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This case examines the entrepreneurial career of Helena Rubinstein before 1938. Rubinstein is widely considered the single most important female entrepreneur in the United States in the 20th century. She was born in Poland but immigrated to Australia where she started a cosmetics company. She subsequently moved first to Europe, and then to the United States during World War I, where she engaged with relentless competition in the upscale cosmetics market with her rival Elizabeth Arden. The case examines how Rubinstein created a luxury brand and enables a discussion of the impact of such brands on women. Rubinstein articulated the view that cosmetics were liberating for women, but some of her strategies, such as wearing white coats in many advertisements designed to signal that she was scientifically qualified, can be used to support a more critical view of the beauty industry.

The American shale revolution has upended oil and gas markets for nearly a decade...Prices have risen then plunged, production has surged and then waned, LNG has boomed and technology and productivity have improved. U.S. energy policy, under the Obama administration,authorized a handful of gas exporters, despite pressure from domestic chemical and utility interests, and approved oil exports for the first time in 40 years. Environmental issues and questions remain unresolved. No one knows for certain what America's energy trajectory will look like in the next decade.

After recognizing numerous opportunities in the global market, Xiaomi Technology Corporation Ltd. (Xiaomi), based in Beijing, charted its overseas market strategy in 2013. However, opportunities came with challenges, and during the internationalization process, Xiaomi encountered many problems. By 2016, after three years of hard work, Xiaomi had gained more experience than profits. Compared with Xiaomi's domestic success, Xiaomi's internationalization strategy was unsatisfactory. How could Xiaomi meet its international goals? Should it establish international strategic alliances, develop its firmware operating system, or consider other options?

In early 2017, Andrew Peller Limited (APL), a producer and marketer of quality wines and Canada's only publicly traded winemaker, presented an interesting opportunity for investors. If investors were looking to diversify their current holdings and were considering an investment in the food and beverage sector, would APL make a good investment? To help make this decision, potential investors needed to assess the organization's past financial performance using information from its annual reports, its corporate strategy, and finally the risks and opportunities associated with the industry. Based on this analysis, investors would decide whether to invest in APL.

This case describes a common situation in old buildings, namely the decision as to whether intall an elevator. In this armchair case, we have an apartment building in Budapest with 3 towers, each containing 24 homeowners, with a possible interest in adding an elevator to each tower of the walk-up building. The case begins by discussing serveral ways to fairly distribute the cost if the elevators are approved. One way is an equal split. The second way is to have the homeowners living on higher levels pay more. A formula that effectively implements the Shapley value is proposed. Next, the case describes the pivot mechanism as a way to bypass the free riding problem that would arise if homeowners were simply asked about their willingness to pay. The question for discussion is whether the homeowners would agree to use the pivot mechanism. In particular, how to explain to the homeowners the penalties that would result from implementing the mechanism and how those penalties are applied to those homeowners who are pivotal. The challenge for students is how to market the pivotal mechanism.

"Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited: Beyond CSR for Secure, Safe and Sustainable Operations in Nigeria" focusses on Indorama Corporation, a multinational conglomerate of Asian origin who bought the ailing petrochemical plant in Eleme Nigeria called Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (EPCL) to establish Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd. (IEPL). This case describes the successful story of how IEPL is trying to build a trusting relationship with the local community in the Niger Delta, which has a history of distrust and conflict with multinationals. The case focusses on the ethical dilemma of the board of the multinational corporation operating in a foreign land in making a critical business decision of whether to bring the community stakeholders inside its boardroom or not under its Public-Private Partnership scheme.

In September 2013, Tokyo Electron Limited announced a merger with Applied Materials Inc. The deal would place the new entity in the leader position in the highly consolidated global semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, which counted Intel Corporation and Samsung Group as major customers. Due to antitrust issues, the deal was eventually cancelled. Shortly after, in October 2015, Lam Research Corporation announced a merger with KLA-Tencor Corporation. If this deal was accepted, the market would be led by three companies-Applied Materials Inc., ASML Holding, and Lam/KLA-Tencor-while Tokyo Electron would be marginalized. Given the tremendous cost pressures from the consolidated competitors and powerful customers, should Tokyo Electron initiate another merger to consolidate its position? Were there other effective competitive options? What could it learn from its failed merger with Applied Materials Inc.?

