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Jatinder Gill, an Indian immigrant, opened the vegetarian restaurant Veg World India in Barcelona. He gained rich culinary experience in Europe for 15 years before opening the restaurant in 2007. His personal beliefs and choices played an important role in the business. His business grew handsomely. In 2023, his partner in the restaurant decided to part ways. Gill needed a significant amount of money to buy back his partner’s share. This was possible only if the restaurant generated more revenue, and it could do so by serving alcohol to customers. At that time, Gill hadn’t served alcohol because of his religious beliefs. He faced an arduous dilemma that tested the strength of his beliefs against the need to increase revenue.

This case examined Guanabana Handmade (owned by SUGAR CANE Sociedad Limitada) (Guanabana), a Spanish company specializing in handmade-fashion and home-decoration accessories manufactured in Colombia. Guanabana had built a strong reputation by overcoming operational challenges typical in the handicraft sector. Now, the company faced a strategic decision: should it expand its wholesaling model to incorporate new products and markets or should it transition into the retail market to capitalize on growth opportunities? Students would analyze Guanabana’s business model, competitive environment, and potential growth strategies, evaluating the trade-offs of possible growth strategies and considering issues such as market demand and organizational capabilities.

In May 2024, Vernon Burke, owner and chief operating officer of Burke Family Farms, was deciding which of three options would be best for his cash crop operations when his existing combine harvester lease came to an end in two months. He could buy out his lease, buy a used combine, or outsource the work and pay another farmer to harvest his crops.

Monosha Biotech (MB), a social start-up in Baruipur, West Bengal, India, was founded in 2017 to tackle a significant public health issue: snakebites. India had the highest number of snakebite fatalities globally, and the efficacy of anti-snake venom (ASVs) varied significantly depending on the snake’s location. As the prominent snake-venom manufacturer was headquartered in southern India, the existing ASVs had been customized to provide optimal effectiveness in the southern part of the country, and this left individuals in other regions across the country exposed and in danger when they suffered snake bites, consequently adding to the high fatality rate. MB started commercial snake-venom production in 2021, after getting all the necessary clearance and approval from the authorities. Despite the company’s commercial success, in 2023, the company’s founders had concerns about the future of their market expansion, particularly regarding the company’s scalability and potential for continued growth. Their task was difficult, as they had to confront two significant challenges. First, how could they create an authentic brand with the company’s vision, mission, and value proposition as a social enterprise in mind? Second, what alternative for expansion in the anti-snake-venom market would be suitable to ensure further growth?

The summer of 2014 posed challenges for the food start-up, EazyMeals, which operated in the low-cost daily meals segment (lunch and dinner only), catering to the densely populated region of Indirapuram, in the Delhi National Capital Region. EazyMeals catered to the young millennial population of the area, who were looking for low-cost, fresh food that was served in a hygienic way. It also catered to local small businesses, who mostly ordered lunch, and senior citizens residing there, who mostly ordered lunch and dinner. The company’s founder was facing multiple challenges. First, he faced the problem of unit economics: his operating margins per order were barely sufficient to meet his operational fixed costs. Second, even though order volumes had surged, which could have cushioned the overall margins, the demand for quicker deliveries meant faster turnaround times in the kitchen, and this in turn meant investing more on staff and fixed costs to meet customer expectations. Third, he needed a way to bypass the food-ordering platforms (FoPs) that were providing a large chunk of his orders. They operated on a commission basis, which was further eating into his operating margins.

In 2017, Yosha Gupta established MeMeraki Retail and Tech Private Limited (MeMeraki) with the ambitious goal of digitizing the 3,000-plus art forms produced in India. She intended to create online and off-line experiences and products for consumers and create sustainable livelihoods for traditional artisans using technology as a differentiator. However, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the business presented Gupta with pressing dilemmas. One such challenge was how to articulate the ethical and fair pricing of art products to customers, particularly when similar art forms were available to customers on other websites at a variety of price ranges. Another critical concern was dissuading artists from disintermediating MeMeraki by bypassing the company and selling directly to the customers they had become acquainted with through the company. The challenge also extended to how to communicate the Indian ethos and culture to a global audience.

