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The founder of Cisca Engineering Limited (CEL), a Canadian engineering consulting firm, announced in 2017 that she would be retiring in the following year. The company's president was considering how to leverage his soon-to-be-expanded authority to ensure that the company's vision and core values would effectively drive the organization's culture. He wanted to avoid vision and mission statements that were simply posted on the company's website and had little resulting impact on employee behaviour. How could he lead the organization beyond defining core values and vision to infuse these principles throughout the organization and to mindfully build a strong organizational culture?

Ziwo Agricultural Service Co. Ltd. (Ziwo), located in the city of Shenyang in Liaoning Province in northeastern China, was a market leader in sales of agricultural materials. In 2006, China began changing how cropland was distributed and used. Over the next few years, decentralized, small farm households gave way to larger, more centralized, family farms. The change undermined Ziwo’s business, driving it into a sharp decline in market share and income from 2008 to 2011.<br><br>In December 2011, the company considered integrating the supply chain vertically to survive the decline. Was this move necessary, and if so, which direction should the vertical integration strategy take—forward or backward? How could Ziwo even achieve vertical integration under its current circumstances? Finally, would vertical integration help Ziwo deal with an emerging threat from Chinese Internet retailers that were entering the agricultural supply chain?

Excel spreadsheet for students.

The case allows students to explore the speed with which investors are adopting social trading platforms and the issues surrounding global regulation of this growing phenomenon using eToro as an example. As the world's largest social trading platform, eToro has more than 8 million registered users across 140 countries as of early 2018. This case study examines how eToro developed an alternative investment channel for millions of retail investors and semi-professional investors, compared to conventional channels such as mutual or hedge funds. eToro's case illustrates several core claims undergirding the recent fintech trend, including democratization of investment entries, disintermediation between investors and traders, and, ultimately, financial decentralization with numerous, easily set up, small funds. The instructor can encourage students to think about how new social trading platforms and copy trading fundamentally differ from conventional investment approaches, how fintech startups' technologies and business models challenge existing regulations, and how eToro can further grow its business to the next level. The case can be used as part of a postgraduate-level business strategy or financial technology course or for undergraduate entrepreneurship and innovation courses.

Clubb International Private Limited (Clubb) was a 26-year-old travel goods and accessories firm based in Kolkata, India. The owner believed in a complete ownership model. The firm had come a long way since its beginning and now had close to 200 product offerings. In March 2017, the owner’s son (the second-generation director of Clubb) felt it was time to scale up the business and acquire a leadership position in the market. Clubb had at its core a legacy of innovation, quality, and a bootstrapping philosophy, but it might not be conducive to the new strategic vision. For the road ahead, the company needed a professional and streamlined product and retail strategy. Could the desired scale of operations be achieved with the complete ownership model and mantra of no advertising?

In early 2017, 15 years after being launched, DMart was India’s second-largest and most profitable food and grocery retailer. To achieve its stellar growth, the company had followed a no-frills, limited assortment model and had restricted itself to limited geographies within the country. The company was listed in the capital market and attracted very favourable views from investors. As a listed company, DMart might be expected by shareholders to expand to new locations and develop an online presence. Would DMart be able to meet the challenges of exploring new geographies and new formats? What strategies would it need to adopt to remain competitive?

In 2013, two entrepreneurs launched the Virtual Market in Mexico City with a mission to transform small traditional retailers (the so-called "mom-and-pop" shops) into competitive market players. The family-owned shops were strongly embedded in the society, culture, and economy of Mexico and Latin America, producing 50 per cent of the region's retail sales and 15 per cent of Mexico's true gross domestic product. However, economic growth had increased consumers' earnings, leading to previously low-income consumers gaining financial status. The traditional shops were unable to compete with the new demands for cashless payment methods, wider ranges of products and services, and lower prices. To remedy the situation, the Virtual Market gained the trust of the shop owners and worked to improve their financial, technological, and business literacy. By 2017, the Virtual Market had successfully worked with 10,000 shops but had still not attained break-even. Was its business model sustainable in the long term? Could it be replicated in other countries and with other cultures? How could it scale up and secure profits?

Esporte Interativo (EI) successfully launched and competed in the Brazilian sports television market for over 12 years. EI basically created the category (e.g., ESPN of Brazil) and came to prominence by televising the Champions League for European soccer, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and other sports content property. Since its founding, other television entities have recognized the potential for sports broadcasting which has dramatically driven up the cost of securing sports content. Edgar Diniz and Leo Lenz Cesar, co-founders and the CEO and CFO of EI, were pondering how to continue to compete and grow in an increasingly competitive space. The main decision point was whether to accept an offer from Turner Broadcasting Corporation to acquire EI.

Debito Technologies s.r.o. was started in December 2014 to help creditors better manage their issued debt. The company provided a complete beginning-to-end service using a debt management application (app) that traced debtors by following their digital footprint. The whole process was managed with just the mobile app and had no upfront fees. In 2017, with success in the Czech market, the company was considering expanding its operations abroad. The company needed to first select a country that provided excellent market potential and product fit, and then develop an ideal market entry.

