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As workforce demographics skew older, managers must attend to the well-being and job performance of workers age 60 and over. Age-related cognitive changes and complex technology, in particular, can hinder older workers’ job performance, but managers can take a number of actions to better support a multigenerational workforce.

This note examines queuing fundamentals and introduces a basic model, variability in systems (arrivals and service processes), and approaches to measure and reduce it. The material also includes practical implications for managing congested systems and helping anticipate and overcome challenges of waiting for service. For MBA students, it can be placed in an operations module on managing variability or queueing. Students can also look for qualitative solutions to address excessive waiting times and hypothesize how their recommendations might affect both actual and the perceived waiting time. For executives, it can serve as a discussion vehicle for operations and customer service.

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) is a leading manufacturer and marketer of prestige skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare products with annual sales of over $14 billion in 2020. ELC had a long-standing commitment to "High Touch" customer service, inviting and tracking all feedback from consumers. ELC had recently moved from a manual to an automated tracking platform, positioning the company to more efficiently handle customer feedback. This platform and the data it aggregated was put to the test in August 2020 when the Consumer Care Analytics & Insights Group noticed an uptick in contact volume largely generated from China. The team also noticed that the increase was driven almost exclusively by complaints. The spike was especially cause for concern given that ELC had a 100% return policy with no questions asked, so customer complaints often led to returns and lost revenue. In this case, students are asked to consider potential root causes of the increased online customer complaints-and based on their hypotheses, what type of analysis and potential interventions they would recommend.

On July 1, 2022, Don Allan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Stanley Black & Decker (SBD). Although Allan had been with the firm for 23 years, most recently serving as President and Chief Financial Officer, he recognized that he was stepping into his new role as CEO at a time of turbulence and uncertainty. Allan and SBD had to grapple with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and runaway inflation, among other challenges. More broadly, there was the sense that these obstacles reflected a shifting paradigm. "There is no normal anymore," Allan said. "The normal is change." This case study documents how, over decades, SBD had developed a robust innovation ecosystem with three horizons: (1) Core Innovation-which the company defined as making incremental improvements to existing products or creating new offerings that would drive year-over-year revenue growth; (2) Breakthrough Innovation-creating products that were worth at least $100 million and would substantially transform their markets; and (3) Stanley X-leveraging cutting-edge technology (e.g., software and IoT) to pursue extreme innovation, which SBD defined as products that "reimagine how we operate in today's technology-enabled, fast-paced world." The case allows for a discussion of the complexities of managing and growing a large business; 2) the tensions between maintaining a sophisticated innovation capability and profitability; and 3) Don Allen's decision about whether to pull back on the firm's pursuit of 'extreme' innovation and the impact of doing so on employees, customers, and shareholders.

This case study explores Microsoft Teams' strategic response to Zoom's rapid rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the ways in which Microsoft leveraged its customer base, expertise in enterprise software, and integration with the Microsoft 365 suite to challenge Zoom in the video communications market. The case highlights the playbook Microsoft has used many times over the past three decades to compete against challengers who established a first-mover advantage. It covers two phases of the competitive battle between Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The first phase began with the launch of Microsoft Teams in 2017 and ended in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic helped Zoom dominate the video communication market. The second phase of the battle focuses on how Microsoft Teams counterattacked to gain market share against Zoom.

Spreadsheet for case 622048. Includes data that can be used for students to conduct data analysis on.

In 2019, Matthew Scullion, founder and CEO of U.K. startup Matillion, faced a decision about which term sheet to accept for the lead investor in his company's $35 million Series C financing round. Would the connections and opportunities offered by Silicon Valley-based VC Battery Ventures make up for its lower valuation offer, or would Scullion be better off choosing a European investment firm to lead the round?

Two organizations that focus on tech-based health innovation have partnered to improve the mental health of young adults. In this "tech for good" project, Hopelab and Grit Digital Health worked together to create an app using human-centered product design. With the core needs of users at the forefront, the team developed an app both with and for college students to combat loneliness, a prevalent issue that can lead to other problems such as depression, anxiety, and even dropping out of college. The team also applied systems thinking to address the root causes of this "wicked problem," resulting in their Nod app, which has improved outcomes for college students. This article is based on the author's award-winning case study.

A life-changing event prompted marketing professional Stacey Thomas to leave her successful career in media and entertainment to join dynamic, fast-growing healthcare provider, OceanView Medical. Initially drawn to, and inspired by, the company's mission and values, Thomas quickly discovered that the role for which she had been hired had expanded drastically in terms of responsibilities and challenges in the five weeks since her interview. The events that ensued became increasingly frustrating for Thomas, leaving her to decide whether to stay with the team she had built at OceanView Medical or to find a new job.

Aashica Khanna, the director of Ananda in the Himalayas, an internationally famed Indian luxury wellness resort, was mulling over her options to grow the luxury wellness brand. Could Ananda's Indian tradition based wellness solutions, hospitality, and cuisine pillars be replicated? While Khanna and Ananda's leadership team had constantly innovated and created a differentiation in the luxury wellness space, should the focus be on consistency in the Ananda luxury wellness experience or uniqueness? Would they be able to recreate the Ananda experience at another location while preserving the luxury wellness brand's promise?

