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In November 2017, Students for Fair Admissions Inc. filed a complaint alleging that Harvard College violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in institutions that received federal funding. The complaint alleged that Harvard College engaged in intentional discrimination against Asian American applicants in its admissions process. Harvard College acknowledged its use of race in the admissions process but maintained that it was only one of many factors the school considered. It also claimed that using race as a "plus factor" was supported by the law. Both sides used a large set of data to plead their cases and both hired econometrics experts to argue their positions, who reached opposite conclusions. The trial judge needed to assess the two experts' findings and reach a decision about the story the data was telling.

In 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford), a global automaker, embarked on a transformative journey toward electrification with the introduction of the Ford Electric Vehicle Strategy. This case examines Ford's approach to meeting the electrification challenge, particularly in response to California's Executive Order N-79-20, which mandated the phase-out of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. The case provides insights into Ford's activities and highlights the challenges and opportunities inherent in the electrification space.

Sri Sabari Engimech Private Limited (SSEPL), a firm founded in 2001, provided contract-based staff for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of plant and machinery (P&M), mainly in the petrochemical sector. The founder reaped profits from the first month onward. In 2008, his son took over SSEPL as director of operations and expanded the company's services and clientele to increase profits. In 2019, the company encountered loss for the first time because of, among other reasons, malpractice by its former CEO, the ex-CEO starting his own O&M outfit and taking with him some of SSEPL's employees, the entry of new players into the market, and the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic. However, SSEPL managed to bounce back with low profit margins the following year, leading the director of operations to contemplate the way forward for the company.

The case is set in April 2023, five years since Leow Ban Tat, CEO of Aquaculture Centre of Excellence Pte Ltd (ACE), founded the Singapore-based seafood start-up with the objective to rear healthy fish sustainably and help Singapore improve its food security and self-sufficiency. ACE's fish farm 'Eco-Ark' was an innovative floating closed container system. It was based on Leow's patented technologies - a combination of offshore, marine, and recirculating aquaculture technologies - which helped keep its fish safe from pollutants, pathogens and variations in oxygen and temperature in the sea water, besides minimising the fish farm's carbon footprint. With a hatchery and a processing facility added on board within a year of Eco-Ark starting its operations, ACE offered a fully traceable and integrated value chain from locally sourced eggs to ready-to-use products and one of the shortest fish food production miles in aquaculture. Going forward, Leow planned to undertake egg production as well, to have full control over ACE's supply chain. He also planned to increase ACE's footprint by launching more Eco-Arks in Singapore and internationally, and licensing Eco-Ark's innovative and unique technology to other farms. However, despite healthier and sustainable offerings, the market demand for ACE's products had remained lower than hoped for, largely because of its price premium over cheaper fish imports. Although supported by the Singapore government in its endeavours, the company struggled to cover its expenses and keep afloat. Fully committed to the sustainability vision, Leow believed that his breakthrough design and process would be transformational in the future. However, he wondered how long the company would be able to sustain its operations given the sluggish sales and aggressive competition. What could be done?

It was March 2024, and Uiwang Inland Container Depot (ICD) in South Korea was bustling with activity as cargo trains arrived at the depot, unloading containers filled with goods from around the country. Trucks were lined up at the depot, waiting to transport the containers to their final destinations, while workers hurriedly unloaded and stacked containers, ensuring efficient movement of goods through the bustling ICD. Sarah Kim was a seasoned logistics expert with a passion for optimising container logistics operations. Having worked in the logistics industry for over a decade, Sarah had a deep understanding of the complexities involved in managing an ICD in January 2024, she had started working at Terminal 2 of Uiwang ICD, in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Her expertise laid in designing innovative data analytics solutions to enhance operational efficiency and resource utilisation in logistics hubs. But could she use existing information and data to build efficient solutions at the Uiwang ICD?It was March 2024, and Uiwang Inland Container Depot (ICD) in South Korea was bustling with activity as cargo trains arrived at the depot, unloading containers filled with goods from around the country. Trucks were lined up at the depot, waiting to transport the containers to their final destinations, while workers hurriedly unloaded and stacked containers, ensuring efficient movement of goods through the bustling ICD. Sarah Kim was a seasoned logistics expert with a passion for optimising container logistics operations. Having worked in the logistics industry for over a decade, Sarah had a deep understanding of the complexities involved in managing an ICD in January 2024, she had started working at Terminal 2 of Uiwang ICD, in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Her expertise laid in designing innovative data analytics solutions to enhance operational efficiency and resource utilisation in logistics hubs. But could she use existing information and data to build efficient solutions at the Uiwang ICD?

Caesars Entertainment was a large casino operator in the United States that had been purchased in a 2008 leveraged buyout by Apollo and TPG. In January 2015, Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC), its largest subsidiary, filed for Chapter 11. This set up a battle between the company and a set of large, distressed investors. At issue was not only how to restructure the business and reduce Caesars' debt, but also multiple lawsuits alleging that the company had damaged creditors in their quest to preserve equity value. Of particular focus were a series of transactions that took place during 2013 and 2014 to sell assets from one subsidiary to another and to eliminate a valuable parent guarantee that had been granted to CEOC creditors. This case provides a good example of a variety of "defensive maneuvers" employed by companies and their private equity sponsors to protect a troubled investment.

