This case aims to study the growth, evolution, and social innovation of iThrive Games, a socially minded initiative that aims to create meaningful opportunities using technology for teens to enhance the knowledge, mindsets, and skills they need to thrive through development and across the continuum of mental disorder to wellness. iThrive's focus has been on creating "meaningful games"-that is, games that promote health and well-being of teen players. Founded in 2014 by Dorothy Batten, President of DN Batten Foundation, the organization's mission was to collaborate with game developers, partner with teens across the game development cycle (ideation to testing), and provide resources to foster teen thriving through gameplay. To do so, the organization took a unique social entrepreneurial approach. Drawing on a positive psychology framework and building the brand among key stakeholders including game developers, researchers, funders, youth, educators, and parents, the organization orchestrated a community dedicated to advancing the meaningful games field, and in doing so, have widespread impact.
An Israeli startup founded in 2014, Zebra Medical Vision, develops algorithms that produced diagnoses from X-rays, mammograms, and CT-scans. The algorithms used deep learning and digitized radiology scans to create software that could assist doctors in making diagnoses. By July 2018, Zebra had developed seven algorithms to analyze scans for emphysema, liver density, compression fractures, bone density, brain bleeds, breast cancer, and a calcium score-used to detect calcified plaque in coronary arteries. For each scan analyzed, Zebra charged hospitals $1. By 2018 Zebra found itself in a race with its competitors to perfect these algorithms, create software tools, distribute the tools to physician partners, and create a market. Zebra already had several partners in the U.S. and Europe who gave feedback on its development. Management had to decide: What should they do next at Zebra? Should they work on the accuracy of the already-developed algorithms, or continue to develop many new tools? If they chose to develop new products, which applications should they address? And how should they go to market?
In 2018, Swagat Textiles (Swagat), a traditional family-owned textile business in Gujarat, India, was looking for growth amidst several challenges. Since 2017, the market for Swagat’s traditional products is shrinking—the younger generation preferred to wear Western casual clothes for daily use and traditional clothes only for special occasions. Additionally, branded competition from online and offline stores had increased, and there were concerns about possible fragmentation of the family business as more members from the next generation planned join the firm. A family member who was about to complete his master of business administration degree was asked to evaluate a proposal about moving into digital printing. He needed to address all of these problems while searching for the next big growth opportunities for the company.
In 2018, Swagat Textiles (Swagat), a traditional family-owned textile business in Gujarat, India, was looking for growth amidst several challenges. Since 2017, the market for Swagat's traditional products is shrinking-the younger generation preferred to wear Western casual clothes for daily use and traditional clothes only for special occasions. Additionally, branded competition from online and offline stores had increased, and there were concerns about possible fragmentation of the family business as more members from the next generation planned join the firm. A family member who was about to complete his master of business administration degree was asked to evaluate a proposal about moving into digital printing. He needed to address all of these problems while searching for the next big growth opportunities for the company.
SF Express Group Co. Ltd. (SF Express) was a leading express delivery and logistics solutions provider in China. In May 2017, SF Express became involved in a dispute with the logistics-tracking platform Cainiao Network Technology (Cainiao), which was controlled by Alibaba Group Holding Limited. SF Express and Cainiao were the two largest players in China's express delivery market. The dispute, which involved an SF Express-affiliated smart package locker company that declined a data-sharing request from Cainiao, caused SF Express and Cainiao to sever their ties over proprietary data and cybersecurity. This severance caused significant disruption to China's e-commerce sector. After regulatory intervention, both parties agreed to resume sharing data for the time being and had to negotiate a resolution to their data dispute within 30 days. The chief information officer of SF Express needed to come up with an immediate solution to the dispute as well as a long-term data strategy for SF Express.
In 2016, Elixir, a financial technology start-up, was developing a social banking application to provide mobile banking to young adults and other underserved banking customers. Elixir had a social finance business model called MillennialMoney, where existing customers had an opportunity to earn referral fees by introducing new customers. For the banks, Elixir provided a novel marketing solution to attract millennial customers. As a technology company in the social finance space, Elixir could use the strategic and operational advice of an experienced banker to help turn this vision into a reality. One such banker had been in discussions with Elixir's chief executive officer and the chair of the advisory board. The banker had been conducting due diligence of the company all summer of 2016 and had even gone on sales calls in Malaysia to see what banks thought about Elixir. Now it was time to make a decision. Should he join the management team of Elixir and invest in the start-up?
Beyond Meat, a producer of plant-based meat substitutes, was founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The company's vision is for consumers to enjoy a meat-like taste and texture in their favourite dishes while avoiding the many chemicals used in processed meat and reducing the number of animals killed every year. Wanting to reduce global meat consumption by 25 percent by 2020, the company works to educate consumers about the superior benefits that eating vegan products will provide not only to the consumers but to the environment they live in and the animals they live around. The largest market for Beyond Meats is the younger generation, which is more health and environmentally conscious and, ultimately, the driving force behind using plant protein for food. Can the company reach beyond this demographic to increase sales of its products? Will the food tastes of Americans change quickly enough to ensure that growing profits will attract more investors?
