On October 31, 2017, Terry Hay, patriarch of the Hay family and leader of the family business, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and given three weeks to live. This grim prognosis placed the Hay family on an unexpected trajectory and forced them to confront Terry’s health crisis while grappling with the impending transition of their family business, Scandinavian Building Services Ltd. (SBS), based in Edmonton. Although the family had already planned for leadership succession, Terry’s sudden illness forced them to accelerate their plans and adapt to unforeseen circumstances. How could the family navigate the leadership transition while responding to the urgency of Terry’s illness? What strategic decisions would they need to make to stay competitive and grow market share? Most importantly, how could they preserve Terry’s legacy and solidify the business’s future across generations?
<p align="justify">In 2019, Loblaw Companies Limited, a Canadian grocery chain headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, was mired in controversy over the “ethnic food aisle,” which was a common feature in all its stores. The company was questioned about the aisle’s role in creating a sense of otherness and divisiveness among the culturally diverse individuals it served. These issues related to discussions sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement alongside the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, during which broad social inequality and COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on frontline employees became spotlighted in new ways.<br><br>Loblaw Companies Limited had to decide if it should remove its “ethnic food aisle.” It also had to consider the purpose of its acquired stores that were entirely dedicated to ethnic offerings, such as T&T Supermarket, which specifically offered products and a shopping experience tailored to Asian tastes. The company had several questions to resolve. Did its current corporate strategy reflect evolving expectations of equity, diversity, and inclusion? What actions should the company take with regard to its popular “ethnic food aisle?” Should it continue to expand by acquiring additional ethnic grocery store chains? Was Loblaw Companies Limited doing enough to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the organization?</p>
In late 2017, the co-owners of Rocky Mountain Soap Company in Canmore, Alberta, faced an important challenge. Their company produced and retailed toxin-free, 100 per cent natural bath and body products, and they wanted the product packaging to reflect their company’s commitment to sustainability. To meet the challenge of identifying and implementing sustainable packaging solutions, the co-owners needed to address intensifying competition, make good use of their limited ability to conduct research and development, and manage their customers’ expectations. How could the co-owners develop a packaging solution that aligned with the company’s brand focus of “100 per cent natural”? How could they find the support they needed to move the company forward?