This quarterly earnings case set is based on a fictional company, T-Rex Inc., an engineering equipment manufacturer that named its first construction machine the T-Rex because its shape was comparable to that of the prehistoric dinosaur. The once-small family company went public in 2010, growing to over 6,000 employees in three offices by 2024. Customers were typically heavy civil construction companies based in the 20 largest cities in the United States. Beginning in 2023, the company had set a strategic objective to sell machines to construction companies in Mexico and Canada. Maya Hoffman, a member of the family that had started T-Rex, had been CEO since 2005. The case is set as the company prepares for the Q2 2024 earnings call. During the first two quarters of 2024, the company had performed well. But there always seemed to be some cause for concern or stress in the run-up to the earnings report. This two-case set creates two potential activities for students: a role-play and a presentation. Depending on the focus of the course in which the set is used, instructors can choose which avenue to follow.
This case, a follow-up to "Quarterly Earnings Report at T-Rex (A)" (UVA-BC-0304), continues the story of fictional company T-Rex Inc., an engineering equipment manufacturer, and its CEO, Maya Hoffman, as the company prepares for the Q2 2024 earnings call. On July 18, 2024, prior to the market opening, T-Rex released its quarterly earnings. Thirty minutes later, at 8:00 a.m., T-Rex's stock was down almost $2 in pre-market trading. Hoffman, the CFO, and the head of investor relations need to manage the earnings call.
This case explores the downfall of a century-old family-owned and managed firm in Taiwan called Tatung. It follows its history from a construction company firm with large land holdings in Northern Taiwan to one of the most well-known makers of electronic appliances. The founder, Shang-Zhi Lin, was a visionary, and from the end of WW1 to the end of WW2 built a solid manufacturing company and established an educational institute to train the company's engineers. His son, TS Lin, transformed Tatung during the post-WW2 boom into a conglomerate, helping forge Taiwan as an economic powerhouse. It was one of the first Taiwanese companies to be listed on the stock exchange. However, Tatung's fortunes dimmed in the third generation as corruption went unchecked, leading to disgrace and the company's demise.
This note provides an overview of the regulatory documents the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires of public companies in the United States. Specifically, an S-1 filing is required by any security that meets SEC criteria before shares can be listed on a national exchange, and thereafter, the SEC requires Form 10-Q or 10-K quarterly. The note provides details about these three primary communication disclosures, plus links to other resources where students can learn more. It is meant to be a quick reference guide for business or commerce students.
The case protagonist is preparing for her final interview to be spokesperson for the Institute Office of Communications at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The case is set during a time in which many university presidents are in the spotlight of the debate of freedom of speech on campuses, which includes student and donor debate about the war between Israel and Hamas that started in October 2023. On the morning of January 3, 2024, a news article specifically mentioned MIT's president being under scrutiny. The case requires students to consider the financial models of US institutions of higher education, the role of a university president, and crisis communications. Instructors can use this case in multiple ways, but a clear focus is the communications strategy for MIT. When the university needed to send a message to its community, the case protagonist would be instrumental in deciding who should deliver the message, what the message would be, and which channel(s) MIT would use.
This case explores transformative business redesign for sustainability and social impact at De Beers, a longtime global leader in diamond manufacturing. De Beers (and the diamond industry at large) have come under fire over the years regarding social malpractice (e.g., displacement of indigenous groups, forced labor, poor working conditions, and the sale of "blood diamonds" to fund armed conflict) and environmental harm (e.g., open-pit mining, ecosystem degradation, water overuse, and carbon emissions). The case presents corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives introduced by De Beers in 2020 aimed at having a positive impact on society, the environment, and the industry overall. The case surveys the competitive landscape and increasing pressure from consumer trends and product substitutes before introducing three possible scenarios for De Beers to transform its business model and entirely re-orient its operations to maximize positive social and environmental impact. It is the end of 2023, and the fictional case protagonist has shaped the formation of these transformative opportunities and faces a decision about which, if any, to recommend to modify De Beers' historical challenges and chart a brighter path forward.
