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India’s largest domestic retail group, the Future Group, is pursuing a novel private-label strategy. In a country dominated by small-scale retailers, it is using its scale to launch private-label brands in several product categories. It is planning to delink these new offerings from the store brand and make them available through other retailers. Future Group hopes to derive most of its growth over the next few years from this initiative.<br><br><br><br>The case enables students to take on the role of the group’s brand advisor, and deal with some important questions: Will private-label brands erode customer loyalty or build it? Will they increase traffic to stores or cannibalize it? Will they add to the complexity of retailing or simplify it? More fundamentally, is the private-label brand strategy sustainable in the long run in the highly competitive Indian retail market?

The (A) case describes how GE Healthcare developed an ECG device optimized for low-income mass markets in India. It also discusses the organizational changes GE made to better serve the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) markets.

The (A) case describes how GE Healthcare developed an ECG device optimized for low-income mass markets in India. It also discusses the organizational changes GE made to better serve the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) markets.

The note provides background on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, brief background on lobbying, and aspects of the lobbying effort by the financial industry and JP Morgan Chase with regard to Dodd-Frank. It is intended as a companion to "The Tip of the Iceberg: JP Morgan Chase and Bear Stearns (A)," HBS No. 309-001, to facilitate class discussion, and as such provides only an overview of specific aspects of the issues discussed.

As the largest food and drink company in the world, Nestlé S.A. prided itself on a solid reputation built over the past 150 years. On March 17, 2010, the chairman of the board of directors was surprised by a YouTube video created by the environmental activist group Greenpeace. The graphic and provocative video criticized Nestlé for its use of palm oil in Nestlé products. It helped Greenpeace make a bold statement: Nestlé products were leading to deforestation and the extinction of orangutans. Within 24 hours, the video had more than 100,000 views and anti-Nestlé campaigns quickly emerged on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks around the world. At the same time, Greenpeace activists dressed up as orangutans and protested at Nestlé’s headquarters and factories in Europe. Activists urged the company to stop sourcing palm oil from companies that destroy forests in the process. Considering the popularity and force of social media, how should Nestlé react to the YouTube video?

This case is a supplement to Nestlé: A Social Media Nightmare (A).

The branch manager of the YMCA Goderich-Huron considers a change in operations for the Rotary Cover Beach property, which has been unprofitable for years. She needs to assess how a number of factors including financial considerations, might change operations for the coming year. Her assessment and recommendations would have to fit with the branch's overall financial strategy while considering the various stakeholders involved, including Goderich's town council.

Gordon Zong is trying to teach Chinese universities and research institutes how to do effective technology transfer and IP licensing, but he is trying to do it in an environment with weak property rights and an underdeveloped support infrastructure. As the managing director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, he works with researchers at the forefront of biology and biotech, yet he faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles to getting the technology commercialized within domestic Chinese companies, so he has turned to global multinational pharma companies, for now. The purpose of the case is to help present and future managers at global multinationals who have responsibility for R&D strategy to understand some of the complexities of the Chinese intellectual property environment so that they can build effective participation strategies for their organizations. Understanding the misaligned incentives that result in the production of junk patents and the challenges of patent enforcement, as well as the direction of change are vital, because as the Chinese system evolves quickly, the implications of those changes will have important commercial consequences.

This case focuses on Solutions Care Association (SCA) — a nonprofit health care organization established in 2000 that quickly became a leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility. With headquarters in Nevada, United States, the company had a strong mission and socially responsible culture, which helped attract talent and launch social and environmental initiatives. Despite its numerous achievements and awards, however, there was limited awareness internally and externally about these initiatives and their impact on business and society. In addition, the company did not have a comprehensive way to track and report these achievements. As an emerging leader of the integrated health care plan in the United States, Solutions Care Association had both the responsibility and the opportunity to be a model of what American health care should look like. With growing concerns over and scrutiny of the health care industry, there was no better time for Solutions Care Association to continue to strengthen its leadership position in addressing key social and environmental problems, such as providing affordable health care, reducing climate change impacts, phasing out toxic chemicals and creating a safe, culturally sensitive, and supportive environment for employees, patients, and suppliers.

