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Amazon's failed bid for a second headquarters location ("HQ2") in Long Island City, New York offers many lessons for negotiators looking to avoid similar high-profile defeats in strategically important deals. The company's project - which promised to bring billions of dollars in net new tax revenue and thousands of jobs to the city - initially enjoyed widespread support on the ground, alongside vocal advocacy from political elites at the state and local level. But after the proposal was announced, a relatively small cohort of passionate opponents organized to pressure a key set of lawmakers into opposing the deal, ultimately leading the company to withdraw its offer. Amazon's HQ2 derailment at the hands of these well-organized activists, and its failure to mobilize its broad base of support in useful ways, mark a striking example of the potential pitfalls dealmakers face when negotiating large-scale projects in the public eye.

At the beginning of 2021, TikTok was facing multiple market threats and had to decide what strategies to implement to manage them. TikTok was the world's largest short-video platform, with users in 155 countries. But along with great success in entering numerous geographic markets, TikTok faced various geopolitical pressures, mainly concerning the company's origins in China. The company had to consider how it could survive emerging geopolitical pressures, manage competitive threats from global technology giants as well as platform envelopment threats, and capitalize on its creative and somewhat addictive platform to expand its reach into new promising markets such as the African continent.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC (Google) purchased Fitbit Inc. (Fitbit) in November 2019 for US$2.1 billion, marking its foray into health care, and by January 2021, the US Department of Justice was conducting a probe into the Google-Fitbit merger amid Fitbit users' skepticism and distrust of the deal with regard to data privacy. Although Google's senior vice-president of devices and services assured users that the intent of the deal was to "spur innovation in wearables" and not to sell personal information or use Fitbit's health and wellness data for Google Ads, Fitbit users remained concerned regarding Google's access to incredible amounts of personal data. While the acquisition would help Google address its hardware failures of the past, gain an edge in software through an instant foothold in the growing smartwatch market, and integrate Fitbit's smartwatches more deeply with Android, the larger goal was more likely maximizing Fitbit's business-to-business (B2B) partnerships with "health insurance companies and direct corporate wellness programming." What strategies should Google use to leverage Fitbit's hardware strengths, B2B partnerships, and technical expertise? What steps should Google take to assuage data privacy concerns to become a serious contender in the smartwatch and health care markets and to realize its goal of revolutionizing digital health care? Did Fitbit stand to benefit from the deal?

The Sagrada Família was one of Barcelona's most popular tourist attractions. Designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudí, the as-yet unfinished basilica was set to be completed in 2026. Initiated in 1882, the basilica was one of the longest-running architectural projects ever undertaken, and its construction had faced both opportunities and challenges over the years, with obstacles such as inadequate funding, a change in leading architects, and no firm deadline in place. The most recent obstacle to the completion of the basilica's construction was the COVID-19 pandemic, which had cast uncertainty over when construction would resume. Despite the focus on the Sagrada Família's completion, there was potential for tension between the artistic process and traditional project management practices. The current construction team had to determine how to proceed with the project to ensure its long-term recognition while also honouring Gaudí's legacy.

In January 2020, Bombay Shaving Company had established an in-house digital team that was able to achieve the best digital marketing key performance indicators in its industry. BSC's marketing strategy focused on conversion rates, influencer marketing, heatmaps, A/B testing, keyword cloud analysis, and emailer marketing. In using these tools, BSC was carving out a differentiated strategy for each step of the customer journey, including customer acquisition and customer retention. However, analysis of online purchase data had indicated that out of every thousand customers who visited the company's website, only 13 ended up making a purchase. BSC had to address its poor conversion rate and determine how to ensure that its conversion rate would meet the industry standard.

