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In 2022, ToyBox Education Project sought to empower families to grow literacy, numeracy, and wellness starting at home. Based in Winnipeg, Canada, ToyBox Education Project provided an opportunity for students at the undergraduate and graduate level to complete several strategic assessments of a social enterprise within a post-secondary institution. The Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg had developed a number of tools to assist caregivers of children between ages two and eight to support their academic (i.e., literacy and numeracy) and social (i.e., wellness) development. The faculty received operational and research funding for three years. However, ToyBox Education Project had to find a financial model for long-term sustainability as well as develop its own capabilities to deliver its products and services.

In the throes of a global pandemic, on May 3, 2021, Exide Industries Limited (EIL) faced a critical juncture. The managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) convened the executive committee in Kolkata, India, to grapple with the choice between human capital and robotic process automation, specifically in the realm of accounts payable (AP) processes. Balancing tangible benefits and intangible costs, the executives debated the impact on employee morale and company culture. Amidst the complexities, the MD and CEO aimed to chart a course that harmonized innovation with tradition, ensuring automation fortified rather than undermined EIL’s core strengths. Focused on the vital AP processes, the senior vice president (SVP) of corporate accounts and the IT team initiated an exploration, recognizing the need to navigate a delicate equilibrium between human insight and technological advancement. The narrative unfolds in a bustling city, against the backdrop of a pandemic-altered economic landscape, as EIL seeks a path forward that preserves its unique human capital while embracing the transformative potential of automation.

In 2021, the Irish whiskey segment was the fastest growing whiskey segment in the United States. US-based Brown-Forman Corporation had acquired the Slane brand in 2015 after purchasing all shares in the Slane Castle Irish Whiskey company and agreeing to invest in building a new Irish whiskey distillery and visitor centre on the historic Slane Castle Estate. Slane Distillery filled its first barrel of Irish whiskey in 2018, and the company then quickly began targeting key markets in Europe and North America.<br><br>The challenge now for Brown-Forman in the United States was building the Slane brand from scratch. The company's brand marketing team had to first identify overarching strategies that would accelerate awareness and trial for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand in the United States. Key goals included determining a point of differentiation for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand among the alternatives, and fostering a connection between the Slane Irish Whiskey brand and the North American consumer.

When the new chief executive officer joined MX Player, the video streaming business in India was undergoing a content boom and witnessing many changes due to shifting media consumption patterns and the penetration and exponential growth of Western video streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The structure of the Indian video-streaming content and consumer market was changing, with global streaming platforms inadvertently segmenting Indian consumers according to which platforms they could afford. Western streaming platforms had thus led to a category of aspirational consumers who desired distinct content but were not yet willing or able to pay for it. MX Player provided a solution to this audience by offering high-quality compressed video content for free. But could it address the needs of a growing number of digital customers and still be successful amidst the formidable competition in the OTT market?

In 2008, Goldwind bought 70 per cent of Vensys’ shares through its German subsidiary to obtain a range of strategic assets, including a professional research and development team and associated design capabilities, intellectual property rights of permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) technology, and corresponding wind turbine designs. Over the years, the post-merger integration (PMI) process of an emerging market multinational enterprise (EMNE) and a developed country multinational enterprise (DMNE) saw many conflicts. By the end of 2021, the general manager of Goldwind Germany needed to strengthen the integration process between the two companies to facilitate its growth in Europe and elsewhere.

Breadfast is an online grocery delivery retailer founded by Mostafa Amin, Muhammad Habib, and Abdallah Nofal in Egypt in 2017. The three co-founders are now contemplating international expansion into new markets to further grow their revenues and diversify geographically. They have decided to investigate expanding into nearby Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, they must examine the macroeconomic environment and the food and beverage industry in those two countries to determine if the conditions are favourable to ensure a successful international expansion. In addition to identifying the criteria of attractiveness for each country, the co-founders must select the most appropriate market entry strategy. The online grocery retail market in Tunisia and KSA has been growing as a result of evolving consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have favourable and unfavourable factors. Given the risks and trade-offs in each country, Breadfast must determine which market to enter and which mode of entry will increase its the chance of success.

