Three months into her job as secretary of health for Washington State in 1999-a position which had been vacant for nearly a year following the previous secretary's resignation-Mary Selecky read a newspaper story that the state's largest and most influential health jurisdiction, Public Health Seattle King County, reported three unconnected people in the county had been infected with salmonella, a common foodborne bacteria that makes people sick and can lead to severe illness and even death in some instances if untreated. While Department of Health epidemiologists had already serotyped the bacteria, which they traced to fruit smoothies from a Seattle chain, this was the first time that Selecky had heard anything about the outbreak. Clearly, she mused, no one in the state working on the matter thought the state secretary of health needed to know about it. Selecky, who had previously run a poorly resourced, rural county health district in Washington State, did not yet understand how state-level public health laboratories and other resources interacted with Public Health Seattle King County, health labs in other states, or federal agencies and resources. She was not even sure of her role vis à vis the State Department of Health's own epidemiology team when it came to routine foodborne outbreaks. However, Selecky did know that foodborne pathogens could sicken and kill, and had no respect for man-made borders. What if anything should Selecky do? What does she need to know? What is her role in what staff consider routine communicable disease investigations. How should she go about discovering it? How does one decide what is and what is not routine?
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, unleashed a 30-foot tsunami along Japan's Pacific Coast that damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear complex. The crippled reactors leaked radiation into the sea and atmosphere, contaminating the local environment and sending a radioactive plume across the Pacific Ocean toward North America some 5,000 miles away. Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire soon asked State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky for the State Department of Health's action plan for the crisis, directing the seasoned health officer to "handle it!" Although the health risks posed to west coast communities by the incoming radiation was low, the public's anxiety about possible health consequences was high. Round-the-clock news coverage of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and its fallout inadvertently stoked what Selecky described as "an epidemic of fear" as residents sought to protect themselves from potential radiation contamination in water, shellfish, and dairy products. Nearly three weeks into the crisis, Selecky received an unexpected phone call from Governor Gregoire, whom New York Times reporters had just contacted for comment on radiation found in a Washington State milk sample. "What milk sample?" Selecky replied, hearing the news for the first time. What should Selecky do? How should she and her staff respond to the March 11 disaster? How should she proceed following revelations of radiation in a Washington State milk sample? How should she and her department handle the public's concerns about contaminated debris washing up on Washington's shores and other disaster-related issues in months and years to come?
In May 2018, Berkshire Hathaway announced an unprecedented loss of more than $1 billion for the first quarter of 2018. Warren Buffett blamed this loss on the new accounting rules for equity securities which he criticized. In the case 'Fair Value Accounting at Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.' students will evaluate the impact of a new rule related to the fair value accounting as it pertains to Berkshire Hathaway and Alphabet. Students will debate the topic of relevance and reliability in fair value accounting as compared to historical cost accounting and discuss the intended purposes of the balance sheet and income statement (with particular attention to net income). Students will also have a chance to review the business model of Berkshire Hathaway to debate how to measure and report the economic performance of Berkshire Hathaway.
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.
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.
China Eastern Airlines (CEA) is a state-owned enterprise (SOE) in China's aviation industry. To be internationally competitive, it sought out international investors such as Singapore Airlines in 2007 and Delta Air Lines in 2015. More specifically, what risks do international investors need to consider when investing in a Chinese SOE? Also, how important is the mode of alliances? The case looks into various modes such as equity-based ownership and M&A deal that inadvertently attracts attention from the public as well as the central government. In addition, this case highlights the intricacies of entering the Chinese market in view of its complex political and industry structures.
Founder of Trade Without Borders (TWB), Joseph Fernandez, set up the organization purely for charitable purposes. TWB's mission is to extend trading services to non-government organizations (NGOs) in developing regions of the world. To execute the mission in a financially viable and sustainable manner, Joseph was thinking to establish a base of operations in Hong Kong, which was close to Chinese manufacturers of the products that were traded. A lot of questions came to Joseph's mind: what type of organization would TWB incorporate? And prior to this, what would be the strategy and daily operations of the proposed Hong Kong entity? How could TWB ensure the proposed operations would contribute to instead of hindering the primary social mission of the organization?