In Kolkata, India, in 2021, a car battery failed at a crucial moment. Witnessing this, the research and development director at Exide Industries Limited (EIL) pondered creating an Internet of Things (IoT)-integrated smart battery solution to enhance customer experience by proactively monitoring battery health. The dilemma for EIL's cross-functional team was multifaceted: Could they innovate without compromising data privacy while maintaining sustainability? The team debated market receptiveness, return on investment, and compliance with environmental standards. The business situation was complex: Could EIL redefine customer experience, align with sustainability goals, and navigate the challenges of data security and market risks?

In 2012, the Jamaican economy was in a crisis. It had an estimated debt-to-gross domestic product ratio of 147 per cent. To alleviate the crisis, the Jamaican government signed both an extended fund facility for US$948 million, in 2013, and a precautionary stand-by arrangement for US$1.64 billion, in 2016, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As a condition of the IMF loan, the Jamaican government agreed to an economic reform agenda with requirements that included the harmonization of prudential standards across all deposit-taking institutions (DTIs) and consolidated supervision. Consequently, in 2014, the Government of Jamaica passed the Banking Services Act (BSA), which became effective September 30, 2015. Prior to the BSA, the financial services sector was fragmented. Banks and DTIs were regulated by the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ), Jamaica's central bank; building societies, though supervised by the BoJ, were governed by the Building Societies Act, while credit unions were self-regulated through the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League.<br><br>In December 2020, Courtney Campbell was the chief executive officer of the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS), a mutual company (i.e., a company owned by its depositors). He had to decide on the future direction of the company under the new regulations and the pending implementation of new measures. The decision came at a time of great external uncertainty, as COVID-19 was still ravaging the world and there was no vaccine yet approved.

In early 2022, the online sports betting market was opening in Ontario, Canada, and Rush Street Interactive (RSI), an online and offline gaming company based in Chicago and already operating in the gaming space in a number of US states and the country of Colombia, had to decide about its next move. RSI had so far focused its growth strategy on being a first mover in new markets, and several of its gaming competitors had already indicated their intentions to enter the newly opened online casinos and online sports betting market in Ontario. Should RSI take the opportunity to enter the Ontario online sports betting market or take advantage of its first-mover advantage in US jurisdictions such as Tennessee, West Virginia, and Massachusetts?

On July 18, 2022, transgender employees of Kochi Metro Rail Limited revealed several sad stories of discrimination, low salary, and inaccessible toilets in the workplace. The publicly owned company based in Kochi, India aimed to be seen as among the most sustainable and connected organizations in the country. In 2017, the company made a conscious effort to hire transgender candidates into primary positions. After hiring 1,000 women and 23 transgender employees as part of its social inclusion initiative, Kochi Metro Rail Limited earned praise from the public as an inclusive workplace. The company soon reached a high of 43 transgender employees, but that number dropped considerably down to nine employees within only five years, after issues and disappointments surfaced among the workforce. The transgender community saw the company's transgender employee policy as a promotional stunt to gain publicity and public attention. To regain its former status among India's top companies for social inclusion, it was imperative for Kochi Metro Rail Limited to quickly find a way to attract and retain transgender employees.

In March 2023, Reliance Consumer Products Limited announced the relaunch of Campa Cola, an iconic soft drink brand in India that was discontinued almost two decades earlier. The company acquired Campa Cola for US$2.7 million in 2022 to capitalize on the brand nostalgia and the appeal of a domestic brand offering high-quality aerated beverages at affordable prices, believing that Campa Cola had a deep connection with Indian consumers due to its unique taste and flavour. However, to be successful in the competitive market dominated by two global giants in the soft drink industry-The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc.-Reliance Consumer Products Limited had to craft a meticulous strategy that should address three significant challenges: create a customer value proposition, set the right pricing strategy, and trigger brand nostalgia to appeal to all market segments across generations. However, the company would have to take a leap of faith and assume a great risk. Could Campa Cola emerge as a viable competitor in India's soft drink industry?

Cathay Pacific was founded in Hong Kong in 1946. As of July 2023, Cathay Pacific passenger and cargo airlines offered scheduled services to 81 destinations in 30 countries and regions worldwide, including 14 destinations in the Chinese Mainland. The group also served an additional 131 destinations in 21 countries and regions through code-share agreements. Effective January 1, 2023, Lavinia Lau was appointed chief customer and commercial officer and executive director on the board of Cathay Pacific. In August 2023 she faced the decision of what to propose to position Cathay Pacific to achieve its ambitious vision of becoming one of the world's greatest service brands. What was the current positioning of Cathay Pacific relative to other airlines? Who should its target customers be? What should its message be to appeal to those target customers?

In April 2018, following an in-store incident in Philadelphia that resulted in the unwarranted arrests of two Black men, Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) faced a severe public relations crisis. A video of the incident, posted on Twitter, quickly generated widespread attention, online criticism, and in-person protests from people who accused the coffee giant of having exhibited racial bias. Within a few days, Starbucks shared press releases that featured its chief executive officer personally apologizing and taking responsibility for the incident, which had resulted from a single employee's actions. The chief executive officer also announced that US Starbucks stores would close for an afternoon, for racial bias training and education. Although many public relations experts and customers commended Starbucks for its response, others continued to criticize Starbucks, claiming that its response wasn't genuine but merely an attempt to protect reputation and avoid losing business. Further, while the training may have yielded positive education for employees, was it enough to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future? What could Starbucks do to demonstrate its intentions were genuine? How could it correct its mistake, address the root cause to keep customers' trust, and thrive as the world's largest coffee retailer?