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This short, engaging case challenges students to review a series of corporate financial metrics and match them to one of 13 listed industries. As such, students are to use their intuition and common sense pertaining to the distinctive characteristics of, and the key differences between, the 13 industries and then identify the financial metrics that are most indicative of those traits. This case is used at Darden in full-time, EMBA, and Executive Education, and would be appropriate for undergraduate courses in finance and accounting.

In this vignette, students play the role of a newly appointed CEO joining a successful private company with 100 employees. The CEO will plan to hold two meetings with employees. The first meeting will be with the eight key department managers who have been reporting to the previous CEO who has since resigned. The second meeting will be with all 100 of the company's employees. In this vignette, students will choose to role play one of these meetings and prepare for questions that may be asked.

A female GSB graduate assumed the role of CEO of a SaaS company operating at slightly above breakeven. Three weeks into the role, she had built trust with the VP of operations, but she had not been well received by her two other direct reports who were VPs of Technology and Sales and Marketing. In this vignette, these two managers asked to meet the CEO and demanded salary increases, which they claim had been promised to them by the company's previous owners. They also expressed misgivings about the VP of Operations and refused to comply with a request the CEO had made earlier last week. The vignette ends with the CEO getting ready to plan her conversation with the two managers.

In 2021, Gina Lucarelli, leader of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs, prepared for a meeting with UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. The two planned to discuss the future of the Accelerator Labs, a network of social innovation labs located in countries throughout the world. The labs discovered promising solutions to social problems within a specific local community and elevated their learnings to the lab network. The first set of labs launched in 2019 and had high levels of autonomy, essentially operating as startups. While Lucarelli was pleased with the progress of the first cohort of labs, she was uncertain whether Steiner would continue them beyond their initial three-year funding window. Lucarelli envisioned three paths forward for the labs. The labs could wind down and integrate their methodologies into UNDP country offices, secure independent funding and spin out from UNDP, or reintegrate with the central organization and operate within the UN's research and development division. At the conclusion of the case, Lucarelli must decide which would be the best option to advance UNDP's mission of promoting environmental sustainability and global well-being.

The case explores whether alternative investments play a unique role in achieving low carbon dioxide emissions at the portfolio level. This case is set in April of 2020 and follows Kasper Ahrndt Lorenzen, Chief Investment Officer, and Peter Tind Larsen, Head of Alternative Investments, at PFA, the largest commercial pension fund in Denmark. PFA had recently seen increased demand from its corporate clients to offer a product with lower carbon dioxide emissions. The case explores PFA's decision to offer a "Climate Plus" product that would aim to produce strong returns and meet ambitious climate-related goals. In the case, the protagonists meet to discuss the role of alternative assets in the product. Importantly, PFA already has a significant presence in the alternative space and, in particular, in private equity and renewable energy. A large fraction of their alternative portfolio is managed in-house. Among other things, PFA is thinking about adding timberland investments as a new asset class to achieve net zero emissions. Lorenzen and Larsen need to determine if they could leverage their existing team and processes to invest in timberland and whether it is the right time to launch a climate-focused product. This case provides a good platform for discussion on direct investing in the alternative space and the role of alternatives for large institutional investors.

In April 2021, the giant US automaker Ford Motor Company was facing a decision regarding its Indian operations, which were struggling. It had brought in a new global chief executive officer-its fourth in the past decade-who was tasked with making this choice. The company could remain invested in India, either operating on its own or in a joint venture. It could also decide to manufacture for export or choose to exit the Indian market entirely. Ford Motor Company had to decide on an international corporate-level strategy, all while considering the factors influencing the changing Indian market and the rise of new technology. What would be the best path forward for the automaker?

Circulr was a start-up that provided a solution for consumer waste by collecting used packaging, washing it, and selling it back to the original brand and product manufacturer so that the packaging could be reused. Instead of building its own washing facility, Circulr rented spare washing capacity from industrial kitchens. The company's co-founders had ambitious goals for Circulr, but in order to achieve them, there were two essential issues that needed to be resolved. The first issue was that of incentivizing brands, manufacturers, and end-users to reuse their packaging. Disposable packaging remained extremely convenient for consumers, and Circulr needed to develop a collection system that made it easy and rewarding for consumers to place their used packaging in Circulr's collection bins instead of in the garbage can. The second issue was that of operational scale and configuration. If Circulr were to successfully grow demand and supply over time, how would its operational system evolve to achieve the necessary capacity and capabilities? Could the use of third-party washing facilities continue to be sustainable at scale? How would processes and policies evolve to gain competitiveness?