This case traces the sustainable development (SD) journey undertaken by Hong Kong's flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, to bring environmental issues from the periphery to the core of the organization. In 2012, the airline set 20 SD targets to be achieved by 2020. It soon realized that integrating sustainable practices into the overall strategy was vital for the long-term viability of the business. The key challenge for the airline's Environmental Affairs Department was twofold-to embed sustainability into the mainstream thinking of the organization, and to align environmental and social initiatives that cut across all departments with the overall business goals of the airline.
Chinese Pharmaceuticals (HK) Limited, a private, family-owned business in Hong Kong that supplies Chinese medicine products to retailers in Hong Kong and Macau, faces a situation where additional cash is needed for additional inventory. Jason Kwok, the General Manager is challenged to maintain adequate inventory levels of Noto37, a Chinese herbal medicine used to control cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Without compromising the company's cash flow needs, Jason has to implement better systems internally, by improving sales forecasting and prudent inventory management, to avoid shortages of the product.
Many people take identity for granted, confident that they can prove they are who they say they are by using a driver's license or other ID card. For many millions of people, this is not the case. They possess not only no driver's license, but also no birth certificate which could be used to gain a driver's license and prove they are who they claim to be. As a result, they can sometimes appear invisible to the state, unable to receive aid or participate in critical programs. Indeed, as Nandan Nilekani argues, "unless a person can identify himself or herself and have some sort of proof of existence, you can't even talk about him owning property." This case explores the development and implementation of Aadhaar, an ambitious biometric identity system implemented in India. The system requires every Indian citizen to undergo a fingerprint and retinal scan to create a massive central database that can uniquely identify every person in the country. Supporters say such an identity management system has enormous potential to facilitate government services, reduce corruption, and enable hundreds of millions of Indians to enter the formal economy. To its critics, Aadhaar represents either an estate project that consumes enormous resources that will never reach its potential, or worse, the core infrastructure for a surveillance state that can better monitor and track many things its citizens do.
Many people take identity for granted, confident that they can prove they are who they say they are by using a driver's license or other ID card. For many millions of people, this is not the case. They possess not only no driver's license, but also no birth certificate which could be used to gain a driver's license and prove they are who they claim to be. As a result, they can sometimes appear invisible to the state, unable to receive aid or participate in critical programs. Indeed, as Nandan Nilekani argues, "unless a person can identify himself or herself and have some sort of proof of existence, you can't even talk about him owning property." This case explores the development and implementation of Aadhaar, an ambitious biometric identity system implemented in India. The system requires every Indian citizen to undergo a fingerprint and retinal scan to create a massive central database that can uniquely identify every person in the country. Supporters say such an identity management system has enormous potential to facilitate government services, reduce corruption, and enable hundreds of millions of Indians to enter the formal economy. To its critics, Aadhaar represents either an estate project that consumes enormous resources that will never reach its potential, or worse, the core infrastructure for a surveillance state that can better monitor and track many things its citizens do.
In the summer of 2014, a large energy company was poised to begin expanding its unconventional natural gas operations in northeastern British Columbia in the hopes of capitalizing on the Canadian province's determination to build a liquid natural gas industry. The company had secured mineral rights from the province but had not simultaneously pursued surface rights from a First Nation community that historically had used the land. When a seismic exploration team appeared on the tribe's traditional territory without consulting it, as was customary (and in some cases legally required), the company unwittingly ignited a firestorm of protest from both First Nation and non First Nation local citizens. Recognizing the importance of social acceptance both to operations and profitability, the company sent senior vice president Maria Paquet to participate in fireside discussions with tribal, regional government, and environmental leaders in the hopes of finding some common ground. Could these leaders arrive at sufficient trust and agreement to allow the company to move forward with its plans? Or would the company face gridlock, community blocking, or even financial peril? In a small-group role-playing exercise, students will step into the shoes of each of these stakeholders as they try to forge a path forward that is acceptable to all.
Quentin Bell, the owner of a small oil extraction firm, BE Oil, owns the rights to drill on six different wells. Drilling requires substantial up-front costs, and each well has different drilling costs and production capability. Bell's challenge is to decide which wells to drill based on his expectation of the price of oil when it is extracted. The case was written for use in Darden's global economies and markets (GEM) core course during a class on the economics of competitive markets. The concepts of supply, demand, and equilibrium are often obscure to students at this early stage in the course, and this case provides a concrete example of how a firm in a competitive commodity market determines how much oil to produce. Students are asked to derive the firm's supply curve, relate that to the oil market supply curve, and ultimately recommend how much oil the firm should plan to produce. The plan pushes students to think about marginal cost/ marginal benefit analysis, implicitly at first and explicitly at the end of class. Students are also asked to consider how exogenous variables in the oil market affect the oil price and the firm's decision.
