Lupin, an India-based pharma firm, started its Novel Drug Discovery and Development (NDDD) division in 2010. In 2018, the division licensed MALT1 inhibitors to AbbVie, an MNC Pharma firm for a down payment of USD 30 million, to be followed by progressive payments of USD 947 million over 10 years. This was the first success for the division. The case revolves around the organizational system and processes (industry, company specific) and market conditions that influence innovation and commercialization of an innovation in the organization. Lupin now has two programmes in the clinical development stage and has to decide whether it should go ahead with clinical trials or license these two molecules as well. The case also is about the NDDD processes at an Indian pharma firm seeking to develop new drugs as compared to MNC pharma firms.

Before organizations can rethink how to design jobs, organize work, and compete for talent in a digital age, they must systematically identify and develop the capabilities that they need now, and over the next decade, to innovate and survive. In their ongoing research, the authors have found that the competencies companies need most are business-oriented rather than technical. That's true even for brick-and-mortar companies that are trying to become more digital.

Majid Al Futtaim, a retail and entertainment conglomerate based in the United Arab Emirates, undergoes a digital transformation under CEO Alain Bejjani in response to disruption in its four core industries: retail, hospitality, food/beverage and grocery, and entertainment. As a regional leader in these brick-and-mortar industries, Majid Al Futtaim must learn to compete with a variety of digitally native e-commerce, homesharing, food delivery, and video-streaming brands. The case traces Majid Al Futtaim as it blends physical and digital consumer experiences, leveraging its unique understanding of the Middle East and its customers, to ultimately make the whole of its conglomerate greater than the sum of its parts.

In 2019, World Bank analyst Abebi Eke had a difficult assignment: decide whether to recommend that the World Bank, in line with its commitment to expanding financial inclusion to the world's poor, lend its support to a particular digital payments scheme. Eke was asked to investigate two of the most promising payment systems-UPI in India and M-Pesa in Kenya-and prepare a memo comparing the benefits and drawbacks of each. Eke had discovered that while successful digital payment systems often shared some aspects of their operating business models, their agent networks and even their marketing campaigns, their regulatory and corporate structures could be quite dissimilar. She also learned that digital payment services had flourished in some countries, both developed and developing, but not in others. Why? The World Bank's own research revealed that of the five countries that most successfully implemented mobile money-a form of digital payments-one was a low-income economy, one a lower-middle-income economy, and three were considered upper-middle-income economies, demonstrating there was no one route to achieving financial inclusion. To write her memo, Eke needed to deeply understand the drivers of and barriers to success in digital payments. The case presents students with a rich understanding of both digital payment systems, allowing students to compare and contrast them while assessing each one's likely success in another country. Case number 2173.0

The five commissioners of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) listened intently at a public forum in April 2019 as PG&E Corporation's out-going chairman Richard Kelly described the company's proposed new board. PG&E, which provided electricity and natural gas to millions of Californians, had once been recognized for its vision in foreseeing energy's potential to reshape the state and power its economy. But PG&E was now in the crosshairs of investors, regulators, and the public for something else entirely: its role in a series of deadly and destructive wildfires that had ravaged the region and precipitated PG&E's bankruptcy months earlier. Called "the first climate-change bankruptcy," it was the largest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history. The commissioners at the CPUC, PG&E's primary regulator, were particularly concerned about PG&E's governance and had convened the forum to solicit opinions from experts and the public and to hear for themselves what steps the company was taking to improve it. The Commissioners are considering whether to make specific recommendations regarding the board's composition and functioning, including how the board assesses and compensates PG&E's CEO. A principal issue is the use of non-financial metrics to evaluate and reward CEO performance.

From 2000 to 2019, the department of corporate social responsibility and global supplier management at Huawei Technologies Company Limited had been trying to engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability. The department’s effort included orchestrating multiple, diverse, sustainability initiatives, from auditing to contributing to the rollout of a self-assessment tool launched in 2012 by the British Telecom Group (BT). However, the auditing, even when delivered through a joint initiative established by international communications tech companies in 2013, seemed unlikely to cause pathbreaking development in Huawei’s large and fragmented supply network. Initial experiences with the self-assessment tool were proving equally unsuccessful in introducing suppliers to more sustainable products and operations and stimulating engagement among them. Why were these initiatives failing to produce improvement? What else could be done to effectively and efficiently engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability?

Boston-based Project Have Hope was a non-profit social enterprise promoting financial stability for 100 women in Kampala, Uganda, who had been displaced as a result of Uganda’s civil war. Established in 2006, Project Have Hope used revenue from the sale of paper bead jewellery and other products made by the women to provide training, loans, and children’s tuition. The project faced many challenges over the years, including an unplanned expansion of its beneficiaries, staffing challenges, an oversaturated bead jewellery market, rising costs, and the founder’s unsustainable workload. In 2019, Project Have Hope was at a nexus: how could the founder sustain Project Have Hope into the future?

