個案總覽

In February 2020, the board of directors of the French energy utility company, Engie SA (Engie), terminated the services of the company's chief executive officer (CEO). Before her departure, this CEO was the only female CEO among the Cotation Assistée en Continu (CAC) 40 benchmark stock market index of firms. After becoming CEO in May 2016, she divested billions of dollars' worth of fossil-fuel assets and reinvested the proceeds in renewable and energy efficiency services. Her goal was to restructure the loss-making energy company, but the board of directors was not satisfied with her performance. Despite an improvement in the company's financial performance during her tenure, Engie remained one of the lowest-valued energy utility companies on European stock exchanges. With a focus on renewable energy, Engie's relative performance continued to suffer. The chair of the company's board of directors had to determine the cause of the company's stock market performance and find ways to improve. He also had to consider what other factors, in addition to value creation for shareholders, should be used as a performance measure for the next CEO.

Founded in 2012, Skillz offered a platform for mobile app developers to monetize skill-based games via prized tournaments. Skillz had over 20,000 registered developers that had created thousands of Skillz-powered games played by over 30 million registered users (gamers). A successful gamer could make hundreds of thousands of dollars playing competitive games of skill. The company had a gross marketplace volume of almost $1 billion in 2019 and over 250 employees primarily in San Francisco, California and Portland, Oregon. CEO Andrew Paradise challenged his leadership team to explore options for accelerating growth.

This case describes revelations of fraud at Luckin Coffee, beginning with an anonymous report in January 2020 and continuing with the company's admission in April 2020 that it had inflated its revenues by 2.2 billion RMB ($310 million), almost half its reported revenue, in the last three quarters of 2019. It was later found that Luckin had arranged false transactions at many of its stores, and that it had sold tens of millions of cups of coffee (through coffee vouchers) to corporate customers with ties to Luckin chairman Charles Lu. It had also falsified supplier payments, creating a loop of fraudulent transactions that inflated both its sales and expenses.

This four-part case series examines the numerous, often subtle ways in which international and interpersonal relations intersect. When an American MBA student types a controversial comment about China into the virtual chat box of an online class on emerging economies, he ignites a firestorm. Many Chinese students see the comment as racist; many American students see it as an example of free speech. From the Chinese students' perspective, the comment is one more in a long series of hurtful anti-Chinese statements made in the era of the US-China trade war, COVID-19, and a hostile US government. From the American students' perspective, the comment is little more than an isolated, passing incident-insensitive, perhaps, but hardly inflammatory. What actions-if any-should be taken in the comment's aftermath? Should the author of the comment be reprimanded? Should the Chinese students let go of their grievances? What can the class's professor do to mitigate the fallout from the comment and prevent future such problems from occurring? How should the dean and administration respond to the incident, and how can they assuage the hurt feelings of Chinese students and alumni? Taking the perspectives of a Chinese student; the Chinese-American professor in whose class the comment was made; and the dean of the business school, the four cases expose the complex web of stakeholders, motivations, cultural norms, diverse perceptions, and geopolitics present in today's international classrooms and work settings.

This four-part case series examines the numerous, often subtle ways in which international and interpersonal relations intersect. When an American MBA student types a controversial comment about China into the virtual chat box of an online class on emerging economies, he ignites a firestorm. Many Chinese students see the comment as racist; many American students see it as an example of free speech. From the Chinese students' perspective, the comment is one more in a long series of hurtful anti-Chinese statements made in the era of the US-China trade war, COVID-19, and a hostile US government. From the American students' perspective, the comment is little more than an isolated, passing incident-insensitive, perhaps, but hardly inflammatory. What actions-if any-should be taken in the comment's aftermath? Should the author of the comment be reprimanded? Should the Chinese students let go of their grievances? What can the class's professor do to mitigate the fallout from the comment and prevent future such problems from occurring? How should the dean and administration respond to the incident, and how can they assuage the hurt feelings of Chinese students and alumni? Taking the perspectives of a Chinese student; the Chinese-American professor in whose class the comment was made; and the dean of the business school, the four cases expose the complex web of stakeholders, motivations, cultural norms, diverse perceptions, and geopolitics present in today's international classrooms and work settings.

