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Jay Williams, cohead of the Nashville office of the William Morris Endeavor (WME), must decide how to respond to an incident involving Morgan Wallen, one of the talent agency's fastest-rising country music stars. Wallen, a white singer, was caught on home security footage using an ethnic slur with a group of white friends after a night of drinking. The following day, the footage was released to the public, and Wallen was swiftly disavowed by his record company, the two largest country music institutions, and hundreds of country radio stations. Williams faces pressure from executives in WME's Beverly Hills corporate office, because Black A-list clients are lobbying the agency to drop the enormously popular Wallen from the WME client roster. In this A case, Williams considers several complicating factors: (1) Dropping Wallen would hurt WME's bottom line, which was already damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams does not want to be responsible for more layoffs. (2) The social justice movement from the summer of 2020 is still fresh in Williams's mind, and he knows that companies like WME need to take swift action after a racially charged incident or risk public backlash. (3) Wallen's agent is Austin Neal, the son of a WME partner, and forcing Neal to drop Wallen could permanently damage the company's relationship with this rapidly rising agent. (4) WME's parent company is preparing for an IPO, so there is extra pressure for the Nashville office's finances to look good, as well as to avoid controversy. This case set can be applied to a range of relevant topics: ethical decision-making, corporate responsibility, cancel culture, business and political polarization, employee (talent) representation, public relations and scandal management, and leadership.

Jay Williams, cohead of the Nashville office of the William Morris Endeavor (WME), must decide how to respond to an incident involving Morgan Wallen, one of the talent agency's fastest-rising country music stars. Wallen, a white singer, was caught on home security footage using an ethnic slur with a group of white friends after a night of drinking. The following day, the footage was released to the public, and Wallen was swiftly disavowed by his record company, the two largest country music institutions, and hundreds of country radio stations. Williams faces pressure from executives in WME's Beverly Hills corporate office, because Black A-list clients are lobbying the agency to drop the enormously popular Wallen from the WME client roster. In this A case, Williams considers several complicating factors: (1) Dropping Wallen would hurt WME's bottom line, which was already damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams does not want to be responsible for more layoffs. (2) The social justice movement from the summer of 2020 is still fresh in Williams's mind, and he knows that companies like WME need to take swift action after a racially charged incident or risk public backlash. (3) Wallen's agent is Austin Neal, the son of a WME partner, and forcing Neal to drop Wallen could permanently damage the company's relationship with this rapidly rising agent. (4) WME's parent company is preparing for an IPO, so there is extra pressure for the Nashville office's finances to look good, as well as to avoid controversy. This case set can be applied to a range of relevant topics: ethical decision-making, corporate responsibility, cancel culture, business and political polarization, employee (talent) representation, public relations and scandal management, and leadership.

Case on the nascent business model of a mobile health IT startup. In particular, should they pivot away from their successful lead generation business model to charging health plans.

Poul Due Jensen (PDJ), the son of a Danish workhouse manager, had seen first-hand how harsh life can be. He understood early on that he needed to stand on his own two feet. After being orphaned aged 17, he worked as a machine operator, but soon founded his own water technology company, Grundfos Holding A/S, in 1944. He responded to a customer's need for a high-quality water pump by designing and manufacturing something completely new. As the company grew and expanded, its competency as a technological innovator and a quality employer became apparent. These dual passions were mutually reinforcing. A broadly educated and incentivized workforce pushed the boundaries of what was possible in providing water solutions to customers worldwide. The growing realization of the impact Grundfos' product line could have solidified the company's foundational commitment to helping the world's poor. Although the business was successful, PDJ - by now 63 - needed to think about the future. Of PDJ's four children, his son Niels was technically inclined and had worked in different positions in the company. He was ready to assume more of a leadership role. After speaking with colleagues and advisors, PDJ considered whether to change the organizational form of Grundfos from a company to a commercial foundation. A company owned by a foundation has greater focus on its purpose rather than the interests of the founding family. PDJ had seen examples of firms in which the family retained a leadership role in the enterprise, albeit from a distance on the foundation board. And a minority shareholding, along with the accompanying dividends, was often held by the founder's family. The foundation model seemed to hold real promise for Grundfos' future, but with less family engagement, would the corporate culture remain durable and authentic? Would being free of potential business disagreements keep his family intact? And would Grundfos still be a "family business"?

