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Sugar and Spice and Sparkles are two companies in the high-end cupcake market that have chosen two different competitive and operating strategies. Sugar and Spice has configured its operations to emphasize a high level of customization. Sparkles has a strategy that emphasizes a narrower range of products. Based on data collected by Sugar and Spice, the question is whether its position is at risk. The case focuses on Sugar and Spice and the defensibility of its position using its current operating system. The issue requires students to compare the competitive and operating strategies of both companies and to identify and evaluate the sources of cost differences in their operations.

Following the lean years of the Great Depression when bankruptcies proliferated and financing for new ventures virtually dried up, new demand for capital was created in a post-War environment of scientific and industrial expansion. Venture funding occurred more widely in the United States than it ever had done before. While the roots of the American venture capital industry are long-standing and multifaceted, they are frequently traced back to the pioneering initiatives of the French General and Harvard Business School professor, Georges Doriot, who established the American Research and Development Corporation (ARD) in 1946.

The case focuses on the execution challenges facing Nandan Nilekani, the Chairman, and Ram Sevak Sharma, Director General and Mission Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India. India had no nationally accepted way to prove identity and hence 42% of the population at the base of the pyramid had to resort to bribery to access entitlements, while a web of fake or multiple identities facilitated criminal diversion of government subsidies. UIDAI was tasked to deliver a unique identification number to every Indian resident. This involved the issue of a total of 1.2 billion unique IDs by 2020 and an interim goal of 600 million UIDs by 2014 - the largest data management program in the world. The case deals with the challenge of implementing a towering vision, of executing on an epic technology project, and of changing minds on an unprecedented scale. It examines the forces that both facilitate and derail change. It also examines the leadership style and motivation of Nilekani, and the transition in skills required to move from building a global organization to working within the Indian bureaucracy.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 212-044

In January 2012, the government of India faced significant challenges to achieving three key objectives of high growth, inclusive development, and improved governance. The economy was experiencing a growth slowdown, persistently high inflation, and infrastructure and energy deficits. Policy reforms were hampered by several recent corruption scandals, widespread citizen protests against corruption, and disagreements with coalition partners. Could India make the right decisions needed to lift hundreds of millions of citizens out of poverty?

In this case, a property company, a water privatizer, and municipal engineers explore the causes of and solutions to a severe water shortage in Mexico City, a great global capital. The protagonist is a real estate investor doing due diligence on the magnitude of the crisis, the impact on the firm's operations, and the likelihood of resolution. Due diligence includes interviews with city water officials and global-scale water privatizers. This case is an excellent introduction to city scale infrastructure issues on a global level. A related case, "Water Shortage and Property Investing in Mexico City," HBS No. 210-085, contains more real estate finance and less water infrastructure finance material than this case does.

In October 2011, Zhang Yuping, founder and chairman of Hengdeli, the largest Swiss watch retailer in the world, wondered how to work more closely with its key suppliers-Swatch Group, Richemont Group, LVMH Group, and Rolex Group-to maintain strong growth in the Greater China region. Specifically, how could Hengdeli manage the relationship with these suppliers to ensure getting more supply in a market where demand outgrew supply? How could Hengdeli balance the needs of these competing suppliers without being overreliant on one or two suppliers? How could it continue to expand its retail network to enhance its value and position? How could Hengdeli rationalize the portfolio management to maximize the return in the long-term?

In 2011, Chile's Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Jorge Atton, was considering adopting a different policy toward regulating competition in Internet services than previously applied to voice telephony. Atton headed Chile's telecommunications regulatory agency, SUBTEL. For the past two decades, SUBTEL had encouraged the emergence of competition in telephone services in part by forcing the incumbent telephone company to give new entrants to the industry access to its customers. SUBTEL had circulated for public comment consultation document that raised the possibility of imposing "open access" requirements on the providers of broadband Internet services. This case discusses the debate over open access in Chile. This case can be used with the accompanying teaching note (HKS 878). HKS Case Number 1955.0.

