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The central objective of the social-sector organization Kudumbashree, in the state of Kerala, in India, was to alleviate poverty in the state by facilitating the formation of income-generating micro-enterprises (MEs) led by women. In February 2024, the executive director at Kudumbashree was considering implementing a goal-setting framework that would align the various stakeholders to common objectives and ensure systematic and accurate collection of information related to various interventions. However, most management goal-setting frameworks were applied to for-profit settings, so he wondered if they would work in the social sector. He was considering the objectives and key results framework, which was increasingly popular and required review of the results in the short term. Would applying this framework to Kudumbashree facilitate ME formation and sustenance?

After five years abroad, Soumaya Merhi, a Lebanese German entrepreneur, returned to Lebanon in 2013 with the goal of introducing superfoods to the Middle East. Despite limited resources, she launched TAQA Snacks (TAQA) in 2017, prioritizing sustainability alongside financial growth. By 2018, TAQA had seen remarkable 400 per cent growth, established a dedicated team, and ingrained its socio-environmental values. However, Lebanon’s severe economic crisis in 2019, compounded by COVID-19 disruptions, posed significant challenges. Despite setbacks, Merhi remained dedicated to her values and commitment to sustainability, investors, employees, and vision.

In August 2023, the chair of the Pune-based Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), reflected on the organization’s 20-year journey to empower Dalits through entrepreneurship, independence, confidence, and job creation. Despite DICCI’s efforts, societal challenges and fears of disclosing Dalit identity persisted. As the chair considered ways to boost membership and retain existing members, he wondered whether emphasizing collective identity and solidarity could further empower Dalit entrepreneurs. Could celebrating successful Dalit role models, establishing mentoring programs, or prioritizing skill development further uplift the community?

Presentation for products 9B10E009 and 9B10E010.

DeHaat was a technology-led platform offering end-to-end agriculture services to Indian farmers with an aim to improve inefficiencies in the agriculture value chain. By September 2022, after 10 years of operations, the company was well-established in India’s agricultural technology sector, and its network of centres across 12 states distributed seeds, pesticides, fertilizer, and farm machinery to farmers and offered them farm advisory services, financial services, and market linkages for selling farm produce. But despite DeHaat’s remarkable growth, profitability still eluded the company. In 2023, the company needed to determine what its founders could do to improve profitability and create stakeholder value. They had already received multiple rounds of funding. Should they now focus on existing markets, explore new domestic markets or exports, expand their offerings, or better control their costs to enhance credibility in the financial market? Or should they slow down growth to strengthen internal operations?

CZM Foundation Equipment (CZM) was a manufacturer of foundation drilling rigs founded in Brazil in 1976. The company set up a subsidiary in the USA in 2012, which was so successful that it turned into the headquarters. Twelve years later, CZM’s executives were considering expansion in Europe, which could provide CZM with opportunities to enhance the design and development of its machines, improve the efficiency of its global supply chain, and open the door to new markets. It already had an engineering department in Italy and relationships with suppliers in Italy, France, and Germany. However, CZM executives were concerned about the highly competitive environment in Europe, which could make establishing a European subsidiary a risky choice. They also faced two related decisions: a) which country to choose, and b) which entry strategy to use, either a wholly owned subsidiary or an equity alliance with a partner.

In March 2017, the chief executive officer of Uniquest Infra Ventures Pvt. Ltd (Uniquest) was facing several critical decisions. The National Highway Authority of India had terminated the concession agreement of a 30-year project for the upgrading the Jetpur Somnath highway in India. Uniquest was an equity partner of Jetpur Somnath Tollways Limited, the concessionaire for the project. Uniquest was risking losing its ₹5 billion investment due to the termination of the concession agreement, which cited failure to commence construction on the Junagadh bypass. The National Highway Authority of India’s decision to terminate the concession agreement presented a major challenge for Uniquest and its lender partners. However, it also had broader implications for the Indian infrastructure sector. The termination risked undermining government efforts to attract foreign and domestic investments in future highway projects. The premature termination of the concession agreement could also lead to equity and debt write-offs, which could impact the development of India’s public-private partnerships landscape. The chief executive officer of Uniquest had to consider whether to challenge the termination of the project, whether independently or in partnership with the project’s lenders, or if the termination payment amount of just over ₹2.2 billion should be contested instead. With a current debt of over ₹6.4 billion for the project, Uniquest and the project’s debtors were facing major potential losses arising from the decision to terminate the project.