This four-part case series examines the numerous, often subtle ways in which international and interpersonal relations intersect. When an American MBA student types a controversial comment about China into the virtual chat box of an online class on emerging economies, he ignites a firestorm. Many Chinese students see the comment as racist; many American students see it as an example of free speech. From the Chinese students' perspective, the comment is one more in a long series of hurtful anti-Chinese statements made in the era of the US-China trade war, COVID-19, and a hostile US government. From the American students' perspective, the comment is little more than an isolated, passing incident-insensitive, perhaps, but hardly inflammatory. What actions-if any-should be taken in the comment's aftermath? Should the author of the comment be reprimanded? Should the Chinese students let go of their grievances? What can the class's professor do to mitigate the fallout from the comment and prevent future such problems from occurring? How should the dean and administration respond to the incident, and how can they assuage the hurt feelings of Chinese students and alumni? Taking the perspectives of a Chinese student; the Chinese-American professor in whose class the comment was made; and the dean of the business school, the four cases expose the complex web of stakeholders, motivations, cultural norms, diverse perceptions, and geopolitics present in today's international classrooms and work settings.

This four-part case series examines the numerous, often subtle ways in which international and interpersonal relations intersect. When an American MBA student types a controversial comment about China into the virtual chat box of an online class on emerging economies, he ignites a firestorm. Many Chinese students see the comment as racist; many American students see it as an example of free speech. From the Chinese students' perspective, the comment is one more in a long series of hurtful anti-Chinese statements made in the era of the US-China trade war, COVID-19, and a hostile US government. From the American students' perspective, the comment is little more than an isolated, passing incident-insensitive, perhaps, but hardly inflammatory. What actions-if any-should be taken in the comment's aftermath? Should the author of the comment be reprimanded? Should the Chinese students let go of their grievances? What can the class's professor do to mitigate the fallout from the comment and prevent future such problems from occurring? How should the dean and administration respond to the incident, and how can they assuage the hurt feelings of Chinese students and alumni? Taking the perspectives of a Chinese student; the Chinese-American professor in whose class the comment was made; and the dean of the business school, the four cases expose the complex web of stakeholders, motivations, cultural norms, diverse perceptions, and geopolitics present in today's international classrooms and work settings.

The UK daily newspaper the Guardian undertook turnaround initiatives between January 2016 and April 2019 under the leadership of Katherine Viner, the newspaper's editor-in-chief. Viner leveraged a new reader-funded contribution model to generate revenues, whereas newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal used paywalls and subscription-based models for revenue generation. Viner also undertook several cost-cutting initiatives, such as replacing the Berliner newspaper format with a tabloid format and outsourcing the printing of the Guardian. The impact of the contribution-based revenue model was substantial, leading the newspaper's digital revenues to surpass revenues from advertising. The newspaper's reach also increased substantially, with international subscribers, especially those in the United States and Australia, contributing more than Guardian readers in the United Kingdom. Although the Guardian reported its first profit in the past two decades in May 2019, several challenges remained for Viner, such as increasing the number of financial contributors to 2 million by 2022 and making the turnaround sustainable.

Thelma Cross-Olden Foundation (TCO), a non-profit organization, had supported the settlement needs of migrant women in Montreal, Quebec, for over three decades. However, in 2011, the foundation's revenue declined sharply. By 2018, the foundation was running into debt and had less than CA$50,000 with which to manage its operations and outreach programs. The decline in TCO's finances raised issues concerning the instability of leadership, the mismanagement of funds, and an overreliance on government agencies as a key source of generating revenue. In an attempt to reinstate the financial position of the foundation in 2019, the newly appointed chief executive officer needed to decide whether to reconsider the merger deal proposed by a reputable large global charity or to search for new avenues to generate funds.

The global mobile phone market is becoming saturated, especially in developed economies where phone makers are competing for market share in an increasingly 'red ocean'. In contrast, the African market for mobile phones has huge growth potential given a fast-expanding population and high proportion of young people, yet relatively low rate of mobile phone penetration. Transsion, a Shenzhen-based mobile phone manufacturer (that few Chinese have heard of), spotted a blue ocean opportunity and within a few years had become the "mobile phone king of Africa". The case describes its growth trajectory, competitors, challenges and future opportunities.

With a focus on China's biggest internet companies, Alibaba and Tencent, the case study describes their respective histories, fintech subsidiaries and platform-based ecosystems. It illustrates the strategy issues that arise from an institutional void and market uncertainty: how to determine the business model, generate unprecedented value for customers, and ultimately compete with foreign as well as local rivals. It aims to help students understand the opportunities and challenges for firms in emerging markets, the evolutionary nature of strategy-making, the digital transformation, how new business models give rise to new regulatory challenges, and how firms respond to changes in the institutional environment. The case has four parts. The first two describe the growth of Alibaba and its fintech subsidiary Ant Financial, and of Tencent with its superapp WeChat and fintech subsidiary WeChat Pay - noting how each built its own ecosystem and their mutual attempts to squeeze the other's core business. Part 3 describes the pre-existing banking and finance industry in China. Part 4 explores their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives in the face of increasing regulatory and institutional pressures.

