After more than 40 years of membership in the European Union, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to separate from the EU on June 23, 2016. Following the surprise verdict (termed Brexit), a political upheaval followed, with many ministers, including Prime Minister David Cameron, resigning or being sacked, and markets collapsed. As markets recovered, Theresa May was chosen as the new prime minister of the UK in charge of leading the separation. The future of the UK and its relationship with Europe was uncertain. No country had ever left the EU before, so there was no precedent to follow and no clear indication of what the UK planned to do after exiting. Why had the British voted to leave? Would the UK and the EU be able to agree on a mutually beneficial arrangement? What would be the effects, politically and economically, on the UK and European countries? The impact of the disunion on the relationship between the EU and the UK was yet to be seen.

The purpose of this note is threefold. First to provide a short historical background to the development of the notions of universal mind and related concepts in Aikido and Ki Aikido. Second, to provide an even briefer critique of certain efforts to apply ideas from Aikido and Ki Aikido to issues concerning everyday life, management, and leadership. And finally, to examine a set of critical concepts, or principles, which aim to provide a more practical, real-world understanding of universal mind.

The case presents the dilemma of Sita Sen, Assistant Marketing Director at the Tudor House hotel. A disgruntled customer had posted his experience regarding a mishap with the cake order he had placed with the hotel on a Facebook food group. Now there was heated discussion happening around it and the VP for hospitality at the Tudor House had also been tagged in the conversation. After a meeting of the executive team at the Tudor House, the responsibility of handling the grievance had been given to Sita. This might set a precedent for a series of similar complaints if posted on the Facebook group, so would it be better to do nothing? Or maybe an apology should be offered? Cash or coupons? Something in kind? To give or not to give, that was the question.

Faced with uncompetitive regulation, the founder of 3P Turbo, Jason Starks, was contemplating setting up a facility to manufacture automobile turbochargers in Brazil. At that time, Brazil was experiencing huge political turmoil, resulting from the Petrobras scandal that involved prominent business and political leaders, and the impeachment of the country's president, Dilma Rousseff. It was also hit with the worst recession in two decades, exacerbated by low commodity prices and the slow-down of the Chinese economy. Jason had engaged with a consultant to gather some revenue and cost projections for this cross border investment to see if it would create value and make financial sense. More importantly, he needed to access the economic and political risks of Brazil and its automobile industry, and determine if the timing was right to enter the Brazilian market.

Headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, Formlabs manufactures 3D printers used to print everything from prototypes and models to jewelry, dental, and sculpture molds. As Formlabs prepares to ship its latest model, the Form 2, Head of Customer Development and Services Luke Winston wonders which strategy will double sales. Should he focus on direct sales or add more channel partners?

A data analyst at Basecamp is evaluating the results of pricing research and its potential implications for the venture's latest version of its project management software product.

In the traditional approach to venture capital, an investment firm parcels out funds to a portfolio of start-ups, knowing that most will fail but that with luck, the returns from the few winners will make the exercise profitable. For more than 40 years, another model has also existed: corporate venture capital, in which a very large company invests in start-ups, often in adjacent industries. Corporate VCs have historically been motivated by strategic payoffs: insight into new products that could affect their competitive position--and perhaps the inside track on acquiring the start-up if its innovation pans out. But a study by MIT researchers shows a recent shift in goals, with corporate VCs increasingly concerned about financial returns. The researchers explored this mission drift through in-depth interviews with the leaders of 16 corporate VC units, learning that the units often aren't pursuing opportunities that could help them maximize their role as strategic investors. Firms need better ways to measure the nonfinancial value derived from investments in start-ups, the researchers say; and by voicing support for the corporate VC's role as a strategic investor, the CEO can reduce the emphasis on financial returns.

A new study shows that during the Cold War, corporate spying generated significant economic returns for East German companies. It was so successful, in fact, that it crowded out traditional research initiatives.

