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Pep Guardiola is often hailed as one of the most successful football managers in the world. He frequently appeals to players' individual emotions to motivate them and to generate a feeling of belonging to the team. This case delves into his first season as a coach at FC Barcelona (2008-09), with a particular focus on his team's journey to the UEFA Champions League final and his use of collective emotions to motivate his team to perform. The case zooms in on events in the dressing room that preceded the final game. Instead of his usual speech before kick-off, Pep showed an inspirational video to all players. The moving video illustrated the team's accomplishments, hard work, and dedication. It leveraged heroic images with emotive music, touching the hearts of the players. The case intends to explore the complex relationship between the use of collective emotions and team performance and allows to explore and apply frameworks to participants' own leadership.

On September 9, 2019, thousands of Amazon.com Inc. employees threatened to join the global climate strikes planned for the week of September 20–27, 2019. Employees were protesting the e-commerce giant's customer-centric approach and its lack of transparency regarding its carbon footprint. Pressure for more transparency was mounting—not only from employees but also from various non-governmental organizations, politicians, and competitors. However, transparency could reveal environmental issues that might lead to a boycott of the company's products and services. Furthermore, transparency and environmental initiatives could work against Amazon’s customer-centric approach, and would likely not be approved by the shareholders. Amazon.com Inc. needed to make a decision. Should the company adopt a confrontationist approach and steadfastly pursue its customer-centric approach in the interest of shareholders? Or, should it adopt a co-operative approach and change the company's business model to minimize environmental damage?

In September 2017, news spread of McDonald’s India terminating its franchise arrangement with its joint venture (JV) in India. The termination notice was the newest step in the saga of the conflict between the two JV partners—US-based McDonald’s and the Indian partner Vikram Bakshi of Connaught Plaza Restaurants Limited (CPRL). McDonald’s entered India in 1996 through a JV that was originally seen as the perfect combination to share investments, reduce risks, and succeed. The events between 2013 and 2017 showed that this was not true, and many reasons were suggested in the media for the problems—strategy, team, resources, and a mismatched value system. Did the former franchise holder CPRL have a legal right to use the McDonald’s name anymore? Could the partners resolve their differences?

Chip and Joanna Gaines, who have shot to fame as stars of the hit television show Fixer Upper, are preparing to launch their own television network. It is April 2019, a year since the home-renovation show Fixer Upper's fifth season on cable channel HGTV ended, and more than one-and-a-half years since the husband-and-wife duo announced that season would be their last. At the time, entertainment company Discovery Inc. was in the process of acquiring, in a $12-billion deal, Scripps Networks Interactive, HGTV's parent company. Now, hoping to find a way to bring the duo back, Discovery's chief executive officer David Zaslav has proposed setting up a joint venture between Discovery and the Gaineses. Under the deal, the latter will receive an ownership stake as well as certain guaranteed payments, be given creative control over the 'DIY Network' which they plan to rebrand as 'Magnolia Network,' and have a sizable programming budget at their disposal. Meanwhile, the two entrepreneurs are also running a thriving set of other businesses under their 'Magnolia' brand, that covers retail and hospitality-including their 'Magnolia Market at the Silos' complex and 'Magnolia Table' restaurant in Waco, Texas-as well as brand partnerships, books, and a magazine. Is launching Magnolia Network the right move for Chip and Joanna Gaines-and for Discovery? And what can both parties do to ensure the new network will be a success?

In October 2019, the interim chief executive officer of Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS) in South Africa faced a dilemma regarding talent management. ATNS’s talent pipeline was unbalanced, and there was insufficient progression into more senior positions within the air traffic controller division. ATNS had been recruiting from disadvantaged communities through a bursary program, which trained recipients to become air traffic control officers (ATCOs). However, it took a minimum of eight years to become qualified at the highest level of ATCO, which was a requirement for more complex tasks and leadership roles at ATNS. Many bursary recipients preferred to remain in the lower levels due to the time it took to progress and also because of their potential to earn at lower levels due to the pay structure within the division. ATNS also faced the prospect of losing the highly skilled upper-level ATCOs to international air traffic services. Should ATNS redesign its talent pipeline?

Eagles Nest Association of Waterdown (Eagles Nest) was a not-for-profit organization (NFP) in Waterdown, Ontario which focused on assisting women and children fleeing abusive situations. They closed a transitional home because the lease was not renewed on the property and the lease on their thrift shop was not being renewed. That left a centre which provided support to families. The executive director had to recommend a new strategy, one that left Eagles Nest less reactive to environmental factors. Should Eagles Nest look for another property for the transitional home? Should it move the thrift shop or find another source of funding? Should it just focus on The HOPE Centre; and if so, should it expand the Centre’s programming?

