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Today, both organizations and employees are increasingly focused on passion. An analysis of 200 million U.S. job postings found that the use of the word "passion" increased nearly tenfold from 2007 to 2019, while a recent survey of thousands of college-educated workers found that 72% of their listed career goals were related to passion-more than both salary and job security. Similarly, more than 90% of surveyed Columbia Business School MBA students listed "pursuing their passion" as an important goal for their future jobs. The belief that passion is a key attribute for employees to pursue and for organizations to nurture has become deeply enmeshed in contemporary society, with the pursuit of passion increasingly being seen as the morally right thing to do.

A key negotiating concept, the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA), allows a buyer and seller to reach a mutually acceptable price. This technical note provides an overview of ZOPA for both individual-level negotiations and company-level pricing decisions, highlighting its importance to marketing. Challenges in applying ZOPA are discussed, as well as its role in value creation and exchange. Students are encouraged to consider the real-world impacts of ZOPA-based pricing on business and brand management. This note is suitable for use in graduate and under graduate courses on marketing, negotiation, brand management, and product pricing.

This note presents frameworks and indicators for identifying fragile economies. It includes an assessment of Morgan Stanley's Fragile Five call in 2012 as well as current fragilities data for a range of economies. This note is appropriate for use in a first-year MBA course or an advanced undergraduate- or master's-level course that deals with international economics or finance.

BC Cancer was a provincial government-funded treatment and research organization that provided cancer care in British Columbia (BC), Canada. During 2021-2022, BC Cancer developed a connected chatbot to improve patient access to information and reduce demands on the telephone nursing lines. A project manager oversaw the chatbot's development and ran a proof of concept in Victoria, BC, from March to June 2022. While this allowed her working group to obtain feedback from nurses, other user data regarding the value of the connected chatbot was limited and inconclusive. Following the completion of the proof of concept, the project manager had to decide whether BC Cancer should continue to roll out the connected chatbot, and if so, how.

The Mount Sinai and Mass General Brigham hospital systems took different approaches to automating routine administrative processes, but both found success. The reason: They both combined technical and process knowledge, scored and prioritized individual processes on their automation potential, and involved front-line workers in the implementation. Their experiences hold lessons for other organizations looking to automate routine processes.

The case presents information about Morocco as a rapidly developing emerging economy which is achieving notable success in a range of global business sectors. First, a profile of Morocco highlights country characteristics and a wide range of opportunities for building the country's image. Then, nation branding and perception management concepts are discussed, along with country stereotyping and country brand personality, with particular references to Morocco. Next, the political history notion of a cultural turn is introduced to explain how Morocco chose to adopt a new image and role on the world stage, expressed through its New Development Model of 2021. Then, leading growth industries and business sectors are detailed, followed by a final discussion of potential nation branding and image-building opportunities.The central case question is: What do the government of Morocco and its agencies want the world to know about the country and how can this be conveyed as part of the country's image?The Moroccan government's challenge is multidimensional: to determine priorities for nation branding, select specific target audiences, design persuasive messages, manage communications media efficiently and effectively, and then measure results relative to objectives. Questions arise about what messages should be communicated about Morocco to propel its economic development, attract visitors and foreign investment, reinforce its reputation for cutting-edge industrial capabilities, enhance its reputation for high fashion and Hollywood-quality film production and, not least, fully utilize its human potential across a wide range of activities.

In mid-2023 Akash Gupta, CEO of GreyOrange Ltd (GO), an Atlanta-based robotics firm, had to decide whether GO still needed its exclusive technology partnership with LOGI, a leading US-based contract logistics firm. Since 2018 the partnership had been instrumental in establishing GO as a major provider of robotic solutions in the warehouse automation space. With new management at LOGI, a renegotiation had become inevitable. Numerous options were possible. These ranged from complete discontinuation of exclusivity, to continuation of exclusivity with revised pricing terms, to continuation with an expanded scope of products provided by GO.

