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Sheryl Sandberg's life seemed ideal--she had a great job, a best-selling book, a loving family. But in the spring of 2015, her husband was felled by a cardiac condition while the couple was vacationing in Mexico. Struggling to regain her footing after his death, she reached out to her friend Adam Grant, a Wharton professor and author, to explore what research tells us about resilience. That led to their collaboration on the newly published book "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy." In this edited interview with HBR editor in chief Adi Ignatius, Sandberg and Grant share what they learned about developing resilience in yourself, your team, and your organization. They discuss how to respond when a colleague suffers a loss ("Acknowledge that there is a ginormous elephant sitting in the room"), how to grow not just in the wake of tragedy but before it, and ways that individuals and organizations can "fail well" and adapt to changing circumstances and unforeseen crises. "The best thing you can do is build routines that might be applicable in an unexpected situation," they say.

Every day, millions of people around the world face long commutes to work. In the United States alone, approximately 25 million workers spend more than 90 minutes each day getting to and from their jobs. And yet few people enjoy their commutes. This distaste for commuting has serious implications for well-being. Studies have found that workers with lengthy commutes feel more anxious and less happy and satisfied with life than those with shorter ones and are more likely to get divorced. They also are less likely to find their daily activities worthwhile, are more exhausted and less productive at work, and have lower job satisfaction. But it doesn't have to be this way. Research, including studies that the authors conducted, suggests that small tweaks to the way you conduct your commute can improve the experience, leaving you both happier and more productive. They offer five strategies that commuters can try: Use the time to shift your mindset; prepare to be productive; find your "pocket of freedom"; share the spirit; and reduce your commute.

When chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, in 1971, she didn't expect to spark a national movement toward local, organic, sustainably sourced food or to inspire a generation of chefs to follow in her footsteps. But she did. Now a committed activist, she is the founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project, which has spawned food education programs in over 5,000 schools. She still oversees her single restaurant.

In 2014, the general manager and a director of an Australian building company were seeking an outside investor to provide the company with the needed resources to recover from a disastrous takeover. The two found such an investor in a Chinese entrepreneur and Sun Tzu master based in Hong Kong. To the shock of those involved with the Australian company, the Chinese investor used Sun Tzu war strategies to take over and destroy the smaller Australian company, while flouting ethical business practices and Australia's standards of corporate governance.<br><br>The Australians' naïveté and their desperate need for capital made the investor's tactics possible. With the benefit of hindsight and omniscient narration revealing the thoughts and actions of both parties, students can evaluate how the events in the case led to the shocking conclusion in 2015, leaving a shell of a company worth penny stock.

In 2014, a Hong Kong-based chartered accountant inadvertently started a social enterprise called Ana by Karma. The initial intent of helping an illiterate Bhutanese woman soon evolved into a journey to empower women in Bhutan to use their creative talents to become financially independent. As a result of her own charming personality and communication skills, the chartered accountant mobilized a team of volunteers to promote scarves that were handwoven by Bhutanese women and thereby bring hope to an increasing number of Bhutanese families who were living in poverty. In early 2016, while relishing her experiences over the previous 18 months, the chartered accountant mulled over the future development of Ana by Karma. How could the venture evolve sustainably? Was it realistic for her to operate Ana by Karma on a full-time basis?

In June 2016, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the United Kingdom-based Time Out Group PLC (Time Out), had just taken the company through an initial public offering, raising much-needed capital for investment and growth. Time Out, which provided consumers with information, tickets, and access to theatre, concerts, and events, as well as food, drink, and cultural experiences in its Time Out Market, had reported significant losses in 2014 and 2015. However, there was momentum in new market areas, and the recently launched Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal, had seen revenue growth of 67 per cent between 2014 and 2015. Now, with £59 million to invest, the CEO had to lead the company back to profitability. He needed to balance foreign direct investment in physical Time Out Markets with digital transformation of the company’s offerings. At the same time, he had to find ways to reinforce the new organizational culture he was building at Time Out as a way to help fulfil his corporate vision of Time Out as a disruptive force.

This case examines the entrepreneurial career of Helena Rubinstein before 1938. Rubinstein is widely considered the single most important female entrepreneur in the United States in the 20th century. She was born in Poland but immigrated to Australia where she started a cosmetics company. She subsequently moved first to Europe, and then to the United States during World War I, where she engaged with relentless competition in the upscale cosmetics market with her rival Elizabeth Arden. The case examines how Rubinstein created a luxury brand and enables a discussion of the impact of such brands on women. Rubinstein articulated the view that cosmetics were liberating for women, but some of her strategies, such as wearing white coats in many advertisements designed to signal that she was scientifically qualified, can be used to support a more critical view of the beauty industry.