Without much family discussion, PDJ put majority ownership of Grundfos into the Poul Due Jensen Foundation in 1975. His family would receive a 15% stake in the company. This ownership stake was important, since by Danish law, the company could be sold if family ownership fell below 10%. The 8-member foundation board would oversee the company's long-term strategy and apply its Grundfos dividends to philanthropic pursuits - water, research and social inclusion. The Due Jensen family held 4 seats; the remaining board members were chosen for their expertise. Day-to-day operations at Grundfos lay with its corporate board. PDJ died soon after this, and Niels became CEO of Grundfos. He focused on innovation, technical excellence and new product development. In 2012 Danish law changed its governance approach. The foundation board expanded to 12 members to accommodate 4 employee representatives, and the family's voting block fell from one-half to one-third. After 2nd generation Niels retired as CEO in 2003, three non-family CEOs held the role. Niels' son, Poul, was chosen as CEO in 2020. Grundfos had become the world leader in water pump technology, with a large workforce, a presence in 59 countries and significant revenues. Increasingly, the company leveraged the life-saving impact of its products, and its humanitarian efforts were widely recognized. Over time, family members seeking liquidity sold shares to the foundation, bringing the family's ownership stake in Grundfos to under 10% and raising the possibility of a sale. Individual stakes now ranged from 0.15% to 3.96%. The 4th generation of this small family had fewer interactions with Grundfos than previous generations. There were internships, special projects and participation in company events, but no pressure to work there. Grundfos has grown beyond what many may consider a family business and ownership is mainly with the foundation. But its focus on building a healthy and sustainable business is still rooted in its

The case is about Birkenstock, the renowned German shoemaker, and two turning points in its 248-year history: the owner's decision to bring in a professional CEO in 2012, and the sale of a majority stake to a French-American investment firm in 2021. Founded by German cobbler Johann Adam Birkenstock in 1774, the company had always been 100% owned by the same family and managed by a single descendant, a tradition upended in 2002 when Carl Birkenstock, the CEO and owner, handed over his shares and job to his three sons. Ten years later, unable to agree on strategy and with tensions rising in the family, the brothers decided to bring in a professional CEO to put the struggling shoemaker back on its feet. Under the new manager, sales of Birkenstock sandals increased to such an extent that the company attracted the interest of investors. Meanwhile, one of the sons sold his shares to his two brothers, who then instructed the CEO to find a buyer. Offered the opportunity to become billionaires overnight, they sold the company to a private equity firm backed by the world's largest fortune and owner of LVMH, Bernard Arnault.

The case deals with the century-old Canadian peat industry, whose activities take place far from major urban centres. The case is set in the early 1990s, a defining point in the history of peat extraction in Canada, when key decisions were made to ensure the industry's sustainability. On the other side of the Atlantic, the actions of British peat producers were damaging their industry's reputation, and something had to be done to prevent the Canadian industry from suffering the consequences. The case discusses the major challenges faced by companies and industrial sectors whose practices are questioned: achieving social acceptability, preventing and managing controversy, and maintaining legitimacy.

The case deals with the century-old Canadian peat industry, whose activities take place far from major urban centres. The case is set in the early 1990s, a defining point in the history of peat extraction in Canada, when key decisions were made to ensure the industry's sustainability. On the other side of the Atlantic, the actions of British peat producers were damaging their industry's reputation, and something had to be done to prevent the Canadian industry from suffering the consequences. The case discusses the major challenges faced by companies and industrial sectors whose practices are questioned: achieving social acceptability, preventing and managing controversy, and maintaining legitimacy.

Patagonia's change of ownership from a privately held company to a perpetual purpose trust and 501(c)(4) nonprofit in order to use the company's profit to fight the environmental crisis and be a model for future businesses.

Speaking with groups of people is a critical leadership skill. During their careers, leaders need to engage with stakeholders including employees, investors, and members of the general public. This technical note aims to provide the reader with a brief guide for harnessing and channeling the energy they experience when they are about to give a speech. It has two parts. The first section uses scientific research to reinterpret what we experience physically, mentally, and emotionally when we ready ourselves to speak before others. The second section leverages this knowledge by providing tips speakers can employ to perform at their peak.

This case reveals how the situation with Nexus Market and its Ukrainian and Russian subcontractors was resolved. The conclusion to the story of a Silicon Valley start-up executive facing an ultimatum from a team of Ukrainian subcontractors to cut ties with a separate team of Russian subcontractors due to tensions stemming from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A Silicon Valley start-up executive must navigate tensions between its Ukrainian and Russian sub-contractors as war between the two countries rages. After war erupts between Ukraine and Russia, a team of subcontracted Ukrainian software developers threatens to cut ties with a venture-backed Silicon Valley startup if the company does not end its relationship with a team of subcontracted Russian developers. The start-up's VP of Product and Engineering works to smooth tensions and find a solution.