The Carvajal case is based on interviews with four family members and executives of Carvajal S.A., one of Latin America's leading family businesses. The case focuses on how, over the span of 120 years, the Carvajal family built a holistic family enterprise to govern both its business and its family ownership structure. The system includes the typical governance attributes of a large family enterprise - including a family council, shareholders' assembly and family constitution - and in addition, it puts special emphasis on entrepreneurship and social and economic welfare. Yet, with the family expanding in size and scattering geographically, the Carvajal family must continue to innovate and adapt their family enterprise model. The case explores the particular challenges related to family governance, ownership and CEO succession. It details how Carvajal established NextGen programs and fostered entrepreneurship as a "glue" to bind the family together. It also shows how Carvajal achieved collective impact by aligning the purpose of the business with the purpose of the family foundation, the family council and the wider family enterprise. From a broader perspective, the case illustrates how to manage family governance issues in a multi-generational family enterprise by understanding and applying the mechanisms that are available, and by maintaining a healthy balance between family leadership and independent governance.
Malaria, a deadly disease transmitted by the bites of infected mosquitoes, had been effectively eliminated from the developed world since the end of the World Health Organization's Global Malaria Eradication Campaign in 1969. In Africa, however, the disease remained a scourge through the early 2000s, killing close to a million people each year, most of them children under five. As a result, the international community set an ambitious goal: reduce malaria deaths in Africa to zero by the end of 2015. Rising to the challenge required the mobilization of a vast network of local, regional, national, and global actors in the for-profit, nonprofit, and public spheres. Local community groups in tiny African villages, national malaria control programs in malaria-endemic countries, national and international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, foundations, individual philanthropists, research institutes, and huge multilateral bureaucracies like the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank would be required to work together with focus and vigor to meet the goal. This case describes the history of the global fight against malaria, and the role of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, the Global Fund, the President's Malaria Initiative, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and other actors in collectively shepherding the effort. The Harvard Kennedy School Case Program has published three cases on the Mosquito Network. This case is adapted from "The Mosquito Network: Collaborative Entrepreneurship in the Fight to Eliminate Malaria Deaths (A)," HKS Case No. 2071.0, and "The Mosquito Network: Collaborative Entrepreneurship in the Fight to Eliminate Malaria Deaths (B)," HKS Case No. 2072.0, written by Gaylen Williams Moore.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk was owned by a charitable foundation, and since its founding in the 1920s had focused on producing insulin to treat diabetes. In 2017, however, it released Ozempic, a diabetes treatment with the revolutionary side effect of safe, effective weight loss. As demand in the U.S. reached a fever pitch, Novo faced opportunities and challenges. The case covers the markets in which Novo could expand, the manufacturing shortfalls it faced, the competition that was expected to arise, and the moral issues that came with selling a product that affected so many people worldwide.
In late November 2023, OpenAI's new board of directors took stock of the situation. The company, which sought to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI)-computer systems with capabilities exceeding human abilities-was looking to regain its footing after a chaotic leadership and governance crisis that played out a week earlier. The previous board had stunned observers by firing CEO Sam Altman and removing him from the board for unspecified reasons. Days later, Altman was back as CEO, directors resigned, and a new three-person board formed with Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo, the only continuing director. The new board of directors faced an urgent set of issues-around OpenAI's governance, how to build out the board, AI ethics and safety, and their relationship with a CEO one of them had helped fire. Their quandary was complicated by OpenAI's unique mission to create AGI to benefit all of humanity and by its unusual structure as a non-profit controlling a for-profit entity. The AI it sought to develop had the potential to be world-changing-for better, or for worse-and the world was watching closely as the board sought a path forward.
This case covers strategic financial planning at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia (BGCCVA), a nonprofit youth-serving organization with an annual expense budget of $6.7 million. In preparation for the next fiscal year, the CEO and CFO were compiling data and talking points for the May 2023 board meeting. BGCCVA was a high-performing, complex nonprofit with multiple locations serving more than 1,000 kids annually, and was often recognized as a standout by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The case explores two strategic challenges with financial implications: a new building and a staff development initiative, in addition to a recent leadership change. This case is inherently about managing competing strategic priorities, and gives instructors the option to explore everything from leadership transitions to annual budgeting. An obvious way to focus the discussion is through financial storytelling: first, understanding what the numbers mean, then second, evaluating the best way to communicate. There are opportunities to compare for-profit and nonprofit organizations as well. The teaching note includes an optional individual or team class exercise. This case is appropriate for full-time MBA, part-time MBA, and Executive MBA students, and can be taught in person or virtually.
