個案總覽

Spreadsheet Supplement for Case IN1911

The head of Agile Initiative Network (AIN) at TCS, an India based multinational IT services-consulting-business solutions enterprise, has been mandated by the company's CEO to lead the internal transformation of TCS at scale into an Agile enterprise. There is a three-year deadline beginning December 2017, and the transformation must be executed company-wide in a single leap. Midway into the execution of the strategy, the head of the Agile Initiative Network discovers that he had not factored in the need for change management at scale. The deficit needs to be quickly addressed to achieve the desired outcomes from the ongoing transformation. Students have an opportunity to step into the shoes of the case protagonist and resolve the managerial dilemmas he is facing in making course corrections.

He increased the sales of products such as Pulmicort RespulesTM after their patents expired, generating significant social benefits by making medical treatment and medicines more accessible in lower-tier markets. Wang was promoted to President less than two years after joining AZ. While working primarily to boost sales in China, Wang introduced another task not tied to performance targets: innovation. To facilitate innovation, AZ reached beyond the pharmaceutical sector and worked with partners in the "3D" (diagnostics, device, digital) industries to launch "a patient-centric, integrated disease diagnosis and treatment platform." This initiative enabled pharmaceutical companies, which had acted only as drug suppliers during treatment, to engage in all stages of the patient journey, from education and screening, diagnosis and treatment, to follow-up and rehabilitation. Their first innovation project was the construction of pediatric nebulization centers, which were equipped with smart nebulizers powered by IoT and digital technologies. Following the initial success, AZ co-launched the chest pain center (CPC) project and the prostate cancer integrated diagnosis and treatment (PiDT) project, which not only delivered benefits to patients and hospitals but also granted partners access to hospital resources. The integrated diagnosis and treatment platform focused on areas where AZ excelled, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, so participating hospitals and patients could "naturally" choose AZ's products. However, a closer look at its sales revenue revealed that AZ was not always the primary beneficiary of the platform, and its return on investment proved to be modest.

Since its establishment in 1994 in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, Sterlite Copper was mired in several controversies, including flagrant violation of compliance norms, causing extensive environmental degradation and health hazards. Sterlite Copper faced stiff opposition from the local community when it announced expansion of its production capacity in 2018. On May 22, 2018, the agitation took a violent turn when the police fired at protesters demanding the permanent closure of the plant, resulting in the death of 13 people. Using Wilson's interest group matrix, this case examines the impact of interest group activity on the policy politics process, the importance for businesses to interpret the policy politics process and its transitions, and how the strategies of different actors need to be responsive to the policy politics to prevent conflicts from escalating into crisis and tragedy.

Since its establishment in 1994 in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, Sterlite Copper was mired in several controversies, including flagrant violation of compliance norms, causing extensive environmental degradation and health hazards. Sterlite Copper faced stiff opposition from the local community when it announced expansion of its production capacity in 2018. On May 22, 2018, the agitation took a violent turn when the police fired at protesters demanding the permanent closure of the plant, resulting in the death of 13 people. Using Wilson's interest group matrix, this case examines the impact of interest group activity on the policy politics process, the importance for businesses to interpret the policy politics process and its transitions, and how the strategies of different actors need to be responsive to the policy politics to prevent conflicts from escalating into crisis and tragedy.

Having a criminal record can be a major barrier to employment. When companies implement programs and policies that support the hiring of justice-impacted talent, including the formerly incarcerated, both they and the affected individuals stand to benefit. The author describes some of the efforts underway by nonprofit organizations and major employers to tap into this underutilized talent pool and provide people with a second chance to thrive in today's workforce.

With the rapid growth of venture capital ("VC") in recent decades, we might wonder: who succeeds at VC and why? This is a complicated question, as many factors come into play. VC partnerships are comprised of individual investors with varying backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets. VC firms also feature a wide range of investment philosophies, goals, history, and resource sets. Finally, external factors such as geography and culture seem to be correlated with VC activity. This note summarizes some VC research at the individual, firm-wide, and national levels.

When asked to identify an example of a circular economy business model that has generated billions in revenues for a company, ChatGPT, the famous chatbot that in 2022 rocked the world with its ability to perform a variety of tasks, immediately identified and highlighted Apple's iPhone trade-in program. The trade-in program encouraged customers to trade in their old devices, which were then refurbished and resold, or recycled for valuable components. With about 80% of the second-hand smartphone market comprised of iPhone and an increasing percentage of materials being recycled and reused in manufacturing, Apple was making progress towards circularity.