Leaders love to talk about corporate culture and values, yet many companies have a disconnect between what leaders preach and what is practiced throughout the organization. Improving corporate culture requires a sustained effort over time. A first step: Look at how well those values are being communicated to the workforce.

Verge Capital was a social finance organization in London, Ontario, that connected local aspiring entrepreneurs with funds that would support initiatives with societal or environmental missions that benefited local communities. In 2019, the social finance manager at Verge Capital had to recommend one of two social impact business proposals that the organization should fund a CA$30,000 loan to. The two options were (1) Sri Lankan Foods, which operated a Sri Lankan restaurant, a catering business, and a granola production facility that provided short-term employment opportunities for newcomers to Canada, and (2) Material Impact, which collected and resold used textbooks to fund donations of books and learning materials to South American universities. While both businesses aligned with Verge Capital's mandate, the social finance manager needed to choose just one. He wondered how sustainable the businesses were and what criteria Verge Capital should consider before investing.

Student spreadsheet supplement to case W20583

Student spreadsheet to case UV8100

By May 2014, the bakery of French pastry chef Dominique Ansel had successfully been in operation for two and a half years. During this time, the bakery had gained numerous accolades for its most viral invention-the Cronut, a hybrid between a donut and a croissant. Moving forward, there were opportunities for Ansel's company to expand beyond its current size and location in New York City. Ansel's first option was to raise prices. Because the Cronut sold out every day before noon, the bakery was severely undersupplying the market, which had a huge demand. Ansel's second option was to commercialize the Cronut. Perhaps it would be better to license the recipe to a major coffee chain, which could bring his invention to millions of people. Lastly, Ansel could expand his brand internationally to Asia or Europe. Could Ansel achieve any of these changes without compromising quality over quantity?

This case examines the unique challenges faced by ridesharing company Careem as a business operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The case presents issues related to Careem's growth options after it was acquired by Uber. Protagonist Mudassir Sheikha, Careem co-founder and chief executive officer, has two goals as he decides the company's future direction: 1) providing solutions benefiting Careem's customers, employees, and drivers, and 2) managing a profitable company. The terms of the Uber acquisition dictate Careem will continue to operate as a separate entity, and Sheikha must present Careem's forward-looking strategy to all relevant stakeholders in two weeks. The case addresses issues specific to the MENA region and how they differ from those in the West. Students will examine the opportunities and threats created for Careem in the wake of the Uber acquisition. This case was the first place winner in WDI Publishing's MENA Case Writing Competition "Doing Business in the Middle East North Africa Region," sponsored by Michigan Ross Executive Education.

This case presents a situation faced by Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Airways, a government-owned, full-service airline. It is February 6, 2020, and Douglas is reviewing the progress he has made in turning Etihad around and charting a direction for its future. The key strategic options are: 1) Contracting and turning Etihad into a regional airline, 2) reshaping Etihad as a low-cost carrier (LCC), or 3) continuing to operate Etihad as a full-service, internationally-focused airline. Additionally, the company could form an alliance with its closest competitor, Emirates Airline. Created in 2003 with a mandate to operate "safely, commercially, and profitably," Etihad positioned itself as a luxurious airline and pursued aggressive internationalization and growth. It was the second national airline in United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Dubai's Emirates Airline. Etihad's initial strategy was directed by CEO James Hogan, and while the company was profitable for many years, it began incurring losses in 2016. The case provides quantitative and qualitative information to enable students to evaluate Etihad's strategy and performance and make recommendations for its future. This case was the third place winner in WDI Publishing's MENA Case Writing Competition "Doing Business in the Middle East North Africa Region," sponsored by Michigan Ross Executive Education.

In May 2019, the management team of DuPont de Nemours Inc. (DuPont) was assessing whether to retain the business entity DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS) as part of the overall company, divest it to another consultancy firm, or sell it to the internal team through a management buyout. DSS was set up in the late 1960s as an in-house provider of safety and risk management services. Having established its credentials with the company's sprawling chemical plants worldwide, it soon became a mid-sized business in the operations consulting field, serving clients in oil and gas, mining and metals, and industrial manufacturing sectors worldwide. In 2019, the management team had to determine the best path forward for DSS.

In August 2019, the newly appointed chief executive officer of DSS was planning for his company's future. He had two main questions to address: Having emerged from the shadow of DuPont, how should his new company be reorganized into an independent enterprise? As a stand-alone enterprise, would DSS gain credibility among its clients and employees?