In the throes of a global pandemic, on May 3, 2021, Exide Industries Limited (EIL) faced a critical juncture. The managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) convened the executive committee in Kolkata, India, to grapple with the choice between human capital and robotic process automation, specifically in the realm of accounts payable (AP) processes. Balancing tangible benefits and intangible costs, the executives debated the impact on employee morale and company culture. Amidst the complexities, the MD and CEO aimed to chart a course that harmonized innovation with tradition, ensuring automation fortified rather than undermined EIL's core strengths. Focused on the vital AP processes, the senior vice president (SVP) of corporate accounts and the IT team initiated an exploration, recognizing the need to navigate a delicate equilibrium between human insight and technological advancement. The narrative unfolds in a bustling city, against the backdrop of a pandemic-altered economic landscape, as EIL seeks a path forward that preserves its unique human capital while embracing the transformative potential of automation.

When the new chief executive officer joined MX Player, the video streaming business in India was undergoing a content boom and witnessing many changes due to shifting media consumption patterns and the penetration and exponential growth of Western video streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The structure of the Indian video-streaming content and consumer market was changing, with global streaming platforms inadvertently segmenting Indian consumers according to which platforms they could afford. Western streaming platforms had thus led to a category of aspirational consumers who desired distinct content but were not yet willing or able to pay for it. MX Player provided a solution to this audience by offering high-quality compressed video content for free. But could it address the needs of a growing number of digital customers and still be successful amidst the formidable competition in the OTT market?

In 2008, Goldwind bought 70 per cent of Vensys' shares through its German subsidiary to obtain a range of strategic assets, including a professional research and development team and associated design capabilities, intellectual property rights of permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) technology, and corresponding wind turbine designs. Over the years, the post-merger integration (PMI) process of an emerging market multinational enterprise (EMNE) and a developed country multinational enterprise (DMNE) saw many conflicts. By the end of 2021, the general manager of Goldwind Germany needed to strengthen the integration process between the two companies to facilitate its growth in Europe and elsewhere.

In 2021, the Irish whiskey segment was the fastest growing whiskey segment in the United States. US-based Brown-Forman Corporation had acquired the Slane brand in 2015 after purchasing all shares in the Slane Castle Irish Whiskey company and agreeing to invest in building a new Irish whiskey distillery and visitor centre on the historic Slane Castle Estate. Slane Distillery filled its first barrel of Irish whiskey in 2018, and the company then quickly began targeting key markets in Europe and North America.<br><br>The challenge now for Brown-Forman in the United States was building the Slane brand from scratch. The company's brand marketing team had to first identify overarching strategies that would accelerate awareness and trial for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand in the United States. Key goals included determining a point of differentiation for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand among the alternatives, and fostering a connection between the Slane Irish Whiskey brand and the North American consumer.

Breadfast is an online grocery delivery retailer founded by Mostafa Amin, Muhammad Habib, and Abdallah Nofal in Egypt in 2017. The three co-founders are now contemplating international expansion into new markets to further grow their revenues and diversify geographically. They have decided to investigate expanding into nearby Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, they must examine the macroeconomic environment and the food and beverage industry in those two countries to determine if the conditions are favourable to ensure a successful international expansion. In addition to identifying the criteria of attractiveness for each country, the co-founders must select the most appropriate market entry strategy. The online grocery retail market in Tunisia and KSA has been growing as a result of evolving consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries have favourable and unfavourable factors. Given the risks and trade-offs in each country, Breadfast must determine which market to enter and which mode of entry will increase its the chance of success.

<p align="justify">VALR, a cryptocurrency platform and South African financial technology (fintech) company, was experiencing scaling challenges in August 2021. Launched in 2018, the start-up took on the market incumbent—a company trading in 40 countries. Within 18 months, VALR had become the market leader in terms of locally traded volume. However, this created growth pains and presented the issue of how the company could scale successfully. The company’s chief executive officer, Farzam Ehsani, believed that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) was a core strength and an instrumental factor in VALR’s success, but he was faced with the dilemma of how to scale it. The founding team had been able to sustain an organizational culture that advanced autonomy and risk-taking to that point, and maintained high levels of competitiveness and service. However, as the business entered a new phase of maturity, Ehsani faced the challenge of how the organizational culture could be scaled to continue fostering EO. In addition, Ehsani worried about the regulatory uncertainty that characterized the cryptocurrency industry.