This case presents an ethical quandary faced by Rob Edwards, director of trust and safety of a large New Zealand-based C2C (customer-to-customer) online marketplace. Following a review of its animal welfare policy, Rob is considering regulating the marketplace's trade in pugs, English bulldogs, and French bulldogs, breeds that suffer from a condition called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Via a dialogue between Rob and his team, the case explores several options for resolving the problem. The case highlights the complexity of moderating digital platforms in a way that balances openness with trust and safety.

Clément Boussard is the CEO and founder of Stanley Robotics, a Paris-based startup selling automated valet parking solutions. The case illustrates the typical challenges faced by innovators (here an entrepreneur) selling a technological innovation and dealing with their first customers.

Set in 2005 in Hyderabad, India, the case revolves around the dilemma facing Chinta Sasidhar, a young entrepreneur and Director of Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), who was presented with an unexpected opportunity to develop Krishnapatnam Port, a greenfield seaport on the east coast of India. Sasidhar had to decide whether or not to take on the mammoth infrastructure project with all of its associated challenges, or continue working on the transformation of NECL's traditional business. Sasidhar met with Srinivas Vallabhaneni, a seasoned entrepreneur whom he regarded as an advisor, and told him about his predicament. They discussed Sasidhar's dilemma over a game of golf, the conversation taking several different turns over the course of their game. Through a series of thought- provoking questions, the case lays the framework for a thorough evaluation of the new opportunity- what Sasidhar needs to do in order to decide whether or not to go forward with the port project. This is the crux of the case-evaluating an entrepreneurial opportunity in the infrastructure sector in India.

Do we have to completely change the way we eat to save the planet? If so, can business lead the way? Case protagonist Sandhya Sriram, a Singapore entrepreneur, is attempting to do just that. With a cofounder, she launches a start-up to 'grow' shrimp meat by replicating cells in a lab setting as an alternative to aquaculture settings that pollute the ocean. The case takes students through the challenges and risks of launching a start-up with an ambitious goal - to re-invent food production. In 2021, an opportunity arises to acquire another Singapore start-up - this one working on lab-grown beef. Sriram must decide whether to double down on her investment in cell-cultured meat. Is lab-grown meat a sustainable alternative to aquaculture settings and factory farms? Can the venture be scaled up enough to make a profitable business? Students can be asked to step into the founders' shoes and also to analyze the case from the perspective of a socially responsible investor.

The case describes the process of Intel promoting an intrapreneurship program in China. The intrapreneurship platform called Ideas2Realty (later rebranded as GrowthX) was founded in 2015. After five years' development, GrowthX was improved step by step by introducing established entrepreneurship methodologies (e.g., the Lean Startup framework), partnering with an innovation accelerator, and inviting external startups. By the end of 2020, GrowthX had explored more than 400 business ideas, bringing Intel millions of dollars in incremental revenue. Why do companies like Intel need intrapreneurship? What challenges did Intel China overcome during the process? Going forward, for project leader Kapil Kane, several challenges remained. For example, how to leverage internal teams and external startups? How to achieve better synergies between different innovation programs? How to convince managers and employees that the program is of high long-term value and ask for more resources to develop?

For thirty-five years, Dollar Tree, a discount retail chain selling general merchandise, had held it fixed price point steady, pricing all of its household items, food, stationery, books, seasonal items, gifts, toys, and clothing that made up its diverse and ever-changing assortment at $1.00. While all other dollar store chains had raised prices over the years to keep up with inflation, Dollar Tree had never budged on its price. However, in late 2021 the company announced that Dollar Tree was "breaking the buck" and raising prices on all goods to $1.25. Would the demise of the $1.00 price point bring about the downfall of Dollar Tree or could the retail chain weather its price change without alienating its price sensitive shoppers through smart marketing, pricing, and branding strategies?

