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This case addresses the key aspects of strategy analysis and strategic decision making (e.g. Porter's Five Forces, Key Success Factors, Value Discipline Model), putting special emphasis on global marketing, positioning, segmenting and branding (Keller Brand Equity Model, Brand architecture); primary emphasis of the case is on an outside-in view with the exception of the Tracey / Wiersema Value Model. Attention is especially given towards outlining how an existing premium product and service portfolio can be complemented with a value offering, whilst managing the preservation of the legacy premium business and hedging any potential cannibalizing effects. It thereby allows for a controversial discussion and reflection on the introduction of such a dual-segment strategy (Hambrick's Strategy Diamond). Further, the case then broadens the scope and provides the base for an open discussion about potential chances and risks for a product-/service-centric company to become an integrated / cross-segment / total solution provider. Learning objective: 1. How to develop and evaluate strategic options? 2. How to pursue a dual-segment strategy and how to enter the market? 3. What are the implications by entering a dual-segment strategy? 4. Which elements can be used to differentiate the two segments? 5. What are the principal brand differentiators in pursuing a dual segments strategy? 6. Assessing how strategy can evolve as a consequence to shift in the (external) context?

All workplaces have one thing in common: each of these organizations has its own unique culture. All organizations use these cultures to socialize their members and guide their behavior and values. Culture may manifest itself in the company's messaging, metaphors, language, or storytelling as well as in formal policies, including how workers are compensated, evaluated, and rewarded within the organization. The most important elements of culture, though, are invisible or even subconscious, including beliefs, rules, assumptions, and attitudes about what is right or wrong. This primer, which includes real-world business scenarios illustrating positive and negative cultural forces, is designed to empower students to become leaders who seek to improve every organization they join.

This case illustrates how a leader's lack of self-awareness can derail his or her career and sabotage the performance of a company. It features Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place, a charismatic, visionary leader who promises a solution to the world's reliance on oil. His charisma and convincing rhetoric are initially very effective at attracting investor and policy maker support for his idea of a network of electric cars with rechargeable, swappable batteries. The case describes Agassi's journey from visionary founder to capital raising as one of the most successful startups in history. Agassi's charismatic personality is observed as he pitches his vision in a TED Talk video. The case explores Agassi's drivers and strengths by describing his background, including his family life, cultural context, and career history as an entrepreneur and senior executive at SAP. The case then outlines the unraveling of Agassi's business and how he becomes increasingly disconnected from his stakeholders' interests and the changing context. Agassi's meteoric rise in popularity among media, investors and potential consumers is subsequently derailed by signs of narcissistic behaviour, poor financial management and strategy execution and unbalanced stakeholder engagement. Agassi's bravado and defensive behaviours contribute to the loss of interest and commitment by partners, colleagues and investors and the eventual bankruptcy of the company. Agassi's blind spots in his relationships, neglect of specific sets of stakeholders, tendency towards over-conviction in the business model, and inability to adopt an agile mind set contribute to his career downfall. Learning objective: This case illustrates how business leaders' careers can be derailed by personal characteristics that may have initially attracted support. As the needs of the business change, the leader's low self-awareness and inability to learn and adjust to a changing context contribute to their downfall.

This note on supply chain management provides background for the seven class supply chain module in the Technology & Operations Management required curriculum course taught at the Harvard Business School. This module includes four broad topics: sourcing and supply chain structure, supply chain coordination, coping with uncertain demand, and supply chain visibility.

The supplementary dataset (courseware number 619-702) provides a disguised dataset to students. At the end of the case, summary data from that dataset is mentioned. (Bottom of page 13: Rahematpura, who had been running numbers, interjected: "According to some back-of-the-envelope calculations, by not increasing wait times now, we stand to lose $1.6 million in the six launch cities. That might outweigh the data collection concerns.")

In November 2013, the chief executive officer (CEO) and the senior vice-president of Real Estate and Development of TLO Developers (TLO) were considering various options relating to a large, company-owned plot of land in downtown Calgary. The plot was being leased out to another company that used it as a parking lot. TLO had many vacant land holdings in its portfolio, and the company was starting to place a stronger focus on developing commercial properties on them. The major development alternatives that they considered were the construction of a high-class hotel or a multi-storey office building. If these were not chosen, the CEO considered remaining with the status quo, running the parking lot internally, or selling the business.

This exercise places the reader in the position of an investor, who, before 2017, had invested for almost 20 years. Since the financial crisis in 2008-09, this investor had stayed away from the US market. The investor's return from the previous year stood at a mere 2 per cent. Given that many political events would likely occur in 2017, the investor hoped to revise their investment strategies at the time by developing a more internationalized portfolio. Specifically, the investor was considering how to allocate capital among the existing 10 broker-recommended exchange-traded funds traded on the Singapore stock exchange and two exchange-traded funds in alternative assets traded in the US market. The investor also needed to provide additional cash flows for the education of their two daughters from year two onward for a total of four years. The investor was also willing to reshuffle the investment portfolio to put more weights into the US market. However, before making the revised investment decision, the investor needed to consider the expected returns and risks.

