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The Fire Roasted Coffee Company (Fire Roasted) was a small regional roaster and seller of coffee in London, Ontario. The company sourced green coffee beans from over 20 different countries and managed the roasting process in house. Its coffee was primarily served at Fire Roasted’s own coffee shop locations, but was sometimes sold wholesale to other cafés and interested parties. In 2017, as the company was about to update its point-of-sale system, the company’s founder and president recognized the opportunity to implement a new set of prices for the premium coffee beverages on the menu. The list of beverages included Americano, cappuccino, drip coffee, latte, macchiato, and mocha. He considered a few different methods of costing selected items, intending to use these costs as an aid to his pricing decisions. He was also determined to incorporate industry and competitive dynamics into the decision.

Working the night shift to accommodate the time difference with U.S. customers was a well-known call-centre practice in India, and staffing the graveyard shift was challenging. In 2016, one of Diglot Capital Management (DCM)'s vice-presidents faced a challenge that most leaders did not have to contend with: DCM's employees were avoiding working the night shift or quitting altogether because they believed the workplace was haunted. The employees' superstitions, rooted in cultural and religious beliefs, were creating a serious decline in productivity; thus, jeopardizing the company's partnership with an American firm. The situation was troubling the vice-president and totally bewildering the American manager, who demanded that DCM's employees be disciplined. The vice-president was at risk of losing most of his workforce. Was there a way he could keep all stakeholders happy?

Muskaan, a social enterprise based in Delhi, India, trained adults with intellectual disabilities to help bring them closer to mainstream society. The organization firmly believed that the “human mind is designed for learning,” and that everyone, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, had the potential to succeed in doing great things in life. Muskaan had two revenue sources: grants, and income from the sale of goods produced by intellectually disabled craftspeople. In 2016, more than 11,000 Indian non-governmental organizations lost their licenses to receive foreign funding. Dr. Shanti Auluck, Muskaan’s founder, worried that the funding needed for her business model might also soon dry up. To survive, grow, and ensure the sustainability of her social enterprise, Auluck had to change her business model and prepare a new business plan.

In July 2018, the chief executive officer of Tiktauli De Corps (TDC) was thinking about the branding strategy of the company. Founded in India in August 2012 as a casual wear apparel brand, TDC had grown rapidly. The company featured three main business lines: electronic dance music fashion apparel and accessories; sports gear; and affordable fashion wear. The company had adopted a house of brands strategy for its three brands: TDC, Fieldgear, and Koolho. After six years, one of the three brands had started generating profits, but none had achieved recognition outside a niche circle. However, confident that the various brands were aligned with TDC’s vision, and encouraged by the company’s success, the chief executive officer was considering expanding into international markets. Because of limited access to funds, synergy among the company’s house brands, and the impact of macro-environmental factors on his growth plans, he had to choose the best branding strategy for the company’s future.

On August 31, 2016, a well-respected and highly influential cultural broadcaster and entrepreneur in Colombia was the subject of a fake news attack. A message started spreading over the WhatsApp messaging service wrongfully attributing to her a vociferous statement opposing the Colombian peace-making process. On September 2, 2016, she produced a disconfirming video, in which she made it clear that the statement was not written by her; that it did not represent her views; and that, contrary to what the statement said, she supported peace efforts. The video was posted on her official Facebook and Twitter accounts, and echoed by mainstream media. Unfortunately, the attack did not stop there. On several occasions between 2016 and 2017, the message was put in circulation again. The timing seemed connected to milestones in Colombia’s peace process. In February 2018, three months before the presidential elections in the country, the message started to circulate again. The entrepreneur wondered if there was anything else she could do to prevent further damage to both public opinion and her own reputation.

Yash Building Centre, based in Raipur, central India, was in the business of manufacturing fly ash bricks and blocks. At the beginning of 2016, after achieving decent growth and gaining goodwill among local builders and contractors, the managing partner was actively looking to expand business operations into tiles, pavers, and curbstones. He believed this expansion would improve the firm’s profitability by allowing it to take full advantage of its reputation among existing customers. It would also enable the firm to increase its size. A key question was, would this decision facilitate value creation for the firm? To make the investment decision, the managing partner needed to consider the return on investment and the capacity at which the new unit would break even.

Instructor Spreadsheet to accompany product 8B18N003.

Spreadsheet to accompany product 9B18N003.

A businesswoman owned two franchised stores of Carpenter Tan Handicrafts Co., Ltd. (Carpenter Tan) in Panjin City, China. Carpenter Tan was a leader in the wooden crafts industry. When the first franchised store was set up in 2012, she was excited by and satisfied with Carpenter Tan’s franchise model. However, after her second franchised store was set up in 2014, she felt that this franchise model was restricting her development and autonomy. In 2016, Carpenter Tan suggested that the businesswoman open a third franchised store in Panjin, where the wooden crafts market was close to saturation. The businesswoman, who had become dissatisfied with Carpenter Tan’s franchise model, faced a tough choice about whether she should set up the third franchised store.

In January 2017, the owner of Exotic Caribbean Mountain Pride Ltd., based in Trinidad and Tobago, was trying to decide on a strategy to ensure the continued growth of her business in the face of increased competition from other local manufacturers. She wondered whether the timing was right to expand operations and enter the export market. The growing demand for her chocolate products also made her question whether she should increase her prices. The entry of her two daughters into the family business further complicated her decision-making. She wanted them to become more involved in running the business, but she was having difficulty adopting a less active role in the business.

Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (HMCL) was the largest two-wheeler company in India, a country with one of the highest rates of road accidents in the world. HMCL realized that a cause marketing campaign around road safety could benefit the company in two ways—it could raise issues around road safety to benefit the greater society, and it could create a unique positioning for the company. HMCL created a multi-level campaign that created visibility and worked at the ground level to create behaviour change.<br><br>HMCL’s multi-level cause marketing campaign reached a large section of the population, but challenges lay ahead in measuring the success of the road safety campaign. The head of corporate social responsibility at the company had to determine how to measure the success of the campaign and whether to continue it.