The president of Atotam Productions, a media production company near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was dedicated to helping industry meet its social licence to operate by creating positive stories of existing and mutually beneficial media projects. He wanted to show that partnerships among industry, the government of Canada, First Nations communities, and the Canadian public could exist, and Indigenous people could be consulted and engaged in major industrial projects. Though he was aware of the long-standing and inherent disconnect among these groups, he understood how changing market conditions in the oil and gas industry in Alberta could influence a First Nation member-owned media. Should his company continue pursuing work with the oil and gas industry or consider branching out into other industry sectors? If the company branched out, which sector(s) could it focus on? He wondered how industry could best convey to the communities that worthwhile benefits could be shared through cooperative and collaborative approaches in industrial development projects. How could the First Nations communities be assured that industry would take their culture and history seriously? More specifically, how could Atotam Productions best address the need for meaningful and respectful communication and knowledge sharing among these groups in the context of market volatility and change?

In 2018, ITC Hotels, a chain of luxury hotels based in India, achieved a distinct positioning with its branding, “ITC Hotels: Responsible Luxury.” The company intended to communicate its image of being environmentally sustainable, responsible to the local communities and society, and responsible for the safety and comfort of guests and employees. This strategy shaped many of its operational decisions and processes. However, the executive director of ITC Hotels, felt cautiously optimistic about its positioning in the market. Could ITC Hotels succeed in balancing responsibility with luxury? Could this business strategy and positioning counter the intensifying competitive threats from India’s other major luxury hotel chains?

In February 2020, Apple Inc. (Apple) was fighting litigation by one of the oldest patent troll firms (a non-practicing entity) in the United States, VirnetX Holding Corporation (VirnetX). VirnetX targeted innovative and cash rich firms and had begun to use specific US locations with patent troll–friendly courts as major hubs for filing litigation. For targets such as Apple, this meant resources intended for innovation were wasted in fighting legal battles. In collaboration with its competitors, Apple took several initiatives, including pre-emptive litigation and appeals to both the US and the European Union governments to improve patent laws and prevent patent trolling. How could Apple’s chief executive officer encourage innovation at Apple amid patent trolling issues? What strategies should he take to fight against non-practicing entities?

Between 2015 and 2018, competitors in China's two-wheel e-vehicle industry were embroiled in a price war. Yadea Group Holdings decided to differentiate its brand from competitors and move away from further price reductions, opting instead to raise prices and adopt a distinctive high-end product strategy. It planned to offer its products to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in China, and to expand into the international market. With upgraded product and service offerings, the company was becoming a market leader in China's two-wheel e-vehicle industry. However, its founder was well aware that competitors would soon imitate the company’s high-end product strategy and could potentially overtake its market position. In the current Internet-based business environment, new sales and rental models were constantly emerging, which meant Yadea Group Holdings risked losing market share to both domestic competitors and international investors. Therefore, the founder decided that the company needed to choose between two potential five-year plan options for the future: take advantage of the existing market or take the lead in a new high-end market.

&Pizza is a pizza chain that in the spring of 2020 finds its business completely up-ended by the COVID-19 crisis and shut-down. Many companies in the restaurant and hospitality sector responded to the crisis by shutting down their operations and laying off employees. &Pizza's leader took a different approach: as the company pivoted mainly to a delivery model, he realized there would be added strain on his employees, and so he decided to not only avoid lay-offs, but to increase wages and provide other benefits to its Tribe (i.e., the employees).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. David Ansell, Darlene Hightower, and Ayesho Jaco, leaders of West Side United (WSU), a coalition of Chicago hospitals, community residents, banks, and small businesses conceived in 2016, reviewed progress toward WSU's goal of ending systemic racism, particularly racial disparities in health, longevity, and economic prosperity. WSU was also the focal point for Chicago's Racial Equity Rapid Response team in the coronavirus crisis. The key leaders pondered next steps including renewing commitments from hospital partners and making it a stand-alone non-profit organization.

