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In April 2013, Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world's largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, announced that it would extend its payment terms to suppliers by 30 days. At the same time, P&G announced a new supply chain financing (SCF) program giving suppliers the ability to receive discounted payments for their P&G receivables. Fibria Celulose, a Brazilian supplier of kraft pulp, joined the program in 2013, but was re-evaluating the costs and benefits of participating in the SCF program in the summer of 2015. The firm's treasury group and its US country manager must decide whether to keep using the program and, if so, whether to keep their existing SCF banking relationship or start a new relationship with another global SCF bank.

Henry Tam, the logistic director at 7-Eleven's Combined Distribution Centre (CDC), is considering how to tackle a high employee turnover rate. This challenge is partially the result of a shortage of labor in Hong Kong. Over the years, Henry has taken several steps to address the issue. These include collaborating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to train and employ disabled workers; adjusting the use of cold storage for perishable goods; how to handle bakery products; how bulk goods are packed and distributed; and adopting new technologies to improve employee productivity. Moreover, Henry offers the staff three hours of overtime per day, allowing them to earn more. Henry doesn't know what else he can do to decrease the high turnover and retain his employees.

Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, had been a source of wealth, pride and prestige for the Bancroft family for much of the 20th century. From 1928 to 2007, the family lived off company dividends and left the day-to-day management of the publishing business to senior journalists who had worked their way up through the ranks of the WSJ. But in 2007, when Rupert Murdoch - whose global media empire dwarfed that of the Bancrofts - offered to buy Dow Jones at a generous premium, the family was split down the middle. To sell or not to sell? The case explores the events that led up to the dynasty's exit and the grandiose entrance of an Australian-American media mogul onto the US media scene.

A multi-issue 1-on-1 negotiation between an HR manager (May Hirewell) and a young MBA job candidate (Larry Dover). WABTY.com is one of the few internet companies still hiring despite the recent economic recession that has put a serious strain on the industry. Larry has been offered a job with WABTY.com and he is meeting with May to discuss the terms of a potential employment contract.

Supplement to case IN1207. A multi-issue 1-on-1 negotiation between an HR manager (May Hirewell) and a young MBA job candidate (Larry Dover). WABTY.com is one of the few internet companies still hiring despite the recent economic recession that has put a serious strain on the industry. Larry has been offered a job with WABTY.com and he is meeting with May to discuss the terms of a potential employment contract.

In September 2014, the Indiana Toll Road (ITR) in the US Mid-west, privatized as a 75-year concession at an impressive price of US$3.8 billion only nine years earlier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy , having chalked up US$6.3 billion of debt. In the subsequent sell-off the ITR managed to attract an even bigger bid than before - of US$5.72 billion.

The case examines the effectiveness of the advertising strategy used by the Unilever brand Axe to enter and gain market share in the deodorant segment in India. The highly attention-grabbing, sexually-themed ads, accompanied by the high growth potential of the deodorant market proved very successful for Axe, initially. However, the controversial nature of the ads also offended many. With the entry of the new Indian deodorant brand FOGG, positioned as a value-for-money brand, Axe's market share quickly started eroding. Axe's failure to evolve appropriately its positioning to sustain its initial growth left it vulnerable to competition. In light of these developments it was time for the brand to take a step back and re-think its positioning strategy.

It is August 1, 2015, and the 32nd InnovAstra Convention, an annual competition meant to showcase and recognise the innovation achievements of individuals, teams and business units in the Indonesian conglomerate PT Astra International Tbk (Astra), was just a fortnight away. Ekuslie Goestiandi is the head of the Corporate Centre that organises the InnovAstra Convention, and manages development programmes for facilitators to promote InnovAstra's standards and values in the company. Astra's employees have been inculcated with a spirit of striving towards continuous innovation from very early on in the company's history. Over the past two decades, Astra has expanded the scope of innovation across all group companies to encompass all employees, including the top management. Despite initiatives such as the InnovAstra Convention, Astra's leadership team is aware that much more is needed to be done for the group to successfully manage the challenges of the future. The business climate in Indonesia is expected to become far more volatile and demanding, influenced by intensified competition and rapid technological advances. In addition, the younger generation of employees and consumers will have different sets of needs and preferences that need to be understood and met. To manage these challenges, Astra has to plan for the 'next level of innovation' in the company, and that requires clear direction from the top. A key element of Astra's future direction is establishing a "synergistic business chain" that enables different activities within each business and across businesses to become mutually supportive. The question Ekuslie is mulling over is: what would it take to bring Astra to the next level of innovative capability?

Ed Williams Mens Wear, a family-owned retailer of high-quality men's clothing, had a single location in Calgary, Alberta. The store had been very successful for over 20 years. The founder's son was planning to take over the business, but he had concerns about the company's aging market and was looking to grow and/or diversify the business. Available options included opening another location, expanding the store, or changing the product offering. Competitive conditions in the Calgary marketplace were heating up with the entry of a number of higher-end American retailers. The founder's son needed to evaluate all the alternatives in order to carry Ed Williams Mens Wear into the future.