Founded in 2012, Quadria Capital Investment Management Private Limited (Quadria Capital) was committed to its mission of using its expertise to do well by doing good through bringing affordable quality health care to Asia. In July 2013, it found such an investment opportunity in the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) Hospital in India. AIG was one of the largest gastric sciences hospitals in India that specialized in gastroenterology. It performed more endoscopic procedures per day than any other hospital in the world. It had earned a global reputation for clinical excellence, being among only twenty centres globally to be conferred World Organization of Digestive Endoscopy (recognition. This clinical excellence in the gastric science specialty and reputation put AIG in a strong leadership position and drove demand for its services. It was also renowned for its research and education in gastric sciences. As exciting as the opportunity was, the two founders of Quadria Capital knew this investment would use up a sizable portion of their funds, and they had to carefully consider the risks and what needed to be done to decide whether AIG was the right investment opportunity for Quadria Capital.

Rhonda Klosler, chief operating officer at RSM Canada (RSM) is chairing a meeting to discuss post-COVID-19 pandemic work design. RSM has recognized that remote work offers employees greater flexibility and work satisfaction, while giving RSM the opportunity to recruit from remote locations. RSM would like to continue remote work. Focusing specifically on Generation Z, Klosler is seeking recommendations on the ideal work design. Specifically, how should remote and in-person work be balanced? How can RSM continue to build and maintain its company culture with employees who work remotely? What will a new approach to work mean for the other employee generational cohorts?

This case encapsulates the challenges faced by Jegan Damodaraswamy in extending the core competency of quality and customer service for the renowned Hotel Annapoorna, in Coimbatore, India. In addition, he had to figure out how to overcome the hurdles after his grandfather’s death and retain the organization’s legacy. Damodaraswamy was a third-generation entrepreneur who took over the business as chief executive officer in 2023. Since taking over, he has introduced many changes and instilled business ethics in the organization. The organization bloomed under his leadership. However, COVID-19 caused a slump in the organization. They were unable to employ a full staff, and sales plunged drastically. How would Annapoorna rebuild its brand and reposition itself? Would Damodaraswamy re-envision his grandfather’s aspirations and strengthen the brand value? Should he drive toward transforming the organization and redefining its vision? The case illustrates change management in an organization and the trade-off between expanding a sustainably profitable core competency and growth to its other verticals.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most foreign backpackers could no longer travel to Hong Kong, a trend that continued well into 2021 and adversely affected the operations of a local hostel in the Sham Shui Po neighbourhood. The own and founder of Wontonmeen, Patricia Choi, was exploring the feasibility of repositioning to attract new customers. To explore the repositioning decision, an online survey was conducted along with consumer interviews to better understand a new market opportunity. The data provided useful information about the feasibility of repositioning the hostel to attract local Hong Kong based consumers. Using the data, Choi had to explore the risks and benefits and make a decision on how to position her beloved hostel.

Bosch Automotive Product (Changsha) Ltd Co, is a leading automotive parts manufacturer, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bosch, a multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany. Since 2020, Bosch Changsha had accelerated its digital transformation through building an organizational culture that embraces digital innovation. By designing and implementing a portfolio of digital initiatives and programs, Bosch Changsha managed to establish a culture that embraces digital transformation and inspires employees to contribute to organizational change. Meanwhile, despite the significant success, the company also faced the question of how to continue leveraging culture to drive future digital transformation.

BYD Auto Co. Ltd. (BYD Auto) became the world’s biggest electric-vehicle (EV) maker in 2023. Before its inception in 2003, BYD Auto’s parent firm, BYD Co. Ltd. (BYD), was a Shenzhen, China–based battery manufacturer. Under the visionary leadership of the company’s chair and president, a trained chemist with an eye toward sustainable transportation, BYD diversified into the automotive industry and transformed into an EV leader. Based on site visits and interviews, this case examined the design and branding aspect of the transformation. Combining technology with deep-seated local culture, BYD Auto strategically designed a series of models that incrementally established its leadership domestically. What should be the company chair’s strategic move in 2024 to innovate on BYD Auto’s EVs?

Jim Collins, executive director of Harvest Hands, was very active in the day-to-day operations of Harvest Hands, but he also bore the responsibility for planning for the future of the registered charity. Jim together with his wife, Jacintha Collins, founded Harvest Hands in 2020 in St. Thomas, Ontario. In less than three years, their charity had distributed over $7.6 million in rescued food to food banks, missions, and over 120 local agencies. An impressive accomplishment for a volunteer-run charity. Their policy of “We never say no” was quickly pushing the capacity limits of the organization and Jim needed to consider the options for expanding Harvest Hands to keep up with both growing demand and supply.

