• Matteo Hill at Drawn, Inc. (C)

    This case, which concludes the scenario set up in "Matteo Hill at Drawn, Inc. (A)" (UVA-OB-1293) and "Matteo Hill at Drawn, Inc. (B)" (UVA-OB-1459), reveals the outcome of the heated discussion about recently acquired start-up Drawn, Inc., sharing the raw data from internal pulse surveys.
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  • "A Wise Latina": Sonia Sotomayor's Journey to the Supreme Court (A)

    This case set uses the example of Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Justice Sonia Sotomayor to discuss issues of communicating identity at work and to explore possible options for impression management over the course of one's career. As a law student, attorney, and lower court judge, Sotomayor leaned into her Latina identity, often referencing it as an important part of who she was. When then President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor for SCOTUS, she faced scrutiny over past comments, some identity related, that were construed to be evidence of judicial bias and that, in the eyes of some, made her unfit for the job. Sotomayor is faced with various options as to how she should respond in her nomination hearings before Congress. This case recounts Sotomayor's early life, education, and career history, as well as the controversy surrounding her nomination. Opponents were disturbed by her "wise Latina" comment, interpreted as Sotomayor advocating for individuals' past experiences to shape their judicial decisions. This case offers an overview of conversations about Sotomayor in the political, legal, and public arena leading up to her nomination hearings. This case set examines the choices that many professionals, particularly those who are underrepresented in a professional space, face at various career stages when managing their identities at work. To what extent should individuals adjust their self-presentation if they are receiving signals of disapproval? Might identity-communication strategies vary depending on one's career stage? Students have an opportunity to proactively ponder how they want to present themselves at work while uncovering the benefits and costs of trying to merge aspects of their authentic selves with expected professional standards. This case series would be appropriate in courses on gender and leadership or ones about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) more broadly. The cases could also be used in a leadership communication course to discuss how individuals communicate aspects of themselves in professional settings.
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  • Southwest Airlines: Cutting through the Storm (B)

    Winter Storm Elliott was a major storm system that grounded air travel across the United States in the days before and after Christmas of 2022. While other major airlines recovered quickly and got passengers to their destinations, Southwest Airlines Co. struggled to recover, cancelling thousands of flights and stranding millions of people over the holidays. The president and CEO of Southwest, Bob Jordan, had only been in his position for about 10 months, and public pressures and media attention tested his leadership. This case explores Jordan's handling of the crisis and the internal and external responses it provoked. The case can be used for a discussion about the symbolic role of leaders during crises, as well as the impacts of making an authentic apology and working to restore trust.
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  • Southwest Airlines: Cutting through the Storm (A)

    Winter Storm Elliott was a major storm system that grounded air travel across the United States in the days before and after Christmas of 2022. While other major airlines recovered quickly and got passengers to their destinations, Southwest Airlines Co. struggled to recover, cancelling thousands of flights and stranding millions of people over the holidays. The president and CEO of Southwest, Bob Jordan, had only been in his position for about 10 months, and public pressures and media attention tested his leadership. This case explores Jordan's handling of the crisis and the internal and external responses it provoked. The case can be used for a discussion about the symbolic role of leaders during crises, as well as the impacts of making an authentic apology and working to restore trust.
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  • 196 Acres and a Mission: What's Responsible Housing for the Hoos?