In 2010, when India opened up its defence sector to private manufacturers, Armada India set up a factory in West Bengal. However, the factory faced issues of low productivity, delivery delays, and high rejection rates. A quirky new general manager of maintenance applied Buddhist philosophy to his human resource management practices. The workers, who until then had felt unimportant, now felt happy and engaged as they adopted the manager's ideas, which appealed to their local psyche. Strong results were seen in terms of improved production, productivity, and morale. However, senior managers had significant global expansion plans and were wary of this general manager's unorthodox management style. They hired a highly qualified, U.S.-educated human resource (HR) executive who scoffed at the "unsophisticated" practices of the manager and sought to change them, despite their success. What was the manager to do? Was the new HR executive justified in trying to impose more traditional business methods?

The Hach subsidiary of global science and technology leader Danaher Corporation was about to introduce an innovative handheld water quality testing device: the SL1000 Portable Parallel Analyzer. There were, however, some critical decisions left regarding how best to bring it to market. Olaf Boettger, the Business Unit Director of Hach's Laboratory Solutions division, needed to decide on the exact timing of the launch and how the PPA would be priced and promoted. Boettger's decisions would impact a wide range of stakeholders inside and outside of the company, and he must carefully weigh a series of tradeoffs and concerns. Danaher's Business System, a culture emphasizing continuous improvement as well as a set of tools or structures that drive performance, provides him with the structure to frame these decisions. This case was used successfully as an introductory case at the start of the Darden Business School MBA program and would be useful in any class to emphasize the need for an "enterprise perspective."

Spreadsheet supplement for case UV7149.

Due to an increase in the number of wealthy individuals the demand for artwork had increased, and artwork was considered an investment asset. Artwork was listed as a "treasure asset" or an "investment of passion" by investment industry publications, recognizing its importance in the portfolios of the wealthy. The financialization of the art market went hand in hand with a growing understanding of the investment properties of art. Developing this knowledge took time because measuring the returns to a heterogeneous and illiquid asset like art-or real estate-was challenging.

The owner of a designer handbag company, 442 McAdam, found she could no longer manufacture in-house the quantity of handbags required to meet existing orders. Manufacturing would need to be outsourced, and the owner would have to choose between a local manufacturer and an overseas manufacturer. Local manufacturers offered the same quality as overseas manufacturers but charged higher prices. International manufacturers, while offering lower prices, required larger minimum order quantities. Regardless of the manufacturing option she chose, the owner wondered whether the minimum levels of inventory she needed to order could be sold within the upcoming six-month style season.

In 2004, bids were invited from airport developers and operators for the development and operation of Mumbai's Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport and Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. On January 31, 2006, a consortium led by GMR Group (GMR) was selected as the only technically qualified bidder. However, in order to avoid a monopoly in Indian airport operations, GMR was asked to choose between the two airports and match the financial bid of another bidder that was not technically qualified for the work. The Delhi airport, the pride of the National Capital Region, would serve as a gateway for participants, dignitaries, and other guests arriving for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in October 2010. However, the Mumbai airport was the gateway to business investments in India. GMR faced a difficult choice between a mission-critical airport in the National Capital Region or an airport in India's commercial capital. Which airport would give GMR an edge in the global aviation sector? Which choice was in line with GMR's vision?

Student spreadsheet for case W16306.

By 2016, two-sided online platforms (or marketplaces) were pervasive among the highest growing internet startups around. These marketplaces sought to match suppliers of assets for rent, physical products or services with customers demanding them. Among the most notable two-sided platforms in terms of their tremendous early growth were Airbnb, Etsy and Uber. They offered short-term property rentals, handcrafted goods, and car rides, respectively. As two-sided markets grew to scale, network effects kicked in as more consumers bred more suppliers and vice versa. But how did these platforms acquire their first customers, at the time when they had so few providers? How exactly did they go about acquiring their first thousand customers?

With $289 million in 2015 revenues, Camposol is a Peruvian grower, exporter, and marketer of fruits and vegetables, with a focus on the high-growth, high-margin blueberry category. Camposol aspires to become Peru's first multinational branded produce company. It already has a strong foothold in the U.S.-an important market where it is refining its branding and retail-customer strategy-and it also seeks to expand in other markets, especially China. To become a leading year-round supplier to retailers, Camposol needs to increase the product volumes it controls, likely through increased sourcing from third parties. At the same time, Camposol has evolved rapidly in recent years and is undergoing the challenges of transforming from family to professional management. This case allows students to consider Camposol's growth, branding, and marketing strategies in light of the challenges and opportunities ahead. It also invites consideration of the opportunity for Peru and other South American growers to exploit counter-seasonal export opportunities, selling into northern-hemisphere markets when prices peak.

This case considers the entrepreneurial career of Olivia Lum, who founded the Singaporean water company Hyflux in 1989. An orphan born in Malaysia, Lum provides a rare case of an entrepreneurial success in a country whose economic success has primarily rested on state-owned and foreign firms. The case describes the formidable challenges she initially faced, her subsequent breakthrough in China, and the subsequent growth as a global water treatment company employing membrane technology. In 2004 the company entered the large Middle Eastern market for water treatment but soon encountered problems, including political turbulence. The case ends with demonstrations and an emergent crisis in Libya in 2011, a country in which Hyflux had recently invested. The case offers opportunities to explore the nature of entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia, the business importance of relationships between overseas Chinese and mainland China, and the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs. More broadly, it serves as vehicle for teaching students about the global water crisis and the role of business in helping to resolve it.