Striving for Great Place to Work (GPTW) culture enabled Hella India Lighting Limited (HIL), a company that manufactured automotive lighting, to recover from huge losses and become profitable. Although the company's German management had decided to stop further investment in India after the setback of the 2008 recession, in 2018 HIL became the number one Hella location worldwide. It was also recognized as one of the best places to work at the national level in the automotive industry and ranked 20th in the 2018 GPTW Great Mid-Size Workplaces category. To achieve these milestones, HIL focused on effectively implementing existing policies and periodically upgrading and focusing policies around employee welfare; thus making way for strategic human resources (HR) management. Valuing its employees as equal to its customers, HIL's main focus was employee engagement. The transformation led to successful GPTW survey results, which encouraged HIL management to revise the HR team's 2020 target: their new task was to secure a position among the top 10 companies of the GPTW survey by 2020.
Faced with intense competition from Amazon, in 2015 Walmart began a transformation of its operations and workforce. The goal was to create an omnichannel retail experience for customers that seamlessly joined online and offline shopping. This case explores Walmart's efforts to deliver this through investments in its workforce makeup and training, digital infrastructure, and automation technology.
In the face of a rapidly-changing economy, organiztions that wish to compete in the future of work must develop strategies for acquiring, retaining, and developing talent for their organizations. This primer reviews the major trends shaping jobs, workplaces, and worker demographics. It then discusses many of the largest weaknesses in traditional talent management systems. The case then closes by describing how firms can create "talent management pipelines." In this framework, firms' core asset - talent - is subjected to the same quality-management proceudres that revolutionized global supply chain practices in the 20th century.
In January 2019, Benedict Clarke needed to address the vacancies at retail shopping center Tulaberry Plaza. The rise in online shopping forced Tulaberry's anchor tenant into bankruptcy and weakened the outlook for retail more generally. Clarke must devise a plan that presents the most logical and profitable way forward for the shopping center. The case asks students to make leasing decisions from the perspective of the property owner, Clarke, giving them an appreciation for both the quantitative and qualitative factors that influence optimal leasing decisions.
This micro-startup, originating within a rapidly growing young Singapore-based commercial information services firm, seeks to offer individual customers and small organisations access to valid data about relationships among persons and organisations, that are relevant to well-defined specific needs and drawn from the public domain. This information will be provided at an affordable price or in some cases, in part-exchange for new data curated by the customer. Although the development team was committed to launch their mobile business intelligence application Kaypo in early 2019, they still needed insights into several key issues, including branding, the user interface for their Android app, and the evolution of their business model.
For legacy companies, culture change is often the biggest challenge of digital transformation. How can they become more agile and innovative without alienating their best employees or wrecking their best existing practices? This article provides a framework for leaders in any industry. The process begins with understanding four key values of digital culture: impact, speed, openness, and autonomy. It then involves adopting or refining a set of digital-ready practices, grounded in these values.
Using raw, uncut footage, this video case asks students to evaluate the effectiveness of the first contact that took place in November 2016 between representatives from two technology companies—iQmetrix and Straker Translations. The two firms are contemplating a business partnership in which Straker will provide iQmetrix with translation services. First contact calls generally precede every business partnership and are normally completed only after the respective business-development or sales representatives have prepared for the call by learning the basics about the other side’s organization—in particular, whether there is a good fit between what the buyer needs and what the supplier can provide in terms of quality, cost, and capabilities of service.
Kjell & Company was a Swedish retail electronics chain. The company's products consisted of home electronics and accessories. The company was noted for its excellent customer service and a fair "one-for-all" HR policy. Historically, the salespeople had been compensated by a fixed salary and a variable commission conditional on meeting a monthly sales quota. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the monthly-quota compensation scheme might have demotivated some salespeople toward the end of the month, as those who fell short early in a month simply gave up because they had no chance of meeting quota. Thus, to mitigate this problem, management proposed a shorter-temporal-horizon daily-quota scheme. The (A) case focuses on the decision faced by the CEO on whether to change the sales force compensation plan to a temporally shorter scheme and, if so, how to implement the change. The (B), (C), and (D) cases show the results of various metrics across different types of salespeople after the change in the compensation plan was implemented. The case series explores different ways to analyze data for inference about salespeople's behavior caused by a change in the compensation structure. Also, the case series shows ways to experiment with the compensation plan for causal inference.