The SOGO department stores in Hong Kong are part of Lifestyle International Holdings Limited, a large-cap, publicly-listed company on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX). The case describes a company that has recently had to confront its own sustainability reporting practices due to updated requirements by the local stock exchange. Additionally, as a participant in local activities, such as Earth Day, it has also had to examine its own operations and re-assess how to best engage with its key stakeholders and to make sustainability part of its corporate culture.

Less than a year after joining the board of African Bank Investments Limited (ABIL), the newest director finds himself in difficult discussions with other directors about removing the struggling company's CEO. The case is set in South Africa in mid-2014 as shares in ABIL, which traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, are declining precipitously. The case describes ABIL's origins and evolution, including the acquisition and growth of its wholly owned subsidiary African Bank, a provider of unsecured loans to help individuals pay for expenses such as vehicle repairs, home renovations, funeral costs, medical bills, and education. As ABIL's profits rose and share price soared, it became the darling of analysts. However, when the South African economy turned sour, customers started defaulting on their loans, and ABIL and African Bank began to struggle. As ABIL's stock price dropped, the management team faced difficult questions about the company's lending practices, risk management processes, and plans to turn the business around. By 2014, the situation was grim, and pressure mounted from shareholders and market regulators for the board to take action. The case details the history of unsecured lending in South Africa, describes the regulatory, social, and legal contexts for the company and its business model, and explores the company's unique corporate structure and executive and director dynamics.

Less than a year after joining the board of African Bank Investments Limited (ABIL), the newest director finds himself in difficult discussions with other directors about removing the struggling company's CEO. The case is set in South Africa in mid-2014 as shares in ABIL, which traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, are declining precipitously. The case describes ABIL's origins and evolution, including the acquisition and growth of its wholly owned subsidiary African Bank, a provider of unsecured loans to help individuals pay for expenses such as vehicle repairs, home renovations, funeral costs, medical bills, and education. As ABIL's profits rose and share price soared, it became the darling of analysts. However, when the South African economy turned sour, customers started defaulting on their loans, and ABIL and African Bank began to struggle. As ABIL's stock price dropped, the management team faced difficult questions about the company's lending practices, risk management processes, and plans to turn the business around. By 2014, the situation was grim, and pressure mounted from shareholders and market regulators for the board to take action. The case details the history of unsecured lending in South Africa, describes the regulatory, social, and legal contexts for the company and its business model, and explores the company's unique corporate structure and executive and director dynamics.

In August 2017, Commonwealth Bank of Australia was looking for ways to differentiate itself from competing banks, and was also trying to improve the financial wellbeing of its customers. One domain where this was particularly relevant was in its bank-issued credit card business, where customers routinely selected cards that although profitable for the bank could be a poor fit for customers' needs - leading to low satisfaction scores, cancellations, and occasionally, financial distress. To that end, the company's Behavioral Economics team had developed a provocative experiment dubbed "The Good and the Bad." Rather than just presenting the strengths of its various credit card offerings, they proposed also promoting each credit card's less-obvious drawbacks. Being transparent with customers might help them make better choices, but would those choices come at the expense of bank performance? Should a company choose to be in the sales prevention business?

Frustrated by an inability to convince existing venture capital firms to invest in companies led by women, people of color, and LGBT founders, Arlan Hamilton started her own firm, Backstage Capital, in 2015. Hamilton understood the untapped potential of companies run by underrepresented founders, a group historically excluded from venture capital funding, and was eager to demonstrate the significant returns on investment in such companies. This case explores Hamilton's nontraditional VC background, and her mission to fund startups where at least one founder of the company identifies as a woman, person of color, or LGBT. Now, three years after its founding, Hamilton is considering launching both an accelerator and a fund that will invest exclusively in Black women.

In October 2017, the co-founder of Australian social enterprise Illumination Solar was rethinking his company's Give Power campaign. After five marginally profitable years designing and supplying portable solar lanterns to some of the world's most energy impoverished communities, including refugee camps, the co-founder had decided to market his products to Australian customers for outdoor uses such as camping and hiking. Under the Give Power campaign, Illumination Solar donated one solar lantern to a community in need for every solar product purchased by Australian customers. However, this strategy was not successful. The co-founder's main goal for his company was to sustainably provide good quality solar lanterns to impoverished people in developing countries. To reach that goal, he wondered which strategy to follow; should he return to the original business model, re-structure the Give Power campaign, or come up with something entirely new to generate higher profits?