This case describes a common situation in old buildings, namely the decision as to whether intall an elevator. In this armchair case, we have an apartment building in Budapest with 3 towers, each containing 24 homeowners, with a possible interest in adding an elevator to each tower of the walk-up building. The case begins by discussing serveral ways to fairly distribute the cost if the elevators are approved. One way is an equal split. The second way is to have the homeowners living on higher levels pay more. A formula that effectively implements the Shapley value is proposed. Next, the case describes the pivot mechanism as a way to bypass the free riding problem that would arise if homeowners were simply asked about their willingness to pay. The question for discussion is whether the homeowners would agree to use the pivot mechanism. In particular, how to explain to the homeowners the penalties that would result from implementing the mechanism and how those penalties are applied to those homeowners who are pivotal. The challenge for students is how to market the pivotal mechanism.

The Orchid Species Preservation Foundation (OSPF) was a not-for-profit organization in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was dedicated to the preservation of rare orchid species. The OSPF had 4,500 orchids housed in a greenhouse facility at the Muttart Conservatory, which was owned and managed by the City of Edmonton. In the autumn of 2014, the Muttart Conservatory management decided that the orchid collection should be downsized, in turn sparking the OSPF board to consider alternative futures for the foundation.<br><br>The OSPF board members created an ambitious multi-phase plan to build their own facility. The president and chairman of the OSPF board determined that the new facility would require the foundation to increase its yearly revenue by 10 times the current amount. He worked with the board members to develop a list of strategies targeting revenue generation; however, the options were not yet well-defined and could take the organization in many different directions. The board needed to find a stronger strategic focus and choose a clear direction to take the OSPF forward.

In September 2013, Tokyo Electron Limited announced a merger with Applied Materials Inc. The deal would place the new entity in the leader position in the highly consolidated global semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, which counted Intel Corporation and Samsung Group as major customers. Due to antitrust issues, the deal was eventually cancelled. Shortly after, in October 2015, Lam Research Corporation announced a merger with KLA-Tencor Corporation. If this deal was accepted, the market would be led by three companies—Applied Materials Inc., ASML Holding, and Lam/KLA-Tencor—while Tokyo Electron would be marginalized. Given the tremendous cost pressures from the consolidated competitors and powerful customers, should Tokyo Electron initiate another merger to consolidate its position? Were there other effective competitive options? What could it learn from its failed merger with Applied Materials Inc.?

The Poultry Research Centre at the University of Alberta farm was an internationally recognized research, development, and learning hub. It began the Rare Poultry Conservancy Program in 1986 as a way to maintain heritage chicken breeds. In 2009/10, as a result of the global financial crisis, university funding was reduced, and every campus department needed to cut programs or find creative ways to finance them outside of the traditional methods. By 2014, the funding cuts posed a grave concern for the continuation of the heritage chicken program. Annual costs of CA$75,000 were required to maintain the flocks with very limited financial return. However, a leader at the Poultry Research Centre felt that the birds were important enough to develop a model where they could pay for themselves.

An international joint venture is a company that is owned by two or more firms of different nationalities. The purpose of most international joint ventures is to allow partners to pool resources and coordinate their efforts in order to achieve results that neither could obtain acting alone. Virtually all multinational enterprises now use international joint ventures. Joint ventures are the mode of choice about 30 per cent of the time by both U.S. and Japanese multinationals. This note reviews the reasons why companies create international joint ventures (for example, to strengthen the existing business, take existing products to foreign markets, bring foreign products to local markets, and diversify into a new business) and examines specific types of joint ventures (for example, research and development; raw material and component supply; and marketing and distribution). It then considers some guidelines for international joint venture success.

After recognizing numerous opportunities in the global market, Xiaomi Technology Corporation Ltd. (Xiaomi), based in Beijing, charted its overseas market strategy in 2013. However, opportunities came with challenges, and during the internationalization process, Xiaomi encountered many problems. By 2016, after three years of hard work, Xiaomi had gained more experience than profits. Compared with Xiaomi’s domestic success, Xiaomi’s internationalization strategy was unsatisfactory. How could Xiaomi meet its international goals? Should it establish international strategic alliances, develop its firmware operating system, or consider other options?

BYD Company Limited (BYD), a Chinese firm that started as a battery manufacturer, produced its first gasoline-fuelled vehicle in 2005. In 2008, BYD then launched its first electric vehicles based on its advantages in battery technology and experience in low-cost research and development. The company expected to gain a strong presence in the automotive market with these electric vehicles; its goal was to secure its place as China’s largest auto manufacturer by 2015, and the world’s largest by 2025. By February 2015, sales of one of BYD’s new energy vehicles, the Qin, accounted for 32 per cent of total new energy vehicle sales in China that month. Yet BYD was ranked 15th among China’s passenger vehicle companies. How could the company climb to number one in terms of sales volume?