When they are posed with two intriguing offers on the fund-raising television show Shark Tank India, the co-founders of Menstrupedia Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Menstrupedia), Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Paul, are faced with a tough decision. Should they forgo the social brand they have built over several years to pursue the seemingly smart business decision of becoming a sanitary napkin producer, or should they scale up their comic business despite so many competitors in the menstrual awareness landscape, or should they do both? Menstrupedia Comic is an educational comic book about menstruation for adolescents created by Gupta and Paul in 2009. Its aim is to shatter deep-rooted, widespread menstruation myths. Although Menstrupedia has started out as a comic book producer, the company's social impact has been enormous, with Gupta having been recognized for her social outreach efforts by organizations such as Forbes Media limited liability company and British Broadcasting Corporation. By 2022, the co-founders seek to grow their impact, and the need to scale up Menstrupedia propels them to appear on Shark Tank India. Two "Sharks" (members of a panel of potential investors) each offer them a different avenue for growth. The first Shark is in agreement with the co-founders' vision of social change and growth, while the other suggests that they diversify their business by manufacturing and selling sanitary napkins, an immensely profitable endeavour, while using their comics as a complementary product.

Nathan Seidle, the chief executive officer (CEO) of SparkFun Electronics (SparkFun), was contemplating stepping down from his role. Based in Colorado, SparkFun was founded in Boulder in 2003 and had grown to generate an annual revenue of US$32 million with 146 employees. SparkFun's commitment to open-source principles had shaped its business model, facilitating a mutually beneficial and collaborative relationship between the company and its users, with community contributions driving rapid innovation and product development. As Seidle stepped down from his CEO role, would SparkFun remain open source?

The "Carbon Credit Negotiation" explores the negotiation between Eclipse Climate, a European carbon trading firm, and Alpha Air, a Denver-based airline. It focuses on Eclipse Climate's efforts to sell carbon credits to Alpha Air as part of their strategy to achieve net-zero emissions. As businesses work to reduce their carbon footprint, there are other emerging strategies to offset emissions using carbon credits. It is becoming increasingly strategic for large companies to purchase carbon credits through a carbon broker that manages complex carbon projects and organizes them into investment portfolios as carbon credits in one-ton increments. These portfolios can be organized by the amount and complexity of technology used for carbon capture; typically either Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) or Technology-Based Solutions (TBS). The negotiation looks at the complexities of carbon markets and the strategies used in carbon credit trading, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in achieving environmental sustainability goals in corporate settings.

In February 2024, Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner announced that the company planned to test dynamic pricing at select US locations sometime in 2025. However, the company's announcement generated a significant negative public reaction, to such an extent that Wendy's felt compelled to offer US$1 burgers as part of a special "March Madness" promotion. As the company looked toward 2025, how should Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner plan to implement dynamic pricing in its stores?

The case focuses on the required financing for a new building for Wabanaki Maple, founded by Jolene Johnson and located in Tobique, New Brunswick, Canada. Johnson had to prepare financial information in advance of a meeting with an economic development officer from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) from which she was seeking a loan. ACOA had unique lending programs with more favourable terms (e.g., interest-free, non-repayable loans) for Indigenous businesses. To prepare for the meeting, Johnson had to evaluate the impact of Wabanaki Maple's production capacity, as it could limit sales growth potential in the near future; assess changes in customer type (e.g., boutique store, big-box retailers) including the impact of cultural priorities and awareness; determine improvements in inventory management; and assess the firm's ability to pay for financing while generating profits.

Sanjil Shah, Managing Partner of Alignvest Student Housing REIT (ASH), faces the most significant decision thus far in his career: is it the right time to sell the company? Together with his partner Reza Satchu, Shah had developed ASH into the largest student housing platform in Canada in only a few years since its launch. Key to their success was the partners' decision to forego a traditional private equity structure and instead supplement initial investments of their own personal capital with that of high-net-worth individuals and retail investors. Their strategic intuition paid off, helping them emerge strong from the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually, in 2023, receive a buyout offer worth $1.05 billion. The timing was perhaps fortuitous: an increasing housing shortage, a sudden surge in interest rates over market capitalization rates, and brewing restrictions on international students all threatened to curtail further expansion. Factoring in additional pressure from investors, Shah wondered whether it was the right time to exit. And yet, their hypothesis had held strong so far. What if there was still room to grow? What if selling now meant pulling out too early? To sell, or not to sell? That is the question.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was backed by the government in India as an innovative solution to onboard numerous small-scale retailers and other businesses to participate in the digital commerce ecosystem comprised primarily of e-commerce platforms, on-demand food delivery, and ride-sharing platforms, through standard technology and processes, policies, and entrepreneurship. ONDC was officially incorporated in December 2021 under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade as a non-profit section 8 company. As a set of protocols to foster open, unbundled, and interoperable networks, ONDC-enabled communication among various players or entities of an e-commerce transaction. Functions of typical e-commerce such as discovery, matching, order fulfillment, or delivery were unbundled so that multiple players could execute each of these steps independently. ONDC had onboarded seller-side apps (applications interacting with merchants), buyer-side apps (applications interacting with consumers), logistics providers, and customers over the past two years, but the scale of ONDC's growth was limited compared to existing players. Also, there were considerable questions on ONDC's decisions pertaining to continual subsidy offerings for sellers and discounts to customers. Some success was seen in areas of hyperlocal mobility through apps developed on ONDC such as Namma Yatri and hyperlocal delivery of restaurant food, but order volume was an impending issue. Technology service provider firms stepped forward to help sellers in building and managing services. In the latter half of 2023, Antler Innovation Private Limited ONDC was launched to fund, train, and onboard promising participants in the network. ONDC now had to strategically address areas in which it needed to make investments, whom to subsidize and charge, how to enable scaling, and formulate effective governing policies.