Jackie Taylor, an African American woman who founded a colorful theatre company, must decide whether to build a new theatre complex during an economic downturn, as construction costs rise, or wait it out. Debt is unappealing, but a new facility is essential to the company's future. Current plans mirror Taylor's aspirations for her company, and design changes will necessitate changes in strategy. Should Taylor simply focus on her brand of theatre and build accordingly, or push for a complex to develop new talent that will tell new Afro-centric stories? Will new stories appeal to an aging, but loyal audience? Perhaps Taylor should broaden storylines and focus to cater to younger, mainstream theatre-goers. Will they help pay for a new facility?
The case covers the youth and career trajectory of Christine Lagarde across her time at Baker & McKenzie, as a minister in the government of France and as the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The case highlights the challenges and opportunities she faced during each phase of her career and how she managed them. Lagarde started her career in 1981 as a lawyer at the global law firm Baker & McKenzie, which employed approximately 2,500 lawyers across 35 countries by 1999, when she became the firm's first non-American and female chairman. In 2005, she became France's Minister for Foreign Trade in President Jacques Chirac's administration and was the EU's de facto finance minister when the financial crisis was most acute. In 2011, she was selected to head the IMF. Since 2011, Lagarde worked to build the foundation for the IMF's adaptation to the realities of the 21st century. By 2017, shortly after Lagarde began her second term as the managing director of the IMF, the world faced both opportunities and challenges as a result of the rapidly evolving, hyper-connected global economy, including deeper cross-border integration, the rise of emerging economies, technological change, and growing wealth and income inequality within countries. These interrelated dynamics were playing out alongside heightened anxiety within the populations of some major advanced economies about what these changes meant for them. The concerns manifested themselves in an inward focus, rumblings of protectionism, and questions about the worth of international cooperation and the multilateral system itself. Lagarde believed that the challenges facing the world economy warranted not less but more global cooperation. In this context, she had to determine how the IMF-as the leading advocate of global economic cooperation since its creation-could better demonstrate its effectiveness. She knew that it was a critical moment.
This case covers formative events and influences in Christine Lagarde's childhood and her trajectory from studying political science and law to heading the world's largest law firm. As she prepares to transition back to practice in 2005, the new Prime Minister of France calls to offer her a ministerial position in the new Cabinet. She has to decide whether she wants to take on a role in the public sector. For coverage of her career from 2005 to 2011, see Christine Lagarde (B): Being a Public Servant (419018). For coverage of her career from 2011 to 2018, see Christine Lagarde (C): Managing the IMF (419019). For comprehensive coverage of her evolution and career, see Christine Lagarde (419016).
This case covers the career of Christine Lagarde from 2005 to 2011 after she joins the French Government. After serving several grueling years as Finance Minister during the financial crisis that started in 2007/2008, she is being considered as the next Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As the first female head of the IMF, she would lead a very complex, 187-member organization typically run by economists. The ability to shape better outcomes to some of the world's thorniest problems appeals to her, but she needs to carefully consider the risks. For coverage of Christine Lagarde's evolution from childhood to 2005, see Christine Lagarde (A): A French Prime Minister Calls (419017). For coverage of her career from 2011 to 2018, see Christine Lagarde (C): Managing the IMF (419019). For comprehensive coverage of her evolution and career, see Christine Lagarde (419016).
This case covers the career of Christine Lagarde from 2011 to 2018 as she takes the helm of a troubled multilateral organization during a time of deepening economic turmoil. As the first female leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and as a non-economist, she overcomes early challenges to gain her footing with the multiple constituencies she must serve. She also focuses the IMF on "macro-critical" issues including gender, socioeconomic inequality, and climate change. In 2016, she is reelected to serve another term as Managing Director and considers how to ensure that the IMF remains relevant. For coverage of her childhood to 2005, see Christine Lagarde (A): A French Prime Minister Calls (419017). For coverage of her career from 2005 to 2011, see Christine Lagarde (B): Being a Public Servant (419018). For comprehensive coverage of her evolution and career, see Christine Lagarde (419016).