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In 2016, Somany Ceramics Limited (SCL), a ceramic tile manufacturing company in India, needed industry-ready workers to meet the company’s expansion plan; however, the whole ceramics industry was affected by a shortage of labour. Most of the technically competent ceramics and construction personnel in India preferred to work in the construction industry or join other sectors such as information technology. The company’s human resources team needed to develop a strategy to hire an adequate number of skilled employees and to retain them as the competitors also attempted to take advantage of growth opportunities in the global ceramics industry.

Founder of Trade Without Borders (TWB), Joseph Fernandez, set up the organization purely for charitable purposes. TWB's mission is to extend trading services to non-government organizations (NGOs) in developing regions of the world. To execute the mission in a financially viable and sustainable manner, Joseph was thinking to establish a base of operations in Hong Kong, which was close to Chinese manufacturers of the products that were traded. A lot of questions came to Joseph's mind: what type of organization would TWB incorporate? And prior to this, what would be the strategy and daily operations of the proposed Hong Kong entity? How could TWB ensure the proposed operations would contribute to instead of hindering the primary social mission of the organization?

TEKCOM Corporation (TEKCOM) was one of the largest exporters of film-faced plywood (FFP) in Vietnam. The company experienced double-digit growth in its FFP trading business from 2005 to 2011. In 2012, TEKCOM ventured into FFP manufacturing. However, after building strong brand equity in both local and foreign markets as a mid-range FFP producer, TEKCOM faced a major constraint to its growth ambition. Veneer, a key raw material for making FFP, was in short supply in Vietnam. Sourcing veneer from overseas suppliers was expensive. Furthermore, the domestic FFP market was becoming increasingly competitive. An escalation in the company’s orders backlog, due to a severe shortage in veneer, led TEKCOM’s chief executive officer to review his company’s business model and strategy to sustain growth. In June 2017, TEKCOM was considering various options to address the supply shortage and the prospect of market expansion with new products. However, there were major risks associated with all available options.

IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, entered the Chinese market in 1998; however, it did not turn a profit in the first 10 years. Although anticipating lower profits, IKEA did not anticipate that Chinese customers would be confused about IKEA’s value proposition. After 2007, IKEA adopted several strategies to adjust for the Chinese market and achieve a better performance. These adjustments made IKEA more profitable in the Chinese market. IKEA accelerated its expansion in China with a plan to open three stores every year for a total of 40 stores before 2020. Still, in 2017, the Chinese market presented IKEA with challenges, such as cheap imitations from competitors and increasing interest in e-commerce by consumers. Could the strategies IKEA used to improve its performance in the past sustain the company in the years ahead?

In 2018, Neat and Clean Solutions (Neat and Clean), a cleaning services start-up in Gurgaon, India, had grown steadily in its 10 years of operations. Its founder realized the importance of building trust with clients and knew that modifying the cleaning process to suit Indian market conditions and the skill set of his team was critical to outsmarting the mounting competition in his industry. However, with an increase in population and the number of residential complexes in the business’s target area, there was a huge market of potential clients available. Although Neat and Clean had managed over the years with the same set-up, its founder wanted to expand so that he could have an office, buy new equipment and more vehicles, operate in multiple strategic locations, and employ more people. Unfortunately, he lacked the necessary funds to make these changes himself. Now he must decide whether to expand the scale of his operations and who to approach for the necessary funding.

In the summer of 2018 in the United States, Wendy’s faced an important decision related to its international markets. The company had a small international presence; of its 6,537 restaurants worldwide, only 637 restaurants were located in international markets. The company was faced with a saturated and stagnating U.S. market and fierce competition from a number of fast food rivals, including McDonald’s Corporation, Burger King Corporation, and Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC, and the surest path to growth seemed to be an expansion into foreign markets, where fast food was still growing. Wendy’s chief executive officer needed to determine which international market(s) to target and how many restaurants to open in each international market.

