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In 2014, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a large, government-owned, global, Fortune 500 petroleum refining and marketing company in India, was facing a variety of issues around its audit process. The internal audit department had been facing delays in completion of audits and compliance of recommendations. The executive director and head of the Internal Audit (IA) department believed that performance problems were due to the organization of the department. Changes were needed to the processes, technology, and structure of the department, and he wanted his team to find solutions to put some fundamental changes in place. What changes should be made to IA’s processes, staffing, and structure so the company could complete more audits and comply with the recommendations?

The chief information officer and head of human resources at Hero MotoCorp Limited, India’s largest two-wheeler company, was responsible for overseeing the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. Under his leadership, the company's CSR team had started an ambitious project to provide livelihood and skills training to girls and women from marginalized socio-economic backgrounds. By March 2019, the program had helped many women become financially independent by providing training and opportunities to earn a living. These women otherwise lacked the resources and family support to gain employment or start their own business. However, the head of CSR wondered whether or not the company had done enough for women to reach their goals and become independent. Although the various CSR programs at Hero MotoCorp Limited had been successful, how could the company scale up its CSR programs for greater impact to help more girls and women?

In late 2017, the founder of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance faced a new challenge. In 2011, she had launched the non-profit organization to improve the quality of life for cancer patients by providing them with individualized exercise training programs, nutritional guidance, and emotional support during and after cancer treatment. In six years, the organization had expanded to 10 locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania; however, the founder wanted to strategically extend the organization throughout the United States, crossing the geographical and administrative boundaries of the healthcare system. One of her biggest challenges was to identify a growth model to stay sustainable. How could she position the organization for further growth?

In 2016, Grupo Vidawa, a small Colombian software company, launched KANAN Cloud, a freemium software service targeted at small- and medium-sized businesses. The software aimed to help these businesses meet new occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations that were to come into effect in January 2017. A year after launch, KANAN Cloud had only 500 free users and six paying customers. Software use was also extremely low. A few circumstances seemed to explain these results: the OHS regulations appeared overly complex to most small business owners, the regulations kept changing throughout 2017, and the OHS service market became saturated with cheap “quick fix” offers that did not meet legal requirements but fit the immediate needs and tiny budgets of many small businesses. Given this, Grupo Vidawa had to decide the next steps for KANAN Cloud.

In February 2014, Global 3PL, one of the largest logistics companies in the world, announced an ambitious expansion strategy. In accordance with that plan, the company struck an agreement in 2017 with TradeIX Limited (TradeIX) to optimize its working capital management. TradeIX was a start-up based in Dublin, Ireland that offered blockchain technology solutions to help companies manage trade finance more efficiently, especially in the area of accounts receivable. However, the potential for improvement in the realm of trade finance was heavily restricted by a complex network of suppliers and an organizational structure of silos for data flow. Global 3PL was therefore working on a pilot project with TradeIX, using its Marco Polo platform, to connect with insurance and banking services through a secure network. The process enabled full transparency of all financing transactions in the accounts receivable process. Despite the success of the pilot project, the efficiency of the Marco Polo platform had to be assessed on a technological and strategic level. Determining if the platform could prove to be a long-term sustainable solution for full operation across Global 3PL’s global trade finance system landscape was critical.

In 2018, the chairperson of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan), Carlos Ghosn, was arrested for alleged misconduct and criminal offences related to underreporting remuneration and misrepresenting annual disclosures. Detailed investigations revealed similar misrepresentations by the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) Hiroto Saikawa, who was forced to resign. The actions of senior officials left a deep stain on Nissan’s reputation, causing investors to question the effect of corporate governance at Nissan—and by extension, at similar companies across Japan and the world. As details of the scandal unfolded, Nissan suffered negative public repercussions. Its share-based incentive systems, excessive focus on profitability, and cost-cutting measures had caused deviations from normal risk management procedures, resulting in the production of poor-quality vehicles and thus vehicle recalls. Consumer trust in the company dropped, as did sales and profitability figures, with a continuous fall in the company’s stock. The company’s new CEO and board of directors were left to make amends for the company’s future. They needed to determine how to strengthen the company’s leadership and governance structure as they worked to make Nissan sustainable and profitable once again. Should they adopt a typical Japanese model of corporate governance, or would a model from elsewhere be more suitable?

Evelynn by Nicole Snobelen was an e-commerce clothing company based in London, Ontario, and was owned and operated by Nicole Snobelen. Snobelen had just been informed that a retail unit had become available for immediate occupancy at The Market at the Western Fair District in London (The Market). The Market housed a farmer’s market on the main floor and an artisan’s market on the second floor that featured distinctive locally handcrafted products. Snobelen had been waiting for a space to become available at The Market for some time, but now that the opportunity was becoming a reality, she wanted to thoroughly assess the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the decision before deciding to jump in.

