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The case describes the ascend of EcoVadis in the market for supply chain sustainability ratings as well as its competitive position in 2023. EcoVadis is a platform that allows corporations to get transparency on the sustainability practices and status of their suppliers, and simultaneously allows suppliers to show their sustainability credentials to their corporate buyers. Founded in 2007 by Pierre-François Thaler (INSEAD MBA, 1999) and Fréderic Trinel, it had achieved unicorn status in 2023. The case ends with a review of the key strategy issues that the company is facing in 2023.

In the first two decades of the 21st century, community organizers were increasingly enlisted by progressive foundations to help increase voter turnout among the "low propensity" voters in their communities, especially people of color and young people, groups largely "invisible" to the mainstream election industry. In many ways, the organizers-including those in the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, the group at the heart of this case-welcomed this opportunity, believing that it would support and reinforce their traditional organizing work. With greater voting strength, they reasoned, their constituents would gain leverage to advocate more effectively for their communities. But the OOC soon discovered that the goals and protocols of the election industry diverged sharply from those of community organizers. Organizing work was a long game aimed at creating collective power through trust- and relationship-building. Electoral campaigns were fast-paced and laser-focused on getting to "50 percent + 1." This case follows the Ohio Organizing Collaborative as it worked to find more effective ways to increase voter turnout in target communities and, at the same time, to better align its electoral work with the OOC's community-organizing values. Like other community organizers across the country, they tried to bring the strategies of "relational" organizing into their get-out-the-vote (GOTV) work. Their experiments yielded results that were mixed, interesting, and pointed the way to some new approaches in future. In addition to the written case, the case package includes a podcast supplement in which Prentiss Haney, one of the OOC codirectors featured in the case, describes his own stop-and-start path to community organizing-and how community organizers recruited and supported him, as a young adult, in a way that eventually persuaded him of the value of political activism.

In November 2023, OpenAI, a prominent artificial intelligence (AI) research lab, announced the unexpected removal of its co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, which sent shockwaves through the AI industry. The case first delves into OpenAI's journey from its inception as a non-profit organization aimed at developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity, to its transformation into a capped-profit entity, along with the value chain and competitive dynamics of the generative AI industry. In the second section, the case documents in detail Sam Altman's sudden dismissal. In the last section, the case concludes with a look into the broader implications for the generative AI industry, including the race for AGI, the ongoing challenges of AI development, and new developments. The case is suitable for MBA, EMBA, and undergraduate students who are interested in competitive strategy, industry value chain, technology and innovation, entrepreneurship, corporate governance, stakeholder governance, and the AI industry. The case can be used in a core strategy course at different levels as it covers various topics.

The dueling fortunes of two hot sauce manufacturers demonstrate the power of strategic diversification in the areas of supply chain, products, customers, and channel. Managing risk on these multiple fronts early on, McIlhenny thrived while competitor Huy Fong Foods failed to follow suit, rendering the former market leader an also-ran in hot sauce.

While ethics guidelines are abstract, people must apply them to concrete, pressing dilemmas. This requires skill, not just good intentions. How can people learn to wisely put a company ethics guidelines into action? Using real-world lessons from health care leaders, this article outlines three practices that can help decision makers handle tough ethics scenarios. The authors also share four ways leaders can cultivate employees ethical expertise.

In 2021, General Motors (GM) announced an ambitious goal to sell only zero-emission cars and light trucks by 2035. This declaration was part of a broader initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and was also a highly significant development in the electric vehicle (EV) transition, as no other major traditional automaker had set such a target. Over the next two years, GM invested billions of dollars in retooling, battery, charging, and other EV technologies, securing third place in the EV market as of 2023.This case delves into the strategic challenges facing GM in September 2023. In the time since it embarked on its aggressive EV transition, consumer demand for EVs had not escalated, competition had grown, and financial risks and technical uncertainties loomed.Students are challenged to answer this question: Should GM adhere to its EV goal timeline or modify its strategy?

Digital platforms are often characterized as enablers of new ecosystems. However, platforms are sometimes introduced into pre-existing ecosystems, where a platform's ability to harmonize with the ecosystem is critical for its success. This article draws on the case of digital healthcare platforms and introduces the concept of platform grafting, which denotes the process of integrating a new platform into a pre-existing ecosystem, leading to a coevolutionary process of adapting both the platform and the surrounding ecosystem. Dynamic capabilities are critical for successfully integrating the platform into the ecosystem, and this article provides a capabilities framework for understanding platform grafting.

This case explores the complexities and challenges that can arise when evaluating a job offer that involves a potential conflict between an individual's passions and their professional prospects and personal relationships. In January 2023, Stephanie MacLean, a recent business school graduate, faced a challenging career decision. She had received a job offer from Hockey Canada's Public Relations (PR) division for what she had initially regarded as her "dream job." However, after revelations in the news regarding the organization's history of sexual assault, she now had reservations about taking up the offer. While tempted by the opportunity to combine her passion for sports and her interest in PR, MacLean feared potentially alienating her social and professional networks, damaging her personal reputation, and limiting her career trajectory. It was Friday, and MacLean needed to make a decision over the weekend.

