The A case in this series takes the viewpoint of a senior portfolio manager who has to decide how to vote the shares held by Wells Fargo Asset Management: she can vote for the current board members of Imation Corp. (IMN) or for the nominees put forward by an activist hedge fund. The hedge fund sent an open letter to IMN shareholders seeking support to replace the key members of IMN's board, as the first step in pushing through sweeping changes in compensation and strategy at IMN. The case illustrates the power of an activist investor to change the governance and strategy of a company. The B case reveals that the activist's nominees were elected, and a series of decisions ensued that dismantled IMN. The case presents students with ethical questions regarding the treatment of IMN shareholders; it also highlights the influence of proxy advisers in a proxy vote. The case has been taught in an MBA corporate finance elective as the second class in activism, following another activist case, "Genzyme and Relational Investors: Science and Business Collide?" (UVA-F-1660). It can be taught to all undergraduate and graduate levels of business students, as well as seasoned executives.
This case compares the impact of disruptive forces on the logistics industry in Singapore and Hong Kong, and the two government responses in terms of strategic repositioning. This case is important for executives recommending the siting of additional investment dollars particularly between the two cities.
This case examines major challenges faced by Ten Thousand Villages Canada in 2013, in the aftermath of the 2007-08 global financial crisis. Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest fair trade organizations in North America, its history stretching back to the sale of crafts from overseas in 1946. The case narrative begins with an overview of Ten Thousand Villages (history, producer partnerships, Canadian operations), then introduces the financial challenges facing the organization in 2013. Told from the perspective of a senior manager who must develop a plan to save the organization from impending bankruptcy by reaching the break-even point within twelve months, the case lends itself to a discussion of how the company can be saved and whether the steps taken by Ten Thousand Villages (as explained in the teaching notes) will ensure its survival. By studying this case, students are expected to gain an in-depth understanding of the real-life challenges faced by social enterprises seeking to balance the pursuit of their social missions with long-term financial sustainability.
Joyful Frog Digital incubator (JFDI) was the first seed accelerator to focus on Southeast Asia (SEA) and is a key resource for new start-ups in Singapore. It focuses on providing coaching, structure and a network to early-stage start-ups, and creating an open and welcoming ecosystem for digital innovation. By the time of writing, JFDI had facilitated multiple "classes" of start-ups in its 100-day accelerator programme. Now it is at a critical moment of expansion, with the evolution of the programme to accommodate three classes per year instead of two, and the introduction of a pre-boarding programme to facilitate the selection process.
The assignment of students to schools is often a controversial process that requires a delicate balance between operational needs (school capacity and costs) and student and community needs (quality of school and community cohesion). In 2016, Boston Public Schools (BPS) implemented a new student assignment process that attempts to balance both operational needs and students' access to quality schools. This case examines BPS' new student assignment process and considers whether it satisfies both sets of needs. The case also provides a simplified spreadsheet assignment model and dataset to allow students to see the tradeoffs and how they can be balanced.
CV Anand, a senior officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) was assigned to lead the Food and Civil Supplies Department in the state of Telangana, India by the Chief Minister - the top political executive of the state. Since the role involved policy making and implementation relating to procurement and processing of grains, transportation and distribution to the poorer sections of the society, this was a highly unusual role assignment for an IPS officer. The organization had the responsibility of procuring food grains from farmers at minimum support price, and then after rice milling, arranging distribution to lower income population needing rice at subsidized rates. Anand observed a culture of ritualistic decision making, political power plays, and shortage of talent leading to the neglect of key aspects. The funds crisis had arisen due to non-receipt of dues and there were mounting interest charges. Certain parties were exploiting the system and getting away with it. There were archaic procedures, and corruption at different levels. Anand initiated multiple initiatives in the areas of: organizational aspects, technology and systems. He made conscious efforts to mobilize support. With passion, persistence and hard work, different stakeholders were influenced. Time, energy and commitment were allocated to high leverage activities. Within a year of assuming leadership, the result of turnaround was evident - the funds crisis had eased, bulk of leakages had been plugged and the system had become responsive to the needs of its key stakeholders - the farmers and the needy beneficiaries. Anand knew that he was on a short-term deputation and that he would be transferred to another assignment in the following six to eight months. He was concerned about what he should do in the remaining months to ensure that the changes stick and are not leader-dependent for their continuation.
This case presents the ascent of SenseTime, a Chinese company powered by facial recognition technology and became the world's most valuable artificial intelligence (AI) startup. Based in Shenzhen, SenseTime aspired to lead AI innovation to power the future. It offered a variety of business solutions across industries that went beyond facial recognition. Enabled by its high-performance deep learning supercomputing system, it deployed and developed solutions quickly to more than 400 partners and clients. Moving forward, SenseTime planned to expand to more vertical industries and go abroad. How could this young company deepen its technological edge, broaden its industry applications, and sustain fast growth for the long term?