In April 2023, Tage Rita, the founder and chief executive officer of Lambu Subu Food and Beverages, contemplated the company’s ambitious goal of achieving a revenue of ₹100 million by 2025. There was a positive trend in demand for the company’s popular kiwi wine, Naara Aaba, particularly in key markets. However, Rita had concerns regarding supply chain issues that had impeded fulfilling significant orders in 2022 due to the remote location of the production unit. In addition, the company’s product portfolio solely had wines in the lower-price segments (₹250–₹700), and Rita was considering the launch of a new range of wines in the mid-price segment (₹1,090–₹1,990). The question looming was whether this was the right moment to introduce a higher-priced product. Additionally, she pondered the ideal target audience for these new wines and how their positioning should be differentiated from existing offerings. Furthermore, Rita sought to explore alternative growth strategies for the company.

In 2023, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) faced a pivotal choice: whether or not to enter India's expanding shampoo hair colour market, which was valued at US$82.72 million and projected annual growth exceeding 17 per cent until fiscal year 2026. HUL's assistant brand manager, Sabhayata Singh, grappled with the absence of a hair colour offering in HUL's portfolio. The dynamic market landscape, coupled with the absence of this product, intensified the decision-making process. HUL faced the strategic dilemma of extending existing brands or creating a new one to meet consumer demands. Pricing strategies became crucial in a market where most products were priced under half a dollar. The decision not only influenced HUL's local market position but also carried implications for potential international expansion.

<p align="justify">In February 2020, a real estate developer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada was pursuing the development of a new residential rental tower of over 200 units in a popular Montreal suburb. As the founder of the real estate development firm Legacy Development Group, the developer had to revise and adjust his development plan several times. He faced several obstacles in the process, including work stoppage due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, zoning and regulatory issues, and changes in the real estate market. In September 2020, the developer had to re-evaluate his revised development plan in preparation for a meeting with his two partners, when the group would determine whether or not to pursue the project.

This is the Student Spreadsheet, which is meant to accompany the case (W27680).

This is the Instructor Spreadsheet, which is meant to accompany the Teaching Note (W27681).

In January 2023, Adam Pierce, co-owner and operations manager of Lambton Custom Flooring (LCF), eased back in his home-office chair in Sarnia, Ontario, after another day installing flooring. He looked at his calendar: In one week he would meet with his business partner, Marlin Jervis, to discuss the coming year’s strategic vision for LCF. Last year’s decreased profits concerned Pierce. He questioned whether a change was necessary to offset this trend, and, with the ever-present economic turmoil, he wondered if lower profits were here to stay. Pierce was uncertain if investing in advertisements would be enough, or if he should take more drastic measures, such as expanding the business’s installation services or even buying out his partner. Whatever his decision, Pierce would have to lay the groundwork for the following week’s meeting.

In early 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown periods, the marketing director of Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul) was in a virtual meeting with his marketing manager. The two men were discussing plans for a marketing campaign for the hotel, restaurant, and cafes (HoReCa) market segment to be run during the pandemic. The campaign was expected to target and engage the key stakeholders (or influencers) of the HoReCa segment—the chefs in the food service industry. Before the pandemic, Amul engaged with chefs mainly through personal relationships, based on individual in-person meetings. However, in context of the adversity caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meetings were no longer feasible. The challenge for Amul was to build a scalable and executable marketing campaign that would engage chefs, the market’s key influencers.

In 2021, Hitachi Limited was reconsidering its ownership of Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM). The decision about HCM’s future was one of the last steps in a more than decade-long effort to reorient Hitachi from a manufacturing conglomerate to a service-oriented company. HCM was a global player in the construction and mining equipment business, and although it no longer relied on Hitachi for product technology, Hitachi’s technological capabilities might once again become more valuable to HCM as automation and electrification of construction and mining equipment gained importance. Would there be greater synergies from more closely integrating HCM with Hitachi’s other businesses, or would both sides be better off if HCM was completely independent?