Robert Unanue, chief executive officer (CEO) of Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic food company in the United States, came under criticism on July 9, 2020, when as an invited guest at the White House, he praised the US President. Upset community members boycotted Goya products. Supporters of the US president, on the other hand, began to buycott. Experts mentioned that weighing into political opinion before the 2020 US presidential election was a bad business decision for any corporate entity. Was Unanue wrong in sharing his opinion? What could the possible impact of the boycott be on Goya’s revenues? What should Unanue do to manage the company’s reputation?

yourtown was an Australian non-profit organization offering a variety of services to children, young people, and families, supported by a range of stakeholders including federal and state governments, corporations, and, most significantly, members of the public. It was best known for its art union initiative in which supporters bought tickets to a raffle for luxury homes and automobiles.<br>In 2016, the organization rebranded from BoysTown, which at the time had awareness levels of 60 per cent in Australia. Now, in 2017, yourtown had an awareness level of only 10 per cent. Had the rebranding been the right move? Had it been too slow? Was it possible to regain past awareness levels or even exceed them?

Juhi Warrier was a successful human resources (HR) professional with almost two decades of work experience across various industries. She had recently joined the Indian unit of Revital Pharma Inc. (Revital), a leading healthcare manufacturer based in the United States. Heading talent acquisition (TA), Warrier was hired to bring in a fresh perspective and drive change. As only the third female among the 200 leaders in senior management roles, gender diversity was among the top goals on her agenda. However, she was in for a shock, as not only did her ideas for revamping the TA process find no takers but she also had a hard time gaining acceptance as a woman who was a senior leader on the team. The case describes the challenges faced by Warrier in championing the diversity agenda at Revital, while navigating the personal battles of gaining acceptance as a leader. Various incidents described in the case reveal the gaps in the system and the ingrained biases in the company culture. As Warrier works through the system, she is often forced to compromise on her diversity goals. Warrier now faces the dilemma of whether she should re-evaluate her goals or keep striving for equal opportunities in the TA process. What can Warrier do to succeed as a leader and build an inclusive workplace?

In February 2017, the chief executive officer of Conexus Credit Union, a local credit union headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan, was preparing to meet with the board of directors. He would be pitching his plan to build, staff, and operate a start-up venture program to be called the Cultivator. The Cultivator would create a stream of new regional high-technology businesses that would be well-placed, both for Conexus to serve and its members and the wider community to benefit from. The real question was how to operationalize this model: Should Conexus use the template of existing for-profit start-up accelerator programs to launch companies quickly and optimally to fail or scale? Or considering its community mandate, should Conexus take a different route?

<p style="color: white; background-color: rgb(3, 70, 56); font-size: 16px; display: inline-block; border: 0px solid rgb(197, 183, 131); padding: 4px 4px;"><a href="https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/product/01tOF000002kr3NYAQ" style="color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit;"> AVAILABLE AS A DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE </a></p><br><br>In April 2018, following an in-store incident in Philadelphia that resulted in the unwarranted arrests of two Black men, Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) faced a severe public relations crisis. A video of the incident, posted on Twitter, quickly generated widespread attention, online criticism, and in-person protests from people who accused the coffee giant of having exhibited racial bias. Within a few days, Starbucks shared press releases that featured its chief executive officer personally apologizing and taking responsibility for the incident. The chief executive officer also announced that US Starbucks stores would close for an afternoon for racial bias training and education. Although many public relations experts and customers commended Starbucks for its response, others continued to criticize Starbucks, claiming that its response wasn't genuine, but merely an attempt to protect reputation and avoid losing business. Further, while the training may have yielded positive education for employees, was it enough to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future? What could Starbucks do to demonstrate its intentions were genuine? How could it correct its mistake, address the root cause of the incident, keep customers' trust, and thrive as the world's largest coffee retailer?

In the first quarter of 2019, A.T. Kearney Inc.’s managing partner had to find a strategy that would help the company move into the top tier of the world’s management consultancy firms. The new leader was only the ninth managing partner in the firm’s history, having succeeded the previous leader one year earlier. He was a member of the firm’s board of directors and had previously led the company’s global Communications, Media & Technology practice. He had also been named one of The Top 25 Consultants by Consulting magazine. After his appointment as managing director, he announced that A.T. Kearney Inc. would continue to be committed to helping its clients with their biggest and most important challenges. However, the firm faced a major challenge of its own: how to become a US$2 billion management consultancy titan as quickly as possible and compete against the industry’s giants. A.T. Kearney Inc. had to determine what would be the best option for the future of the company.

In Nepal, which primarily relied on the use of oral therapy for the treatment of chronic respiratory conditions, Nirparaj Joshi, country manager for Nepal at Cipla Limited (Cipla), had been successful in creating a market plan for the inhaler brand, Seroflo. After consistent efforts, Seroflo had risen to the top market position in fiscal year (FY) 2019–20. This had established the brand not only as a category leader in the respiratory segment but also as a leader in the overall Nepalese pharmaceutical market. Joshi had planned a massive outreach campaign in FY 2020–21 to further push the absolute sales, increase the prescriber base, and boost patient enrollment. However, when everything seemed to be on the right track, the entire world was gripped by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This forced Joshi to re-strategize so as to adapt the brand to the “new normal” and sustain brand leadership. He was faced with many challenges and needed a revised roadmap to navigate the crisis. He was also evaluating whether or not this was the right time to transition to an Agile marketing approach.

