This case explores an ambiguous, public incident of a mature student touching a younger Professor, which created the perception of a hostile work environment for the Professor and for some students in her class. The ambiguous nature of the contact itself, uncertainty about organizational processes, potential career and reputation outcomes, and the impact on the learning environment in her classroom are all considered by the professor as she tries to decide whether to make a formal complaint, attempt to resolve the issue informally, or ignore it. This case does not address sexual harassment from a legal or regulatory perspective, but rather considers the role of perception and attribution in defining harassment, the social and psychological impact of sexual harassment on individuals, and the reasons that sexual harassment incidents continue to occur.

Tania Kay, Marketing Manager at Consumer & Food Products Corporation of Canada (ConFood), had just returned from a marketing department team-building retreat that had been a miserable experience. The retreat had involved a surprise scavenger hunt through the woods of cottage country in central Ontario, complete with tree climbing, rock climbing, canoeing, and a five-kilometer (three mile) hike. Given her physical limitations she had been unable to participate in most of the retreat's activities. The facilitator-led debriefing session had also been humiliating and demoralizing since her exclusion either went unnoticed by her peers and session leaders or, worse, was blamed on her. Tania debated whether or not to bring up her experience at the marketing retreat with her boss, Marianne Renfrew. Tania worried that making an issue of it would expose a previously hidden disability and therefore result in people stereotyping her, thereby perceiving her as incapable, negative, incompetent, or a whiner.

This case highlights entrepreneur Tom Wilson's dilemma: he must decide how to expand Springy Fields, his adult sport and recreation business. After the economic aftermath of 9/11 cost Tom his structural engineering job, he decided to turn his side business of running a spring and summer Ultimate Frisbee league into his full-time job. Over time, Tom's league grew substantially and he expanded into beach volleyball, soccer, flag football, and dodge ball. The Internet helped Tom remove the biggest expansion roadblock: the time required to complete administrative and customer-service tasks. Without the Internet, Tom doubted he could have achieved a fraction of the success he enjoyed between 2002 and 2010. Heading into the 2010 season, Tom realized he had plateaued and needed a new growth strategy. Each of the numerous options for expansion had its own unique set of financial risks and lifestyle implications. The case examines the myriad issues associated with developing a growth strategy that meets Tom's financial and lifestyle goals.

A newly minted MBA joins a volunteer non-profit board. Shortly after joining the board the organization experiences significant cash flow challenges. In the process of resolving this problem, much deeper issues are exposed, including long-time neglect of fiduciary responsibilities by prior and current board members, lack of basic financial and human resource controls, problems with reputation and image in the community, alienation of funders, and an executive director (ED) who tries her best to hide her performance issues from the board. The board must decide if they can continue operations and reorganize to address these weaknesses or if the agency should be closed.

This case highlights the dilemma of Nicholas, an accounting executive, who must decide whether to promote a disabled employee, Paul, to a management role. Paul is a strong performer; however he is frequently required to work at home on a laptop in order to manage the symptoms of Crohn's disease. Nicholas needs to decide whether this presents a barrier to Paul's ability to take on greater degrees of responsibility. He struggles with the legal and ethical implications of his decision. The impact of his decision on the rest of his team is also considered.