In response to the uncontrollable second wave of COVID-19 in the south Indian state of Telangana in April 2021, a few like-minded social activists in the capital city of Hyderabad came together to establish a 100-bed medical care center to treat COVID-19 patients. The project was named Ashray. Dr. Chinnababu Sunkavalli (popularly known as Chinna) was the project manager of Project Ashray. In addition to the inherent inadequacy of hospital beds to accommodate the growing number of COVID- 19 patients till March 2021, the city faced a sudden spike of infections in April that worsened the situation. Consequently, the occupancy in government and private hospitals in Hyderabad increased by 485% and 311%, respectively, from March to April. According to a prediction model, Chinna knew that hospital beds would be exhausted in several parts of the city in the next few days. The Project Ashray team was concerned about the situation. The team met on April 26, 2021, to schedule the project to establish the medical care center within the next 10 days. The case is suitable for teaching students how to approach the scheduling problem of a time- constrained project systematically. It helps as a pedagogical aid in teaching management concepts such as project visualization, estimating project duration, float, and project laddering or activity splitting, and tools such as network diagrams, critical path method, and crashing. The case exposes students to a real-time problem-solving approach under uncertainty and crises and the critical role of NGOs in supporting the governments. Alongside the Project Management and Operations Management courses, other courses like Managerial decision-making in nonprofit organizations, Health care delivery, and healthcare operations could also find support from this case.

Agricola Himalaya was a family-owned Colombian company, the national leader in the tea industry, and the owner of the only tea plantation in the country, located in the middle of a mist forest. In Colombia, owing to the labour costs involved in tea production, importing tea was less expensive than producing it locally, but if Agricola Himalaya decided to import the tea, what would be the environmental and social impact of closing the plant and plantation? Agricola Himalaya attempted to resolve this dilemma by entering the specialty tea market, launching a new product that was sustainable and organic, with a range of innovative blends and a premium price. However, after eight years, its Bitaco specialty tea line had not reached break even, and in March 2021 the chief executive officer faced a new dilemma: whether or not to continue with the specialty tea initiative.

By October 2021, the US social media giant Facebook Inc. had been dominating the social media market globally with the highest number of active users. It owned four of the biggest social media platforms-Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. However, the company's history was marked by controversies ranging from ethical matters to social issues. The various crises it had faced to date included thousands of internal documents leaked by whistle-blower Frances Haugen, public criticism by former director Tim Kandell, and data breaches by Cambridge Analytica. These crises were symbolic of the anguish that various stakeholders were feeling. In the aftermath of these events, Facebook Inc. had to contemplate various key questions. Were the controversies destructive to the company, or were they adding value to its growth? Had the company taken the right actions to address its issues, or could it do more to make amends? How could the company prevent the recurrence of such situations in the future?

On February 16, 2021, Slave Free Chocolate removed Tony's Chocolonely (Tony's), a chocolate company based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from its "Ethical Chocolate Companies" list due to Tony's association with Barry Callebaut, a cocoa processor associated with child slavery in West Africa. Tony's, a B Corp-certified company whose founding mission was to eradicate child slavery from the cocoa supply chain, had to address its public removal from the list immediately to maintain the company's credibility. How should the chief executive officer of Tony's respond to the removal?

On March 26, 2020, Singapore Airlines was reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To raise badly needed capital, it announced that its shareholders would be offered S$5.3 billion worth of rights shares and S$3.5 billion of rights mandatory convertible bonds, both of which would be reflected as equity on its balance sheet. Should shareholders take advantage of this offer or not? To make this decision, investors had to analyze the airline's reasons for choosing this form of equity financing, the impact of this capital-raising exercise, Singapore Airline's valuation, and the role of sovereign wealth funds in equity financing. Investors would have to decide the appropriate response to the rights issuances.

This case study applies data envelopment analysis (DEA), a well-known performance measurement methodology, to assess and compare individual store's efficiency of Saint Honore Cake Shop. Students will learn the major concepts of benchmarking store-level performance and how to proceed with DEA to identify the most efficient retail stores (benchmarks) and less efficient ones. For the less efficient stores, students will also have the opportunity to perform sensitivity analysis to explore different ways to improve their performance.