This case study critically examines the evolution of the metaverse, interrogating its ascendancy, its perceived decline and the nascent indicators of its resurgence. Beginning with the concept's origins in science fiction, it tracks the metaverse's evolution through advancements in gaming and the growing interest of Big Tech, which saw potential in this convergence of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). The narrative captures the initial exuberance as investors and companies raced to stake their claim, buoyed by forecasts of a new era of digital interaction and economic activity. Looking at the nature of the sector and the ecosystems it fostered, the case considers what drove inflated expectations and subsequent market corrections. It explores the sobering challenges that faced the metaverse: technological limitations, user disillusionment and a harsh economic climate that eroded speculative investments. It discusses the strategic shifts by key players, from pursuit of domination to focused niches and smart partnerships, and the downsizing or redirection of metaverse initiatives in response to the market's reality checks. It also identifies emerging signs of vitality in the sector. It highlights how the integration of generative AI (GenAI) and targeted applications in gaming are rekindling interest, suggesting a potential pathway out of disillusionment. The case also provides the opportunity to track the emergence of multiple partly overlapping ecosystems and allows students to focus on the different roles and monetisation approaches that ecosystem participants take. It further allows us to see the upsides and downsides of more centralised ecosystems (like those driven by Big Tech) and more decentralised ecosystems (such as Web3) and consider how the ecosystem orchestrators try to leverage their strengths. The case can also be used to consider in what ways orchestrators benefit more broadly.

The case, set in 2024, describes the transformation of Digital China, a large IT services company in China that had grown proactively and ambitiously into new digital services, including artificial intelligence (AI). The case briefly describes the company's background so we can see how it has evolved over the years alongside the major technology changes in the broader business environment. It then goes into detail on the shift to data services, cloud computing and AI offerings over the last five years. As well as describing what Digital China does and how it works, the case also showcases the vision and 'theories' of its CEO, Mr Guo Wei. Mr Guo has some interesting and provocative ideas about how the digital revolution is changing the nature of competitive advantage, and the case gives the students exposure to these ideas in a way that should stimulate debate.

In Part A, as of April 2017, Austria's RHI, a backward integrated refractory company is still within the midst of merging with the next biggest competitor, Brazil's Magnesita, while weighing options for future growth. Should the company pursue organic growth options and if so, which ones? Or should the company embark upon another major merger with the market leader, the UK's Vesuvius? Given anemic growth rates in the refractory industry and an aggressive consolidation plan by the Chinese government to create a global refractory giant, the newly installed CEO, Stefan Borgas, is debating the best way forward: organic growth or another major merger? In Part B, as of August 2018, the successfully merged enterprise, RHI Magnesita, is thinking through the next move on their growth path. Should the company diversify into adjacent product types such as high-temperature insulation (HTI) and/or advanced ceramics (AC)?

The case is set in September 2023, and talks about the energy transition of the oil and gas industry in context to ExxonMobil (Exxon), which has seen continued backlash from media and climate activists on its stance on climate change, strategies towards pivoting its core business towards more sustainable practices and moving away from fossil fuel energy that contributes significantly to global warming. While many oil and gas companies have increasingly opted to investing in renewable forms of energy, Exxon has instead focused on investing in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and other alternate forms of energy like hydrogen and biofuels. Exxon had also introduced Net Zero pledges, but industry analysts continued to question the company's stance and strategies and its persistent focus on oil and gas. Was chasing Net Zero the right strategy for Exxon moving forward? Given its predominant involvement in oil and natural gas, was it strategic to persist in prioritizing oil demand alongside lower emission initiatives and transition investments? Was its existing strategy sufficient to help the conglomerate reinvent itself in a competitive and rapidly changing energy market?

In October 2015, Google restructured into Alphabet, a holding company, which analysts said would facilitate innovation among its diverse subsidiaries. But when news reports surfaced revealing struggles within Alphabet companies including Nest, the smart thermostat maker, observers began to wonder if the reorganization made sense after all.

In December 2023, the 60-year-old weight management industry stalwart WeightWatchers announced the launch of WeightWatchers Clinic, which incorporated GLP-1s , a new class of prescription weight-loss medications, into the company's portfolio of products and mobile app experience. The company's embrace of prescription medications for weight loss represented a bold strategic evolution. Since its inception, WeightWatchers had promoted peer-to-peer support coupled with science-based behavior modifications for weight loss, rooted in the idea that weight management was fundamentally about establishing healthy diet and exercise habits. While the company's core business would continue to center on behavior modification, WeightWatcher's new CEO Sima Sistani believed an expanded "toolkit" could be a game-changer for people for whom the company's traditional weight-loss program was inadequate and who required other kinds of support. Sistani, a Silicon Valley veteran, had stepped into the CEO role at a critical moment for the company. Revenue had been declining for years due to slowing member subscriptions, a lackluster digital app, and increasing competition from a host of players. Now, a year and a half into her tenure, revenues continued to trend downward. As she looked ahead, Sistani pondered how to strike the right balance between investing in the "core" business and growing the nascent clinical offering. She recognized that, for the iconic company, there was a delicate balance to be struck between ramping up new products and services and winding down legacy offerings such as weekly in-person meetings, while also fortifying the digital app. She wondered if there were synergies that might offer new avenues for growth in a dynamic market.