Faced with major losses from operations, Sharp Corporation’s young and unconventional president questioned the company’s long-standing operating model. Sharp was a leader in the area of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology and manufacturing. It also held strong positions in several categories of consumer electronics in the Japanese market. Although Sharp had been increasing its involvement in overseas markets, it had yet to replicate its successes overseas. Sharp’s operating model placed sensitive, high-value-added operations such as research, development, and component manufacturing near its headquarters in Japan. The company jealously guarded its LCD knowhow and had implemented strict security measures at its LCD panel plants. As Sharp’s international sales grew, limitations with its business model became more apparent. Operating primarily in Japan had drawbacks, such as exposure to currency risk, high infrastructure cost, and high taxes. Additionally, the logistics of shipping large items overseas, such as LCDs and solar panels, presented other dilemmas. Sharp needed to reconsider this model and develop an approach that was more suitable to the environment in which it now competed.

Risking becoming the target of a hostile takeover or being cornered as a small regional player in the global beer industry, the Danish brewery Carlsberg decided in the early 2000s to expand into rapidly growing emerging markets to pursue new arenas of growth. By 2008, this strategy had paid off, and Carlsberg was positioned among the five largest breweries in the world. In the Russian market — one of the fastest-growing markets in the world — Carlsberg had become the market leader. In China — the world’s largest beer market in terms of size and population — the company had achieved a 55 per cent market share in Western China, and operated 20 brewery plants with approximately 5,000 employees. The ambitious acquisition strategy applied in emerging markets had become essential to Carlsberg’s business in relation to future growth and profits. Accordingly, the case focuses on Carlsberg’s entry into China, which started as a commercial failure in the eastern part of the country, but subsequently developed successfully in the west.

A critical question for entrepreneurs starting a business, particularly in a foreign country, is choosing whether or not franchising is the appropriate mode of entry. Franchising offers the entrepreneur instant brand recognition, established business processes and supply chains, regulatory and tax guidance, and a ready supply of assistance in the early months. However, it deprives the entrepreneur of what many of them crave - the ability to create and grow a business from one’s imagination. The two entrepreneurs in this case had regular salaries, but wanted to try opening a coffee shop - or a chain of coffee shops - in South Korea, which already had many brands with multiple outlets.

This case focuses on Solutions Care Association (SCA) - a nonprofit health care organization established in 2000, which quickly became a leader in environmental stewardship and social responsibility. With headquarters in Glenbrook, Nevada, the company had a strong mission and socially responsible culture, which helped attract talent and launch social and environmental initiatives. Despite its numerous achievements and awards, however, there was limited awareness internally and externally about these initiatives and their impact on business and society. In addition, the company did not have a comprehensive way to track and report these achievements. As an emerging leader of the integrated health care plan in the United States, Solutions Care Association had both the responsibility and the opportunity to be a model of what American health care should look like. With growing concerns and scrutiny of the health care industry, there was no better time for Solutions Care Association to continue to strengthen its leadership position in addressing key social and environmental problems, such as providing affordable health care, reducing climate change impacts, phasing out toxic chemicals and creating a safe, culturally sensitive and supportive environment for employees, patients and suppliers.<br><br>The overall goal of the case is to use the provided information from a comprehensive company assessment to identify a few key areas where Solutions Care Association can focus and demonstrate industry leadership while also supporting the bottom line. A set of key questions is included to guide students' discussion around critical issues for building an integrated CSR strategy for Solutions Care Association, considering its culture, structure and present level of corporate citizenship management.

3M Canada (3M) has been a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF, or the Foundation) since 2005. In support of the CBCF, 3M has produced and sold "pink products" (products that bear the pink ribbon, such as Post-it-Notes and flag pens, Nexcare bandages, and Scotch-Brite sponges), with a contribution of each sale benefiting the CBCF. This case examines the corporate sponsorship relationship, specifically how 3M's brand manager for Post-it brand office products can further activate the relationship with CBCF. The brand manager's marketing campaign for 2009 was successful; however, she now needs to determine the best approach for her 2010 campaign.