In 2020, Banco W was a pioneer in Colombia's microcredit sector. During the previous five years, Diana Lucía Fernández, Banco W's corporate communications manager, had increased the visibility of sustainability efforts, including those to develop green areas around the bank and to establish social welfare and financial education programs. She had also consolidated internal responsibility for environmental issues and placed greater emphasis on sustainable sourcing. Most importantly, she had worked to incorporate all these activities within the organization's strategy of creating shared value, creating goals and indicators for each sustainability issue. Many challenges remained, however. Banco W had agreed to comply with the Green Protocol it had signed in 2017, which meant both offering a portfolio of green products and integrating the Environmental and Social Risk Analysis (ESRA) in its approval of loans and project financing. Respecting these criteria would mean adopting sustainability as a business strategy, but given the nature of the bank's target clientele, developing green products would not be easy. Moreover, integrating social and environmental criteria in its credit risk analyses could exclude the very people it aimed to serve.

Spreadsheet Supplement for Case UV8660

This case is set in 2022, a year after Mary Barra, chair and CEO of General Motors (GM), set a goal to phase out production of gas-powered (internal combustion engine [ICE]) vehicles and only sell electric vehicles (EVs) by 2035. At the time of the announcement, no other large automaker had set a target date for exclusively producing EVs. GM said it would invest $35 billion over the next five years to build its EV production capabilities and capacity, including the manufacture of batteries. As one management scholar stated, ""There is a huge disruption coming."" The protagonist is a prospective employee who would lead investor relations for GM, and who is interested in learning about the company's objectives, potential pitfalls, and greatest strengths. She will need to evaluate how to communicate the EV transition to stakeholders, and the GM employees are one specific audience. The case introduces opportunities to discuss labor unions, a powerful force in the US automobile industry. A variety of financial tables and graphs in the case exhibits enable instructors to focus on topics they feel are most appropriate for their individual courses.

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, Apple and Google partnered to develop a contact tracing application that would collect information about users infected with the disease and notify those who they had been in contact with. While Apple/Google's app would keep information about infection and contact private, some governments wanted more access. Apple and Google refused to provide this information, sparking a debate over what responsibilities the companies had in the realms of personal privacy and public health. This incident marked a seeming increase in privacy protections among technology companies, with Apple increasing user privacy options with its iOS 14 update and Zoom offering free end-to-end encryption. Did this indicate a permanent shift in the tension between privacy and safety?

Who doesn't feel some anxiety when faced with making a presentation to an audience of practitioners and executives? Presentations are often the most stressful part of a job in business or consulting. Yet anyone can learn to write and present better than they think. As with almost everything in business, there is a process. Based on interviews with practitioners and professors, this note will teach students to engage data, formulate a story, and use key tools to create powerful and compelling presentations. From descriptive statistics to regression to structural equation modeling to machine learning, quantitative analysis requires critical thinking and analytical rigor when it is being synthesized for presentation. Three main elements important to anyone preparing to build a presentation are (1) listening closely to clients, (2) understanding audiences, and (3) storyboarding. Thus an effective process includes asking clients the right questions, understanding how to tell stories, and being open to experimenting and learning to use technical tools efficiently.

In 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published "Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options," which, among other things, detailed the connection between livestock agriculture, particularly beef, and its adverse impact on the environment, including land, soil, and water degradation as well as the reduction of biodiversity. Raising livestock contributed, globally, to 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The report presented a problem for McDonald's, one of the world's largest fast-food restaurant chains, which was one of the largest global purchasers of beef, at 500 million pounds annually. Bob Langert, McDonald's Vice-President of Sustainability, was tasked by the CEO to create a "bold, offensive strategy" in sustainability. Langert knew that for McDonald's to consider its operations truly sustainable, it should begin to look beyond fixing incremental problems within its current system and instead consider transforming the beef system itself. Because of its global reach and international scale, McDonald's was ideally situated to lead the US beef industry to explore more sustainable practices. The company already had a track record of sustainable transformation in waste, packaging, and recycling. However, Langert knew it would not be an easy task, since there would be many environmental organizations as well as the National Beef and Cattlemen's Association that would be scrutinizing McDonald's efforts. Langert and his colleagues would need to navigate the large cast of characters-internal and external, both individuals and organizations-in their efforts to address the issues around livestock agriculture and sustainability.

This fictional case introduces students to interactive presentations through the situation of a US craft beer company that is developing a new beer product. The case discusses an organizational push to incorporate technology to help drive decision-making throughout. It opens with a product manager who is starting to design a new beer flavor and feeling pressure from his boss to embrace the CEO's desire for interactive presentations. Having relied on static presentations previously, the manager searches for guidance to get started. This case is taught at Darden in a first-year MBA elective business communications course, "Storytelling with Data." It could also be used in a module on producing interactive presentations. The material can be taught in tandem with an introductory lesson in Tableau, Power BI, or some other interactive presentation program.