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Vedanta Limited (VEDL), an Indian conglomerate, operated in natural resources business segments, including aluminum, power, steel, oil and gas, and base metals segments such as copper, zinc, lead, silver. In September 2023, the company’s market value was approximately half of its intrinsic value, as its individual business segments were estimated to be worth significantly more operating independently.<br><br>The chair of VEDL needed to take the necessary steps to enhance shareholder value by unlocking conglomerate discounts. The combined segments were perceived to generate negative synergies for the conglomerate, as indicated by the trading multiples of comparable companies. In looking for viable ways to eliminate the discount, he had to choose among the following options: (1) a share repurchase, (2) divestiture, (3) a spinoff of one or more segments, or (4) a spinoff of all segments.

In March 2023, Gopuff, a player in the quick commerce (Q-commerce) industry, was experiencing intense competition and was also unprofitable. Gopuff’s vertical integration model was different than other e-commerce or marketplace companies like Amazon or Instacart, as it purchased products directly from consumer product companies and wholesalers and stored them in micro-fulfillment centres for quick delivery on demand. The company intended to achieve profitability by reducing spending, scrapping off its lower-performing warehouses, and emphasizing higher-margin revenue streams like advertising. Did Gopuff have a feasible business model? Could it earn a competitive advantage over its competitors? What strategies could its co-founders consider to make Gopuff financially feasible?

In February 2019, D. K. Ram, the executive director of liquid petroleum gas at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), read a newspaper headline in his office in Mumbai. The paper reported that two delivery boys had been killed while returning to a distributor of BPCL after delivering gas cylinders. Ram thought of the risks to the safety of delivery people who were transporting cash they had collected from customers. He wondered whether BPCL should seek novel technologies to digitize last-mile delivery. Would BPCL choose to implement an all-encompassing digitization payment strategy, or would it execute a phased approach that entails incremental growth in the digital realm?

In February 2019, D. K. Ram, the executive director of liquid petroleum gas at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), read a newspaper headline in his office in Mumbai. The paper reported that two delivery boys had been killed while returning to a distributor of BPCL after delivering gas cylinders. Ram thought of the risks to the safety of delivery people who were transporting cash they had collected from customers. He wondered whether BPCL should seek novel technologies to digitize last-mile delivery. Would BPCL choose to implement an all-encompassing digitization payment strategy, or would it execute a phased approach that entails incremental growth in the digital realm?

Despite the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) managed to increase its sales and retain its title as the world’s top-selling carmaker for three consecutive years from 2020. However, the gradual shift in global market trends toward battery electric vehicles (BEVs) threatened to leave Toyota lagging behind, particularly in China, the United States, and Europe. In response to the threats from BYD Auto and Tesla in Toyota’s main markets, Koji Sato was appointed president of Toyota in April 2023. Under Sato’s leadership, Toyota announced plans to establish a BEV Factory, with the goal of producing 1.5 million BEVs by 2026. Despite Toyota's commitment to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, exemplified by the Mirai, the company struggled to increase sales in this category due to infrastructure challenges. With Toyota’s Hydrogen Factory scheduled to open in July 2023, Sato emphasized Toyota’s intention of preserving hydrogen as a viable option for achieving a carbon-neutral society. The company faced the challenge of determining whether it was a solid strategy to develop and maintain both battery and hydrogen options in pursuit of a zero-emissions environment. Both endeavours demanded tremendous financial investments and time-consuming efforts, thus potentially slowing Toyota’s battery development. While other carmakers focused solely on BEVs, Toyota’s ability to compete in this category once the BEV Factory commenced mass production in 2026 while also investing in hydrogen remained uncertain.

Despite the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) managed to increase its sales and retain its title as the world's top-selling carmaker for three consecutive years from 2020. However, the gradual shift in global market trends toward battery electric vehicles (BEVs) threatened to leave Toyota lagging behind, particularly in China, the United States, and Europe. In response to the threats from BYD Auto and Tesla in Toyota's main markets, Koji Sato was appointed president of Toyota in April 2023. Under Sato's leadership, Toyota announced plans to establish a BEV Factory, with the goal of producing 1.5 million BEVs by 2026. Despite Toyota's commitment to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, exemplified by the Mirai, the company struggled to increase sales in this category due to infrastructure challenges. With Toyota's Hydrogen Factory scheduled to open in July 2023, Sato emphasized Toyota's intention of preserving hydrogen as a viable option for achieving a carbon-neutral society. The company faced the challenge of determining whether it was a solid strategy to develop and maintain both battery and hydrogen options in pursuit of a zero-emissions environment. Both endeavours demanded tremendous financial investments and time-consuming efforts, thus potentially slowing Toyota's battery development. While other carmakers focused solely on BEVs, Toyota's ability to compete in this category once the BEV Factory commenced mass production in 2026 while also investing in hydrogen remained uncertain.

