In August 2018, JK Paper Ltd., a market leader in India’s paper manufacturing industry, acquired the ailing Sirpur Paper Mills Limited, an 80-year-old company that had been declared insolvent. By September 2022, Sirpur Paper Mills Limited was reporting profit margins that were on par with its parent company. The management team was requesting approval from the parent company to double capacity in the writing and printing paper segment, with a proposed investment of US$125–130 million. The company has overcome several key challenges and had achieved some considerable operational improvements. However, the proposed investment would be a long-term commitment in a cyclical industry. There were also some difficulties in attracting and retaining talent in the industry and establishing relationships with key external stakeholders. JK Paper Ltd. had to decide whether to approve a strategic plan to expand and double the capacities of its new business unit in India’s paper manufacturing industry.
Nihilent Limited (Nihilent), established in 2000, is an information technology (IT) services and consulting company based in Pune, India. Nihilent has been led by a charismatic and very creative leader who has been leading the go to market and client acquisition strategies through his design thinking workshops. Most work has been acquired based on his personal credibility. <br><br>How can the company sustain creative disruption through humanizing technology that the founder has so painstakingly built? Can the right leadership be found to carry the company vision forward? Can the government's policies and ecosystem help Nihilent gain competitive advantage?
In 2020, Neha Mathur and Debi Kar co-founded the start-up Wishyogi India Pvt. Limited in Bangalore, India, and launched an online HR platform called Personifwy. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), Personifwy analyzes employee engagement experiences and integrates data with the client’s own systems, thus serving as an HR analytics platform. During their interactions with clients, Mathur and Kar discovered a gap in the process of recruiting prospective employees. Many candidates were engaging in a phenomenon referred to as “ghosting,” which caused the talent acquisition teams of client firms to constantly restart the process, wasting time and resources. Mathur and Kar wanted to reveal the reason why candidates were dropping out of the recruitment process (or “ghosting” the employer) after receiving an offer letter and find a way to stop the practice. Potential solutions included having the client call these candidates directly or hiring consultants to establish a contact. Could AI technology help to resolve the issue? Could Mathur and Kar design an innovative solution to increase the ratio of job offer to confirmed employee for Personifwy clients? Should the company consider using employees advocates to help resolve the ghosting issue?
In 2020, Neha Mathur and Debi Kar co-founded the start-up Wishyogi India Pvt. Limited in Bangalore, India, and launched an online HR platform called Personifwy. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), Personifwy analyzes employee engagement experiences and integrates data with the client's own systems, thus serving as an HR analytics platform. During their interactions with clients, Mathur and Kar discovered a gap in the process of recruiting prospective employees. Many candidates were engaging in a phenomenon referred to as "ghosting," which caused the talent acquisition teams of client firms to constantly restart the process, wasting time and resources. Mathur and Kar wanted to reveal the reason why candidates were dropping out of the recruitment process (or "ghosting" the employer) after receiving an offer letter and find a way to stop the practice. Potential solutions included having the client call these candidates directly or hiring consultants to establish a contact. Could AI technology help to resolve the issue? Could Mathur and Kar design an innovative solution to increase the ratio of job offer to confirmed employee for Personifwy clients? Should the company consider using employees advocates to help resolve the ghosting issue?
The farmer producer company (FPC) Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company Ltd. (Sahyadri Farms) commenced with a mission of safeguarding fair compensation to the small landholding farmers of India in exchange for their produce and hard labour. Sahyadri Farms was a market leader in grape exports, especially to Europe, but when export freight charges shot up dramatically due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company was forced to enter into the domestic market to survive. The company's domestic business, Sahyadri Supply Chain Company Ltd., had very high operating costs compared to those of local intermediaries, who operated without the same professionals, standardized logistics, or software. The company was rigorously partnering with young innovators to incorporate technologies like blockchain into the agricultural sector, and it needed a new business model. However, as a company in a low-profitability sector with jobs that were not lucrative and were situated in remote locations, it faced challenges in attracting and retaining the young talent it needed to support the growth of an increasingly complex business in the domestic market.