In January 2018, the regional manager of Fairdeal Appliances (Fairdeal) was deliberating the merits of continuing with a selective distribution strategy in Denpasar, Bali. Abdul Electronics, Denpasar’s biggest retail outlet for Fairdeal appliances, had just taken on a dealership for Technica, which was a strong competitor to Fairdeal. However, if Fairdeal responded by approaching additional retail outlets to carry its appliances, it risked an increase in intra-channel competition, which could result in less dealer motivation to sell Fairdeal appliances and an overall reduction in Fairdeal sales in Denpasar. The regional manager also knew that if Fairdeal did not increase its presence through additional retail outlets, it would likely continue to lose sales from Abdul Electronics, but would have no possibility of making up the shortfall. In future, other retailers who sold Fairdeal appliances might also become Technica dealers. Had Fairdeal’s selective distribution strategy run its course? Should Fairdeal open up the market and pursue an intensive distribution strategy? The entire market was waiting for a response from Fairdeal.

Destron Petroleum Services (DPS) was an oil drilling contractor that had just won a bid to provide a land drilling rig on a rental basis to a major oil producing company in Pakistan. The case outlines how the company projected all of its costs related to the project and finally quoted a price for the project to the client.

On December 5, 2017, Tony Mun-Gavin, the business unit head for Personal Care at Unilever South Africa, was leading an immersion experience for new team members in the Soweto township of Johannesburg. The immersion was part of an effort to continuously embed a culture of inclusive growth with new employees, and it aligned with the corporate social responsibility commitment of the parent company, Unilever Pty. Ltd. Mun-Gavin faced a conflict in marketing the company’s personal care brand, Lux, which had always been associated with glamorous female celebrities but that was no longer in line with the company’s commitments to sustainability, inclusive growth, and women’s empowerment. His team had to work to re-position the brand to celebrate the diverse roles of women in the 21st century. Would the re-positioning work, and would it be consistent with the company’s goals of embedding a culture of inclusive growth and ensuring sustainability across the organization?

In June 2009, the new chief executive officer at the National University Hospital in Singapore had serious concerns about the hospital’s prolonged emergency department boarding time—the time between an emergency doctor’s decision to admit a patient and the patient’s occupation of a hospital bed. He knew that a prolonged boarding time was one of the leading factors contributing to emergency department overcrowding, which in turn hindered the delivery of high-quality medical care and compromised patient outcomes. The chief executive officer needed to decide what strategy the National University Hospital should adopt to reduce the prolonged emergency department boarding time and how the hospital should execute such a strategy.

In 2017, the Canadian cannabis industry was getting ready for the country’s anticipated legalization of recreational cannabis. The chief executive officer of Canopy Growth Corporation needed to make decisions about international expansion in the midst of the company’s aggressive expansion activities, which were already underway in Canada. Other Canadian licensed producers were also engaging in international activities in Germany, Chile, Australia, and other countries where cannabis was recently legalized, either for medical or recreational use. Was it time for Canopy Growth Corporation to focus on the Canadian market, or were the international opportunities too good to miss?

In March 2018, the new business development manager of the international trade department of M/S Padhy Leather Ltd. was trying to find a way to balance her key responsibilities. The manufacturing start-up, located in New Town, India, was in the business of exporting leather garments and was promoted by two young, first generation entrepreneurs. The company had started its export business with a few clients in the United States. The manager’s key responsibilities were exploring new markets and clients. Her immediate target was the United States, after which she would expand the business into Canada. She was concerned with how to minimize the commercial risks (non-payment risks such as transport and country risk) from new and untested clients while developing business and improving profitability.

In 2017, Uber, a ride-hailing application that was recognized as the world's most valuable start-up, was considering launching the world's first “urban air transport” service—Uber Elevate. Uber's chief product officer needed to convince the new chief executive officer and the board that electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles were the future of Uber, and to articulate a strategy to launch the service. But was it the right time to proceed with this bold initiative? Uber had recently seen its value plummet following a string of scandals that had forced its founder and chief executive officer to step down. How could the chief product officer ensure that Uber Elevate would be the success that he believed it would be? What steps were needed to ensure success?

Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited (Standard Chartered) was part of an international banking group that focused on the creation of wealth across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. As part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility, Standard Chartered launched a project in 2012 called Silver Lining, a community project that aimed to support elderly Singaporeans in meeting their financial and health care needs. Silver Lining had overcome a number of challenges since its inception, choosing appropriate partners and finding ways to help young volunteers overcome language barriers to work with elderly clients. It had also joined with other organizations to collaborate on offering supports and services to seniors in the community, some of whom were dealing with poor mental health. In early 2017, Standard Chartered had to make some key strategic decisions in order to ensure the continued relevance of Silver Lining and justify the need for continued funding for the project.

