個案總覽

Supplement case to W14399.

Two months after a successful launch In November 2009, the cofounders of Rent the Runway (RTR), a website that rented designer dresses, are debating whether to grow their startup at a measured pace and focus on improving operational effectiveness, or raise a new round of venture capital sooner than originally planned. Raising more venture capital would allow RTR to aggressively expand its inventory and customer acquisition efforts, in order serve a broader range of customer segments with a wider selection of products, (e.g., accessories, maternity wear).

Valve, one of the world's top video game software companies, has also become an iconic example of an organization with virtually no hierarchy. A 400-person organization, Valve's unique organizational form (described in detail in the case and accompanying employee handbook) includes 100% self-allocated time, no managers (and therefore no managerial oversight), a structure so fluid that all desks have wheels to allow free movement between "cabals" (teams) on a regular basis (which happens frequently enough that Valve created a homegrown tracking app to allow peers to find each other), a unique hiring apparatus that supports recruitment of T-shaped individuals, and a purely peer-based performance review and stack ranking. As customer demand and market forces draw Valve into hardware in 2013, Valve questions whether their organizational model will need to change as it expands from software into hardware-and, if so, whether they should prioritize strategy over structure or structure over strategy. The case, therefore, presents students with a strategic and organizational challenge that tests students' understanding, and Valve's resolve, with regard to the congruence between their organizational model and strategic direction.

Valve, one of the world's top video game software companies, has also become an iconic example of an organization with virtually no hierarchy. A 400-person organization, Valve's unique organizational form (described in detail in the case and accompanying employee handbook) includes 100% self-allocated time, no managers (and therefore no managerial oversight), a structure so fluid that all desks have wheels to allow free movement between ""cabals"" (teams) on a regular basis (which happens frequently enough that Valve created a homegrown tracking app to allow peers to find each other), a unique hiring apparatus that supports recruitment of T-shaped individuals, and a purely peer-based performance review and stack ranking. As customer demand and market forces draw Valve into hardware in 2013, Valve questions whether their organizational model will need to change as it expands from software into hardware-and, if so, whether they should prioritize strategy over structure or structure over strategy. The case therefore presents students with a strategic and organizational challenge which tests students' understanding, and Valve's resolve, with regard to the congruence between their organizational model and strategic direction. Students should have read and discussed the (A) case, and Valve's options for entering hardware, prior to the (B) case being distributed. The (B) case provides significant detail on Valve's initial decisions but keeps the final outcome as a work-in-process.

The case series focuses on the diverse, innovative approaches taken by major players, domestic and foreign, to establish and grow chains of hypermarkets and supermarkets in India over the past decade, in the context of shifting FDI policies, changing consumer shopping habits, and an evolving food value chain.

Supplement case for INS901.

The case series focuses on the diverse, innovative approaches taken by major players, domestic and foreign, to establish and grow chains of hypermarkets and supermarkets in India over the past decade, in the context of shifting FDI policies, changing consumer shopping habits, and an evolving food value chain.

This case deals with the CEO selection at Hong Kong-based Global Brokerage Group (GBG) a medium-sized financial brokerage house dealing in securities, futures, foreign exchange, wealth management, and precious metals. Since its inception in 2001 the company, led by founder Anson Chan and his close knit cohort of family and friends, achieved steady growth and a solid presence in the local brokerage industry. In 2013, Anson believed it was time to prepare the company for its next phase of growth via listing on the stock exchange of Hong Kong. To transition GBG from a privately-held business to a publicly-listed entity his priority was to professionalize the company with clear segregation of roles and responsibilities at the top management level. In view of the upcoming IPO, Anson's first task was to appoint a strong CEO. The case sets out the industry context, the importance of regulations administered by the Securities and Futures Commission and GBG's organizational and operational structure. Students take on the role of Anson who is reviewing the profiles of six potential candidates and weighing their pros and cons. Who should he choose?

Case B is set 6 months after the selection of the CEO (Case A). An unsuccessful CEO transition unfolds as the new CEO fails to win the support of the top management team even after six months at the top position. Despite his best efforts, the new CEO could make no headway with any of his organizational change initiatives aimed at streamlining performance management and compensation systems. In fact, the situation worsened to the extent that he was ready to step down. The case provides an opportunity for students to analyze the reasons for the new CEO's failure and to what extent Anson was responsible for the situation. Anson's immediate priority was to devise an action plan to avert the impending organizational crisis.

Ararat, the largest brand of brandy in Russia, with an enviable 32% market share and a long history, is one of the jewels in Pernod Ricard Russia's alcoholic beverage portfolio. After a recent product update, five key questions need to be answered: 1. Which consumer segment(s) should Ararat be targeted at? 2. What should be the brand platform? 3. Which of five proposed advertising options should be selected? 4. Should all seven sub-brands in the Ararat portfolio feature in the campaign, and if not, which ones? 5. In which magazines should the ads be placed?