This case describes AskTheDoctor.com, a web site that allows users to ask medical doctors questions for free, and the challenges facing its founders in 2010. While AskTheDoctor.com has exhibited steady growth since its inception in 2005, the owners are uncertain about the future of the site and where to take it next. One partner is keen on selling the company, while the other wants to develop a partnership with a technology firm. Students can evaluate these options from a variety of perspectives. The case also addresses the distinct differences between the actions underlying entrepreneurial discovery and entrepreneurial creation.

This case describes AskTheDoctor.com, a web site that allows users to ask medical doctors questions for free, and the challenges facing its founders in 2010. While AskTheDoctor.com has exhibited steady growth since its inception in 2005, the owners are uncertain about the future of the site and where to take it next. One partner is keen on selling the company, while the other wants to develop a partnership with a technology firm. Students can evaluate these options from a variety of perspectives. The case also addresses the distinct differences between the actions underlying entrepreneurial discovery and entrepreneurial creation.

A worldwide travel company is intrinsically exposed to risks of natural and man-made disasters. How do you organize a business for success when it must on a nearly daily basis cope with hazards ranging from minor mishaps to large-scale catastrophes? Alan and Harriet Lewis have built a successful travel company based on their idea of "extreme competitive advantage" -- and one of their core skills has to be quick and effective response when the travelers on one of their trips are exposed to flood, famine, pestilence, disease, earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorism, and other hazards yet to be discovered. What is the best way to organize so as to be able to respond quickly, reliably, flexibly, and adaptively when troubles arise?

On January 17, 2005, 3M Taiwan’s function head of its health care business division found himself in a meeting with the Acne Dressing project team. In 2004, the function head had initiated a project team to exploit local market needs for 3M hydrocolloid dressing, a technology that had existed in the company for many years without any practical applications. The local project team suggested applying the material for acne treatment. The product would be known as Acne Dressing. There was no standardized solution for acne treatment in Taiwan. If developed, Acne Dressing would be a brand new product in the local market.<br><br>The biggest challenge would be how to change local consumer behaviours on new acne treatment products. In addition, since there were no similar products in the market, the project team only had limited information and potential sales and volumes were uncertain. If the local development was launched, Acne Dressing would be 3M’s first product application of hydrocolloid dressing technology. With little previous experience in product development and no similar products existing in the market, the function head had to decide fast whether to proceed with this new product development. If so, what options did the local project team have? What kind of resources and support should the local health care business segment seek from headquarters for the product development? Should the local project team collaborate with other subsidiaries?

Faced with major losses from operations, Sharp Corporation's young and unconventional president questioned the company's long-standing operating model. Sharp was a leader in the area of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology and manufacturing. It also held strong positions in several categories of consumer electronics in the Japanese market. Although Sharp had been increasing its involvement in overseas markets, it had yet to replicate its successes overseas. Sharp's operating model placed sensitive, high-value-added operations, such as research, development and component manufacturing near its headquarters in Japan. The company jealously guarded its LCD knowhow and had implemented strict security measures at its LCD panel plants. As Sharp's international sales grew, limitations with its business model became apparent. Operating primarily in Japan had drawbacks, such as exposure to currency risk, high infrastructure cost and high taxes. Additionally, the logistics of shipping large items, such as LCDs and solar panels, overseas presented other dilemmas. Sharp needed to reconsider this model and develop an approach that was more suitable to the environment it now competed in.

Risking becoming the target of a hostile takeover or alternatively, being cornered as a small regional player in the global beer industry, the Danish brewery Carlsberg decided in the early 2000s to expand into the rapidly growing emerging market to pursue new arenas of growth. By 2008, this strategy had paid off, and Carlsberg was positioned amongst the five largest breweries in the world. In the Russian market - one of the fastest growing markets in the world - Carlsberg had become the market leader. In China - the world's largest beer market in terms of size and population - the company had achieved a 55 per cent market share in Western China, and operated 20 brewery plants with approximately 5,000 employees. The ambitious acquisition strategy applied in emerging markets had become essential to Carlsberg's business in relation to future growth and profit. Accordingly, the case focuses on Carlsberg's entry into China, which started as a commercial failure in the eastern part of the country, but subsequently developed successfully in the west.