The Orchid Species Preservation Foundation (OSPF) was a not-for-profit organization in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was dedicated to the preservation of rare orchid species. The OSPF had 4,500 orchids housed in a greenhouse facility at the Muttart Conservatory, which was owned and managed by the City of Edmonton. In the autumn of 2014, the Muttart Conservatory management decided that the orchid collection should be downsized, in turn sparking the OSPF board to consider alternative futures for the foundation.<br><br>The OSPF board members created an ambitious multi-phase plan to build their own facility. The president and chairman of the OSPF board determined that the new facility would require the foundation to increase its yearly revenue by 10 times the current amount. He worked with the board members to develop a list of strategies targeting revenue generation; however, the options were not yet well-defined and could take the organization in many different directions. The board needed to find a stronger strategic focus and choose a clear direction to take the OSPF forward.

In September 2015, the Volkswagen Group (VW) was in a state of flux. Its reputation was taking a severe beating in the auto industry and among consumers. The United States Environmental Protection Agency had accused the company of tampering with its EA 189 diesel engines to clear emissions tests. The engines, fitted with a "defeat device," met the stringent emission levels and higher fuel efficiency standards set in the United States. The defeat device controlled emissions during laboratory testing and driving so that they remained within permissible limits; however, during actual on-the-road driving, the nitrogen oxide emissions were up to 40 times higher. VW's admission of the intentional manipulation severely dented its value chain, affecting market share, brand image, internal/external stakeholders trust, and supply chain operations. In the wake of the scandal, the company faced the challenge of organizing a product recall and reconceptualizing the VW brand identity.

Co-Founders of the North is a digital multiplayer turn-based strategy game. Players take on the role of "co-founders", so named for their joint pioneering role in constructing buildings on a set of four fantasy islands. Players must both compete and cooperate, having to balance limited resources and allegiances while contending against each other's hidden agendas. Collaboration is essential to winning, yet only a single player will ultimately win. A player must accumulate the most allegiance points to win. This is accomplished by constructing buildings on available slots, or by paying to demolish a building and constructing over it. Each building generates a different number of points for different allegiances and costs a certain amount of gold to construct. Players receive additional income (i.e., gold) each turn from completed buildings. A player will often not have enough gold to construct a building on their own. In these situations, a player may instead invest a partial amount, allowing other players to invest in completing the building. When this happens, players receive an income proportional to their respective investment. Players are thus confronted with a dynamic environment that will affect their strategic choices, such as when to cooperate and when to go it alone. At the end, there can only be one Ruler of the North!

Emily Reyna, the Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF) Director of Diversity, has been in the newly formed position for under a year and has been tasked with implementing the organization's Diversity Plan, which aims to improve internal racial and ethnic diversity as well as reach a more diverse range of constituents within partnerships. EDF recognizes the importance of adequately engaging and representing shifting demographics in the United States and internationally and has focused on improving diversity internally for the past several years. Reyna's priority is a baseline assessment of diversity and inclusion within EDF's culture. Her focus is on inclusion and full participation, not only in the workplace but also in the policies and programs EDF is working to implement. Students will explore the challenges of diversity and develop a strategy for EDF's internal changes and external partnerships.

Jon-Mark Chappellet, Director of Operations at Clos Du Val Winery in Napa Valley, is developing a 50-year plan. The effects of climate change are forcing Chappellet and other Napa Valley vineyards to adopt various adaptation strategies to protect the quality of their grapes and wines. Climate change impacts can include decreased water availability, temperature variations outside optimal growing conditions, and increased threat of pests. Napa Valley is a strong, competitive market for grape growers and vintners and is most known for its ideal growing conditions for cabernet sauvignon grapes where estate wineries like Clos Du Val focus their production efforts. Will Clos Du Val have to abandon its signature brand of cabernet sauvignon wines and adopt other grape varietals capable of thriving in the changing climate conditions? What kind of diversification strategy will Chappellet need to implement to address climate change?

Galya Frayman Molinas, President of Coca-Cola's Turkish Business and a 20-year company veteran, is unexpectedly asked to take the helm of a newly expanded territory with operations across eight additional countries in Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. With seemingly competing instructions to accelerate growth, while not diluting focus in Turkey or Central Asia, Molinas must decide how to balance change versus continuity across functions and country locations. In the meantime, tensions arise amongst the newly combined members of her business unit, as some fear being sidelined or losing their autonomy. Molinas wonders whether her team's leadership is too homogenous to manage this diverse and disgruntled group across emerging markets. Centralizing, decentralizing, or creating a hybrid structure is now Molinas' first priority. On top of these pressing organizational issues, shortly after assuming her new role, domestic and international events suddenly derail her unit's 17 consecutive months of record-breaking performance. Molinas and her largely female and Turkish senior leadership team grapples with the significant financial impact of massive protests in Turkey, the rise of anti-American sentiments, growing national health concerns, the reduction of the U.S. FED's financial stimulus, and capital flight from emerging markets. While Turkey's revenue is in a precipitous decline, Molinas needs the Central Asian region to help alleviate the financial gap during this turbulent time. Molinas questions whether her unit's structure and her homogenous senior team's background are too narrow to help her counteract the external crises.