In September 2022, Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd., a highly diversified Indian public-sector enterprise, was reviewing the outcomes of its mentorship program, which had been launched as a pilot initiative about a year earlier. The company had hired an external consultant to help design and speedily launch the first offering of the mentorship program, enrolling 25 mentor-mentee pairs. Now, it needed to refine the program, strengthen the measurement of its benefits, and plan a scaled-up rollout across the organization. The company aimed to make the mentorship initiative a long-term, self-sustaining program.

On the morning of November 25, 2021, the general manager of the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel received a call from the administrative committee of a nearby business district informing him that some guests who had stayed at the hotel a few days earlier had been diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019. The administrator requested that the hotel cooperate with the government in carrying out an urgent epidemiological investigation and implementing a closed-loop operation for emergency treatment. It was Thanksgiving day and the hotel was almost fully occupied. How would the general manger and his team address this challenge?

In September 2022, Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd., a highly diversified Indian public-sector enterprise, was reviewing the outcomes of its mentorship program, which had been launched as a pilot initiative about a year earlier. The company had hired an external consultant to help design and speedily launch the first offering of the mentorship program, enrolling 25 mentor-mentee pairs. Now, it needed to refine the program, strengthen the measurement of its benefits, and plan a scaled-up rollout across the organization. The company aimed to make the mentorship initiative a long-term, self-sustaining program.

On the morning of November 25, 2021, the general manager of the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel received a call from the administrative committee of a nearby business district informing him that some guests who had stayed at the hotel a few days earlier had been diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019. The administrator requested that the hotel cooperate with the government in carrying out an urgent epidemiological investigation and implementing a closed-loop operation for emergency treatment. It was Thanksgiving day and the hotel was almost fully occupied. How would the general manger and his team address this challenge?

Presentation to accompany product W34021.

Rhonda Klosler, chief operating officer at RSM Canada (RSM) is chairing a meeting to discuss post-COVID-19 pandemic work design. RSM has recognized that remote work offers employees greater flexibility and work satisfaction, while giving RSM the opportunity to recruit from remote locations. RSM would like to continue remote work. Focusing specifically on Generation Z, Klosler is seeking recommendations on the ideal work design. Specifically, how should remote and in-person work be balanced? How can RSM continue to build and maintain its company culture with employees who work remotely? What will a new approach to work mean for the other employee generational cohorts?

In March 2023, Havells India Ltd., founded by Haveli Ram Gandhi and later acquired by Qimat Rai Gupta, reported a significant increase in turnover to $2.06 billion from a low of $1.14 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Despite its success and growth investments, questions arose about Havells' strategic direction. While traditionally known for its electrical products as a B2B enterprise, Havells made inroads into the brown goods market, notably with the struggling Lloyd business post-acquisition in 2017. CEO Anil Rai Gupta faced challenges in adapting Havells' strategies to the competitive B2C market and evaluating the retention of the Lloyd brand's identity. Looking ahead, how will Havells navigate these strategic dilemmas to sustain its growth momentum and market relevance effectively?

Ashish and Ranu Surana, a husband and wife team and co-owners of Go Pure Ice Cream ("Go Pure"), had managed to turn their passion for developing and selling fruit-based ice cream into a successful business. Having crossed the milestone figure of INR 10 million in sales with their network of 20 franchisees, mostly in Tier 2 and 3 cities, they dreamed of taking the Go Pure brand to the national level, which would require them to launch in metro and Tier 1 cities. However, they knew that this was not going to be easy. Managing existing franchisees in terms of their adherence to standard operating procedures was proving a challenge, as some franchisees were neglecting to wear headgear or gloves or not using branded cups. The founders were worried that these small but significant lapses were diluting the brand. Their current franchise model involved charging franchisees a once-off franchisee fee and billing them on an ongoing basis for the products they delivered. The Suranas wanted to identify the correct strategy to make Go Pure a national brand, but were having trouble selecting the right approach. The first option they considered was trying to get the right franchisees on board. If they could achieve this, those franchisees could act as influencers for them in prime locations in metro and Tier 1 cities, making their brand look fantastic at the national level. The second option they considered was to continue to expand in Tier 2 and 3 cities and to try to become an aspirational brand for the majority of urban and rural Indians. The other option they were looking at was getting an infusion of venture equity and opening professionally managed, company-owned, company-operated outlets in metro and Tier 1 cities. They engaged the services of a brand consultant to help them understand how their brand was perceived and valued in the minds of their target audience and to advise them on how to leverage this information to fulfill their dreams.