In early 2023, Maggioncalda, CEO of US EdTech firm Coursera, launched Project Genesis to develop a strategy for incorporating GenAI capabilities into the firm's offerings, asking his teams to focus on value to the firm and cost of implementation. The team identified several projects: powering translations and modifying content format and delivery, personalized coaching, an automatic course-building tool, and the building out of new GenAI-related academic content. By early 2024, the firm had made significant progress in bringing these ideas to market, but there was still much to do. Technology was fast evolving, and Coursera needed to continuously improve its offerings. Maggioncalda wanted better branding to make personalized coaching a distinctive advantage of the firm's platform. For its course builder tool, Coursera and its university partners had to work through difficult intellectual property and branding questions. But more broadly, Maggioncalda remained alert to the risks presented by the advent of GenAI. While the firm had been an early mover, competitors were fast adapting. Was Coursera taking full advantage of the opportunities presented by the technology? What more could it do?

Capitalizing on the digitalization trend, Logy.AI captures a substantial market in the Indian and Nigerian oral healthcare space, earning a revenue of US$110,000 in FY 2023. The company's international and domestic adoption, which exceeds 200,000 within a year, demonstrates its significant influence and growth potential, while the anticipated 173% growth in FY 2024 signals a clear path to profitability, steering toward financial sustainability while expanding its market presence. Priyanjit Ghosh, Co-founder and CEO of Logy.AI, recalls the path to building Logy.AI. While driving home from a party to celebrate his team's efforts and the impact their solution had made, the exchange of ideas between the founders sparks a profound thought about Logy.AI's way forward. How do they revolutionize the oral healthcare market for their growth journey? Should Logy.AI look beyond oral care to explore AI solutions for other healthcare problems? Should they penetrate new markets with the AI-based oral detection solution they already have? What should be their growth strategy and operating model?

The case describes how Allbirds, a U.S. eco-startup that entered the booming footwear market in China, met with challenges in putting their global perspective into local practice. This teaching note is designed for a 90-minute teaching plan, where students could impersonate the protagonist in this case, Brandy Yu, managing director of Allbirds China, and follow her footprints with the new venture's market expansion in China since she joined in 2021. Allbirds was a San Francisco-based startup founded in 2015, which innovated the ways how shoes were made and sold. The company opened its first store in April 2019 at Shanghai, China, also the first in Asia. Brandy Yu in this case could inspire students through the decision-making processes in various challenging scenarios, such as where to find "China Charlie" and how to engage them, how to channel constrained resources into building product leadership and customer intimacy, whether they could "copy-paste" Allbirds' Go-to-Market strategy in China, and most essentially, how to maintain a sustainable balance between localization and internationalization in both marketing strategy and organizational management.

Managing acquired subsidiaries can be daunting. Parent and affiliate executives strive to co-create value, but fixed mindsets around subsidiary autonomy can result in diverging interests and outcomes. Through a longitudinal study of Audi's post-acquisition integration of supercar manufacturer Lamborghini, this article provides guidance on how to manage the level of acquired subsidiary autonomy as a strategic dial that can be dynamically adjusted over time for mutual benefit. This dynamic approach to autonomy rests on three specific managerial levers - appraisal respect, organizational identity, and resource orchestration. These can enable the renewal of competitive capabilities and sustain post-acquisition success.

In October 2018, Christie's auction house sold an artwork called Portrait of Edmond Belamy produced by an artificial intelligence (AI) model built to generate new works after being trained on upward of thousands of paintings. Three years later, Jason Allen submitted an art piece to the "digital art/digitally manipulated photography" division of an art competition associated with the 2022 Colorado State Fair. The submission relied heavily on a generative AI program called Midjourney. Instead of collecting works of art or fine-tuning an AI model, Midjourney and other modern text-to-image generators simply accepted a text description (or prompt) of an image and produced an image reflective of that description. These examples point toward the capabilities of AI image generators but also raise several questions: How do these image generators even work? And how did the system used to create Portrait of Edmond Belamy evolve into text-to-image AI art generators like Midjourney? Given the rise of these tools, what are some of the artistic, societal, and legal implications of AI art generators? Regardless of one's perspective on the previous questions, it is hard to argue that art-generating AI models will not find their way into our lives to some degree. By understanding more about the technology of image generating tools and the different perspectives on them, managers can be better prepared to navigate these tools' uses and effects-including risks. This preparation will prove helpful as innovative ideas and technological advancements are introduced to more industries, sparking more conversations between decision-makers with a range of perspectives. While AI art and the questions it raises are interesting, the money is in the tools. That means instead of programs like AI art generators designed to process certain inputs and produce certain outputs, business managers across industries will look toward tools for which generative AI art has laid a foundation, and they'll