In July 2016, Community Sponsorship Organization opened a retail outlet in Kochi, Kerala, India, called Aditya-The Solar Shop, which sold energy-saving and solar-powered products. The shop was opened with the support of the Indian government's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for a limited period of two years. After that time, the shop would have to find its own means for sustainability. The shop helped support the local community by operating as a commercial business. However, Aditya-The Solar Shop was facing several business operation challenges, including reaching an agreement with manufacturers of solar systems on quota allocation, increasing sales at the shop, and determining how to provide after-sales support to customers.

This negotiating exercise is set at the time of the 2020 round of collective bargaining between the National Football League (NFL) owners and representatives from the NFL Players Association. The six parties at the bargaining table (three representatives on each side) have interests-both conflicting and compatible-regarding the preferred ultimate outcomes as well as a strained previous relationship, which serves to complicate the bargaining process.

This case examines the role of beta and volatility in assessing the risk of a portfolio. Students assume the role of a fund manager who is adjusting their portfolio in response to the 2014 reconstitution of the fund's benchmark-the Russell 2000 index. The manager chooses between two stocks recently added to the index (and correspondingly to the manager's investment universe): First Citizens Bancshares, Incorporated, and Innoviva, Inc. Under the assumption that the manager's assessment of the future performance of both stocks is similar, students have to determine which stock will increase the risk of the portfolio more. Students are tasked with calculating the beta and standard deviation for the stocks individually and as part of the manager's portfolio, and then choosing which stock to add to the portfolio. The case also introduces the concepts of benchmarking and the construction and rebalancing of market indices.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic is looming. Gordon Chen, MD, the chief medical officer of ChenMed, a family-owned company committed to delivering primary care to the oldest and most vulnerable patients in the United States, has a number of decisions to make. How can he continue the strong doctor-patient relationship that his company is known for during a pandemic? How can he keep his staff employed while adhering to the precautions set in place for the pandemic? Finally, should ChenMed pause its plans for expansion until the pandemic passes? ChenMed turned the traditional model of primary health care on its head, opting for a value-based model rather than a traditional fee-for-service one. ChenMed's new model has had exemplary results, and the company plans to expand. But the pandemic poses unique challenges for ChenMed and the vulnerable population it serves. The case provides students with a deep look into many of the challenges of providing health care to older Americans. Students have the opportunity to learn how the United States pays for health care for older Americans, discuss the pros and cons of different models of health care, and finally, consider the very real-world implications of a pandemic for health care companies and their stakeholders.

Access to clean water is so critical for development and survival that the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal number 6 (SDG-6) was to ensure availability and sustained management of water and sanitation. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2006 estimated that 97 million Indians lacked clean and safe water. Fluoride and total dissolvable solids (TDS) in drinking water were dangerously high at many parts of rural India, with adverse impacts. On the other hand, buying clean drinking water from commercial vendors at market rates was not a realistic alternative, a costly recurring expense that much of India's rural population could not afford. The case tracks the efforts of Huggahalli, head of the technology group of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations (SSSO), to devise a sustainable solution to the drinking water problem in rural India that is low on cost, high on impact. They eventually develop a model that satisfies all these criteria and becomes the basis for a project called Premamrutha Dhaara. Funded by Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, the project aims to install water purification plants in more than 100 villages spanning six states in India, with the ultimate goal of turning over plant operations to the beneficiary villages and setting up a welfare fund in each village from the revenue generated. Social service projects, particularly in developing countries, have their unique challenges. The case highlights the importance of performing feasibility analysis as part of the project planning in social projects. The case also describes how the financial and operational dimensions of sustainability could lead to a self-sustainable system. The social innovation framework used to deploy the water purification project to achieve broader rural welfare has wider implications for project management, social innovation and change, sustainable operations management, strategic non-profit management, and public policy.