    What does a university owe to the community where it is based? The idea of an anchor institution reflects the relational dynamics between a large entity and the often-lower-income community where it is located or does a significant portion of its business. This field-based case examines the social responsibility of the University of Virginia (UVA), a public university founded in 1819 in Charlottesville by the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. UVA's significant growth has led to shortages in affordable housing, as UVA has purchased large swaths of land for its use and UVA students occupy much of the remaining lower-cost rentals near the university. As a result, local residents often find themselves pushed to outlying areas and lacking the public transportation necessary to commute to work. In the Charlottesville community, many have been calling on UVA to remedy the situation for over a decade. This issue is particularly salient in an environment where the president and board chair at the University of Pennsylvania was forced to step down for decisions related to sociopolitical issues beyond the campus. The case presents three different frameworks for considering social responsibility: as an anchor institution, as an entity exempt from property and income taxes, and as a public university subsidized by the state. The case guides students to policies underlying current socioeconomic conditions, the ethics of disproportionate use of limited resources, the obligations of tax exemptions, and the responsibilities of anchor institutions. It provides rich data for students to consider questions including the following: Is it fair for universities to enroll students without supplying housing for them? Does a public university have responsibilities that would not apply to a private university? Are UVA's actions aligned with its culture and, by extension, the Jeffersonian ideal upon which it was founded?
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  • The End of Credit Suisse

    The case describes the demise of Credit Suisse Group AG (Credit Suisse), along with Credit Suisse's history and its significance for global markets and Switzerland. The case examines key episodes during the past 15 years that point to risk-management lapses, weak corporate governance, and ineffective restructurings. The case also discusses Credit Suisse's financial performance, capital and liquidity metrics over time, and its CEOs' efforts to alter its course. Finally, the case describes the reaction of the Swiss regulators during the final hours, the forced merger of Credit Suisse with UBS Group AG (UBS), and the potential impact of a bankruptcy on global markets and Switzerland. Given Credit Suisse's status as one of 30 systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs) globally, its demise opens questions related to the efficacy of regulation after the global financial crisis (GFC), the role of regulators, and bank corporate governance. Ultimately, this case asks, "What are the lessons we can learn from Credit Suisse's demise?" in hopes that they won't be repeated.
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  • Save the Children (B): Epilogue

    This case set uses a humanitarian aid organization, Save the Children, to set the stage for analyzing a crisis and the CEO's strategy of leading through uncertainty. The case provides only the minimal information the decision-maker had at the time and gives a sense of the complexity around that fact. It introduces issues around basic communication, strategy, and crisis uncertainties that can be explored in subsequent classes. The material includes video clips of Carolyn Miles, the president and CEO of Save the Children at the time, discussing these issues; when played in class, these enrich the discussion and provide a practitioner's view of a learning experience and leadership in a difficult context. After giving an overview of Save the Children and the situation in Afghanistan in January 2018, this A case describes the text that Miles receives from the country director alerting her that the organization's Jalalabad office is under direct attack. The organization has been through indirect attacks, kidnappings, and natural disasters. Being directly attacked makes this crisis unusual, and Miles is alarmed. Miles receives a second text less than an hour later-she learns that 47 people from Save the Children are sheltering in a safe room as the attack continues. The B case provides an epilogue. At the Darden School of Business, this case has been successfully used in second-year electives in MBA and executive MBA programs. In both programs, it is taught in a course on "Leading in Uncertainty and Crisis." The material works well in a module on decision-making under pressure. It also would be useful in first-year communication strategy courses or organizational behavior courses that raise issues around managing performance and leveraging team and individual capabilities.
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  • Save the Children (A)

    This case set uses a humanitarian aid organization, Save the Children, to set the stage for analyzing a crisis and the CEO's strategy of leading through uncertainty. The case provides only the minimal information the decision-maker had at the time and gives a sense of the complexity around that fact. It introduces issues around basic communication, strategy, and crisis uncertainties that can be explored in subsequent classes. The material includes video clips of Carolyn Miles, the president and CEO of Save the Children at the time, discussing these issues; when played in class, these enrich the discussion and provide a practitioner's view of a learning experience and leadership in a difficult context. After giving an overview of Save the Children and the situation in Afghanistan in January 2018, this A case describes the text that Miles receives from the country director alerting her that the organization's Jalalabad office is under direct attack. The organization has been through indirect attacks, kidnappings, and natural disasters. Being directly attacked makes this crisis unusual, and Miles is alarmed. Miles receives a second text less than an hour later-she learns that 47 people from Save the Children are sheltering in a safe room as the attack continues. The B case provides an epilogue. At the Darden School of Business, this case has been successfully used in second-year electives in MBA and executive MBA programs. In both programs, it is taught in a course on "Leading in Uncertainty and Crisis." The material works well in a module on decision-making under pressure. It also would be useful in first-year communication strategy courses or organizational behavior courses that raise issues around managing performance and leveraging team and individual capabilities.
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  • Light Rail in Denver?: The Private Sector and Infrastructure Development (B)