Amidst the complex landscape of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in mainland China, CrossBorder Environment Concern Association (CECA) has emerged as an independent grassroots environmental NGO focused on conserving coastal biodiversity. With the vision to become a leading think tank, CECA provides well-founded research findings to authorities through early intervention, ensuring environmental compliance in government-proposed development projects. In its advocacy efforts, CECA emphasizes community engagement and relies on its well-trained volunteers to carry out complex procedures. The NGO sets itself apart by upholding independence, transparency, and refusing government funding or any illicit "guanxi" connection. This raises questions about how CECA secures its funding and diversifies its revenue streams. Furthermore, the partners contemplate how CECA can more effectively demonstrate its environmental and community impact to stakeholders, thereby further enhancing both financial and societal support. Readers are invited to analyze the competitiveness of CECA in the industry, identity success factors, as well as potential challenges. They are also encouraged to propose alternative strategies for CECA to consider, taking into consideration of the missions of the NGO.

In February 2019, D. K. Ram, the executive director of liquid petroleum gas at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), read a newspaper headline in his office in Mumbai. The paper reported that two delivery boys had been killed while returning to a distributor of BPCL after delivering gas cylinders. Ram thought of the risks to the safety of delivery people who were transporting cash they had collected from customers. He wondered whether BPCL should seek novel technologies to digitize last-mile delivery. Would BPCL choose to implement an all-encompassing digitization payment strategy, or would it execute a phased approach that entails incremental growth in the digital realm?

In March 2023, Gopuff, a player in the quick commerce (Q-commerce) industry, was experiencing intense competition and was also unprofitable. Gopuff's vertical integration model was different than other e-commerce or marketplace companies like Amazon or Instacart, as it purchased products directly from consumer product companies and wholesalers and stored them in micro-fulfillment centres for quick delivery on demand. The company intended to achieve profitability by reducing spending, scrapping off its lower-performing warehouses, and emphasizing higher-margin revenue streams like advertising. Did Gopuff have a feasible business model? Could it earn a competitive advantage over its competitors? What strategies could its co-founders consider to make Gopuff financially feasible?

Ivan and Dan MacKinnon grew up on a farm in Bath, Ontario, where the brothers learned about the importance of farming and local supply chains. In 2014, the brothers put together their farming assets and brewing and engineering skills and launched their farm-based brewery, MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company. After nearly 10 years of operations, the MacKinnons were faced with a growth challenge. Should they leverage their farm brewery brand and grow its distribution beyond the local region? Or should they "dig in" on their local farm concept and explore more sustainable growth options in the food and beverage tourism industry?

Vedanta Limited (VEDL), an Indian conglomerate, operated in natural resources business segments, including aluminum, power, steel, oil and gas, and base metals segments such as copper, zinc, lead, silver. In September 2023, the company's market value was approximately half of its intrinsic value, as its individual business segments were estimated to be worth significantly more operating independently.<br><br>The chair of VEDL needed to take the necessary steps to enhance shareholder value by unlocking conglomerate discounts. The combined segments were perceived to generate negative synergies for the conglomerate, as indicated by the trading multiples of comparable companies. In looking for viable ways to eliminate the discount, he had to choose among the following options: (1) a share repurchase, (2) divestiture, (3) a spinoff of one or more segments, or (4) a spinoff of all segments.

In August 2022, a senior sales executive at Dabur India Ltd. was facing mounting pressure to meet the company's sales and distribution key performance indicators. He was responsible for urban retail expansion, as well as promoting new products in a territory where the company dominated the market. However, challenges such as retailer dissatisfaction and low sales were persisting due to expired products cluttering retailer shelves, among other issues. The senior sales executive was grappling to maintain sales efficiency and customer satisfaction, amid sales team governance setbacks. Key concerns included expired items on retail shelves, lack of in-store promotions, and competing sales forces becoming increasingly automated. The senior sales executive had to address these challenges to improve the territory's performance and sales.