The president of the West Coast Cycling Association (WCCA) believed that a lot was riding on finding the best way to secure the future of the Newfoundland and Labrador non-profit organization. He had to consider how to effectively fulfill what he saw as the WCCA's mission, better promote mountain biking throughout the region, and build a sustainable financial future for the association. While there were several viable options that could meet those challenges, the president knew that he needed to carefully consider the pros and cons of each alternative. This was especially important given the absence of any permanent paid staff in the WCCA, the voluntary nature of his own position as its president, and the other entities interested in the WCCA's work.

This technical note provides an overview of accounting for owners equity. It discusses the concepts of common stock and preferred stock, as well as authorized, issued, and outstanding shares. It covers the accounting for issuances of stock, repurchases of stock (treasury stock), capital stock and additional paid in capital, and dividends. It touches briefly on comprehensive income and earnings per share.

Two different lines of research into how investors react to the appointment of Black CEOs finds that while there are often short-term negative reactions, some types of shareholders, such as institutional investors, react more positively. Research finds that there is no difference in the actual financial performance of Black CEOs and their peer CEOs. The article suggests ways to mitigate bias in CEO hiring.

Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup, the largest private conglomerate in Vietnam, and Global CEO of VinFast, Vingroup's automotive subsidiary established in 2017, was contemplating VinFast's future strategy. Domestically, the EV market in Vietnam was in its infancy with many hurdles including a shortage of charging stations, potential electric overload, a lack of consumer incentives, poor road conditions, and traffic congestion. Internationally, VinFast faced fierce competition from more established EV makers. Should VinFast put more emphasis on the domestic market or the international ones? How could VinFast adjust its strategy and resource allocation for better growth?

Taffi was a tech-enabled fashion styling startup founded by Shahad Geoffrey in Saudi Arabia in 2020. Within three years of operating, Geoffrey had pivoted the business multiple times. In 2023, Geoffrey was attempting the business's most ambitious pivot yet, shifting away from a consumer facing online fashion stylist marketplace to a B2B model offering an AI-powered fashion styling advisor. The timing seemed right as the AI market in the region was booming, backed by the Saudi government. There was also virtually no competition. Moreover, large businesses had expressed an interest in signing up. The trouble was the AI was not ready yet, it could not generate styling advice on its own and still partially relied on input from the freelance stylists that Taffi attracted through the marketplace. Was this the right time for Taffi to pivot? The case chronicles the founding of Taffi, the pivots it made and why, and describes the challenges Geoffrey faced during her journey of entrepreneurship and how she addressed them. The case serves to provide a founder's account of setting up and operating a startup in Saudi Arabia. The case also explores how Saudi Arabia stimulated the development of a startup ecosystem through a multi-pronged approach, and provides a background venture funding in the region.

Supplement to 217050.

In December 2021, Murat Ozyegin, Chairman of Fiba Holding, along with Omer Mert and Ä°hsan Elgin, engaged in discussions about the future of United Payment, a fintech company in which Finberg, a subsidiary of Fibabanka, held a 20% stake. Finberg, established in 2018 as Turkey's first fintech-focused corporate venture capital firm, had invested significantly in United Payment, contributing to its substantial growth in transaction volume from $352 million in 2019 to almost $865 million in 2020. With an offer from OYAK, Turkey's largest pension fund, to invest in United Payment, the leadership team deliberated on whether to accept the proposal or wait for further growth opportunities, considering the company's plans for international expansion and the competitive landscape in the fintech sector. The decision involved weighing the potential benefits of OYAK's investment against the risks of stiff competition and its implications on United Payment's competitive advantage and profitability.

In May 2022, India's retail inflation rate rose above the upper limit of the target range set by the Reserve Bank of India in 2015, to reach 7.79 per cent. In recent years, India's retail inflation rate had been successfully kept within the target range of 2-6 per cent as the economy grew steadily. Everything changed in March 2020, however, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the economy of all countries around the world. In February 2022, two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, Russia invaded Ukraine, which further disrupted the global supply chains. As a result, all major economies had to closely manage their monetary policies with contractionary measures and use policy rates to contain inflation. Eventually, by March 2023, the inflation rate in India dropped to 5.66 per cent, within the target range. The Reserve Bank of India's governor had paused the rate hike in April after noticing that high interest rates were adversely affecting investments and growth prospects in the Indian economy. He knew that he had to continue using contractionary monetary policies but could not lower the policy repo rate, when inflation across major economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom were showing no signs of calming. He could choose to increase or keep the repo rate unchanged. Alternatively, he could choose a contractionary measure such as quantitative tightening.