    This case, a follow-up to "Light Rail in Denver?: The Private Sector and Infrastructure Development (A)" (UVA-GEM-0188) revisits Nwanneoma "Neena" Ngondai as she reflects on the work of the Denver Regional Transportation District and what actually happened after the proposed expansion of Denver's public transit system.
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  • Katchia Gethers: In the Business of Getting Better

    This field-based case uses the challenges an elementary school principal encountered during her first year as a seasoned professional in an underperforming school to set the stage for unfolding a framework on cultures, situations, and selves. The material also reveals elements of burnout, racism, and interpersonal and structural problems. The case allows an exploration of managers unconsciously placing greater expectations on high-performing women employees of color. The case opens with Katchia Gethers, a Black female principal of the second-largest school district in South Carolina, questioning whether to continue or leave. Pushback from some inside the school, critiques from individuals who want to keep Gethers in line with their views, and anonymous online attacks have left her questioning her own leadership. But Gethers has made a difference-the underperforming school showed signs of academic improvement. A strong circle of supporters among those she reports to and those who report to her encourage her to continue. This case would be suitable for MBA and undergraduate courses in organizational behavior or ethics. It could be used at the end of the module about developing self-awareness or about belonging and inclusion. This case can also be used to teach students about managing stakeholders with different interests and goals. The material touches on everything to which effective managers should pay closer attention throughout their careers.
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  • Washington Avenue: Road Diet or Road Buffet? (A)

    In this field-based case, the City of Philadelphia's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability is deciding how best to improve safety and move more people and goods in a way that would provide economic opportunities on a major corridor. The problem-solving opportunities in the city's repaving process set the stage for an exploration of creative problem-solving and introduction of the concept of subtraction neglect. The case opens with the director of the Office of Complete Streets thinking about all the options for the major corridor and considering tensions around how each stakeholder might perceive change on Washington Avenue. The director's team engages with numerous city departments, businesses, and community members for input around potential changes that would culminate in proposed lane reconfiguration options to present publicly. The team starts going through the transportation planners' toolbox of what is possible: What are the priorities? What will each cost? Will they be easily incorporated into the paving project? And if the team had play money to put toward the different improvements, where would it put it? This case is suitable for MBA and undergraduate organizational behavior or strategy courses. It could be used at the end of the module about problem-solving, making change, and removing complexity. This case can also be used to teach students about managing stakeholders with different interests and goals. Firms across industries seek managers with skill in problem-solving, and as such, this case could also be used in a broader introductory organizational behavior, innovation, design-thinking, creativity, human resources, or strategy course.
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  • Washington Avenue: Road Diet or Road Buffet? (B)

    In this field-based case set, the City of Philadelphia's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability is deciding how best to improve safety and move more people and goods in a way that would provide economic opportunities on a major corridor. The problem-solving opportunities in the city's repaving process set the stage for an exploration of creative problem-solving and introduction of the concept of subtraction neglect. The A case opens with the director of the Office of Complete Streets thinking about all the options for the major corridor and considering tensions around how each stakeholder might perceive change on Washington Avenue. The director's team engages with numerous city departments, businesses, and community members for input around potential changes that would culminate in proposed lane reconfiguration options to present publicly. The team starts going through the transportation planners' toolbox of what is possible: What are the priorities? What will each cost? Will they be easily incorporated into the paving project? And if the team had play money to put toward the different improvements, where would it put it? This B case includes relevant images. This set is suitable for MBA and undergraduate organizational behavior or strategy courses. It could be used at the end of the module about problem-solving, making change, and removing complexity. This case can also be used to teach students about managing stakeholders with different interests and goals. Firms across industries seek managers with skill in problem-solving, and as such, this case could also be used in a broader introductory organizational behavior, innovation, design-thinking, creativity, human resources, or strategy course.
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  • Stress in the Workplace: Mental Health Conversations-The Employee