15fen (15分) was the name Henry He (贺鸿鸣) gave his first business venture - a neighborhood store (社区店) in Guangdong province, China, which promised home delivery of a grocer order within 15 minutes. His inaugural slogan was, "Staple Food & Seasoning, Everything At Your Doorstep in 15 Minutes". A first time entrepreneur, he was imbued with optimism towards internet retailing, and convinced that home delivery within 15 minutes was an unbeatable proposition. In no time, he learned the realities of the grocery business - low margin and hard labor - carrying bags of rice and tins of cooking oil from door to door. Back in 2012, China's internet retailing was dominated by Consumer Electronics, Apparel and Footwear and Consumer Appliances. Fresh Food was tipped to be the next big driver for e-commerce. Headlines such as "Fresh Food e-commerce will be the next blue ocean" were commonplace in the media, and they captured the imagination of aspiring entrepreneurs like Henry He. He was determined to ride this e-retailing wave to create his blue ocean in Fresh Food. But first, he must learn how to swim.

Noam Angrist cofounded Young 1ove with the promise of connecting young Africans to proven life-saving information. By massively scaling sexual health information campaigns that were previously shown in randomized trials to have significant impact, he hoped Young 1ove would be able to reach 1 million youth in Africa by 2017. However, while he and his team were less than a year into the project, they were already dealing with anfractuous government processes, strained by limited resources, and unsure of how their operations would succeed at scale. There were also important decisions ahead: Which delivery model would most efficiently and effectively scale the Young 1ove educational campaign? When and how- if at all-should they rigorously test an intervention that they had reason to believe was already working? Though convinced wholeheartedly in the importance of the Young 1ove mission and excited by its early progress, Angrist pondered these important decisions and how their resolution would figure in the organization's path forward.

All Traffic Solutions traditionally sold traffic signs that collected vehicle data to cities. In recent years, the firm connected their signs to the internet and began selling software that enabled cities to operate their signs remotely and collect data in a more efficient manner. Revenues from software represented a growing part of the organization's overall business. An important part of All Traffic Solutions' strategy involved a new software platform that would power the equipment of other traffic hardware manufacturers. In 2016, the company received a new round of funding. All Traffic Solutions had to decide what to do with its existing hardware sign business. Should they pursue a different type of customer?

In this Essential Reading, the authors explain what breakthrough innovation is; why it's important for large, established companies to excel at this type of innovation; and what challenges such organizations may expect to face as they seek to drive breakthrough innovation. The authors describe the nature of breakthrough innovation, including how mature industries can be disrupted and what stages breakthrough innovations progress through, providing examples from several different industries. Drawing on IBM and the Horizons of Growth Innovation Lifecycle Model as an example, the authors also identify the internal capabilities and leadership approaches that incumbents must master to guide promising ideas through the innovation lifecycle (which includes mature businesses, high-growth businesses, and emerging business opportunities). The authors then offer suggestions for how incumbents can collaborate with external parties to further drive breakthrough innovation, exploring four collaboration models: strategic partnerships, strategic investments, strategic acquisitions, and crowd-based collaborations.

In 2003, the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) was launched to explore new and commercially sustainable models of livelihood promotion for India’s vulnerable communities of craftworkers. The Indian handlooms and handicrafts, collectively referred to as the craft sector, symbolized the rich historical and cultural diversity that distinguished India from the rest of the world. The sector provided low-cost, “green” livelihood opportunities to millions of Indian families, supplementing their incomes in seasons of agrarian distress, checking migration, and preserving traditional economic relationships. The sector represented the economic lifeline of the most vulnerable sections of Indian society. AIACA took a unique approach towards stakeholder engagement by establishing partnerships with local non-governmental organizations, business enterprises, individual craftworkers, self-help groups, and government agencies. This level of co-operation produced effective advocacy and high-impact developmental work through multiplicative strategies, and the results were scalable and replicable in the context of informal sectors in transitioning economies. AIACA had spent a decade successfully designing and implementing livelihood interventions to help small-scale, family-managed businesses evolve into sustainable enterprises and innovative networks. The organization now needed to re-examine its approach and look for ways to deliver a deeper developmental impact.

In August 2011, the newly hired chief executive officer of the Indian firm Headstart Industries Ltd. (HIL) faced a dilemma over whether or not to allot funds for a new project of a business unit that had poor performance over several years and had affected the company's overall profitability. The chief executive officer was faced with a tough choice between acting against the dominant culture of HIL by refusing to fund the new project or displeasing the board members who had hired him to bring about organizational change. He was well aware of the board members’ belief that the division in question was a burden on HIL's resources and should be closed down. Should he appease the culture, or should he accept the risks and approve the funding?