On Monday, September 12, 2016, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Agrium Incorporated announced a merger of equals: to combine Agrium with Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PotashCorp). Agrium, based in Calgary, Alberta, and PotashCorp, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, were Canadian neighbours and direct competitors in the fertilizer industry. The two companies were structured differently, with Agrium having a strong focus on the retail market and a mixed approach to the three major fertilizer components. PotashCorp focused primarily on mining and production of fertilizer materials, especially potash (potassium fertilizer). The proposed all-stock merger would create the largest crop-nutrient company in the world and third-largest natural resource company in Canada. While the two companies' boards of directors had approved the merger, the deal still had a number of hurdles to overcome, including regulatory scrutiny over the resulting control of 60 per cent of North America's potash capacity, shareholder approval, and the go-ahead from the Canadian courts. In addition, there was no guarantee that the proposed US$500 million in annual synergies from the merger would be realized. Was the merger the best decision for Agrium, or were there other, better options? Were the current terms of the merger good for Agrium? What were the key factors to consider to ensure operating synergies were realized? What would Agrium need to do to close the deal?

On June 24, 2021, Keppel Corporation (Keppel) and Sembcorp Marine Limited (Sembmarine) announced that they had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to enter into exclusive talks to merge Sembmarine and Keppel Offshore and Marine (Keppel O&M), a division of Keppel. Separately, but on the same day, Sembmarine also announced an intention to raise S$1.5 billion through a three-for-two renounceable rights issue (up to 18.83 billion new shares) at an exercise price of S$0.08 per share, which was a 35.7 per cent discount to the theoretical ex-rights price and a 58.1 per cent discount to the June 23 closing price of S$0.191.<br><br>Based on the share price reaction to the announcement of the restructuring, what was the market's perception of the merger? Would it create value? Should Sembmarine raise capital via a rights issue and should shareholders subscribe to the rights issue?

In late 2019, Nicole Haney was considering the next strategic step for her business, Boho Bars Bake Shop, based in London, Ontario. Boho Bars Bake Shop produced energy bars made with simple ingredients and whole foods. Haney, who had left her corporate job with the goal of achieving a more flexible lifestyle that would allow her to live in Hawaii for six months of the year, had successfully scaled the business to distribute her product across major retailers in Canada in just four years of operation. She had a supportive partner and no children, allowing her to focus on her business and career. She was considering several alternatives, including implementing automated production and commercializing with a co-manufacturer. If she chose not to pursue one of these opportunities, Haney could also consider maintaining the status quo or selling the business, possibly maintaining an income stream through a royalty deal.

After merging with Commerce Bancorp Inc., TD Bank NA (TD Bank) continued to wow its customers by providing free lollipops, pens, and dog-friendly services and staying open longer than major competitors in the region. Through social media campaigns, it emphasized the importance of having a human touch in banking and showcased its appreciation for customers who had lent a helping hand to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. It introduced innovative services such as curbside pickup for debit cards, and it increased its digital offerings by providing various digital financial services, platforms, and mobile applications (apps). It also enhanced its social media footprint and engagement with various hashtags such as #TDThanksYou. While TD Bank was doing all this, major competitors such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo responded with improved online and offline services. Having successfully differentiated itself as a bank with a human touch, TD Bank was forced to shutter 81 branches in the first quarter of 2021 due to the prolonged effects of the pandemic. Now, in September 2021, it has to recalibrate and provide more digital banking services as most of its customers are demanding the safety and convenience of digital banking. Can TD Bank build upon its slogan, "America's Most Convenient Bank," by consistently delivering humanized and seamless "phygital" banking experiences?

This case concerns the efforts of a multigenerational family company to articulate and document shareholder roles and goals aligned with the enterprise's overarching vision and values. In the summer of 2022, the family owners of well-known window-manufacturer Pella, based in the namesake Iowa city, were well into their fifth generation. No family member worked in the business--per longstanding policy--but fourth-generation members held key governance roles, including as the board chair and directors. With the trustees, other family members, and the CEO, these leaders had worked diligently to define shareholder roles and goals for all governance roles to gain family approval and use the final versions to help management. The board set Pella's vision, priorities, and strategies. The process was tricky because the family was now dispersed across the United States, and none of its members lived near the corporate headquarters. Readers will place themselves in family leaders' shoes as they face challenges, including an unpredictable business environment (such as a volatile housing market) and the question of how best to integrate and unify wide-ranging family interests and preferences for engagement with the enterprise.

New Twitter CEO Elon Musk had been aggressively cutting costs since he acquired the company in October 2022, claiming that the company could collapse if he had not done so. Much of this had been accomplished by retrenching huge numbers of staff. Meanwhile, Musk's controversial moves to restore banned accounts had eliminated a host of key advertisers, causing its main source of revenue - advertising earnings - to plummet as they suspended their advertising activities on the platform. To pivot away from the firm's over-reliance on advertising revenue, Twitter had begun backing all things related to cryptocurrencies. First, it allowed cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets to run advertisements. It subsequently facilitated discussions about cryptocurrencies on its platform and allowed users to tip content creators with Ether. The company further allowed users of its Twitter Blue service to connect their Twitter accounts to their cryptocurrency wallets where their non-fungible token (NFT) holdings were held. Twitter then went on to facilitate the buying and selling of NFTs through tweets. Musk knew that the only way out for Twitter was to open up new steady revenue streams. Were cryptocurrencies and NFTs the answer? Only time would tell.