    Most managers will one day be in a situation where they must help another employee with a mental health issue. How should they prepare for these conversations? What resources are available? This role-play case duo sets up a discussion on mental health-specifically, depression and anxiety-between an employee and their manager in a US context. Students will be assigned either the role of the boss or the direct report, and will be asked to navigate a difficult conversation around mental ill health and performance at work. The material allows students to learn about the various policies and laws that govern these discussions and the typical workplace resources that may or may not be available, and to practice having these tricky conversations. This case set may not be appropriate or useful for audiences with several employees who work or plan to work outside of the United States because mental health symptom presentations, norms surrounding mental health discussions, and mental health resources in other countries differ significantly from what is discussed in this case set.
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  • Stress in the Workplace: Mental Health Conversations-The Boss

    Most managers will one day be in a situation where they must help another employee with a mental health issue. How should they prepare for these conversations? What resources are available? This role-play case duo sets up a discussion on mental health-specifically, depression and anxiety-between an employee and their manager in a US context. Students will be assigned either the role of the boss or the direct report, and will be asked to navigate a difficult conversation around mental ill health and performance at work. The material allows students to learn about the various policies and laws that govern these discussions and the typical workplace resources that may or may not be available, and to practice having these tricky conversations. This case set may not be appropriate or useful for audiences with several employees who work or plan to work outside of the United States because mental health symptom presentations, norms surrounding mental health discussions, and mental health resources in other countries differ significantly from what is discussed in this case set.
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  • The Psychology of Problem-Solving

    This technical note introduces the concept of applying subtractive thinking to problem-solving. The essential work of almost any employee in an organization is to solve problems and make something better. And more often than not, the tendency is to add to what currently exists, not take something away. This note shares obstacles to the use of subtractive ideas for transformations and changes, as well as the advantages of removing complexity. It offers an overview of the problem-solving process, from mental representation of the initial situation, through brainstorming possible transformations, to conceiving of various goals.
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  • Upli: Financial Health Appiness (B)

    This field-based case set uses qualitative and quantitative research during the early stages of app development to unfold circumstances that allow for an analysis of the problems people have around financial health, consumer insights, and the largest market opportunity. The material provides the opportunity to explore data gathered through focus groups, quantitative survey research, and factor analysis for segment inputs. This further enables exploration of experimentation, practice in using and interpreting qualitative data, and discussion of using qualitative data as a stimulus for generating quantitative data. Key takeaways include when and where a focus group approach is appropriate, risks, and other research techniques that might be considered, as well as learning around segmentation, targeting, positioning, and new product development. In the A case, the founders of Upli, Michael Krause and Christof Meyer, use focus groups to generate insights into who would use a financial wellness app. This B case follows them as they use qualitative data from the focus groups to write survey questions to test quantitatively. The quantitative survey data allows exploration of several different segments, and they use factor analysis to identify which variables appear to be most potent for segmentation inputs. Meyer and his team then construct a framework to compare segments to one another. The C case reveals their design and funding efforts. This case set can be used in a first-year MBA or executive MBA program in a core marketing course, in a second-year elective on consumer behavior or marketing research, or in a strategy course on design thinking. It would also fit in courses on entrepreneurship and new product development. The material works well in a module on understanding consumers and consumer insights with focus groups.
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  • Upli: Financial Health Appiness (A)

