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Case B of the two-part series "Zee Entertainment and Essel Group: A Quest for Legacy and Beyond" describes the evolution and eventual resolution of the personal crisis that looms in front of Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee Entertainment Limited, in Case A. Chandra was very well-known in India as a successful entrepreneur who brought entertainment to the masses in the 1990s through his television channel Zee. Although Zee had performed very well over three decades, Chandra found himself under significant debt stress due to failures associated with his infrastructure business, which he had founded in 2007. By January 2019, Chandra had offered most of the shares of the listed firms he owned as collateral to banks to borrow additional debt to sustain his infrastructure business. Several developments had occurred by this time that deepened Chandra's predicament, including the tightening of credit by financial institutions, a statutory body investigation into a firm that he owned, and an investigative report outlining his personal indebtedness. These factors contributed to a dip in the stock price of many listed Essel Group companies, and banks threatened to sell the shares of companies of Chandra's thriving media business to recover the debt. Chandra had to sell assets of his infrastructure business and most of his stake in Zee to pay off his debt. Corporate governance lapses at Zee also emerged at the time of the stake sale by Chandra, particularly around related party transactions with other companies that he and his brothers owned. Although his son Punit Goenka continued as the CEO of Zee, Chandra had to resign his chairmanship of the company and was left with a measly 5% stake in Zee, with the dominant shareholders now being institutional investors.

The case presentation describes the company's milestones since its arrival in Argentina, the evolution of its safety culture and its safety management system, as well as the firm's relationship with the trade union and how it unfolded over the years. Finally, the case outlines all major obstacles hindering the roll-out of a Just Culture system, leading to the time when a decision must be made to continue or halt the project in light of the concerns raised by some managers and union delegates.

The case discusses different steps which Mastercard has followed in its digital transformation journey. They involve opportunity framing, creating innovation pathways, finding digital transformation opportunities, and innovation with partners within adaptive ecosystems. With the objective to stop competing with other payment processing firms (like Visa or Amex) and start competing with cash, Mastercard has moved from an undifferentiated processor of payments to a builder of unique technological platforms. The case has two parts, A and B.

While open innovation ecosystems allow a firm to harness external sources of value creation, these external ties can also constrain its ability to adapt its innovation strategy to pursue new opportunities. This article looks at how an incumbent firm approached such constraints, and used cognitive artifacts to transform its value chain into a collaborative ecosystem. It examines the case of a 3D printing-enabled shift to mass customization of orthopedic medical implants. The results demonstrate how firms can use artifacts to build a shared understanding across heterogeneous stakeholders as they explore and develop new open innovation models, and how this process can be managed flexibly to avoid adopting a locally (rather than globally) optimal strategy.

Hoshin kanri (HK), or strategy deployment, has been an integral part of the company management practices of some of the most successful Lean-practicing organizations. The purpose of this note is to give a very quick introduction to how it has been successfully used in small and medium-sized value streams to inject strategic meaning and tactical understanding to operational strategies and improvement plans. Done well, HK is an extraordinary tool to help a team develop, adjust, and communicate strategy to meet robust, long-term goals.

N95 masks are an important aspect in the fight to prevent the spread of COVID-19 due to the virus's contagious nature. Coronavirus is a flu disease. It affects the respiratory tract of a person's body and causes difficulties in breathing. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus who are symptomatic experience mild to moderate respiratory illness, fever, and fatigue, and recover without needing to be hospitalized. However, there are cases wherein people are asymptomatic (i.e., not showing any symptoms) but still test positive for the virus and complicate attempts to stop its spread. This case introduces students to critical issues that occurred in the supply chain for N95 masks during the global pandemic. While many students will be familiar with the fact that supply chain disruptions occurred during the crisis, many will not know the specific details or why these disruptions occurred. The case can be used to illustrate the fundamental operational issues that occurred throughout the N95 masks' supply chain, discuss where improvements should be made, and emphasize the concept of supply chain resiliency.