The case goes on to describe the enormous challenges involved in building the 4.94 km long Bogibeel Bridge in the North Eastern Region (NER) of India. When it was finally commissioned in 2018, it was hailed as a marvel of engineering. With two rail lines and a two-lane road over it, the bridge spanned the mighty Brahmaputra river. The Bogibeel Bridge was India's longest and Asia's second-longest road and rail bridge with fully-welded bridge technology that met European codes and welding standards. The interstate connectivity provided by the bridge enabled important socio-economic developments in the NER that included improved logistics and transportation, the growth of medical and educational facilities, higher employment, and the rise of international trade and tourism. While the outcomes of the project were significant, the efforts that went into constructing the Bogibeel Bridge were equally so. This case study is designed to teach the importance of effective risk planning in project management. Further, the case introduces students to earned value analysis and project oversight in managing large projects. The case centers on Indian Railways' need to quickly discover why the Bogibeel project was not going according to plan. The case also serves as a resource to teach public operations management where the focus is on projects and operations that result in socio-economic outcomes.

The case describes the digitalization of L&T Construction, the largest business of L&T, from conception to implementation. The CEO and MD of L&T believed that the organization-wide implementation of digital at L&T Construction would have a significant impact on the business. As a project organization with a limited number of high-value customers and relatively few customer touch points, the primary goal of digitalization in its case would be to improve operational effectiveness. It created a separate digital department and identified digital officers and champions across projects and sites for effective implementation. The transformation was championed from the top and the digital team initiated a variety of initiatives to facilitate digital at L&T. Within two years, they had developed and deployed a large number of solutions across hundreds of project sites, completely transforming the way work was performed. Buoyed by the success of the digitalization effort at L&T Construction, it was decided to extend it to other group companies.

Set in April 2021, this case tells the story of Mauro Botta, a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In 2016, Botta filed a whistleblower claim with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging that PwC had failed to fulfill its obligations to remain independent on several audits dating back to 2012. In 2017, PwC fired Botta. While PwC claimed that the decision had nothing to do with the SEC complaint, Botta believed that the move was retaliatory. In March 2018, he sued PwC for wrongful termination.

Oscar Ramirez, an employee at the Whole Nine Yards Construction & Landscaping Company, has been assigned to manage the remodel of Mayor Lawrence's family estate, which locals call ""Lawrence Lair."" One member of his team is his nephew, Martin Fuentes, who is in need of both summer work and a mentor. Francesca Hugo, the head architect for the project, is addressing two major redesigns to her original blueprint that the Lawrence family has requested: the roof of the house now needs to include both a turret and a garden-a living roof. Hugo runs into Fuentes as she's considering how to handle these redesigns and asks him to shadow her as she works. Hugo explains to Fuentes the role of measurement in mathematics and the different attributes of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) figures. When Ramirez joins them in figuring out the additional costs of the turret and the living roof, Fuentes also tries to calculate everything so he can help his uncle and the architect solve the problems they are facing. This case is designed to be taught in a math literacy course for non-MBA audiences. Although it can be used alone, it was created as the third in a module of five cases total. It builds on the learnings in "It's All in the Signs" (UVA-G-0653) and is followed by ""What Are the Odds?"" (UVA-G-0655).

Oscar Ramirez, an employee at the Whole Nine Yards Construction & Landscaping Company, has been assigned to manage the remodel of Mayor Lawrence's family estate, which locals call ""Lawrence Lair."" One member of his team is his nephew, Martin Fuentes, who is in need of both summer work and a mentor. In this case, Fuentes is running late to work because he stayed up late the night before trying to compute several descriptive statistics using the temperature data he's collected from his uncle's ion machine. He tries to figure out the quickest route to work given the traffic light cycles. Once Fuentes makes it to work, he's introduced to Mayor Lawrence, who asks him to calculate several probabilities about his upcoming debate and his likelihood of winning the next election. This case is designed to be taught in a math literacy course for non-MBA audiences. Although it can be used alone, it was created as the fourth in a module of five cases total. It builds on the learnings in "The Living Roof" (UVA-G-0654) and is followed by ""How to Become a Minus"" (UVA-G-0655).

