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Growth-oriented entrepreneurship seeks to create and scale up businesses that will drive productivity growth, create new employment, increase innovation, promote business internationalization, and achieve sustainable economic growth. This book summarizes research on growth-oriented entrepreneurship and continues with an assessment of attempts to create the appropriate framework conditions for growth-oriented entrepreneurship. Chapter 3 examines the characteristics of innovative and emerging companies. It also considers what distinguishes them from other firms and what factors help them succeed.

This two-part case examines the PlayPumps project, which aimed to provide an innovative solution to water problems in southern Africa. Part A begins with an overview of the PlayPump, a merry-go-round attached to a water pump powered by children's play. It then describes the excitement of the media, philanthropists, and international organizations wishing to support the initiative, promoting its rapid expansion in South Africa and other countries. Part B presents the challenges and unanticipated consequences of implementing and scaling up the project and what happened next. By studying this case, students are expected to gain an in-depth understanding of the real-life challenges facing social entrepreneurs working to ensure a positive social impact. Students will see the limits of dominant approaches to social entrepreneurship in existing research and practice, observing how mission-driven innovation can inadvertently create a negative social impact on target beneficiaries - especially under the pressure of rapid expansion.

Supplement to case HEC225

The case describes how Roman Khan and Jennifer Chen founded Linjer, a start-up with a limited budget, which successfully generated cashflows via crowdfunding. Linjer is a boutique design house in Hong Kong which offers minimally-designed leather bags and watches, which it sells online globally. Passionate about style and quality, the two founders started the venture in 2014 with a budget of US$20,000. Like most start-ups, Linjer faced limitations on access to traditional funding from financial institutions. As a result, the founders spent half the budget on their first crowdfunding campaign, creating video and photographs establishing Linjer as a classy, high-end brand, and more importantly, one whose products could initially only be procured through online crowdfunding. The rest of the money went to the production of prototypes of their first product, the Soft Briefcase. The case is set in September 2018, when Linjer's management is deciding on next steps the company will take: (1) to continue the business as is; (2) to take funding from venture-capital investors; and/or (3) other alternatives including, but not limited to, selling the company.

In early 2019, The Progressive Corporation (Progressive), the USA's third-largest auto insurance writer, reported earned premiums were up 20% in 2018 compared to the previous year, and net income was up 64%. Direct sales of personal auto policies rose 21%, while agent sales, which had, until recently been slowing, grew 16%. Homeowner policies were up 30% on a small base. For CEO Tricia Griffith, appointed on July 1, 2016, this was a clear indicator that her commitment to accelerating growth was bearing fruit. In the ten years from 2005 to 2015, Progressive's earned premiums had grown at 4% per year. They then grew 13% in 2016, 15% in 2017, and 20% in 2018. In 2018, Progressive captured 10% of the auto insurance business in the USA. Griffith commented that Progressive was in 10% of U.S. homes and would double that "in short order." This would make it larger than 2018 industry leader, State Farm. But the auto insurance business was plagued with hundreds of competitors and had historically been very cyclical. Would Griffith's strategy be enough to sustain double digit growth? The markets seemed convinced; in July 2019, Progressive's stock price had almost doubled in two years.

In the spring of 2018, the Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Financial Planning at Harvard Business School considers potential refinements to the School's financial management practices. He faced questions about whether the metrics that had been used to evaluate financial health were appropriate and about whether key processes that worked well in the past should be reexamined.

The case examines an industry in decline as the emergence of new technologies is changing consumer behaviors and threatening to make the business obsolete. In 2018, the Hollywood film industry is facing tough headwinds. Fewer and fewer Americans are going to movie theaters, opting instead to watch movies on demand in the comfort of their own homes or on portable devices. Adam Aron, the head of the world's largest movie theater chain, AMC Entertainment, is employing an aggressive strategy to bolster the moviegoing experience by adding new amenities including plush reclining seats, reserved seating, and upscale food and beverage options. He is also placing a special emphasis on expansion overseas where the market is growing. Will his actions allow the company to successfully compete in a mature industry under assault by new digital competitors? With the growing popularity of entertainment subscription services like Netflix and Spotify, should AMC adopt a similar business model?

The (B) case describes how AMC reacted to the threat from the subscription service MoviePass and provides AMC's second quarter fiscal year 2018 results.

Spreadsheet supplement to case 819048.

A case analysis is an effective tool for teaching, learning, and most importantly, practising the art and science of management. The case method immerses students in real-life situations, allowing them to develop their business skills by analyzing realistic situations, applying business theories and tools, and making substantiated recommendations. However, working with cases is a pedagogical approach unfamiliar to most new business students and often inadequately understood by advanced students. The Student Guide to the Case Method introduces students to the case method and, in discrete notes, walks them through the tasks that are typically involved in case assignments: analyzing a case, discussing cases in class, writing case reports and giving presentations (individually and in groups), and writing case exams. A final note introduces students to the most common business tools used for case analysis. This guide is best used as a complete package to orient students to the case method, but each note also stands on its own and can be used to supplement other course materials.

While there are a number of courses focused on helping students create and perfect innovative new products, there remains a gap regarding how to create and perfect the idea-or the positioning behind the product. The reality is that it is significantly more difficult than most people think to create a superior positioning concept. In addition, most sophisticated marketing organizations begin with a winning idea before they begin to deploy R&D resources to create a product. This note helps students understand what a positioning concept is, the critical elements of a testable positioning concept, and the attributes of those concepts that tend to be superior to those of their rivals. It is useful for undergraduate and graduate students interested in marketing, sales, brand management, and entrepreneurship.