This field-based case puts students in the role of Nikki Brown, a Black female police officer at the St. Louis County Police Department (SLCPD). After repeatedly witnessing and experiencing acts of discrimination, favoritism, harassment, and racism within the SLCPD, Brown must decide whether to file a formal complaint or remain silent. Reporting illegal, immoral, or unethical behavior within a long-entrenched US police culture could cost Brown her job. Conversely, opting for silence could mean Brown is implicitly perpetuating unethical practices that often harm other officers and citizens like herself. With the pressure mounting, which should Brown choose her career or her conscience? This case has been taught at the Darden School of Business in the first- and second-year MBA elective Talent Management. It is ideal for graduate and executive MBA courses, especially those centered around organizational behavior; talent management or human resources; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Midvale Healthcare System case explores the impact of complexity, uncertainty, volatility and ambiguity (CUVA) on leadership decision making and prioritization. Midvale, a traditionally stable healthcare provider, is experiencing an escalating cascade of internal and external challenges. These include shifting patient demographics, reimbursement uncertainties, workforce shortages and evolving competitive pressures. Amid this whirlwind, CEO Sarah Martinez must grapple with the uncertain future of healthcare policy and rapid technological advancements while striving to maintain Midvale's core focus on quality patient care. The case highlights the complexity of interconnected problems facing many business leaders today and the importance of recognizing, prioritizing and mobilizing to deal with emerging challenges and opportunities. It is a vehicle for exploring the key elements of strategic thinking, including pattern recognition, systems analysis, mental agility, structured problem solving, visioning and political savvy as presented in the book The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking.

This note introduces cybersecurity what it is, why it is needed, and current practices and solutions. While the broad issue of information security is a concern for governments and individuals, this note focuses on internet-related risks facing private-sector enterprises. Cybersecurity is, or should be, front and center in the minds of leaders at companies that are adopting and applying digital technologies to transform how their companies operate. Those technologies continue to advance in some cases at mind-boggling speed. Think artificial intelligence (AI), cloud solutions, enterprise integration, 5G communication, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and more. While these technologies promise to increase an enterprises efficiencies and deliver better customer services, they also introduce a new business risk: cyber risk. Cyber risk means risk of disruption of an enterprises operations, damage to its reputation, or both, caused by the deliberate actions cyberattacks of outsiders (cybercriminals) or enterprise insiders. Once thought to be the responsibility of an enterprises information technology (IT) department, cybersecurity the prevention of and response to cyberattacks is now every employees responsibility, from hourly workers to the board of directors. At the Darden School of Business, this note is taught in the second-year elective Digital Operations class; it would also be suitable in a module covering cyber risks.

In 2022, Michael Steiner, Porsche's Executive Board Member for Research and Development, confronted a pivotal decision as the company aimed to shift over 80 per cent of new vehicle sales to full-electric models by 2030. In response to the global drive for sustainability, Porsche contemplated an innovative strategy: the eFuels concept, involving the production of synthetic fuels with near-carbon-neutral potential. This presented a solution to challenges such as market competition, technological changes, and varied global governmental impacts. However, Porsche grappled with the dilemma of embracing eFuels or focusing solely on electric vehicles, recognizing the decision's profound impact on its industry position. The company was faced with the choice of becoming a fuel provider, controlling the entire value chain, or collaborating with existing producers to leverage expertise and mitigate risks. The decision required careful consideration of long-term implications, with high stakes shaping Porsche's trajectory for years to come. Balancing electric engine development and the pursuit of eFuels, the company sought to strike a delicate equilibrium in navigating the complex landscape of sustainable mobility and emerging technologies.

Spreadsheet supplement for case W34499.