The Poultry Research Centre at the University of Alberta farm was an internationally recognized research, development, and learning hub. It began the Rare Poultry Conservancy Program in 1986 as a way to maintain heritage chicken breeds. In 2009/10, as a result of the global financial crisis, university funding was reduced, and every campus department needed to cut programs or find creative ways to finance them outside of the traditional methods. By 2014, the funding cuts posed a grave concern for the continuation of the heritage chicken program. Annual costs of CA$75,000 were required to maintain the flocks with very limited financial return. However, a leader at the Poultry Research Centre felt that the birds were important enough to develop a model where they could pay for themselves.

Since 2000, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, a global Fortune 500 petroleum company largely owned by the government of India, had institutionalized an internal competition called IDEAS. Each year, several employees participated by submitting their innovative ideas to the competition. Many of these innovations involved significant savings and/or improvements. However, by 2015, a degree of fatigue had set in. Was IDEAS an innovation engine or a tool for employee engagement? How could the competition be transformed so that it delivered more for the employees and the organization?

BYD Company Limited (BYD), a Chinese firm that started as a battery manufacturer, produced its first gasoline-fuelled vehicle in 2005. In 2008, BYD then launched its first electric vehicles based on its advantages in battery technology and experience in low-cost research and development. The company expected to gain a strong presence in the automotive market with these electric vehicles; its goal was to secure its place as China's largest auto manufacturer by 2015, and the world's largest by 2025. By February 2015, sales of one of BYD's new energy vehicles, the Qin, accounted for 32 per cent of total new energy vehicle sales in China that month. Yet BYD was ranked 15th among China's passenger vehicle companies. How could the company climb to number one in terms of sales volume?

Eric Ries, one of the most prominent entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, is launching the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE), a new stock exchange for companies and investors that want to focus on long-term values and sustainable development rather than short-term profit gains. Despite LTSE having a strong value proposition for many companies, this case analyzes the many business challenges that Ries and LTSE must overcome: the large shift required in the systems-thinking of current investors, limiting shareholders' control and influence, gaining the critical mass required to achieve scale and profitability, government legislation and permits, and gaining trust and credibility from potential companies and investors. This case asks students to articulate the risks within the existing, short-term focused stock exchange system, as well as identify the forces that produce short-termism in publicly listed companies.

The Swiss company TAG Heuer, maker of luxury watches, is part of the LVMH group (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton). In 2015, CEO Jean-Claude Biver is deciding whether to launch its first-ever fully connected Swiss watch, manufactured in partnership with Google and Intel. Entering this new market presents an unprecedented challenge: making a watch based on a technology (microprocessors) that the Swiss have not mastered. Is TAG Heuer ready to compete in the digital space - and potentially without the traditional 'Swiss Made' label? Case B takes up the story following the successful launch of the TAG Heuer connected watch. Sales are beyond all expectations for the luxury Swiss watchmaker and its partners Intel and Google. There are a few surprises too - the consumers are older than they expected and the watches sell out far quicker than anticipated - hence the company runs into some supply chain issues. Please visit the https://cases.insead.edu/tag-heuer dedicated case website to access supplementary material.

Yushan Bicycles, one of Taiwan's leading bicycle manufacturers, is pursuing an international expansion strategy by increasing demand for its range of traditional and electric bicycles and by shifting its product mix toward higher-margin models sold through specialty bicycle retail shops. However, the manager of its new Australian subsidiary has taken a different approach that focuses on selling lower-priced models through large sporting-goods retailers. The manager's strategy has yielded disappointing financial results so far, and he and company executives disagree on the cause and next steps. The Yushan case was specifically developed for international management and international business courses, but it can also be used in competitive strategy, corporate strategy, and general management programs. It is especially useful for analyzing situations in which issues of strategy, organization, and management converge.

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd holds the rights to the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The mine is the largest copper, gold, and molybdenum deposit in the world. However, the deposits are situated under the world's most profitable and sustainable salmon fishery which supports many impoverished Native Alaskan communities who rely on the fish for their livelihoods. Extracting the minerals may harm the salmon fishery, affect a largely unspoiled landscape, and disrupt local communities and culture. But there is uncertainty surrounding these potential risks. Northern Dynasty must choose the best public engagement and transparency strategy to ensure a smooth approval process for the proposed Pebble Mine operation.