In July 2013, the chief executive officer (CEO) of TVOntario (TVO) was reviewing a report from consultants for the future direction of the organization. TVO was an educational media organization under the Ontario Ministry of Education, in Canada. TVO's mandate was rooted in supporting the ministry's social role of providing education-a crucial public good-to Ontarians of all ages. Over time, the mandate was broadened to include current affairs, documentary, and drama programming. But unlike its private-sector peers in the television industry who relied on commercial advertisements as a source of revenue, TVO depended on annual grants from the ministry of education to the extent of 66 per cent of its annual expenditure. For the rest, it relied on donors and on its own revenue-generating programs. At the end of the 2012/13 broadcast year, TVO reached 83 per cent of Ontarians. However, new data was emerging that showed early adopters to Internet video were beginning to watch as much as 45 per cent of their television through non-traditional channels. The consultants outlined a five-year plan with three strategic directions. The CEO must decide on the direction and the execution plan that will place TVO on a path of recurring growth.
iSpace, a start-up hub that focused on women in technology, was founded in 2013 in Ghana's capital, Accra, and provided space, technology, and funding to 62 entrepreneurs. In May 2017, the co-founder wanted to expand the business to maximize social impact by empowering a greater number of entrepreneurs who lacked technical skills, emotional support, and access to funding. iSpace had four strategies to choose from to meet its goal: create new programs to attract more entrepreneurs in Accra, establish a presence on university campuses, expand into other regions or countries, and collaborate with government programs. In addition, the company needed a plan to address the financial and human resources constraints it would face in executing an expansion strategy.
On August 31, 2016, a well-respected and highly influential cultural broadcaster and entrepreneur in Colombia was the subject of a fake news attack. A message started spreading over the WhatsApp messaging service wrongfully attributing to her a vociferous statement opposing the Colombian peace-making process. On September 2, 2016, she produced a disconfirming video, in which she made it clear that the statement was not written by her; that it did not represent her views; and that, contrary to what the statement said, she supported peace efforts. The video was posted on her official Facebook and Twitter accounts, and echoed by mainstream media. Unfortunately, the attack did not stop there. On several occasions between 2016 and 2017, the message was put in circulation again. The timing seemed connected to milestones in Colombia's peace process. In February 2018, three months before the presidential elections in the country, the message started to circulate again. The entrepreneur wondered if there was anything else she could do to prevent further damage to both public opinion and her own reputation.
In 2013, the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Christian Children’s Home of Florida (CCHF), a well-established, faith-based residential care facility for neglected and abused children, was in the process of seeking a deep understanding of the issues affecting company morale. The CEO had just received the field notes of an extensive qualitative research study of CCHF completed by a Master of Business Administration consulting team from a local university. She wanted to make her own assessment of the themes that were emerging from their data and identify any policies, procedures, or other recommendations that the data would suggest. With morale rumoured to have slipped prior to her appointment, and with employee turnover above industry norms, the new CEO felt that identifying and addressing needed changes was a priority.
Fauzia Kehar was a woman working in the male-dominated legal profession in Pakistan. She had overcome many barriers to achieve outstanding career success in Pakistan—a male-dominated environment with conservative laws and culture. Her impressive educational background and work experience led to her rapid progression to the role of head of Legal, Gulf Cluster, at Citibank NA in Dubai. After more than 20 years working as a lawyer, Fauzia had reached the top of her profession. In May 2018, she was reflecting back on the sacrifices she had made, and although she was confident she had made the right career choices, she wondered what was next. Should she continue her career in law or utilize her skill set to pursue a new career?
iSpace, a start-up hub that focused on women in technology, was founded in 2013 in Ghana’s capital, Accra, and provided space, technology, and funding to 62 entrepreneurs. In May 2017, the co-founder wanted to expand the business to maximize social impact by empowering a greater number of entrepreneurs who lacked technical skills, emotional support, and access to funding. iSpace had four strategies to choose from to meet its goal: create new programs to attract more entrepreneurs in Accra, establish a presence on university campuses, expand into other regions or countries, and collaborate with government programs. In addition, the company needed a plan to address the financial and human resources constraints it would face in executing an expansion strategy.
In July 2013, the chief executive officer (CEO) of TVOntario (TVO) was reviewing a report from consultants for the future direction of the organization. TVO was an educational media organization under the Ontario Ministry of Education, in Canada. TVO’s mandate was rooted in supporting the ministry’s social role of providing education—a crucial public good—to Ontarians of all ages. Over time, the mandate was broadened to include current affairs, documentary, and drama programming. But unlike its private-sector peers in the television industry who relied on commercial advertisements as a source of revenue, TVO depended on annual grants from the ministry of education to the extent of 66 per cent of its annual expenditure. For the rest, it relied on donors and on its own revenue-generating programs. At the end of the 2012/13 broadcast year, TVO reached 83 per cent of Ontarians. However, new data was emerging that showed early adopters to Internet video were beginning to watch as much as 45 per cent of their television through non-traditional channels. The consultants outlined a five-year plan with three strategic directions. The CEO must decide on the direction and the execution plan that will place TVO on a path of recurring growth.