The two-part case study discusses the challenges faced by the two talented professionals in their respective careers and the influence of mindfulness on their growth and development. Case A focuses on mindfulness concepts applied to help unlock talent while Case B builds on the former case of mindful career development but introduces the additional role of mindful supervision in talent management. This case also focuses on how mindfulness can support the organisation in building a talent pipeline and succeed in the 'war for talent'. In Case A, Astrid was newly promoted to the Head of Marketing in her company's head office in Spain. Moving over from Denmark, she continued to perform well in the new strategic role and was selected to the talent pool for future senior leaders. However, her straight-talking style ruffled the feathers of local co-workers. Case A explores basic questions that are relevant to career managers like: how can one use mindfulness to better unlock their talents and progress in their careers? In Case B, Munn was a young commercial analyst in Singapore who aspired to become a business leader. His track record of good work performance landed him in the talent pool for young future leaders and he was offered the option of choosing between a safe or a risky career track. Fortunately for Munn, his talent pool mentor was an experienced leader who was open to discussing his concerns and providing mindful support. Case B explores not only how mindfulness can unlock the talent of a person, but also provides insights into questions relevant to experienced leaders like: "How can leaders' mindfulness unlock the talent of their subordinates?" and "How can mindfulness help leaders build a strong talent pipeline for the organisation?"

The two-part case study discusses the challenges faced by the two talented professionals in their respective careers and the influence of mindfulness on their growth and development. Case A focuses on mindfulness concepts applied to help unlock talent while Case B builds on the former case of mindful career development but introduces the additional role of mindful supervision in talent management. This case also focuses on how mindfulness can support the organisation in building a talent pipeline and succeed in the 'war for talent'. In Case A, Astrid was newly promoted to the Head of Marketing in her company's head office in Spain. Moving over from Denmark, she continued to perform well in the new strategic role and was selected to the talent pool for future senior leaders. However, her straight-talking style ruffled the feathers of local co-workers. Case A explores basic questions that are relevant to career managers like: how can one use mindfulness to better unlock their talents and progress in their careers? In Case B, Munn was a young commercial analyst in Singapore who aspired to become a business leader. His track record of good work performance landed him in the talent pool for young future leaders and he was offered the option of choosing between a safe or a risky career track. Fortunately for Munn, his talent pool mentor was an experienced leader who was open to discussing his concerns and providing mindful support. Case B explores not only how mindfulness can unlock the talent of a person, but also provides insights into questions relevant to experienced leaders like: "How can leaders' mindfulness unlock the talent of their subordinates?" and "How can mindfulness help leaders build a strong talent pipeline for the organisation?"

Leaders who keep their distance from the hard decisions and conversations that a workforce reduction requires miss an opportunity to mitigate the damage to morale and trust that such events can engender. Sanyin Siang advises top executives to get personally involved in the process and to model a people-first, humane approach.

The Japanese sake market witnessed a 40-year decline, fueled by shifting consumer preferences and an aging customer base. Asahi Shuzo Co. Ltd. (Asahi Shuzo), a once-struggling brewery from Yamaguchi, defied the trend with the success of its singular brand of sake, Dassai. By 2022, under the leadership of the founder and chairperson of the company, Asahi Shuzo’s sales surpassed ¥ (yen) 16.5 billion, marking a phenomenal 165-fold increase since 1984. Expanding into 20 countries by 2016, the company aimed for a 50:50 revenue split between sales brought in from its Japanese market and sales brought from its overseas markets. In 2017, Asahi Shuzo’s president and fourth-generation owner embarked on a bold venture—to construct its first overseas brewery in New York. Initially estimated to cost ¥1 billion, by March 2023, due to delays related to COVID-19, the costs increased to ¥8 billion. The opening of the Dassai Blue Sake Brewery in New York in October 2023 raised questions about what the global market’s impact would be on Dassai as a premium sake brand. As the brewery in the United States became a reality, challenges and uncertainties unfolded, shaping the narrative of Dassai’s strategic evolution.

Within a single year, Lebanon experienced multiple adversities, from the economic crisis in October 2019, to the COVID-19 pandemic, to the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020. Many start-ups had to shut down during this period. This case investigates the role of organizational culture in how Toters Delivery, a high-tech Lebanese-based start-up, responded to these challenges and adapted its business model to overcome adversity. Its co-founder believed that organizational culture was a key factor in its survival. The case examines questions such as: How can a start-up maintain its culture in the face of grand challenges? and What strategic changes does a start-up need to make during challenging times, and how?