It was also in debt and out of fashion. It had acquired a reputation as "one of the least user-friendly museums in the world." One senior figure from the museum was even quoted as saying that he didn't want children in there. Compared to rival venues, visiting the BM was like a "trip back in time" - but not in a favorable sense. In the space of nine years, MacGregor reversed its fortunes and restored its sense of pride and purpose. He raised its profile through engaging exhibitions, television shows and the Internet - but most surprisingly of all through the use of radio. He presided over a startling transformation in the image and fortunes of the BM, with net income quadrupling in nine years and donations and legacies growing eight-fold under his watch. Visitor numbers reached record highs and the BM has become a template for other museums. A cultural institution that was once in danger of becoming an embarrassing monument to British imperialism is now viewed with pride. As one commentator put it: "As an exercise in rebranding, it is surely up there with the best." The case considers the methods used by MacGregor to achieve these results and some of the key turning points, as well as the lessons for other organizations, including in the private sector. It also explores the possible complications of following a charismatic leader. Learning objectives: The case covers six key issues to do with leadership and organizational change: 1) The difficulties of changing an entrenched public sector culture, shaped by curatorial divisions and the weight of the BM's heritage. 2) The challenge of managing multiple stakeholders. 3) The various roles adopted by a leader - and changing the scope of the job. 4) The importance of finding a purpose that resonates with employees and visitors alike. 5) The process of institutional transformation and the challenge of building on MacGregor's legacy. 6) The benefits and drawbacks of charismatic leadership.

Souk el Tayeb, the farmers' market, and Tawlet, the farmers' kitchen are two legal entities, the former adopting the legal structure of an NGO and the latter, an income generating company, joined by one vision namely to "celebrate food and traditions that unite communities and support small-scale farmers and producers and a culture of sustainable agriculture." Souk el Tayeb founder, Kamal Mouzawak, first launched Souk el Tayeb, a farmer's market, in May 2004 in Beirut, Lebanon. The idea was to create a communal space for farmers across the country to sell their organic produce and products. The over-arching vision was to create a platform that joined different people celebrating food, culture and traditions and in parallel promoting and supporting the agricultural sector in Lebanon. Mouzawak and his business partner were in the process of brainstorming ways to scale the impact of their social business while not compromising quality standards and meeting the ever looming challenge of financial sustainability.

This case deals with an exporting challenge faced by Ferro Industries (Ferro), a small enterprise within the steel industry in India. The company's manufacturing facility was located in the National Capital Region of Delhi. Ferro's main products were roll-forming machines, cut-to-length lines and slitting lines; the company was one of only three firms in the Indian sub-continent catering to the market for such products. This case raises two basic questions in relation to Ferro's role as an exporter: Firstly, at what stage should an importer have to pay an exporter? Secondly, should the exporter release consignment to the importer before receiving payment? The case illustrates the challenges of exporting and international entrepreneurship for a small firm, taking into account payment risk, product pricing, deal-making strategies, promotional strategy and client-management strategies. It also addresses the complexities involved in the decision-making process while exporting, as well as outlining various conflict-resolution techniques for closing a deal effectively while considering the appropriateness of taking risks.

From 2005-2006, Federated Department Stores converted some 15 regional department store chains into a single national brand, Macy's, with 810 stores across the United States. In addition, the company repositioned the consolidated Macy's in the overall retail landscape in an attempt to differentiate the new company from its competitors. These maneuvers were undertaken to counter decreasing sales and profits in the traditional department store industry. Some retail analysts suggested that the consolidation of Macy's, while interesting, was destined to fail because the traditional department store was an obsolete entity; however, other analysts suggested that Macy's strategy may have held the key to success in a declining industry. In 2008, the U.S. economy entered a recession, and, by 2011, it remained far from booming. Did Macy's need to change parts of its strategy to remain competitive? What would need to change?