The farmer producer company (FPC) Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company Ltd. (Sahyadri Farms) commenced with a mission of safeguarding fair compensation to the small landholding farmers of India in exchange for their produce and hard labour. Sahyadri Farms was a market leader in grape exports, especially to Europe, but when export freight charges shot up dramatically due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company was forced to enter into the domestic market to survive. The company’s domestic business, Sahyadri Supply Chain Company Ltd., had very high operating costs compared to those of local intermediaries, who operated without the same professionals, standardized logistics, or software. The company was rigorously partnering with young innovators to incorporate technologies like blockchain into the agricultural sector, and it needed a new business model. However, as a company in a low-profitability sector with jobs that were not lucrative and were situated in remote locations, it faced challenges in attracting and retaining the young talent it needed to support the growth of an increasingly complex business in the domestic market.
Nreach Online Services Private Limited (doing business as Xoxoday) is a technology company that builds digital infrastructure for rewarding employees, customers, and partners through perks, incentives, and disbursement payouts. Incorporated in 2018, it has grown at a scorching pace; in just a little over three years, it has acquired more than one thousand clients that leverage their technology infrastructure to run rewards programs for about two million end-users. Xoxoday has built a sizable suite of reward, recognition, and motivation products for three target segments: (1) corporate workforces, (2) customers and channel partners, and (3) sales teams. The product lines for these three client groups are called Empuls, Plum, and Compass, respectively.<br><br>Employee well-being, both physical and emotional, has been a challenge for Xoxoday’s Empuls (corporate workforce) clients. These challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Another issue apparently catalyzed by the pandemic—and with which corporate employers were grappling, given that most of their workforce had been working remotely since 2020—was that of attrition. Xoxoday’s Empuls clients are looking for novel solutions to stem the tide of what is now famously called the “Great Resignation.” Should Xoxoday implement gamification as a strategic solution to encourage well-being behaviours among the workforce of its corporate clients and to arrest attrition? Why and how could Xoxoday demonstrate responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) while deploying gamification as a strategic solution for addressing the two key human resources management (HRM) challenges of employee well-being and attrition? How can trust pose a potential challenge to the implementation of AI-based HRM solutions? Which approach to business model innovation should Xoxoday adopt while offering such solutions?
Nreach Online Services Private Limited (doing business as Xoxoday) is a technology company that builds digital infrastructure for rewarding employees, customers, and partners through perks, incentives, and disbursement payouts. Incorporated in 2018, it has grown at a scorching pace; in just a little over three years, it has acquired more than one thousand clients that leverage their technology infrastructure to run rewards programs for about two million end-users. Xoxoday has built a sizable suite of reward, recognition, and motivation products for three target segments: (1) corporate workforces, (2) customers and channel partners, and (3) sales teams. The product lines for these three client groups are called Empuls, Plum, and Compass, respectively. Employee well-being, both physical and emotional, has been a challenge for Xoxoday's Empuls (corporate workforce) clients. These challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Another issue apparently catalyzed by the pandemic-and with which corporate employers were grappling, given that most of their workforce had been working remotely since 2020-was that of attrition. Xoxoday's Empuls clients are looking for novel solutions to stem the tide of what is now famously called the "Great Resignation." Should Xoxoday implement gamification as a strategic solution to encourage well-being behaviours among the workforce of its corporate clients and to arrest attrition? Why and how could Xoxoday demonstrate responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) while deploying gamification as a strategic solution for addressing the two key human resources management (HRM) challenges of employee well-being and attrition? How can trust pose a potential challenge to the implementation of AI-based HRM solutions? Which approach to business model innovation should Xoxoday adopt while offering such solutions?
In 2021, SunSource Energy was evaluating its growth strategy options. An entrepreneurial venture in the renewable energy sector, it was about to receive a second round of large funding. SunSource Energy had to decide whether it should exploit its expertise in India and other known locales, or whether it should explore new possibilities. It needed to apply organizational ambidexterity and a fresh approach to design thinking, especially during uncertain times in a global context. What strategy should the company use to leverage its new funding for growing the business?
In 2021, SunSource Energy was evaluating its growth strategy options. An entrepreneurial venture in the renewable energy sector, it was about to receive a second round of large funding. SunSource Energy had to decide whether it should exploit its expertise in India and other known locales, or whether it should explore new possibilities. It needed to apply organizational ambidexterity and a fresh approach to design thinking, especially during uncertain times in a global context. What strategy should the company use to leverage its new funding for growing the business?