Among only a handful of early adopters of a new revenue recognition mandate for calendar year 2017 annual reports, beginning of the year retained earnings for Ford Motor Company (Ford) was adjusted $36 million higher while General Dynamic's was adjusted down by $301 million, both a result of their early adoption of the new revenue recognition guidelines. A new revenue recognition mandate, she noted three important points.

This case revolves around Verisk Analytics' initiatives to drive innovation throughout the firm's many business verticals. Verisk, originally named ISO, started life as an insurance rating agency in the early 1970s, acting as an intermediary between insurance companies and state governments. Over time, the firm transformed from being a non-profit to a for-profit entity, while expanding its lines of business to realms other than insurance. By both exploring the history of the insurance industry and Verisk's unique position within it, the case provides readers with an understanding of the firm's growth strategy and why innovation is so crucial for its success. The case leaves readers to ponder Verisk's innovation and growth strategy, challenging them to assess its strengths and weaknesses.

Entrepreneurship has become a popular career option in developed and developing countries, and a subject of interest for researchers and policymakers. This book introduces several important topics relevant to entrepreneurship and the process of creating, or giving birth to, a new business. The chapters cover definitions and types of entrepreneurship; the relationships among entrepreneurship, innovation and development; research on entrepreneurship, comparative research into entrepreneurship in multiple countries and research into cross-border entrepreneurship (i.e., international activity of small-and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures); factors influencing entrepreneurial activities; motivational traits of prospective entrepreneurs; the influence of societal culture on entrepreneurial activities and attitudes regarding entrepreneurship as a career path; the influence of the institutional environment on entrepreneurship; and the role of entrepreneurs in launching new businesses. Chapter 1 offers an overview and definitions of entrepreneurship. From an economic perspective, entrepreneurship is generally conceptualized as the creation of a new business and the bearing of the risk associated with that business in exchange for profits to be derived from the exploitation of opportunities in the marketplace (e.g., demands of consumers that are not currently being satisfied). One of the most famous types of entrepreneurship, one that has also become closely aligned with conceptualizations of entrepreneurship, is Schumpeter's "creative destruction." In Schumpeter's view, the entrepreneur is driven by innovation, which can take the form of a totally new product or process or an innovative change to existing products or processes, which ultimately "destroy," or render obsolete, products and processes that have been used in the past.

Entrepreneurship has become a popular career option in developed and developing countries, and a subject of interest for researchers and policymakers. This book introduces several important topics relevant to entrepreneurship and the process of creating, or giving birth to, a new business. The chapters cover definitions and types of entrepreneurship; the relationships among entrepreneurship, innovation and development; research on entrepreneurship, comparative research into entrepreneurship in multiple countries and research into cross-border entrepreneurship (i.e., international activity of small-and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures); factors influencing entrepreneurial activities; motivational traits of prospective entrepreneurs; the influence of societal culture on entrepreneurial activities and attitudes regarding entrepreneurship as a career path; the influence of the institutional environment on entrepreneurship; and the role of entrepreneurs in launching new businesses. This chapter offers a broad overview of the research on entrepreneurship, which includes work on: culture/ethnicity; economic growth; education/learning; entrepreneurship theory and practice; ethics; family-owned businesses; finance; firm performance/planning; gender; human resources; intra­preneurship versus entrepreneurship; international entrepreneurship, cross-national comparisons, and individual country studies; internationalization, exporting, and small business; motivation/firm creation or dissolution/founder characteristics; quality systems; resource-based views of the firm; social networks, business groups, and alliances; strategic planning and product development; supply chain management and distribution; teams; technology and technology-based firms; and venture capital.

Entrepreneurship has become a popular career option in developed and developing countries, and a subject of interest for researchers and policymakers. This book introduces several important topics relevant to entrepreneurship and the process of creating, or giving birth to, a new business. The chapters cover definitions and types of entrepreneurship; the relationships among entrepreneurship, innovation and development; research on entrepreneurship, comparative research into entrepreneurship in multiple countries and research into cross-border entrepreneurship (i.e., international activity of small-and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures); factors influencing entrepreneurial activities; motivational traits of prospective entrepreneurs; the influence of societal culture on entrepreneurial activities and attitudes regarding entrepreneurship as a career path; the influence of the institutional environment on entrepreneurship; and the role of entrepreneurs in launching new businesses. This chapter examines what factors influence the prevalence of entrepreneurship, including the motivational traits of the prospective entrepreneur, entrepreneurial opportunities and conditions, and cognitive factors.

After much internal debate, THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS of Denmark have decided to allocate a small percentage of their investment portfolio to impact investments. Cambridge Associates, one of the leading investment advisory firms in the world, has been engaged to assist them in developing and implementing an "impact strategy." VELUX only invests in funds (as opposed to direct investments) and must now decide on fund selection criteria and on specific fund investment options that have been presented to them.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 419007.

In mid 2010 the Sealed Air Corporation has to decide on next steps for its novel video tracking technology (called VTID) after unsuccessful attempts to market it in three different industry settings. The company must determine whether its most recent target market, the quick-serve restaurant segment, is still worth pursuing or whether the company should look for a different application and market altogether. The company could also revisit the previous two applications, tracking and tracing processed meat and tracking employee safety practices. At the other extreme, after seven years of R&D and marketing efforts and millions of dollars in expenses, the company could cease attempts to commercialize VTID.