In late November 2023, OpenAI's new board of directors took stock of the situation. The company, which sought to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI)-computer systems with capabilities exceeding human abilities-was looking to regain its footing after a chaotic leadership and governance crisis that played out a week earlier. The previous board had stunned observers by firing CEO Sam Altman and removing him from the board for unspecified reasons. Days later, Altman was back as CEO, directors resigned, and a new three-person board formed with Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo, the only continuing director. The new directors faced an urgent set of issues-around OpenAI's governance, how to build out the board, AI ethics and safety, and their relationship with a CEO one of them had helped fire. Their quandary was complicated by OpenAI's unique mission to create AGI to benefit all of humanity and by its unusual structure as a non-profit controlling a for-profit entity. The AI it sought to develop had the potential to be world-changing-for better, or for worse-and the world was watching closely as the board sought a path forward.
This technical note explores the applications of usability testing to enhance the effectiveness of data visualizations in persuasive communication. It argues that beyond following best practices for visual design, usability testing-a common user research approach in website, app, and software development-can significantly improve how well data visualizations meet audience needs and accomplish persuasive goals. The note details various aspects of usability testing, including its objectives and methodologies applicable to charts versus interactive dashboards (e.g., five-second tests, task-based tests, and think-aloud protocols), and emphasizes iterative design based on feedback. By highlighting the importance of both qualitative and quantitative feedback from representative users, the document provides insights into creating more intuitive, efficient, and impactful data visualizations.
This public-sourced case is based on a series of decisions Microsoft and other US-based technology companies made between 2021 and 2022 related to hybrid and return-to-office work policies coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The case focuses on the balance that must be struck between policies that enable employee flexibility in terms of choosing a work modality (based on factors such as productivity, physical health considerations, professional growth, and home care requirements, among others), while not disproportionately harming career prospects for historically marginalized groups who might prefer to work remotely (out of preference or necessity). Discussion could focus on topics such as distribution of care work, professional double standards for women, intersectionality, and other ethical considerations. At the Darden School of Business, this case is taught in first-year and second-year ethics electives. It would also be suitable in a module covering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, companies around the world built and refined models of working in both fully remote and hybrid environments. While many of these policies and programs focused on maintaining operational productivity, few intentionally considered equity in their structures or outlined guidelines to ensure all employees felt they were treated fairly, regardless of chosen work modality or other external factors. While many organizations looked at factors such as pay, promotion rate, and attrition across different demographics as key measurements of equity, the onset of remote work appeared to require an expansion of these variables to include work modality so that companies can more clearly understand how physical presence in the office might impact these measures of advancement in the workplace. This technical note offers an overview of equity and remote work, including benefits of remote work for marginalized groups and challenges presented by remote work, including career-limiting factors. At the Darden School of Business, it is taught in first-year and second-year ethics electives. It would also be suitable in a module covering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This case study presents the dilemma of a vice president of human resources at a health data processing company who must decide how to implement the results of digital productivity monitoring software that tracked employees' work activity via, among other things, keystroke tracking, monitoring websites visited, and checking email content. The data tracked through the software produced an overall employee productivity score meant to assess who was doing what and when and helped identify employees who had generally been inactive and unproductive. This software was controversial within the company. Many employees called it intrusive and dystopian. Other employees were positive about the software's use, claiming that it helped them be more productive and focused, and that it rewarded good workplace behavior. The decision the vice president now faces is how to adjust the salaries of all employees based on the productivity detected by the monitoring system in the face of internal polarization about the software. Should the vice president boost the salaries of those with the greatest productivity and decrease the salaries of those with low output?
The Sackler family and their 100%-owned company, Purdue Pharma, produced OxyContin pills by the millions, amassing a vast family fortune in the process. Those painkillers were responsible for a devastating opioid epidemic in the United States. For a business family, the "Oxy-Sacklers" are distinguished by their greed and lack of moral compass. Their donations to cultural, academic and medical institutions (mainly in the US and the UK) named after the family, sparked controversy about the role of corporate philanthropy worldwide.