In 2017, the French automaker Groupe PSA (PSA) agreed to buy loss-making Opel/Vauxhall units from General Motors Company. PSA had just recovered one year earlier from losses it had sustained since the global financial crisis. With the recovery, PSA had launched a new strategic plan with aggressive goals for sustainable profitable growth. However, PSA's sales were continuing to drop in the important Chinese market due to fierce competition, and the newly acquired units were still making losses. The use of electric cars was on the rise, and the European Commission had proposed a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. PSA was planning to re-enter the United States, and in Britain, it was facing ambiguous Brexit negotiations, raising concerns about increased costs with importing and exporting parts and finished vehicles. In light of all of these challenges, how could PSA still reach its aggressive goals for sustainable growth?

Handu Group was an online fast fashion apparel brand established in 2006 with headquarters in Jinan, China. The company had successfully adjusted its business models since 2006, transitioning from an unknown seller on the shopping website Taobao into a leading enterprise that owned over 20 subsidiary brands. However, in 2015, fierce competition in the fast fashion apparel market had intensified, with an increasing number of traditional garment companies establishing online channels. Online brands without physical stores, such as Handu Group, lost their primary competitive advantage. Faced with a bottleneck in development, the founder of Handu Group had to consider another innovation in the corporate business model. Zhao was considering three options: continuing multi-brand expansion, building brick-and-mortar shops to open offline channels, or opening operating platforms to serve other brands.

In 2013, a high-school graduate began work as a construction labourer. His upbringing included experience driving and fixing various machines, which, combined with his hard work, led to a job operating a small loader. After working with three different construction companies on big equipment, he was considering whether or not to buy his own backhoe and start his own excavation business. He had investigated the cost of buying a backhoe, operating costs, financing, and the potential demand. In late 2014, he needed to decide whether or not to proceed with his own business.

Hosoo was a kimono and textile company, established in 1688 as a traditional Nishijin weaving company. The 11th generation president of the company, Masao Hosoo, had transformed the business from a producer of premium kimono fabrics and kimonos for the luxury market in Japan to a globally respected textile producer for some of the world's top brands. A great deal of the company's success in the global market could be attributed to the master craftspeople of Japan. This innovative spirit guided endless improvements to weaving and textile development, allowing the highly specialized Nishijin textiles to be woven for use beyond the kimono market. Inspired by the results of their innovation and their global success, and driven by the collapsing kimono market in Japan, Masao and his son, Masataka, set a goal in 2018 to establish Hosoo as an iconic, international house of kimono, relying on innovation to reinterpret what a kimono was, how it was used, and what it meant within a global fashion market.

Bharti Airtel, the Indian and global telecommunications player, is witnessing challenging times. As the market leader, Airtel experienced a shift from voice to data since its revenue from the latter was seen to be proliferating. This move was short lived as the new entrant Reliance Jio changed the landscape of the Indian Telecom Industry. It offered free voice services and competitive tariff plans. With Jio, the blend (data+voice) average revenue per user declined due to low data tariffs and voice cannibalisation by data. Airtel suddenly faced pressure to retain its position as well as postulate a pricing plan to protect its revenue. This case revolves around the future pricing strategy to be adopted by Airtel to retain its market share and come up with a pricing plan to counter the Jio effect of "free" voice calls. The crux is how a market leader develops and implements a pricing strategy to counter the entry of a behemoth competitor that has rock bottom prices, in a context, where the eventual front-runner will cannibalise its main revenue source.

Robin is a B2B technology (SaaS) startup, founded in Boston, MA in 2014, that develops and sells workplace software products designed to help companies manage meeting room scheduling. In March 2016, following a period of underperforming sales results, Sam Dunn, sales leader and co-founder of Robin, realizes that he must make changes to the sales area if he is to achieve Robin's sales targets and meet the expectations of the company's venture capitalists. In two months' time, Dunn will pitch to the investors for Series A funding. His dilemma is clear; the current sales results do not show the required "repeatability and scalability" required to convince the investors. Dunn realizes he must design and present a reworked sales process. This "re-engineering" exercise prompts him to also question if he has the right team in place to implement a possible "new and improved" process.

Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group, headquartered in Beijing, is the country's largest commercial property developer and the world's largest movie theatre operator. One of its core businesses is the Wanda Plazas - large complexes encompassing shopping malls, cinemas, hotels and offices. Wanda's competitive advantages include a strong culture of execution and a proprietary technology backbone that supports and automates decision making processes. With the growth of ecommerce giants such as Alibaba and JD.com, traditional retail was coming under threat. Wanda, with its background in offline retail, saw the online-to-offline space as an opportunity. But, how best to execute? This case study follows Qu Dejun, president of Wanda's newly formed Internet Technology Group, as he and his team explored ways to leverage Wanda's traditional strengths to bring an online-to-offline strategy to fruition.