Kjell & Company was a Swedish retail electronics chain. The company's products consisted of home electronics and accessories. The company was noted for its excellent customer service and a fair "one-for-all" HR policy. Historically, the salespeople had been compensated by a fixed salary and a variable commission conditional on meeting a monthly sales quota. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the monthly-quota compensation scheme might have demotivated some salespeople toward the end of the month, as those who fell short early in a month simply gave up because they had no chance of meeting quota. Thus, to mitigate this problem, management proposed a shorter-temporal-horizon daily-quota scheme. The (A) case focuses on the decision faced by the CEO on whether to change the sales force compensation plan to a temporally shorter scheme and, if so, how to implement the change. The (B), (C), and (D) cases show the results of various metrics across different types of salespeople after the change in the compensation plan was implemented. The case series explores different ways to analyze data for inference about salespeople's behavior caused by a change in the compensation structure. Also, the case series shows ways to experiment with the compensation plan for causal inference.
Bob Iger, chief executive officer of entertainment conglomerate Disney, thrilled investors with details about Disney's upcoming foray into video streaming in April 2019. Disney's move was only the latest in a series of actions taken by new and established entertainment companies in a fight for dominance in the video-streaming-subscription space. Netflix, led by chief executive officer Reed Hastings, had established an early foothold in that market after entering in early 2007, amassing 140 million subscribers worldwide by early 2019 and spending $10 billion on content annually. Now, Disney was joining the fray with its signature service, Disney+, after first collaborating with other broadcasters in establishing Hulu, later buying up a majority stake in that service, and launching sports-content subscription service ESPN+. The battle for what many industry observers regarded as the future of the television business was truly on. Had Iger and his team of executives found the right formula to unseat Netflix as the leader in video streaming? Was there room for both players in the marketplace? Or would Hastings and his team at Netflix need to respond in some way to the looming threat posed by Disney?
The Caesan Cheese Cooperative is considering introducing a new high-quality, high-margin artisan whiskey cheddar cheese. Deidra Kelly, vice president of marketing and product development at Caesan, must recommend to the Board of Directors whether to launch the product using Jameson® whiskey as a branded ingredient or using a generically branded whiskey. Use of the branded ingredient would involve a licensing agreement with a leading spirits and wine distributor, Pernod Ricard USA (PR-U). Evaluation of the options requires an assessment of the product-company fit, product-market fit, marketing program, licensing agreement, breakeven sales volume, and achievement of the targeted sales goal. The case focuses on evaluating new product opportunities, specifically regarding product-company fit and product-market fit. In addition, the case allows students to discuss the power of branding and entering strategic partnerships to drive revenue. Students must also use their quantitative skills, such as conducting breakeven analyses and understanding the impact of licensing costs on gross profit margins. The case can be used to discuss product strategy, positioning, branding, and partnerships. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on marketing strategy, product development and management, or branding.
This field research case presents an account of leading digital transformation in a traditional organization. The case briefly traces more one hundred years of history of Klöckner & Co, an independent global steel and metal distributor, and presents challenges faced by the steel distribution branch. It then describes the thinking process of Gisbert Rühl, the company's CEO concerned about taking the company into the future in the face of global changes faced by the industry. The case presents Rühl's view of digital opportunities for the organization and his attempts to prepare the company for the digital age. The case pays particular attention to personal transformation of the leader in the in the process of transforming his company. It is intended for use in the MBA programs and executive education.
The case is set in January 2019, when Di Xu, the team leader of Ant Forest, a green initiative within the Chinese payment and lifestyle app Alipay, is reviewing the strategy for Ant Forest. Ant Forest was started in 2016 as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project under Alipay. It was financially supported by Alipay's parent company, Ant Financial. From the time of its launch to October 2018, Ant Forest has managed to attract almost 400 million users to its cause of promoting 'green', low carbon emissions behaviour among the lifestyles of its users. It has done so by letting users of Ant Forest win 'energy points' through low-carbon behaviours (such as walking to work instead of driving, or reducing their use of plastic), and then accumulating the points towards planting a virtual tree of their choice. When a user had accumulated a sufficient number of energy points, Ant Forest would, through its partners, plant a real, physical tree on their behalf in the deserts of Inner Mongolia. The uptake of the Ant Forest initiative has exceeded the team's expectations, and there has been considerable positive feedback received from users who have experienced good social and health benefits through their use of Ant Forest. Di Xu is now evaluating the next steps for Ant Forest. Should the Ant Forest initiative be taken overseas? If so, which features of the product, and the business model, should be implemented?