The Himalayan Chocolate is a start-up brainchild of Rohan Keshewar. Stuck in Manali during the Lockdown, Rohan stayed with a family in their homestay facility. While interacting with the host family, Rohan discovered that the locals had two primary sources of income: working at a nearby farm and tourism. Apart from that, they did not have any other source of livelihood. Owing to his skills in making chocolate, he made his first batch of chocolate for the host family using local food ingredients. It began the journey of The Himalayan Chocolate with a bit of start-up investment, raw chocolate, and unique local flavors. Rohan named the brand The Himalayan Chocolate to suggest a chocolate made by the Himalayan people using local ingredients.

Hefu Catering Management Co. Ltd. (Hefu) was founded in 2012 as a high-end Chinese noodle chain brand. Its mission was to promote Chinese culture through Chinese fast food on a global scale. In 2018, Hefu experienced significant demand growth. To ensure a steady supply of safe, fresh, and organic foods, Hefu established a centralized kitchen in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, serving 300 restaurants in nearby cities. As Hefu expanded into North and Central China, it faced challenges in delivering fresh food from the centralized kitchen to meet the demands of all its restaurants.

Motorcycle Offsetters, an aspiring startup, provided motorcycle enthusiasts with a platform to offset carbon emissions from their touring activities, contributing to the fight against climate change. Despite rapid growth, the venture faced financial instability. The founder, Andreas Gneist, aimed to devise a marketing and communication strategy to engage decision-makers in organizations offering offsetting services to a substantial motorcycle enthusiast base. Overcoming skepticism among environmental activists and countering the stigma associated with climate change efforts among deniers were pivotal challenges. Addressing these hurdles was crucial for the venture's success and financial sustainability.

In March 2023, the founders of the Strategic Human Resource Leadership Journey were reviewing the program’s great success across India since its launch in 2004. The initiative was intended to develop and prepare India’s HR leaders for the future. With a strategic business focus, it instilled enduring personal and professional transformations in the program’s participants. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 induced unprecedented changes for the program and across the world. The result was a shift toward a mix of physical and digital offerings, referred to as a “phygital” context. The program’s architects recognized that there was a compelling need to modify the design of the initiative. In 2021–22, they offered a three-phase hybrid model that aimed to capture the best of both the physical and digital formats. However, participants lamented the lack of emotional connection and opportunities to develop deep relationships. How could the program leverage the new technology of the “phygital” world but sustain the emotional quality of the in-person residential format?

The case outlines the key strategic challenges that the protagonist, the founder of a high-potential fintech start-up, is grappling with in his push for growth, which has started to plateau. It considers this strategic challenge in light of the tumultuous entrepreneurial journey and the various uncertainties entrepreneurs often have to navigate to ensure business continuity and the growth of the companies they launch.

A pub general manager (GM) at Stonegate Group (Stonegate), the largest pub company in the United Kingdom, was navigating severe personal and professional challenges related to mental health. Despite her career successes, she faced intense stress during a leadership program, leading to panic attacks and a subsequent breakdown. Her transition to a new role exacerbated her struggles, highlighting the pressures and mental health issues prevalent in the hospitality industry. With support from Stonegate’s human resources (HR) and a new line manager, the GM was able to successfully rebuild her career, demonstrating resilience and the importance of organizational support in employee well-being.

Akanksha Tiwari served as the chief executive officer of the Varanasi Cantonment Board and faced the challenge of preparing for the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) meetings in Varanasi, India. Recognizing the need to enhance the cantonment’s appeal, Tiwari and her team had initiated several cleanliness and beautification efforts through the Swachh Chhawani, Swasth Chhawani program, which aligned with the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission. These initiatives aimed to improve public health and overall living conditions for residents.<br><br>While the efforts had successfully transformed the cantonment, concerns arose regarding the long-term sustainability of these changes, particularly in engaging both military and civilian populations in maintaining cleanliness. Tiwari explored various options to ensure ongoing upkeep, including community engagement plans, incentive programs, and potential collaborations with military administration. As the G20 meetings approached, the urgency to secure lasting improvements intensified, prompting Tiwari to consider the most effective strategies for sustaining the cantonment’s transformation.