Jakson Group (Jakson) was a pioneer in the field of acoustic diesel generator sets. It was also one of the largest original equipment manufacturers for Cummins India Limited. Jakson had a compound annual growth rate of 23 per cent between 2000 and 2008. However, competitive forces and the 2008 global economic downturn posed tough business challenges for the company. In December 2010, the top management was contemplating how to reinforce the Jakson brand and put the company back on the path of success.

PromenAid Inc., located in Montreal, Canada, and founded in 2010, was a producer of satin-anodized modular handrails for mobility-impaired customers. The company had begun experiencing significant growth in sales in 2016. Further, the projections of the vice-president of Commercial Operations suggested explosive growth between 2017 and 2020. However, he was concerned about demand stimulation, positioning and differentiation, and choosing channels of distribution. In addition, he was concerned about the potential effect of growth on cash flow and the organizational structure. Changes had to be made to ensure the company's potential growth.

Sekar Group (Sekar), based in Surabaya, Indonesia, started in 1966 as a small business purchasing fish and shrimp. Led by its founder Harry Susilo, Sekar grew into a large holding company with several business divisions in the global market. Sekar's achievements were closely linked to Susilo’s moral leadership, which was greatly influenced by Eastern culture. As the eldest of a large family, Susilo had cared for his siblings as his own children. Some of these siblings were involved with Sekar, and the last of them was preparing to retire. Susilo, as the company’s patriarch, was facing the challenge of ensuring lasting success. A new leader from the next generation needed to be chosen to assume Susilo’s moral leadership and to sustain family business management and corporate ethics. Who should become the new leader and how would Susilo pass down his ethical framework to a generation largely raised with Western values?

This case series allows students to examine the dynamics of an organization-wide operating system change that was implemented over a decade from 2007 to 2017. The change was initially introduced at Fortis Healthcare Limited in a single hospital and later successfully scaled up to multiple locations. The system worked well for some years before it fell victim to gradual degeneration and defocus. At some stage in the journey of change, this degeneration and defocus was noticed, and a fresh effort was made to revive the change at different locations. Thus, the case series gives students the opportunity to examine the different stages of a change journey—the introduction of change; transferring it to multiple locations; sustaining change; possible .degeneration or defocus, leading to ritualization and loss of spirit; and the rejuvenation of change.<br><br>In Implementing Fortis Operating System (A), the president of strategy and organizational development at Fortis Healthcare Limited had to decide on a plan scale up change quickly and effectively.

This case series allows students to examine the dynamics of an organization-wide operating system change that was implemented over a decade from 2007 to 2017. The change was initially introduced at Fortis Healthcare Limited in a single hospital and later successfully scaled up to multiple locations. The system worked well for some years before it fell victim to gradual degeneration and defocus. At some stage in the journey of change, this degeneration and defocus was noticed, and a fresh effort was made to revive the change at different locations. Thus, the case series gives students the opportunity to examine the different stages of a change journey—the introduction of change; transferring it to multiple locations; sustaining change; possible .degeneration or defocus, leading to ritualization and loss of spirit; and the rejuvenation of change.<br><br>In Implementing Fortis Operating System (B), the chief executive officer at Fortis Healthcare Limited had to create a strategy to ensure that standard operating procedures continued to evolve over time.

In late 2017, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Blue Apron, a pioneer in the subscription-based meal kit delivery service in the United States, faced several operational and revenue growth challenges. Since its inception in 2012, Blue Apron had invested heavily in marketing to acquire new customers, but rapid growth had led to challenges, and efforts to resolve those issues had led to further problems. Blue Apron also faced several operations and human resources challenges that had resulted in late and missed deliveries. Competition was fierce from both other start-ups such as HelloFresh and established retailers such as Amazon Inc. Could the new chief executive officer ensure that Blue Apron became profitable, or was the company destined to exit the market or be acquired by an established retailer?

In May 2017, IKEA India’s chief executive officer (CEO) was facing a dilemma. The company had decided to start its business operations in India by opening an experience centre in Hyderabad in November 2018, followed by furniture retail outlets across India by 2025. Key target segments were young, middle-class price-conscious consumers. IKEA India aimed to sell its products at a low price, aligning with its vision. However, the CEO was challenged with developing a strategy for business growth at a time when major global retailers were going bankrupt. He needed to figure out the appropriate pricing and supply chain strategy for India’s complex and diverse environment, while offering value to consumers.

In 2017, Macy’s Inc. (Macy’s), one of the world’s largest and oldest premier department stores, announced it would close 100 stores and make other significant strategic changes to try to return the brand to its former glory. Macy’s sales had fallen for eight straight quarters, causing investors to fear that the company was continuing to lose market share. The firm had been pursuing an aggressive strategy to optimize all facets of its business, but had its chief executive officer addressed all of the company’s challenges in an optimal way? The department store industry was still experiencing an overall decline, and competition from online companies and off-price retailers was particularly severe. Could Macy’s overcome these obstacles, refocus its strategy, and turn itself around?

In early July 2017, the shareholders of RollUP Solutions Incorporated (RollUP), a social enterprise in London, Ontario, had just received great news about a partnership with Goodwill Industries International Inc. that would result in process efficiencies and business growth for RollUP. RollUP collected used mobility devices from long-term care homes, upcycled the devices, and sold them to consumers at discounted prices. Before launching their online sales channel and implementing their new sourcing and upcycling process, the shareholders needed to make key marketing decisions such as selecting a target market, price, and promotional methods.