    This field-based case set uses qualitative and quantitative research during the early stages of app development to unfold circumstances that allow for an analysis of the problems people have around financial health, consumer insights, and the largest market opportunity. The material provides the opportunity to explore data gathered through focus groups, quantitative survey research, and factor analysis for segment inputs. This further enables exploration of experimentation, practice in using and interpreting qualitative data, and discussion of using qualitative data as a stimulus for generating quantitative data. Key takeaways include when and where a focus group approach is appropriate, risks, and other research techniques that might be considered, as well as learning around segmentation, targeting, positioning, and new product development. This A case opens with the founders of Upli, Michael Krause and Christof Meyer, seeking to understand problems around financial health and using focus groups to generate insights into who would use a financial wellness app. The B and C cases follow them as they use qualitative data from the focus groups to design surveys, then use quantitative data from the surveys to create segments, and finally design and finance their app. This case set can be used in a first-year MBA or executive MBA program in a core marketing course, in a second-year elective on consumer behavior or marketing research, or in a strategy course on design thinking. It would also fit in courses on entrepreneurship and new product development. The material works well in a module on understanding consumers and consumer insights with focus groups.
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  • Upli: Financial Health Appiness (C)

    This field-based case set uses qualitative and quantitative research during the early stages of app development to unfold circumstances that allow for an analysis of the problems people have around financial health, consumer insights, and the largest market opportunity. The material provides the opportunity to explore data gathered through focus groups, quantitative survey research, and factor analysis for segment inputs. This further enables exploration of experimentation, practice in using and interpreting qualitative data, and discussion of using qualitative data as a stimulus for generating quantitative data. Key takeaways include when and where a focus group approach is appropriate, risks, and other research techniques that might be considered, as well as learning around segmentation, targeting, positioning, and new product development. In the A and B cases, the founders of Upli, Michael Krause and Christof Meyer, use focus groups to generate insights into who would use a financial wellness app, then use qualitative data from the focus groups to write survey questions to test quantitatively and create segments, and finally use factor analysis to identify which variables appear to be most potent for segmentation inputs and construct a framework to compare segments. This C case reveals the steps they took to design the Upli MVP and push it out to a small group of people. It also offers insight into entrepreneurial motivations to keep moving forward and allows discussion of different ways to finance entrepreneurial ventures. This case set can be used in a first-year MBA or executive MBA program in a core marketing course, in a second-year elective on consumer behavior or marketing research, or in a strategy course on design thinking. It would also fit in courses on entrepreneurship and new product development. The material works well in a module on understanding consumers and consumer insights with focus groups.
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  • Market Street Wine: Extending the Aisle

    This case and data set can be used with data visualization software to tell a story with data through charts, maps, and dashboards. Using an independent wine shop, Market Street Wine, the case describes changes in customer demographics, tastes, purchasing methods, and other trends that prompted the owners to consider whether they should "extend the aisle" by expanding their wine selection. The COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain issues presented new business challenges-but also opened new opportunities. Most notably, the difficulty obtaining traditional French and Italian labels, and the more easily available wines produced across the United States, which had the owners considering these offerings. Students can use the shop owner as audience and the wine consumer data to explore new wines, US regions, and trends to design charts, the narrative arc of a story to present, and a dashboard.
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  • iFixit: If You Bought It, You Don't Really Own It

    This field-based case introduces iFixit, a small business with a mission to change consumer behavior around prosperity so that they would no longer toss away broken products. iFixit offered repair guides and the sale of parts and tools to make repairs on over 30,000 different devices-mostly electronic. iFixit's business model was based on creating more value than it captured-repair was sustainable. iFixit intended to keep electronics out of landfills by providing accessible and easy information for free, so anyone could fix their devices. That plan put the founders Kyle Wiens and Luke Soules head-to-head against industry leaders in the electronics space-large manufacturers that worked against iFixit's efforts to offer repair guides. For nearly 20 years, Wiens and Soules had worked toward giving consumers the right to repair what they owned. What would it take to move the needle so manufacturers would work with, instead of against, iFixit? This cases also explores the concept of forward and reverse loops within the electronics value chain. It's recommended for use with two technical notes: "Regulations and Standards: Electronics Supply Chain" (UVA-OM-1714) and "Electronics Supply Chain Overview" (UVA-OM-1716).
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