The booming United Arab Emirates (UAE) healthcare sector, fuelled by rising demand and chronic conditions, presented both challenges and opportunities. In August 2022, Burjeel Holdings, a leading healthcare provider, was exploring digital transformation strategies and anticipating an upcoming initial public offering. A successful digital transformation strategy incorporating emerging technologies like telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI)–powered diagnostics would not only enhance patient care but would also project a positive image to potential investors. However, the chief operating officer needed to address several challenges, including employee resistance to new technologies, a culture accustomed to established practices, and a need to avoid disrupting core operations. Recognizing the importance of a people-centric approach, he aimed to foster a culture of innovation where employees felt empowered to contribute. Would he be able to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation? Could Burjeel leverage technology to become a leader in the digital healthcare revolution?

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began on March 17, 2023, and quickly gained popularity, becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time and generating over US$1 billion. The Eras Tour was designed to immerse the audience through each of the eras of Swift’s life as she transitioned through 10 unique sets spanning over three hours. The Eras Tour was a big step up from Swift’s previous tours, incorporating extravagant costumes, elaborate audiovisuals, and a complex stage design. The show featured a giant catwalk, moving platforms, and several different sets for each scene, enabling the audience to feel connected to each era. Behind the scenes, Swift’s production crew worked to ensure the show ran smoothly, with one team backstage, two teams on the floor managing the show, and a third team under the stage, managing costume changes and performer placement. The Eras Tour had seen unprecedented demand, with millions of fans trying to secure show tickets. On November 17, 2022, Swift’s team faced scrutiny around its partnership with Ticketmaster, as the platform became overwhelmed by 14 million fans seeking tickets and an unprecedented number of bot attacks.<br><br>For Swift and her team, questions arose: How could the team continue to bring joy to fans, potentially attract new audiences, ensure smooth operations and sales for future performances, and further strengthen Swift’s brand, popularity, and reputation? Which other markets should Swift visit? How could the team sustain and even elevate the success of the show? How was success defined at a global and societal level? What came next?

The Tata Group took over control of the loss-making state-owned Air India and the airlines it operated it operated from the Government of India on January 27, 2022. The Tata Group now faces financial performance issues and lags behind one of the leading aviation industry front-runners in India in terms of market share. The re-acquisition of Air India also brought about challenges of how to amalgamate three diverse cultures to make a single Tata Group culture, and how to inculcate the Tata Group’s values to turn Air India profitable. What should Air India do if employees are not integrated with Tata Group culture? Air India leadership is weighing its various options and pondering whether to integrate three airlines and become one of the prominent airlines in the country and the world, or operate them autonomously as economy or premium airlines without amalgamating the diverse cultures.

Café Greenr launched in 2015 with a vision of blending sustainability and community living. Starting as a rooftop café in Shapur Jat, South Delhi, it quickly pioneered plant-based dining in India, creating a unique market niche. The café's success stemmed from strategic first-mover positioning and offering a variety of plant-based proteins. Emphasizing environmental, social, and personal sustainability, it provided a space for conscious living. Despite challenges in traditional cuisine markets, Greenr positioned itself through community engagement, collaborations, and events. The case explores its strategic decisions for potential franchise expansion, aiming to lead conscious dining in India.

By April 2019, the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (Jeevika), had become a cornerstone in empowerment and poverty-eradication efforts in Bihar, the poorest state in India. With an innovative talent-management initiative known as the Young Professional (YP) program, Jeevika aimed to harness the potential of top-tier postgraduate students to drive its projects. However, the organization faced significant challenges with this program, including a high turnover rate and growing dissatisfaction among YPs regarding disparate compensation and career progression opportunities. The YP program was established to bring fresh, innovative perspectives to Jeevika, and it succeeded in making substantial contributions to major World Bank–funded projects like the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project and the Bihar Transformative Development Project. Despite these successes, the growing number of grievances about unequal pay, a lack of job security, and unclear career trajectories led to numerous resignations. Senior leaders at Jeevika now stood at a crossroads, needing to decide whether to continue, amend, or dissolve the YP program in light of these challenges. Members of the leadership group had different views on these issues and the strategic implications of any changes they might make to the policy. Should the company discontinue the program? If it chose to continue it, how could it best address the issues YPs faced? What policies would best serve them?

Kongsberg Maritime, a Norway-based company well known for its high-tech ship equipment, succeeded in acquiring Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine in April 2019. Kongsberg Maritime aimed to strengthen its position as a global technology leader by expanding its product portfolio and revenue, enhancing its international setup, and improving overall performance. In the following years, the company faced the challenges of integrating people and products from both large and diverse companies, and of adapting its organizational structure. It had to make two key strategic decisions: the approach to integration (operational, structural, or human) and the location strategy (centralized or decentralized).

Fashnear Technologies Private Limited (Meesho), a social commerce platform founded in 2015 in Bangalore, India, altered the landscape of the Indian e-commerce industry by allowing individuals and small company owners to start selling goods from suppliers through their own social media accounts. Meesho leveraged social media and messaging platforms to allow anyone to sell products at a profit. Its simple interface allowed resellers to easily access and then showcase available products to their own customers. Meesho focused specifically on Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, targeting an underserved market, and brought opportunities for individual entrepreneurs and local businesses to reach a wider audience. Meesho expanded since its founding in a competitive e-commerce market that included global giants, established companies, and new entrants. However, by August 2024, could Meesho continue growing and maintain its sustainable position in an increasingly competitive industry?