Cecilia and Luke were recently married and were beginning to build a life together. Although they were complete opposites, they had been able to work through their differences and have a good relationship. Luke was a musician who did not have a day job. Although his music was able to provide him with an income, it was not steady or reliable. Cecilia, on the other hand, had a steady job working as a marketing manager for a baby formula company. While Cecilia had never had a credit card, Luke had in the past, but had abused it through impulsive spending habits and irresponsibility in paying his bill on time. After paying exorbitant late and overdraft fees, he had finally paid off the balance in full and opted the cancel the credit card altogether. Now that Cecilia and Luke had decided it was time to build a life together financially, they began looking into different types of credit cards and bank accounts in order to decide which options would be best for them.
In September 2016, Javier Polo, a senior executive from the Telco sector, was appointed CEO of PlayGiga, a technology start-up. The company had spent three years successfully developing a technology to enable users to play videogames from the cloud, without needing a gaming console (e.g. PlayStation, Xbox) or an expensive gaming PC. However, no significant sales had materialized. After three months in the position, the CEO needed to prove the market acceptance for the new service. Important decisions had to be taken about the value proposition, which customer segment to focus on and about the go-to-market strategy. In particular, if a direct-to-consumer commercialization would be better than selling the service through Telecom and Media companies. This is a 'customer discovery' and 'problem-solution fit' case. The broader issue addressed in this case is how to go from a 'promising idea' based on initial customer insights and a technological breakthrough (i.e. the founding team has developed a technology that solves important customer pains) to a compelling product-market fit proposition and then to a corresponding go-to-market strategy.
It was a subsidiary of China Construction Bank Corporation, one of China's top four banks. The asset management industry in China had always been quick to leverage technological change to gain an advantage. Since the debut of robo-advisors in 2015 in the Chinese market, this change was coming even faster. As a rising star in the area of financial technology (FinTech), robo-advisors applied automated algorithms to realize investment goals for clients in a cost-and time-efficient method. Between 2016and 2018, not only FinTech startups in China rushed to launch robo-advisor platforms, but also renowned internet companies like Alibaba and traditional financial institutions like big banks, asset management companies, or security firms in China began to introduce robo-advisory services into their existing business. Artificial intelligence had brought both opportunities and challenges to traditional investment managers. Mr. Sun and his management team needed to analyze the characteristics of the Chinese market and the pros and cons for launching robo-advisory services, and decide CCB Principal's strategy going forward. Should they start offering robo-advisors as a core service? The case reviews the origin and development of robo-advisors in the US, Europe, and Asian markets, and introduces the unique features of the asset management market in China. Thinking from the perspective of a chairman of one of the top asset management companies in China, students are expected to look into the characteristics of domestic Chinese investors (mentality, investment goals, level of sophistication, etc.) and the Chinese market (political and regulatory environment, technological application, product development, etc.), analyze the advantages and constraints for the development of robo-advisors in China, and come up with a suitable business model for CCB Principal's future strategies.
Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are widely regarded as two of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. Both led their teams to championships, and both were named MVP and All-Star multiple times. But Bryant, the "Black Mamba," and Duncan, the "Big Fundamental," had very different styles of play and ways of interacting with their teammates, coaches, and fans. This case offers an overview of these two champions' careers and allows a lively conversation about star performers, leadership, key leader behaviors, how those behaviors relate to effectiveness, and the role of charisma in the leadership process. Importantly, students do not need to know anything at all about basketball to be on equal footing with those who are basketball fans, because the case exhibits provide evidence for quantitative comparisons, and the case text describes qualitative information that facilitates discussion.
In 2013, three friends from college came together to found Zenatix, an Indian energy data analytics company. Based on Internet-of-things technology, the team built WattMan, a hardware-based product that could monitor the usage and performance of electrical assets such as air conditioners and refrigerators. It saved energy costs by suggesting corrective action. Zenatix faced challenges in identifying the right target market for WattMan and matching the product features to its clients' needs. By 2016, it had made two shifts in target markets and Zenatix had to convince investors of the potential of its latest target market, especially after adding a new control feature in WattMan III. With funds running low, this was a make-or-break situation for Zenatix.