Blake Vince is a fifth-generation farmer who adheres to seemingly unconventional farming techniques. Most farmers in southwestern Ontario use conventional industrial farming methods such as tilling their fields, relying on pesticides and fertilizers, and monocropping (i.e., planting the same crops on the same plot of land year after year). Vince, however, embraces more regenerative agricultural practices (such as no-till farming, wherein the top layer of soil is left undisturbed), planting cover crops, and reducing his application of chemical inputs. He uses a variety of cover crops between seasons of soybean crops to help enhance soil quality. This method of farming has been demonstrated to be more ecologically aligned, sustainable, and less costly in the long run, both economically and environmentally. However, Vince estimates that the savings come at the expense of crop yields during the first four to five years. Debates over farming practices (e.g., till versus no-till) were strong in Ontario. Farmers cared passionately about their land, and they often held strong opinions of their preferred approach, passed down through generations. Vince faces the challenge of spreading the word about regenerative agricultural practices and convincing farmers of the importance of operating as long-term stewards to preserve the land for future generations. Vince wondered whether the arguments for regenerative agricultural practices would be strong enough to persuade (a) farmers to shift their practices, (b) consumers to shift their purchasing, and (c) political leaders to introduce policies to accelerate its adoption.

Hunan TV & Broadcast Intermediary Co. Ltd. ("TIK"), was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (stock code 917), and it was recognized as one of the leaders in the TV industry in mainland China. Its major lines of business included TV broadcasting, TV and movie production, TV and movie distribution, and an advertising agency. A major client of TIK was Hunan Satellite TV, a related company of TIK. Hunan Satellite TV was the second most popular TV broadcasting station in mainland China. The chairman of TIK, 龙秋云[Long Quiyun], was replaced by 陈刚[Chen Gang] on 30 October 2017. Long was arrested later, on 11 January 2018, on charges for illegally accepting bribes. TIK also appointed three new executive directors in January and February 2018 out of a total of four. The shake-up was followed by a surprise financial result announcement. From FY2010 to FY2016, the company had reported profits ranging from CNY387m to CNY649m. When the company forecasted profits of CNY26m to CNY39m for FY2017 in a mandated forecast on 31 January 2018, investors knew profits for the year would be significantly lower as than the years before. On 26 April 2018, when the company announced a net loss for FY2017 of CNY464m on 26 April 2018, this came as an unwelcome surprise. Both FY2017 and FY2018 were subject to major write-downs in the value of several assets. The write-down provision in FY2017 was CNY411.1m, while for FY2018, it was CNY552.6m.

From 2000 to 2019, the department of corporate social responsibility and global supplier management at Huawei Technologies Company Limited had been trying to engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability. The department's effort included orchestrating multiple, diverse, sustainability initiatives, from auditing to contributing to the rollout of a self-assessment tool launched in 2012 by the British Telecom Group (BT). However, the auditing, even when delivered through a joint initiative established by international communications tech companies in 2013, seemed unlikely to cause pathbreaking development in Huawei's large and fragmented supply network. Initial experiences with the self-assessment tool were proving equally unsuccessful in introducing suppliers to more sustainable products and operations and stimulating engagement among them. Why were these initiatives failing to produce improvement? What else could be done to effectively and efficiently engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability?

Blake Vince is a fifth-generation farmer who adheres to what appears to be a set of unconventional farming techniques. Most farmers prepare for planting by tilling their fields, turning over weeds and cover crops to expose the dirt underneath. Vince, however, practices "no-till" farming, leaving the top layer of soil undisturbed. Further, he allows for a variety of cover crops to grow alongside the soybean plants he cultivates. This combination of no-till and cover crop farming is thought to be more sustainable in the long run but comes at the expense of crop yields in the short run (for the first few years). There is tradition linked to the practice of tilling, but, according to Vince's research, tilling contributes to reduced soil health, decreases the ability of the soil to hold water and nutrients, and increases agricultural runoff of excess fertilizers into regional water systems. Vince's challenge is how to spread the word that farm owners should plan and act as long-term stewards if they wish to preserve the land for future generations to use. He faces an uphill battle.

Boston-based Project Have Hope was a non-profit social enterprise promoting financial stability for 100 women in Kampala, Uganda, who had been displaced as a result of Uganda's civil war. Established in 2006, Project Have Hope used revenue from the sale of paper bead jewellery and other products made by the women to provide training, loans, and children's tuition. The project faced many challenges over the years, including an unplanned expansion of its beneficiaries, staffing challenges, an oversaturated bead jewellery market, rising costs, and the founder's unsustainable workload. In 2019, Project Have Hope was at a nexus: how could the founder sustain Project Have Hope into the future?