The Happy Turtle was a bootstrapped start-up in Delhi, India, that was focused on driving a circular economy for plastics. The company aimed to offer sustainable and biodegradable lifestyle alternatives to plastic, which could secure a greener future for the planet. The founder of The Happy Turtle had left a successful and flourishing corporate culture to follow her passion for sustainability. By mid-2019, The Happy Turtle had been growing at a slow but steady pace to reach a breakeven point. One year later, however, the company was finding itself at a crossroads. Business uncertainty had arisen due to the Indian government’s new policy on plastic waste management, various underlying issues related to the circular economy, and the challenge of raising money from angel investors. In addition, the founder was finding it difficult to recruit, hire, and retain the right talent to help her achieve The Happy Turtle’s vision. What strategic and routine decisions would she have to make to reach her company’s goals and vision?
The Happy Turtle was a bootstrapped start-up in Delhi, India, that was focused on driving a circular economy for plastics. The company aimed to offer sustainable and biodegradable lifestyle alternatives to plastic, which could secure a greener future for the planet. The founder of The Happy Turtle had left a successful and flourishing corporate culture to follow her passion for sustainability. By mid-2019, The Happy Turtle had been growing at a slow but steady pace to reach a breakeven point. One year later, however, the company was finding itself at a crossroads. Business uncertainty had arisen due to the Indian government's new policy on plastic waste management, various underlying issues related to the circular economy, and the challenge of raising money from angel investors. In addition, the founder was finding it difficult to recruit, hire, and retain the right talent to help her achieve The Happy Turtle's vision. What strategic and routine decisions would she have to make to reach her company's goals and vision?
Blackbird, a Delhi-based advertising agency, agreed to let a star designer leave to start his own firm and then became his first customer, enlisting his help as a contractor. Now other employees are asking for same arrangement--right in the middle of a crucial client project. How should Blackbird's HR director respond? This fictional case study by Rakesh Bohra and Jyotsna Bhatnagar features expert commentary by John H. Chuang, Craig Millon.
Blackbird, a Delhi-based advertising agency, agreed to let a star designer leave to start his own firm and then became his first customer, enlisting his help as a contractor. Now other employees are asking for same arrangement--right in the middle of a crucial client project. How should Blackbird's HR director respond? This fictional case study by Rakesh Bohra and Jyotsna Bhatnagar features expert commentary by John H. Chuang, Craig Millon.
Blackbird, a Delhi-based advertising agency, agreed to let a star designer leave to start his own firm and then became his first customer, enlisting his help as a contractor. Now other employees are asking for same arrangement--right in the middle of a crucial client project. How should Blackbird's HR director respond? This fictional case study by Rakesh Bohra and Jyotsna Bhatnagar features expert commentary by John H. Chuang, Craig Millon.
The program head for retail talent acquisition at Yes Bank Limited needed to improve the talent acquisition process to fill vacant positions for relationship managers—a critical position within the business unit. Competition for talent was severe, with multiple positions at competing organizations open to suitable candidates, and screening the necessary number of candidates to ensure recruitment success was time-consuming and frustrating for everyone involved. One of the bank’s business leaders, particularly frustrated with the hiring process and the lack of consistency with candidate selection, was pressing for an urgent solution.<br><br>One option was to use an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, which centralized the candidate applications and improved the screening process by using machine learning to review videotaped candidate interviews. AI ranked the candidates, providing access to a larger talent pool and a quicker path to acquiring the needed talent. The process would resolve the bottlenecks that job aspirants typically faced in the traditional interview process, but would the tool dehumanize the entire process and undermine the interactions that ultimately led to better conversions and future integration with the brand and values of Yes Bank?
The program head for retail talent acquisition at Yes Bank Limited needed to improve the talent acquisition process to fill vacant positions for relationship managers-a critical position within the business unit. Competition for talent was severe, with multiple positions at competing organizations open to suitable candidates, and screening the necessary number of candidates to ensure recruitment success was time-consuming and frustrating for everyone involved. One of the bank's business leaders, particularly frustrated with the hiring process and the lack of consistency with candidate selection, was pressing for an urgent solution. One option was to use an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, which centralized the candidate applications and improved the screening process by using machine learning to review videotaped candidate interviews. AI ranked the candidates, providing access to a larger talent pool and a quicker path to acquiring the needed talent. The process would resolve the bottlenecks that job aspirants typically faced in the traditional interview process, but would the tool dehumanize the entire process and undermine the interactions that ultimately led to better conversions and future integration with the brand and values of Yes Bank?