On January 2, 2019, Canada-based Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick) and Randgold Resources (Randgold) merged to become the largest gold mining company in the world. Following the merger, Barrick’s new executive team communicated a financial strategy that emphasized a long-term focus, particularly on sustainability. Barrick’s executive performance scorecard—a key management tool used to direct executive attention and evaluate performance—had been introduced in 2013, after an overwhelming majority of shareholders voted against a proposed compensation plan at the annual general meeting. No changes had been made to the scorecard since 2015, despite changes in the organization and in the mining industry overall. An external human resources professional who was proposing a new executive scorecard for the company faced several questions: Should she emphasize the short-term or long-term incentive plan? Which metrics and weightings should be changed? Were the existing financial and non-financial measures still appropriate, and did they adequately reflect Barrick’s sustainability goals? Was Barrick doing enough to satisfy regulators, institutional investors, and the many guidelines and standards that had been released in recent years?

The City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (COE), recognizing that its once world-class waste management system needed major transformation, published an ambitious and progressive waste management strategic plan (“The Future of Waste”) on October 4, 2019. Among numerous initiatives, policies, and frameworks, the plan made reference to the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a public policy mechanism for increasing the responsibility of producers for post-consumer (i.e., end-of-life) product and packaging waste. Although such policies were typically enacted at a provincial level, it seemed inevitable that, if EPR came into reality in Alberta, the COE would have some involvement in promotion and/or physical post-consumer collection logistics (a critical enabler of any successful EPR system). There was, thus, an opportunity for the COE to consider how its new direction for waste management should incorporate logistical support for EPR, from a coordination/leadership and/or a physical perspective.<br><br>The issue at hand was whether and how the COE should be involved (logistically) in any potential EPR manifestation, which would include an analysis of what made a good post-consumer collection system; what existed in the COE at the time from current industry players, such as retailers, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and providers of last-mile delivery services; and what specific role the COE could play (e.g., through waste and recycling collection).

The Maple Leaf Foods (MLF): Changing the System case explores how a major food processor pivoted its vision and operations in an attempt to become the world’s most sustainable protein company. Instead of focusing solely on financial goals, the organization's new purpose clearly recognized MLF’s potential impact on both society and the natural environment. In the anchor case, senior leaders considered the background and progress of this initiative. The supplemental cases (A to E) offer the perspectives of five stakeholders, each of whom is critical to the MLF initiative. Since an organization is part of an open system, these views allow a consideration of how the different parts of the system may experience, and impact, any change attempt.

On September 25, 2019, an activist investment management company, which was sometimes referred to as the biggest activist hedge fund in the world, publicly released a detailed report advocating for Marathon Petroleum Corporation to be split into three separate companies, divided along three major business lines: oil refinery, midstream services (i.e., pipelines), and retail. The refinery company would consist primarily of 16 oil refineries in the United States and would retain the Marathon name. The midstream company, which would consist of pipelines, logistics, and oil terminals, would be formed from MPLX LP, the publicly traded subsidiary that was 63 per cent owned and fully operated by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. The retail company would be formed from Speedway LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation that operated 3,923 retail locations across the continental United States. The investment company argued that Marathon Petroleum Corporation's shareholders stood to benefit considerably from the proposed split. Was the proposition a good idea?

In April 2020, amid the global pandemic resulting from the spread of Covid-19, the president of the Broadway League, which represented theatre owners, producers, presenters, and general managers for Broadway and across North America, faced a challenge. On March 12, 2020, Broadway had suspended all plays and musicals. The president and her team needed to determine when Broadway might be able to reopen, what the Broadway League should be communicating to producers and guests, and what the reopening of Broadway would look like amid the global coronavirus pandemic. However, to reach these decisions, she first needed to determine the reliability of the recently released New York State antibody study and estimate the true prevalence of antibodies in the population.

In part A of the case, Melissa Law was offered a position as a human resources operations manager only a few weeks after completing her final course in a graduate industrial relations program at a prestigious Canadian university. She was ecstatic when Elias Ferenc, the person she would report to, offered her the position. Her enthusiasm, however, was quickly deflated when Elias expressed his reservations about hiring her. He worried that she would rely too heavily on her formal education rather than getting to know her new work environment and the employees that she managed, many of whom had significantly less formal education than she did. Melissa had to make a quick decision about the job offer. How would she respond to Elias? In Part B of the case, after Melissa accepted the position, she was challenged with making changes in a workplace where the staff members were much older, with much lower formal education. How would she relate to employees that would be reporting to her?