In April 2024, Ricardo Garza Limón, the founder of Grupo Garza Limón in Mexico, was reflecting on the succession process he had embarked on in 2016. Despite making progress, Ricardo regretted not having achieved his main goal: seeing one of his two sons take on the role of chief executive officer (CEO) in the family firm. The company had a solid nonfamily CEO in place but needed to strengthen its board of directors and formalize a trust to align future generations with corporate governance principles. Ricardo also recognized the serious challenges facing the succession process. Not only were his sons unprepared for leadership and lacking key competencies, but there were ongoing conflicts between family members and struggles to balance family dynamics with business needs. With all these considerations in mind, Ricardo wondered whether his chosen succession plan had been the right one. If not, did he need to do something else to ensure the continuity and success of his business legacy?

Capital Breeders was a major player in the Zambian poultry industry. From processing chickens, Capital Breeders created substantial waste, namely feathers and blood. The company was interested in both saving money and improving its environmental performance. It assessed four alternative uses for this waste: the production of sustainable biomaterials, bio-based fertilizer, bioenergy production, and animal feed. Students were asked to make a qualitative assessment of the options, ultimately ranking them in terms of initial feasibility. The case also provided an opportunity to discuss the ethics of waste diversion in the poultry industry.

Andrew Chen, chief executive officer of Andrew’s Dental Chain (ADC), faces the challenge of managing and scaling his rapidly growing dental business, which operates 15 clinics across Guangdong Province, China. ADC plans to double its locations within three years, but the current system of manual oversight is proving inadequate. The clinics function as independent entities, raising concerns about the consistency of patient care, staff qualifications, and operational efficiency. To support this expansion, a comprehensive data model for a new standardized information system must be designed to integrate data across all locations and enable better decision-making.

V-shesh Learning Services Private Limited (v-shesh), an enterprise recognized for its social impact, had been dedicated to promoting disability inclusion since its founding in 2009. Established by two college friends, v-shesh aimed to bridge the gap between persons with disabilities (PWD)/disadvantaged youth and organizations that viewed inclusion as an opportunity. The company’s very dynamic staff and robust processes and activities were dedicated to achieving its goals concerning the employment of PWD. Some of the challenges PWD faced included limited access to assistive technology, a lack of clarity regarding the specific interview processes employers had adopted for PWD, and negative attitudes and biases held by nondisabled individuals.

<div style="font-size: 0.94em; line-height: 1.4;"><p align="justify">Ivey Business School Professor Emeritus Glenn Rowe has learned a lot about leadership by studying decision-making in the private sector, but his most valuable leadership lesson was learned as the officer-in-charge of Patrol Boat Standoff in the mid-1980s, when Rowe was a staff officer at a Canadian naval reserve division. On his first day as officer-in-charge, Rowe made an error that led to his ship’s grounding—a cardinal sin in any navy. This article—which Rowe co-authored with Ken Nason, another former Canadian naval officer with a second career in business—examines how failure can drive leadership development by highlighting how it positively affected Rowe’s career. Although we often hear that failure is not an option, this is a costly perspective. After all, failure shapes our character, restores focus, renews motivation, and teaches us about accountability, transparency, responsibility, adaptability, and ownership. Learning from failure, however, can’t happen unless one embraces failure as a teacher. When Rowe grounded his patrol boat, he learned the value of staying calm during a crisis and discovered that he had command ability. Earlier in his career, when approaching HMCS Preserver’s commanding officer to discuss issues tied to his performance, he didn’t save his job, but by admitting to himself and navy authorities that his performance was less than ideal, he avoided the “ostrich effect.”

<div style="font-size: 0.94em; line-height: 1.4;"><p align="justify">How can business school educators most effectively teach diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? In 2023, a working group devoted to the subject held a professional development workshop on teaching DEI. This article summarizes key takeaways from the event. As the first teaching demonstration showed, when developing diversity initiatives, it’s important to create interventions and messages that aren’t one-size-fits-all. In the second teaching demonstration, the instructor set conversation guidelines that included “active and empathetic listening,” “challenge the idea, not the person,” and “take space and make space.” She challenged students to embrace discomfort, trust intent, and acknowledge assumptions, and sought to reframe conversations about DEI not as difficult but as transformational. In the third demonstration, the instructor encouraged students to think about the conditions that allowed them to grow their emotional intelligence or leadership skills. The article ends with some expert advice from DEI instructors: bring your authentic self; orient yourself to learn; and invite reflection.