Oscar Ramirez, an employee at the Whole Nine Yards Construction & Landscaping Company, has been assigned to manage the remodel of Mayor Lawrence's family estate, which locals call ""Lawrence Lair."" One member of his team is his nephew, Martin Fuentes, who is in need of both summer work and a mentor. When Fuentes arrives at Lawrence Lair for one of his final days of work, Poppy Lawrence, the mayor's wife, asks him to accompany her on her errands. As the two make their way to different department stores, Fuentes tries to convert numbers he notices into algebraic expressions and equations. At the end of the day, Fuentes receives a text from Ramirez telling him to hurry back to Lawrence Lair, and Fuentes needs to figure out how quickly he has to drive in order to make it back in time. This case is designed to be taught in a math literacy course for non-MBA audiences. Although it can be used alone, it was created as the fifth in a module of five cases total. It builds on the learnings in "What Are the Odds?" (UVA-G-0655).

Oscar Ramirez, an employee at the Whole Nine Yards Construction & Landscaping Company, has just been awarded his first major contract. Ramirez has been assigned to manage the remodel of Mayor Lawrence's family estate, which includes the design and remodeling of the family home as well as the landscaping of the surrounding land. As project manager, Ramirez is in charge of hiring and managing a team of contractors; one member of his team is his nephew, Martin Fuentes, who is in need of both summer work and a mentor. Ramirez spends his first day with Fuentes exposing him to the beauty of mathematics. Fuentes, who once saw mathematics as nothing but rote memorization and a series of nonsensical procedures, begins to see mathematics as a language that can be used to describe relationships that exist in the world around us. As Fuentes develops an appreciation and excitement for mathematics that mirrors Ramirez's love of the subject, Ramirez decides to share with his nephew a new machine that he has been designing and engineering. This case is designed to be taught in a math literacy course for non-MBA audiences. Although it can be used alone, it was created as the first in a module of five cases total. Each subsequent case builds on the material in this one. For the next case in the series, please see Safiya Sinclair, Kimberly Corum, and Gregory B. Fairchild, "It's All in the Signs" (UVA-G-0653).

Oscar Ramirez, an employee at the Whole Nine Yards Construction & Landscaping Company, has been assigned to manage the remodel of Mayor Lawrence's family estate, which locals call ""Lawrence Lair."" One member of his team is his nephew, Martin Fuentes, who is in need of both summer work and a mentor. After showing Fuentes the machine he's been engineering, Ramirez explains positive and negative (signed) numbers to his nephew. Then Fuentes accompanies Ramirez to his first meeting with all the contractors for the Lawrence Lair project, where Ramirez learns that there are two potential setbacks. Fuentes takes the opportunity to try to help his uncle by crunching the numbers to find solutions. This case is designed to be taught in a math literacy course for non-MBA audiences. Although it can be used alone, it was created as the second in a module of five cases total. It builds on the learnings in "A Universal Language" (UVA-G-0652) and is followed by ""The Living Roof"" (UVA-G-0654).

This case is inspired by the career experiences of Craig Smith, Group President and Managing Director, International Division, Marriott International. In this role, Craig oversees the international operations of one of the world's leading and largest hospitality companies. He is responsible for Marriott's operations outside of North America. Craig started his career at Marriott and has been with the organization for over three decades. He started his career in housekeeping and then progressively assumed roles with greater responsibility including senior roles across Asia and Latin America. The case is based on a series of interviews conducted with Craig. The interviews identified a series of experiences that shaped Craig's leadership journey, including leading a team during the midst of a catastrophic crisis. The case is organized around these pivotal experiences and through these stories students gain an insightful and personal perspective on aspects of leadership, specifically authentic leadership and servant leadership. Additionally, the case can also be used to explore the importance of inculcating a strategic perspective in planning and developing one's career. Craig's richness of experience contributes to a case that is suitable and interesting for a wide range of participants, including undergraduate, MBA, and executive level students.