Chinese appliance company Haier's 2016 acquisition of iconic GE Appliances ushered in strategic and structural changes to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship at the U.S. company, and to help it grow. Haier, which had a model designed to bring the company closer to users of its products, wanted GEA to adopt a version of the model that suited the U.S. market, U.S. consumers, and GEA's employees. This case describes GEA's efforts to do that as a member of the Haier Group.
In 2016 unforeseen Oil and Gas industry-wide demand slump drove ProdEng's average service rates down by more than 37%, with EBITDA margins falling from 50% to 24% in the second half of 2016. Although the Partners remained optimistic about ProdEng's long-term fundamentals and management team, the short-term challenges required that they act rapidly. However, they had divergent views on the path forward. Should they stay the course and focus on their core competencies or should they rethinking their approach to sales and driving profitability via spot contracts in a highly uncertain time?
Set in 2016, this case follows Phua Koon Kee, the CEO of Kova Group, one of the largest paint manufacturers in Vietnam, as he pondered upon the business expansion strategy that could elevate the Kova brand's status to that of a household name. Based on a patented NANO technology that used silicates from rice husks to make paint, Kova's products were of higher quality than its competitors, in terms of environmental-friendliness, durability, waterproof properties and anti-fungal capability. Kova's distinct competitive advantage was its adaptation for the tropical climate and its localisation for geographical landscapes in Vietnam and other SE Asian Markets, which were the key reasons Kova was able to enjoy price premiums in its home market. Despite offering innovative and superior-quality products, Kova faced multiple challenges to growth. Domestically, as the Vietnamese economy opened up to the entry of foreign paint companies, competition in the paint industry has intensified. Kova wanted to grow the retail market, where the bulk of its revenue stream was derived, but channel distribution to numerous small stores and brand promotions to end-consumers would demand the company to come up with a well-crafted strategy. Internationally, Kova suffered from a lack of brand presence and a poor country-of-origin image. Given the multi-faceted challenges, Phua is left thinking about developing an effective integrated marketing plan to create a strong brand positioning for Kova. How could he then leverage the distinctiveness of the Kova brand to gain a larger local market share and subsequently conquer overseas markets?
The case focuses on the ill-fated relationship between the LIA, Libya's new sovereign wealth fund, and Goldman Sachs, and the ultimately disastrous $1.2 billion derivatives (elephant) trades the LIA entered into in early 2008 on Goldman's advice. The analysis deals with basic derivative instruments, terminology and concepts (e.g., leverage, counterparty risk) as well as valuation issues both intuitive (e.g., put-call parity, arbitrage-based valuation bounds) and technical (binomial trees, Black-Scholes formula, Monte Carlo simulations, volatility and dividend yield calibration). It also discusses the pricing and hedging of exotic derivatives. Epilogue: In a subsequent lawsuit brought by the LIA, Goldman Sachs was accused of having exploited the lack of finance acumen of LIA staff to lure them into trades whose riskiness they did not understand. In October 2016, a London court ruled against the LIA. Please visit the dedicated case website "https://cases.insead.edu/big-game/" to access supplementary material.
Kiva is an online platform that sources crowdfunding for low-income borrowers. By 2018 it has facilitated $1.1 billion in loans to 2.5 million borrowers worldwide. However, as questions are raised about the adverse effects of microcredit worldwide, Kiva must adapt its strategy to demonstrate maximum impact on improving the lives of the poor, while continuing to grow the user base and ensure financial sustainability.
The case examines a number of critical episodes in the growth of SodaStream International Ltd., an Israeli maker of home beverage carbonation products. In particular, the case centers on the role of CEO Daniel Birnbaum in a series of highly public confrontations with competitors, critics, and government officials that highlight issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CEO activism. While other published case studies have chronicled Birnbaum's early efforts to turn around the century-old company following its acquisition by a venture capital firm in 2007, the current case delves into the more recent - and more turbulent - history of the company with particular emphasis on the role of business in society and issues faced by senior business leaders in reconciling personal values with the pursuit of business results. The case also considers the specific context of SodaStream as an Israeli company confronting a unique and complex set of societal, political, and geopolitical challenges. The case asks readers to consider the impact of the events described on the company, its business performance, and various stakeholders. The case also invites a discussion on the evolving role of corporations as agents of business and societal change and prompts participants to consider the role of business leaders in confronting complex moral and social issues. In particular, the case explores the growing phenomenon of 'CEO Activism' and the potential clash between individuals' moral or political beliefs and the responsibilities of public company executives to deliver business results.
In 2013, GE implemented the FastWorks program, an initiative that utilized tools and methods adapted from start-up methodologies to make the company more customer centric, lean and agile. With the spread of FastWorks within GE, a startling conclusion became evident - the existing performance management system might no longer be fit for the company's new direction. This case series follows the journey of GE's new performance management system, Performance Development, and its PD@GE app. By utilizing FastWorks in its development process, the HR team was able to leverage customer feedback and rapid prototyping to build a new system with unique features, such as instantaneous feedback, upward feedback and removal of employee ratings.