In June 2015, two entrepreneurs launched HeyTaxi!, a start-up venture that used motorbike and scooter taxis in Mumbai. The goal was to reduce the time, effort, and money spent by citizens on commuting. But the entrepreneurs faced a problem of survival and sustainability: the government authorities refused to issue a licence for the bike-taxi service. The venture was favoured by citizens who used its services, but HeyTaxi! was limited to marketing its service not as a legitimate taxi service but as a ride-sharing service. HeyTaxi! was fulfilling a social need, and customer loyalty was fuelling the venture’s journey, but the absence of regulatory permits put the longevity of HeyTaxi! at risk. Concerns about HeyTaxi!’s future needed to be addressed to ensure the venture’s survival, scalability, and sustainability.

Amarnath Gupta and Sons was a distributor of lubricants and owner of a petrol pump based in Alwar, Rajasthan, India. The business was originally set up as a family-owned single petrol pump in 1953. The family member currently in charge of daily operations had expanded the business significantly, especially since the entry of new multinational players in the Indian lubricant market. In 2013, this owner-partner was looking at ways to involve his children—one of whom had finished college (a son), one of whom was in college (a daughter), and one of whom was about to start college (a son)—in the family business. Should three businesses be established for each of the three children, or should they all be part of the same business? How could the next generation enter the business successfully? This case won the 2015 ISB-Ivey Global Case Competition in the entrepreneurship category. The ISB-Ivey case competition was sponsored by ISB.

In 2014, U-Haul International Ltd. (U-Haul) was the biggest North American company in do-it-yourself moving and storage. A publicly-traded but family-controlled firm, U-Haul's corporate performance was very strong. However, the company continued to be plagued by reputation-related challenges stemming from long-ago family feuds that had been made public. Just when the feuds were settling, the company’s executive vice-president learned that a television series planned to air an episode profiling the murder of a member of the family. The murder took place in 1990, and the killer was arrested, but the case was controversial. Such a program detailing the murder might create new challenges for U-Haul's reputation. How should the company respond to this planned television episode? How much of the past still affected U-Haul’s reputation, and how much of the reputation still affected U-Haul's relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and investors? Should the company hope the renewed attention would blow over or should it set out to influence its public relationships?

In August 2016, it had been almost two years since American fashion retailer Nordstrom opened its first Canadian store in Calgary. Nordstrom believed Canada to be an ideal location for its global expansion. Executives identified the country as a potential US$1 billion opportunity with no language barrier and a population with a higher average income than in the United States. Despite this enticing potential market, Nordstrom executives entered Canada with a slow, conservative approach. Nordstrom faced slow economic growth in Canada and fierce competition from other luxury retailers. Although Canada was an attractive potential market, increased competition and a changing economic environment presented new challenges to the retailer’s international expansion plan. How could Nordstrom find success in Canada?

In April 2016, a large U.S. proprietary trading group in New York, with a significant fixed-income portfolio, was debating what discount rate to use to value the group's interest-rate swap portfolio. The counterparties to these swaps were major banks, and the deals were collateralized. Criticisms about the use of the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) as a benchmark for valuing these swaps were circulating, and there were reports that LIBOR was being manipulated. There was talk about an alternative, nearly "risk-free" reference rate that could potentially be launched during 2016. Was it time for the trading group to substitute some of its maturing LIBOR-based interest-rate swaps with overnight index swaps.

Amarnath Gupta and Sons was a distributor of lubricants and owner of a petrol pump based in Alwar, Rajasthan, India. The business was originally set up as a family-owned single petrol pump in 1953. The family member currently in charge of daily operations had expanded the business significantly, especially since the entry of new multinational players in the Indian lubricant market. In 2013, this owner-partner was looking at ways to involve his children-one of whom had finished college (a son), one of whom was in college (a daughter), and one of whom was about to start college (a son)-in the family business. Should three businesses be established for each of the three children, or should they all be part of the same business? How could the next generation enter the business successfully?