The case captures the dilemma of founders of an enterprise when they are faced with a hostile acquisition bid: whether to acquiesce - cede control and maximize their wealth - or to resist and run the risk of losing both. Set in 2019, the case provides a rich description of the takeover battle between the founders of the software services firm, Mindtree and the leadership of the bidder, L&T, a widely diversified conglomerate. It invites the students to review the choices of the founders Mindtree as they vehemently opposed the bid even as the leaders of L&T sought to present their takeover proposal as a "gentlemanly overture". The case is also significant because hostile acquisitions are rare in India and thus provides a singular opportunity to discuss the role of the board in such situations, particularly their role as mentors guiding strategic choices of firm leaderships.

In 2017, the chief executive officer (CEO) and chair of the board for DSM Industrial (DSM), a family-owned business in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was considering his retirement. The company had been started by his father in 1964, and the CEO had worked there since he was 20 years old. Now he was planning on retiring within the next few years. However, he needed someone to take over the top-level management of his family’s commercial and residential construction business along with his roles as CEO and board chair. The company had many highly capable senior people with unique skills and vision—some were members of his family and others were long-time senior staff. If he chose an outside successor, would morale at the firm be affected? Would long-time employees leave? His successor needed technical skills to lead the company and maintain the culture. The decision was complicated by changes in the construction industry, the differing visions of senior management for the future of the company, the need to placate the needs of other family members, and the recent interest from outside parties in the possible purchase of DSM’s related companies. How would his family react to a sale, and how would the culture that he had invested so much time and effort in creating fare in the face of new ownership? Did his two positions need to operate separately? How would they interplay with one another? How could he solve his succession dilemma?

Google was once considered a dream place to work at for people in the technology industry. However, the company has faced fierce criticism in recent years for its attempts to suppress the voice of its employees. The past few years have been tumultuous for the company, which has had to grapple with employee protests over the mishandling of sexual harassment claims, retaliation for expression of their disagreement with company policies, and ethic crises related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For a long time, workers at Google have enjoyed what has become known as the legendary standards of a democratic workplace and corporate perks. Recently, however, they have taken to the streets to protest the destructive work culture of the company. Some discontented employees left the company; others were allegedly fired in retaliation for their actions.<br><br>Google had historically been characterized as “least bad” among technology giants in terms of the freedom of expression allowed to employees. Is this changing? Why were Google’s employees discouraged from voicing their challenges? What approach should company adopt to maintain the trust of employees in channels provided for freedom of expression of its employees? Could the termination of vocal employees be treated as unlawful retaliation? Has Google been struggling to handle workplace harassment complaints? Would alleged improper handling of workplace sexual harassment attract a legal action against the company? How Google should handle workplace harassment complaints in future to avoid legal battles?

Michael Joyce, Vice President of Inventory Management at JOANN, championed an effort to develop and implement an inventory allocation analytics tool that used advanced analytics to predict in-season demand of seasonal items for each of JOANN's nearly 900 stores and optimize store-specific inventory allocation decisions guided by these predictions. After the analytics tool had been in use for a full season of products, Joyce was surprised to hear that not everyone was pleased with its outcomes. With all of the concerns raised, should Joyce halt the use of the analytics tool for the next season?

In 2017, the chief executive officer of Rawayeti Foods, a Pakistani company dedicated to ensuring the purity and quality of its spices and pulses, was considering the future of his family-owned business. The company had experienced great success since its inception in 2011, but Rawayeti Foods was planning to expand its operations into other parts of the company. Formalized management practices, job descriptions, and performance management systems were not in place, but the chief executive officer and his sons knew expansion would be successful only if the company formalized its human resources management policies and practices for consistent country-wide implementation. Had the time come to shift focus from operational matters to management and human resources concerns? Could Rawayeti Foods gain buy-in from its employees and introduce a new performance management system that was seen as fair, equitable, and motivating?

In February 2020, an entrepreneur and his team in China created a mobile application called Tong Cheng Lian Kang (TCLK), which crowdsourced information on publicly known cases of COVID-19, enabling users to find out if they might have been exposed to an infected individual. The application leveraged blockchain technology to record and validate user submissions of COVID-19 cases to ensure that submission and validation data were immutable, transparent, and decentralized. Users could volunteer to submit publicly recorded cases of COVID-19 or to validate the submissions of others in exchange for digital tokens on the blockchain platform, which they could use to redeem small gifts. As the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased, the entrepreneur wondered how to expand the blockchain concept to build a more sustainable business model. He was considering three options: expanding internationally, which would require building trust with users who lacked familiarity with Chinese applications; diversifying within the healthcare industry by expanding to a business-to-business model, possibly by linking prospective patients to hospitals and health care; and applying the blockchain concept to address issues in industries outside of healthcare. How could he best ensure the sustainability of TCLK?