Dena Almansoori, the first female and one of the youngest members of the United Arab Emirates-based e&'s leadership team, joined in 2020 just before e& began a strategic transition from being a regional telecommunications company to becoming a global technology company. As the group's chief HR officer, Almansoori had a key role to play in this transition. Her mandate was to build a culture that was a "magnet" for top global talent, such that e& would compete with the likes of Amazon and Google not only for customers, but employees too. Many deemed this to be a radically ambitious goal. When Almansoori entered, the company had never had a town hall meeting; e& did not have standardized benefits for employees; employees called their managers by titles not names and needed their approval to apply for internal jobs. However, in two short years, Almansoori and other leaders had made "seismic" changes to the 70,000-person organization's strategy, structure, talent profile, and people processes. Changing the "extremely hierarchical culture" that Almansoori saw as antithetical to being a tech company was a slower process. To speed it up, in a radical move for the organization and region, Almansoori rolled out a new internal mobility policy that encouraged employees to apply for internal jobs without asking their manager's permission. It was a symbolic gesture of "taking control away from leaders and putting it in the hands of employees" and a mechanism for altering manager-employee interactions-an area Almansoori could not directly control. In contrast, her other HR initiatives did not directly impact power dynamics inside e&.

Dena Almansoori, the first female and one of the youngest members of the United Arab Emirates-based e&'s leadership team, joined in 2020 just before e& began a strategic transition from being a regional telecommunications company to becoming a global technology company. As the group chief HR officer, Almansoori had a key role to play in this transition. Her mandate was to build a culture that was a "magnet" for top global talent, such that e& would compete with the likes of Amazon and Google not only for customers, but employees too. Many deemed this to be a radically ambitious goal. When Almansoori entered, the company had never had a town hall meeting; e& did not have standardized benefits for employees; employees called their managers by titles not names and needed their approval to apply for internal jobs. However, in two short years, Almansoori and other leaders had made "seismic" changes to the 70,000-person organization's strategy, structure, talent profile, and people processes. Changing the "extremely hierarchical culture" that Almansoori saw as antithetical to being a tech company was a slower process. To speed it up, in a radical move for the organization and region, Almansoori rolled out a new internal mobility policy that encouraged employees to apply for internal jobs without asking their manager's permission. It was a symbolic gesture of "taking control away from leaders and putting it in the hands of employees" and a mechanism for altering manager-employee interactions-an area Almansoori could not directly control. In contrast, her other HR initiatives did not directly impact power dynamics inside e&.

Finbook Pte. Ltd. (FinBook), a financial technology (fintech) start-up, started in July 2017 in Singapore as a decentralized marketplace for structured products on the blockchain. The founders obtained seed funding of approximately US$200,000 that allowed it to introduce and incorporate structured funds, short sales, and financial options in the crypto space using smart contracts under the distributed ledger system. In May 2018, FinBook launched a private cornerstone round of token financing and obtained $3.5 million worth of Ethereum. However, the cryptocurrency market plunged in 2018. As a result, the founders needed to discuss their options: Should they postpone the public initial coin offering (ICO) planned for September 2018, or should they consider another round of venture capital (VC) equity financing while waiting for a better time for the ICO?

A business school student was preparing for a stock pitch competition. He had developed an interest in stock held by investor Warren Buffet in Liberty Media Corp.'s Series C Liberty Formula One common shares. His research revealed that a substantial part of Formula One's valuation was accounted for as intangible assets and comprised, in particular, what was known as the 100-year agreement with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the sport's governing body. The student was interested in how such an agreement on paper could be worth billions of dollars and how that translated into value for investors. What factors would-and should-Liberty Media Corp. have considered when attributing a value to an asset such as the 100-year agreement that was ten times higher than its original cost? How should investors view these inflated values for intangible assets such as the 100-year agreement and Formula One's customer relationships and what would be their impact on Liberty Media Corp.'s earnings and future stock value?

The president of Siyuan Energy (Siyuan) faced the long-standing problem of a very high rate of top management turnover. By 2019, Siyuan had grown to five hundred employees and ¥170 million in revenue; however, over the past decade, the turnover rate of executives had grown dramatically. Few of the externally hired executives lasted even a year, and now a number of long-time internal executives were also leaving. Morale was declining at the same time that the company was facing growing competition. Action was required to address the problem, but analysis was first needed to understand whether such high turnover was due to systems or leadership, or both.

In March of 2021, the management consulting division of Global Consulting Company Canada was preparing to hold its biannual performance review call for consulting analysts hired in September 2019. The analysts had been unable to complete their traditional two-year rotational development program, which meant that no promotion would normally be recommended on this call. However, extraordinary circumstances caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 made two analysts from this class stand out above the rest. The senior manager of the two high performers was planning to challenge the firm's strict requirements for promoting analysts. She wanted to keep her two high-performing analysts motivated and to fast-track their careers. Her presentation at the upcoming performance review call would be a key factor in the firm's decision.