GoPro, Inc. was an American action camera and software manufacturer founded in 2002 by a young entrepreneur. The company introduced innovative action cameras and became a successful brand with the help of content marketing. It continued its innovative spree for more than a decade and was the market leader in the industry. However, in March 2017, the company faced challenges due to product failures and increased competition, and the introduction of new products in the market. GoPro’s stock price dropped as a result of a loss of confidence by both consumers and investors. What strategies could the company adopt to regain its competitive strength and revive confidence in its brand? What could it do to be more innovative and successful, and in doing so, fend off the low-cost competition?

In November 2017, Coca-Cola India Private Limited (Coca-Cola India) laid out a plan for the next summer—the introduction of a whipped frozen fruit dessert. Minute Maid Perfect Fruit, which Coca-Cola India planned to launch in India's top 10 cities in 2018, was to be an extension of the company’s Minute Maid brand. Coca-Cola India also intended to expand Maaza, its fruit drink brand, with two new variants. These extensions were to be part of the company’s strategy to launch a line of Beverage Plus products. Although globally, the parent company first began testing Perfect Fruit in Australia, the frozen dessert market in India would be the first to witness its full-scale launch. The company planned to launch the products at high foot-traffic retail outlets and popular locations for young people. If Coca-Cola India chose to make a foray into the frozen desserts segment, what strategic capabilities could it leverage? What possible obstacles to success could arise in the new product categories? What branding strategies could the company use to promote its products in this segment? Which market segments should the company target? What were the pros and cons of entering this segment? Most importantly, was it the right time to enter this market segment?

Asahi Kasei Corporation (Asahi Kasei), a diversified company based in Japan, had partnerships with weavers in India for its cupro yarn, which was used to make traditional garments for Indian women. The company developed a unique, inclusive value chain in India and began focusing on enhancing the development impact of its operations there. With a growing market for cupro yarn in India, Asahi Kasei expanded the capacity of its production facility in Japan in 2014, even though the domestic market for the product was shrinking. However, in 2015, the product started to face intense price competition in India from viscose rayon, which was an inferior but cheaper product. In 2016, the company had to address the competitive pressures while considering its economic and social objectives.

Asahi Kasei Corporation (Asahi Kasei), a diversified company based in Japan, had partnerships with weavers in India for its cupro yarn, which was used to make traditional garments for Indian women. The company developed a unique, inclusive value chain in India and began focusing on enhancing the development impact of its operations there. With a growing market for cupro yarn in India, Asahi Kasei expanded the capacity of its production facility in Japan in 2014, even though the domestic market for the product was shrinking. However, in 2015, the product started to face intense price competition in India from viscose rayon, which was an inferior but cheaper product. In 2016, the company had to address the competitive pressures while considering its economic and social objectives.

The general manager of operations and interim general manager of human resources at Linda Dor Restaurant and Rest Stop (Linda Dor) was facing challenges recruiting, training, and retaining staff at the lower levels of the organization. These customer-facing positions, which include wait staff, cashiers, and runners, are responsible for delivering the high level of customer service enshrined in Linda Dor Enterprises’ corporate values. Providing a positive customer experience is becoming increasingly important for Linda Dor because the company is expanding into the hotel industry and needs to ensure that its reputation for high-quality customer service is untarnished. How could Linda Dor improve employee retention and build a strong corporate culture?

In November 2016, the co-founders of Poppy Barley Inc. (Poppy Barley) had just finished discussing the company’s fiscal projections and sustainability goals for the upcoming 2017 year. Poppy Barley, a made-to-measure footwear retailer in Edmonton, Alberta, had grown rapidly. The co-founders, who were sisters, wanted to further both their product line and their commitments to corporate sustainability. Would becoming certified as a sustainable business publicize their commitments and values, and improve their triple bottom line? If so, which certification should they choose? On the other hand, given the company’s growth stage, would directing finite resources toward certification detract from other important business areas?