors Gaming Squad, the first NBA 2K esports team to be geo-located and directly affiliated with the championship-winning GSW National Basketball Association team. The season was kicking off within a few weeks, and Leigh knew that his players and brand needed to perform for fans, not only on the virtual court, but also in the digital and physical market. He needed to quickly make choices about objectives, audiences, messaging, and media in order to successfully develop a large, loyal fan base.