The Châteauform' case describes how Jacques Horovitz founded a unique concept in the saturated hotel and seminar market that existing hotel chains find difficult to copy and conquer. The case outlines why the new company has entered that market successfully and how Horovitz grew this concept by copying his success formula in other countries and for different target groups. Permanent questioning and reinvention were keys to the sustainability of Châteauform', which maintained the agility and nimbleness of a startup even though it had grown to a company with revenues exceeding €100 million and almost 1,000 employees. Key to the success of the Châteauform' model are some very original solutions to classic supply chain management quagmires in the service industry. The case describes how Horovitz successfully managed this growth. It is a good illustration of how to implement a strategy built on customer centricity and customer intimacy. An interesting element of this case study is the emphasis on managing by values rather than rules and on realigning the whole value chain to make sure the value creation is indeed managed at the customer level, forcing a corporate structure that is very innovative.

Supplement to case IMD761.

This case explores the events leading to the creating of a multi-stakeholder platform, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The promotion of palm oil as an alternative to fossil fuels has increased demand, hence the "palm oil dilemma": to produce oil more sustainably or save the forests? The ability to respond to NGOs and the additional cost of certified palm oil are some of the future challenges facing the RSPO.

In late 2011, Infineon (IFX), a German semiconductor company, is sitting on a €2.4bn cash balance representing 40% of its assets. As part of a financial policy review, management is receiving conflicting advice from different quarters as to whether to pay out some of the cash holdings, how much and by which methods.

Spreadsheet supplement for product INS791.

Mariam Naficy (Minted CEO) and Melissa Kim (Minted COO) have grown the company to become a leader in the online printed cards, independent design and art market segments. As the business has continued to scale they wrestle with simultaneously growing their existing business while also looking at expanding into new markets, all the while keeping their existing customer base engaged. The case highlights the difficult decisions management faces in deciding where to pursue growth opportunities when choices might be overly abundant.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) became the largest airline in Japan in 2013. Having been designated as a domestic carrier by the Japanese government till the mid-1980s and Japan being the sixth largest domestic airline market, two-thirds of ANA's passenger revenue came from the domestic market. However, the Japanese domestic population was decreasing at a significant rate; thus, the domestic market was expected to decrease. Also, plans of a super-high-speed rail and further improvement of current high-speed train systems would make air travel obsolete in many of the popular domestic routes. The key business problem that ANA faced was that amongst the changes in the Marketing 5Cs (Collaborator, Company, Competition, Context, Customer)-specifically, context (decreasing domestic population) and competition (high-speed trains)-how could ANA maintain/increase its business? As a way to resolve this problem, ANA's management was considering to invest in the international market to enhance its global presence. The case concentrates on specific challenges faced by ANA's management that must decide whether to focus on the international market and, if so, which international route it should pursue. Further, management must decide whether to purchase the Airbus's new super jumbo A-380 to increase operational efficiency and promote the ANA brand globally. The case provides details regarding the concept of product differentiation and the importance of aligning a firm's product policy with its overall marketing strategy.

In April 2014, the co-founder of lifestyle brand dpms., situated in London, Ontario, has a dilemma. Started as an opportunity to showcase her partner's graphic designs, dpms. first produced silk-screened t-shirts, then branched into jewelry and other locally produced products as the company succeeded. They maintain a booth at a weekly farmers' and artisans' market and travel to other festivals around the province but rely mainly on word-of-mouth promotion and their social media presence to advertise their wares. She was excited about an article that was to appear in a local newspaper, but when the article was published, it contained several inaccuracies. She is deciding how she should handle the situation and how the options to confront or not confront the reporter will reflect on her fledgling company.

In May 2013, the director of transitional and community programs at Women's Community House (WCH) must decide whether to renew the retail lease on WCH's used-clothing boutique, Mine101. This social enterprise was launched to generate income for WCH's children's programming, but lost money in its first two years of operations. The decision to renew the lease begs a larger question: Should Women's Community House continue to operate Mine101? The director must conduct an analysis of the performance of Mine101 and recommend whether or not to continue operating the social enterprise.

In 2012, Manish Enterprises, a leading coal supplier firm located in Ludhiana, India, was facing a decline in growth. A year later, a business graduate was appointed as the chief executive officer of the company. He managed to reduce the cash cycle from six months to three months by running the operations of the firm efficiently. Sales increased by 127 per cent, and the firm began financing its growth by taking advances from customers. The firm was thus able to reduce its investment in current assets. However, despite adopting best practices, the profitability of the business was declining. The challenges then faced by Manish Enterprises were to manage growth and liquidity while retaining profitability.