In December 2018, Boom Technology Inc., a start-up based in Colorado, United States, was hoping to enter the aviation market with a supersonic aircraft. The company's founder and chief executive officer believed that customers would pay a premium for a flight that could get them to their destination in less than half the time compared to current options. Developing meaningful relationships within this complex web of stakeholders, including large and powerful traditional aircraft makers, regulators, airlines, and end customers, was one of the biggest challenges. In addition, two other start-ups had similar aims and were also developing relationships and alliances with different businesses in the sector. The company's founder was contemplating several key business decisions. Was supersonic flight a technologically possible and economically viable form of transport? How could the company convince airlines to buy the supersonic aircraft? Was building a supersonic private business jet a safer bet?

Arredondar was a nongovernmental organization (NGO) whose objective was encouraging the culture of donation in Brazil through acts of micro-donations. Any shopper could donate at the retail stores that partnered with Arredondar. The process was simple: customers could round up the total value of their purchase to the next whole value, and the difference in cents would be donated to carefully selected NGOs. Arredondar offered a simple, accessible, and transparent way to donate, which seemed compatible with the characteristics of a country in which the donation culture was not yet strong, and where there was distrust of NGOs. However, there were indications that despite awards and success, the project might not be able to achieve financial sustainability. The case focuses on a common dilemma of social enterprises: how to be financially sustainable while creating a strong social impact. Although Arredondar had already partnered with large retailers, it needed to rethink its operation in order to break even. Arredondar's leadership considered the following strategies: (1) focus on the core through existing retail partners; (2) expand toward new retailers; (3) implement new ways for consumers to donate the money other than through cashiers at partnering retailers; or (4) increase the administrative fee. Would one of these four options help Arredondar be financially sustainable?

On March 25, 2019, the head of business growth for SmartMoney, owned by the Indian conglomerate Smart Industries Limited, was expected by his company's management team to propose a strategy for capturing 10 per cent of India's digital payments market in financial year 2019-20. He knew that the market was vast and fragmented and that he was working with a platform business, where fast mobilization was a key factor. SmartMoney already had market presence, resources, and the required expertise to be competitive on the merchant side of the industry over the long term. Therefore, the immediate and considerable challenge was how to mobilize the consumer side, where the company faced various well-established and aggressive incumbents. To thoroughly asses the market, the head of business growth had to integrate a great deal of available information. He would need to select the right entry strategy and target a consumer segment, offering appropriate incentive schemes to attract business. His challenge was to devise a strategy and build a stable, substantial customer base that would deliver the desired results to sustain long-term growth for both SmartMoney and its parent company.

On March 25, 2019, the head of business growth for SmartMoney, owned by the Indian conglomerate Smart Industries Limited, was expected by his company’s management team to propose a strategy for capturing 10 per cent of India’s digital payments market in financial year 2019–20. He knew that the market was vast and fragmented and that he was working with a platform business, where fast mobilization was a key factor. SmartMoney already had market presence, resources, and the required expertise to be competitive on the merchant side of the industry over the long term. Therefore, the immediate and considerable challenge was how to mobilize the consumer side, where the company faced various well-established and aggressive incumbents. To thoroughly asses the market, the head of business growth had to integrate a great deal of available information. He would need to select the right entry strategy and target a consumer segment, offering appropriate incentive schemes to attract business. His challenge was to devise a strategy and build a stable, substantial customer base that would deliver the desired results to sustain long-term growth for both SmartMoney and its parent company.

This case presents the challenges facing BMW and Toyota in choosing how to address the divergence between the Trump administration and the State of California's standards over U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The case provides relevant information about the two firms and recent developments in the auto industry. The case leads the students to consider the political causes for the higher international pressure on automakers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions relative to the stance of the U.S. government; and the domestic legislative showdown between the state of California and the federal government on vehicular emissions. Students are asked to develop a detailed integrated market and lobbying strategy for BMW and Toyota based on a range of concepts, data, and frameworks germane to courses in business, policy, and society. At the heart of the case study are the constantly evolving challenges facing two global automakers and their operations in the United States. The case begins by presenting the international landscape, particularly in Europe, with respect to climate change. It then provides relevant information about the two firms and recent developments in the auto industry. It also presents the broader political and economic landscape surrounding the auto industry, particularly with the advent of electric vehicles and changing consumer preferences. To do so, the case lays down the current political climate in the United States; the threat of climate change and mounting international pressure on automakers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; and the domestic legislative showdown between the state of California and the federal government on vehicular emissions.

Spreadsheet supplement for case P101.

Algorithmic networking startup Lunchclub coordinates in-person meetings between professionals who would have been unlikely to meet. The company faces marketplace design, growth, and monetization challenges: The executive team has to refine Lunchclub's marketplace strategy, and determine whether the company should continue to focus on its current use cases and geographical hubs or expand the platform's scale and scope. And while Lunchclub unlocks significant value by brokering new connections, the team still has to identify whom to charge and how.