Ctrip is a $437 million Chinese on-line travel services company with a scientific, data driven approach to management. The case explores Ctrip's founding and early growth, its expansion into multiple market segments including hotel reservations, air ticketing, leisure travel, and corporate travel, and the sources of its competitive advantage. The firm's culture, organization and call center operations are described in detail, as are its decision-making and business processes. At the end of the case, executives are considering whether Ctrip should actively pursue either the budget or luxury travel segments, which would mean shifting attention from the company's core customer base of Frequent Independent Travelers.

Roger Osayende, a former management consultant, must advise the Ministry of Health of Ektu, a fictional country in Central Africa, on how to implement a new point-of-care diagnostic test for infants with HIV. In Ektu, mothers often transmitted HIV infection to infants during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding due to inadequate resources to invest in prevention efforts. The existing procedure to diagnose infants with HIV required collecting dried blood samples at more than two hundred healthcare facilities around the country and transporting them to a central laboratory in the capital for testing. This process was characterized by significant delays due to long transportation times, batching of samples in transportation and processing in the lab, and concomitant congestion in the lab. This delay resulted in loss to follow-up, that is, lost patients due to mothers not collecting their infants' results. A new point-of-care device was about to be introduced, which would obviate the need for this centralized processing and the resulting diagnostic delay. The key decision under consideration is where to place the devices to maximize their effectiveness.

Better World Books was founded as a for-profit "B corporation" committed to a triple bottom-line of financial, social, and environmental performance. After early growth, BWB now faces challenges growing while sustaining their social-entrepreneurship business model. Problems such as narrow margins, shrinking supply, low brand awareness, and even copycat competitors are a few of the issues BWB faces. CEO David Murphy must decide how to handle these issues in a way that keeps BWB competitive in the crowded used-book industry and creates value for all of BWB's stakeholders.

Now a public company, Tesla Motors has grown from an IPO and partnerships with Daimler and Toyota. Telsa has forgone the traditional dealership business model to sell directly to the public creating a unique customer experience. Now faced with negative press and reports from analysts that Tesla vehicles are too expensive, Elon Musk must decide what the next steps for Tesla Motors are.

After a series of entrepreneurial successes, Elon Musk invested and took a leadership role in Tesla Motors, a company dedicated to commercializing the fully electric car for the mass market. Tesla's current product, the Tesla Roadster, is considered the first fully electric vehicle capable of replacing a gasoline-powered automobile due to its high performance and acceptable range. As other companies, including the traditional vehicle manufacturers and new entrants, develop their own electric vehicles, Musk must decide what to do with Telsa Motors as a company. Should he sell to a larger manufacturer, take the company public to generate the capital for growth, or remain a private niche company? Could Tesla expand their product line to compete with the traditional players in the market?

Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm Computing, wants software that "thinks" like the human brain. His latest company, Numenta, has developed "Hierarchical Temporal Memory" (HTM), a cutting-edge pattern-recognition software that functions as the human brain does. Hawkins struggles with how to license Numenta's software while protecting Numenta's intellectual property. He must also balance moving his research forward with creating a profit and sustaining his company. Hawkins, who doesn't want to lose control of this company like he lost control of Palm Computing, must decide what strategic alliances to make or not make to ensure that his dream of making computers "more human" becomes reality.

Teaching Note for Product #MH0004 Following Ray Anderson's guidance and vision, Interface, a modular carpet and commercial broadloom company, had implemented a business model focused on sustainability. The results had been not just good for the environment but also for Interface's costs and bottom line. When larger companies such as Wal-Mart came to see Interface's sustainability practices in person to learn how sustainability could benefit their companies, Anderson started InterfaceRAISE, a sustainability consulting company, and made Jim Hartzfeld Managing Director. Now faced with growing the business, Jim must consider what he will need to do to increase InterfaceRAISE's influence for sustainable business on the corporate world.

Best Buy has survived the economic recession that took out competitor Circuit City only to find an increasingly competitive landscape. Their dominance of the retail electronics industry is being challenged by online retailers and big-box retailers such as Walmart and Target. CEO Brian Dunn is scheduled to present a five-year growth plan to shareholders in just two months. With an uncertain economy and invading competitors, what strategies for growth should he present to keep Best Buy from the same fate as Circuit City?