The conditions that exist during a crisis, including a sense of urgency, a focus on fewer priorities, and more latitude for experimentation, make it easier for organizations to innovate. Leaders can build and sustain a more innovative culture by fostering similar conditions even in the absence of a crisis.

Marco Marketing Consultants was a company based in Argentina with activities in several Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico) and China, specialized in field marketing services mainly in the technology retail industry called 3C: computer, communication, and electronic consumption items. Dated at the end of 2014 and from the perspective of its president and founder Pablo Ceballos, the central question posed by the case is, what direction should Marco Marketing Consultants take? In order to do so, it is necessary to evaluate if the strategy developed by Marco since its inception was still competitive or if it should face drastic changes and start generating another type of strategic profile. The case describes the initial growth of the company since its creation in 1995, its subsequent international expansion, and the challenges that arose as the company grew, became more professional, and - simultaneously - the industry transformed and matured.

The Mahindra Truck and Bus Division (MTBD) is one of India's leading auto industries. Commercial truck brands such as Tata and Ashok Leyland capture a significant portion of the market share. In the case, we discuss the challenges faced by new commercial vehicle (CV) players such as the MTBD in synchronising supply with demand. The case brings out the supply chain nuances associated with truck manufacturing business, especially from a new entrant's perspective.

Founded in 1989, the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corporation Beijing (Ameco), the earliest and largest civil aircraft maintenance enterprise in China, was a joint venture between two of the world's largest airlines: Air China Limited (Air China) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa). In response to a crisis in the domestic market after 2012, Ameco decided to enter the international market. After Ameco had considered several methods for implementing this strategy, it eventually formed a successful alliance with the Lufthansa subsidiary Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT). Ameco and LHT communicated with each other to solve existing problems and produced a successful design collaboration. In 2019, while this partnership was proceeding smoothly, the general manager of the business aviation modification department needed to decide on a strategy that would help the company also succeed in the areas of market development and technical capability.

Stitch Fix Inc. (Stich Fix), started by Katrina Lake in 2011, combined modern technology and online shopping with a retail clothing shopping experience. Customers subscribed to Stitch Fix and received boxes of clothing, shoes, and accessories based on individual style and preferences; a personal stylist was matched with each customer to personalize each box prior to shipping. A significant part of the company's value came from its unique value chain elements, including sophisticated algorithms that permeated all aspects of the company's value chain. However, in early 2020, the company was facing a significant challenge, with both Amazon Prime Wardrobe and Nordstrom Trunk Club entering the industry. How should Stitch Fix modify its business model to stay ahead of the competition and possibly expand its boundaries to other customer segments?

Viral Nation, a six-year-old company based in Ontario, was North America's leading influencer marketing company. In March 2020, as the global COVID-19 pandemic struck, the founders of the company were assessing their venture's future growth prospects. Having just received three competing acquisition offers for their company, they needed to make a decision: Should they accept any of the offers, and if so, which one? Or, should they instead continue to grow organically in an increasingly uncertain market environment?

On August 12, 1819, a crew set sail for the Pacific Ocean on a three-year voyage on the Essex whaling ship. On November 20, 1820, a giant sperm whale emerged from the ocean and critically damaged the Essex's starboard hull. The crew consisted of the captain, two officers, three boat steerers, and 13 sailors, most of whom lacked experience. While the captain and officers of the Essex huddled to plan their next move, the crew trusted the first officer to make the crucial decisions about using the ship's three remaining whaleboats for the long voyage home. Surviving the wreckage would not be an easy task; therefore, making the right decisions would be essential for survival. As the ship continued to take in water, the captain and officers had to decide who should go in each whaleboat, what direction they should take, and what provisions they should carry.