A management consultant had a bad experience at a globally branded luxury hotel in Zurna City, Lazistan. After writing a candid online review of the hotel, the consultant found himself embroiled in an altercation when the hotel management lashed out and tried to discredit him by complaining to his organization.

Lost Creek Angling Co. (LCA), a fly-fishing operation accessible by helicopter, operated off the grid in a remote location on the Wigwam River, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. LCA’s clients were mainly middle-aged to retired businessmen from the United States. The company’s season consisted mainly of weekends in the summer months, from mid-July to mid-September. The owner, an eco-centred leader who allowed the river to rest between visits and provided nature education to his clients, had a strong reputation within the local community and was closely tied to the business’s brand. At age 70, however, he was considering a slow exit from his business. In the middle of 2015, he was approached by an angel investor but was concerned about losing control and abandoning the environmental mission of the business. In the meantime, LCA had the option of buying more permits to increase the number of guided fishing days (known as rod days) and grow the business in the near term. What was the best path forward for this unique organization and its laudable leader?

Lost Creek Angling Co. (LCA), a fly-fishing operation accessible by helicopter, operated off the grid in a remote location on the Wigwam River, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. LCA's clients were mainly middle-aged to retired businessmen from the United States. The company's season consisted mainly of weekends in the summer months, from mid-July to mid-September. The owner, an eco-centred leader who allowed the river to rest between visits and provided nature education to his clients, had a strong reputation within the local community and was closely tied to the business's brand. At age 70, however, he was considering a slow exit from his business. In the middle of 2015, he was approached by an angel investor but was concerned about losing control and abandoning the environmental mission of the business. In the meantime, LCA had the option of buying more permits to increase the number of guided fishing days (known as rod days) and grow the business in the near term. What was the best path forward for this unique organization and its laudable leader?

In 2016, ALDI Stores (Aldi) in Australia posted its first downturn in annual growth since it opened in 2001. The German discount grocery store had been on a steady climb towards a top position among competitors such as Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty. Ltd., and Woolworths Limited. Amazon Inc. and Lidl Stiftung & co. KG, another German competitor, had begun to take steps towards entering the Australian market. What can Aldi do to ensure its continued success and retain its market share?

Cargo's mission is to help "rideshare drivers earn more money by providing complimentary and premium products to passengers." Cargo sources goods from suppliers to provide a platform for gig economy drivers to run small convenience stores out of their vehicles. Drivers earn additional income, and riders enjoy convenient and affordable access to products during their rides. As the company grew, Cargo faced a number of supply-chain-related challenges including determining the product mix in the Cargo box, replenishment of the product, and the cost of carrying inventory. In particular, would the replenishment decision be driven by the company or the driver and who would bear the responsibility for the inventory cost? The founders also considered how to most efficiently manage its suppliers: Would a centralized or decentralized model best serve Cargo and its drivers? And, how might supply chain contracts with its suppliers help support the company's profitable growth?

Student spreadsheet for case CU215.

In 2016, ALDI Stores (Aldi) in Australia posted its first downturn in annual growth since it opened in 2001. The German discount grocery store had been on a steady climb towards a top position among competitors such as Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty. Ltd., and Woolworths Limited. Amazon Inc. and Lidl Stiftung & co. KG, another German competitor, had begun to take steps towards entering the Australian market. What can Aldi do to ensure its continued success and retain its market share?

In April 2016, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (Alibaba) acquired the cash-strapped German e-commerce company Lazada Group (Lazada) to enter the Southeast Asian market and gain an additional source of revenue. Lazada’s value proposition of an effortless shopping experience, combined with rising competition, had caused Lazada to over-invest in logistics infrastructure. The cash injection from Alibaba’s acquisition would allow Lazada to continue to pursue its strategic imperatives while leveraging Alibaba’s online experience and other resources in China. Given the competitive environment in China, was the entry into Southeast Asia through the acquisition of Lazada an appropriate strategy for Alibaba? Had Lazada made the appropriate decision to sell its company to Alibaba? How should Alibaba implement its post-merger integration in 2017?

A radical change was triggered in the fertilizer industry in India in fiscal year 2015-16, following a policy directive by the government of India regarding mandatory neem-coated urea, a fertilizer component. The government’s policy decision was made to restore the market dynamics by moving control of, and access to, urea from intermediaries and industries toward farmers. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GNFC) decided to leverage this policy directive as an opportunity to set up a fully-integrated value chain for the in-house production of neem oil and related product offerings. The decision to pursue an integrated value chain approach was driven by GNFC’s belief that neem seed collection, a labour-intensive activity, presented a huge opportunity for the economic and social empowerment of rural women in India. GNFC launched the Neem Project, which showcased a differentiated business model to comply with the government’s policy directive. By 2017, the project had benefited approximately 225,000 rural women. Although the project earned GNFC many accolades and the managing director at GNFC was confident about its potential, he was concerned about the challenges associated with scaling the initiative.