In September 2015, the manager of Hind Oil Industries (HOI), a small edible oil manufacturer in Asansol, West Bengal, was challenged by a dilemma in pricing strategy. HOI had seen the price of mustard seeds, its primary raw ingredient, rise steeply because of harsh weather conditions in the previous harvesting season. HOI would need to raise the price of its product significantly in a price-competitive market dominated by larger companies. The manager wondered if he could increase the price of his only product, Maa mustard oil, to cover the substantial increase in production costs without suffering a loss in total revenue earned. If so, what would be the optimum price under various scenarios related to his competitors' expected price hikes? Could HOI's price be raised even if the competitors decided against raising their prices?

Student spreadsheet for case W17229.

In September 2015, the Volkswagen Group (VW) was in a state of flux. Its reputation was taking a severe beating in the auto industry and among consumers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency had accused the company of tampering with its EA 189 diesel engines to clear emissions tests. The engines, fitted with a “defeat device,” met the stringent emission levels and higher fuel efficiency standards set in the United States. The defeat device controlled emissions during laboratory testing and driving so that they remained within permissible limits; however, during actual on-the-road driving, the nitrogen oxide emissions were up to 40 times higher. VW’s admission of the intentional manipulation severely dented its value chain, affecting market share, brand image, internal/external stakeholders trust, and supply chain operations. In the wake of the scandal, the company faced the challenge of organizing a product recall and reconceptualizing the VW brand identity.

In September 2015, the manager of Hind Oil Industries (HOI), a small edible oil manufacturer in Asansol, West Bengal, was challenged by a dilemma in pricing strategy. HOI had seen the price of mustard seeds, its primary raw ingredient, rise steeply because of harsh weather conditions in the previous harvesting season. HOI would need to raise the price of its product significantly in a price-competitive market dominated by larger companies. The manager wondered if he could increase the price of his only product, Maa mustard oil, to cover the substantial increase in production costs without suffering a loss in total revenue earned. If so, what would be the optimum price under various scenarios related to his competitors’ expected price hikes? Could HOI’s price be raised even if the competitors decided against raising their prices?

On April 20, 2010 an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana. BP was using the Deepwater Horizon to drill an "ultra-deep" offshore well. The explosion was the result of a "blowout" of the wellhead at the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico, 5,000 beneath the drilling rig. BP was unable to cap the leaking well for nearly 3 months while oil spilled out of the wellhead at a rate of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. By late May, thick crude was fouling Louisiana, Alabama and Florida coastal marshes and beaches. Tourism revenues fell and thousands of miles of fishing grounds were closed. BP was finally able to seal the well (temporarily) on July 14 and then permanently seal the well in September. By that time, an estimated 4.9 million barrels (207 million gallons) of oil had been spilled and nearly 700 miles of coastline had been oiled. Years of damage assessments, restoration projects, claims and lawsuits lay ahead. This case is designed for use in classroom discussions that analyze and dissect the problem and the actions taken. The oil spill disaster and response is analyzed in terms of: (1) situational awareness (cognitive biases in identifying and understanding the magnitude and ramifications of disasters), (2) the concept of "responsible party" and liability in environmental law, (3) the novelty and size of disasters and the scalability of response efforts, (4) the response structure used to manage oil spills, (5) the role of government vs. the private sector "responsible party" in managing the cleanup of environmental accidents, (6) the tensions between local, state and federal governments in managing a crisis, (7) leadership during crisis, (8) disasters as political events, (9) the challenges of managing public perception and expectations during a crisis, (10) the role of public opinion in the shaping of responses to disasters, and (11) the role of the media in shaping the "narrative" of disasters.

In 2016, the respective heads of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. (SeaWorld) were trying to reach a mutually beneficial resolution to their dispute over orca whale breeding. The HSUS opposed SeaWorld's practice of breeding captive orcas and each leader was facing challenges. SeaWorld was experiencing growing negative publicity and a decline in park attendance and revenues, while the HSUS was in the process of publishing a book encouraging business leaders to join the animal protection movement and incorporate HSUS values into their strategic plans. After a decades-long antagonistic relationship, how could SeaWorld and the HSUS find common ground? Could SeaWorld continue operating in a way that was financially beneficial for the parks and entertaining to guests, while also being respectful of the welfare of the orca whales in their care? Could they meet the HSUS’s goals of animal protection?