Student spreadsheet to case W20934

In October 2014, José Alberto Vélez, a member of the Board of Directors of Cementos Argos, met with the company's management team to discuss future steps. Two of its largest global competitors, Holcim and Lafarge, had decided to merge, and the decision drove them to disinvest in some key markets, opening up a range of opportunities for Cementos Argos. Vélez proposed an ambitious objective to the Board: expanding from US$2.5bn (hereafter $) to $10bn in revenues by 2030. The Board accepted the idea enthusiastically but questioned how to pursue such challenging growth targets. Several options were on the table, but all involved overseas expansion. "We have to enter new markets", Velez pointed out. "There is no way we can grow if we just stay in the markets where we are, and why should we just defend our position? Let's be ambitious." After a long brainstorming session, the Board decided to take some time and re-adjourn to make a decision within a week. Directors needed to decide whether or not to expand, if so, into which countries and through what means: organic growth or acquisitions. While various markets had been flouted as suitable options, most Board member's minds were focused on four markets: Brazil and Mexico, in Latin America, or the United States and Canada, further North. The company needed to study its alternatives carefully, as its choices would call for substantial resources - capital infusions in the order of hundreds of millions. Such an investment would condition the company's future for several years, for better or worse. Moreover, price wars were common in this industry: a faux pas would leave Argos vulnerable to retaliation by powerful incumbents -a painful scenario which could destroy massive shareholder value.

Open innovation includes external knowledge sources and paths to market as complements to internal innovation processes. Open innovation has to date been driven largely by business objectives, but the imperative of social challenges has turned attention to the broader set of goals to which open innovation is relevant. This introduction discusses how open innovation can be deployed to address societal challenges - as well as the trade-offs and tensions that arise as a result. Against this background we introduce the articles published in this Special Section, which were originally presented at the sixth Annual World Open Innovation Conference.

On November 23, 2018, the US jewellery maker Tiffany & Co. (Tiffany) received the final verdict in a years-long legal battle with the Swiss watchmaker The Swatch Group Ltd. (Swatch), which required Tiffany to pay Swatch millions of Swiss francs in damages (plus additional legal fees). The subject of the conflict was a strategic alliance the two companies had announced in 2007, which had once been called a "historic agreement" and a "pathbreaking strategic move." The alliance's objective was to design and manufacture luxury watches under the Tiffany brand name and distribute them across Swatch's vast retail network and through Tiffany's own stores. How did this once-promising alliance come to be terminated in 2011, less than four years later? What lessons could be derived from the failure of this alliance?

Vijay Sales Ltd., established in 1967, had become one of India's leading retail chains in consumer electronics and appliances by 2020. The company sold products through 102 exclusive stores in northern, western, and southern India and had developed a loyal customer base across wide geographies, particularly among the 40-plus age group. However, the company faced challenges in attracting a younger demographic, specifically millennial customers. To secure its future, the company needed an effective marketing strategy to position it as millennial customers' preferred retail brand for consumer electronics and appliances.

Ashiana Housing Ltd. (Ashiana) was a small real estate developer in India, specializing in mid-priced domestic housing. The company was tightly run and had attracted investment interest from large reputable firms, but its financial performance had recently deteriorated-a state that was reflected in the company's declining share price. The industry was also undergoing change with far-reaching reforms, which was leading to consolidation and the exit of smaller players. Did Ashiana have the right business strategy for the market and was this the right time to invest in the company?

Ireland-based Ryanair DAC (Ryanair) was the largest European low-cost airline, serving approximately 120 million customers in 34 countries in 2016-2017. The airline was considering entering new markets as its growth in existing markets had plateaued. The untapped Ukrainian market offered a huge growth opportunity for Ryanair as the country had recently signed a free-trade agreement with the European Union (EU) and was about to enter a visa-free regime that would increase travel between Ukraine and the EU. However, in July 2017, Boryspil International Airport (KBP) in Kyiv returned a co-signed service agreement that withheld several important terms and breached earlier verbal agreements it had made with Ryanair. KBP didn't want to provide a preferential tariff for Ryanair's flights to London because this would conflict with existing routes. It also insisted on solving disputes in Ukrainian courts rather than in UK courts, as Ryanair preferred. As the airline was confronted by KBP, Ryanair's chief executive officer, Michael O'Leary, needed to decide what to do in order to enter the Ukrainian market: What were the available entry options and entry timing? How should Ryanair proceed?