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The Vibrance Kegel Device (VKD) was an intra-vaginal device that helped women correctly identify and strengthen their pelvic floor muscles to prevent and improve health issues related to urinary incontinence, back pain, and sexual dysfunction. The VKD was owned and marketed by Bioinfinity, a three-person, start-up company based in Malaysia. Despite being an innovative and award-winning product, its marketing strategy was challenging as its target market was Malaysian women, the majority of whom were conservative and uncomfortable with discussing these types of medical issues. As a result, educating women and developing product awareness had been a struggle. Bioinfinity's market development director needed to think of ways to grow the business. He was also contemplating whether the VKD was ready to compete in established markets such as Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Molly Langenstein, Macy's executive vice president for fashion and new business development, and members of Macy's senior team were rethinking the company's approach to serving millennial customers, customers born between the years of 1980 and 2000. To tackle this challenge, a dedicated Millennial team was created. The team looked at the preferences of millennial consumers and how those consumers were served by existing retailers. The team moved on to formulate a new market strategy. To date, the team has seen some improvements in sales and market share in its millennial apparel business, but they believe that additional opportunities exist. Was the Macy's millennium strategy working? What should they do next?

Me to We was a Canadian social enterprise created in 2008 to provide a stable source of funds to finance Free the Children, a non-profit organization that partnered with villages in Latin America, Africa, and Asia to provide clean water, sanitation, health care, food security, and alternative income in exchange for the commitment that all village children would attend school. The ultimate aim was to reduce child labour and exploitation, which was rooted in families who were living in poverty and unable to support themselves. In 2015, as Me to We continued to grow, the co-founders realized that its product portfolio could benefit from items that would increase the frequency of the organization's contact and interactions with customers. Should Me to We move towards the fast consumables market to reach as many people as possible?

In 2015, Burger King France operated 26 Burger King restaurants in France and had ambitious plans for growth. In a press release, Burger King France shareholders announced the projected acquisition of Quick, a chain of 509 fast-food restaurants operating in France and a few other countries. Burger King France intended to gradually convert the Quick restaurants into Burger King restaurants-a move that would turn Burger King into the second-largest fast-food chain in France. While this acquisition provided a significant growth option for the Burger King chain, it also posed several challenges in the form of brand image, company culture, and the many issues that could come with the process of converting and internationalizing a chain within its home country.

In June 2015, the Toyota Motor Corporation's annual shareholders' meeting included a proposal regarding Toyota's new share issue. Named "Model AA" shares after the company's first passenger car, the shares would offer investors new hybrid securities. This proposal created a lot of controversy among existing shareholders. Although President Toyoda claimed that no one would be disadvantaged by these shares, it remained unclear how many shareholders had confidence in this assurance. The share issue, which would potentially comprise up to 5 per cent of Toyota's total outstanding shares, would require the support of a two-thirds majority of shareholders. The new shares looked like ordinary shares with a "lock-up" period or preferred shares with voting rights. At the same time, Model AA shares resembled a convertible debt issue with voting rights (with a conversion ratio to be determined later). It was time to vote on the approval of Toyota's new share issue, but the following questions lingered in the shareholders' minds: what exactly was the difference between Model AA shares and ordinary shares? What was the difference between Model AA shares and bonds (or convertible bonds)? Finally, if the vote was approved, how should Model AA shares be priced?

By late 2015, the chief executive officer of Devonian Coast Wineries in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia had invested in the business and had broadened the distribution of the wines he produced. His chief concern was growing sales beyond Nova Scotia's provincial borders. Selling wines in other provinces was difficult because it required approaching the various provincial liquor control boards. He had three options: continue to engage with each provincial liquor board's buyers, lobby for greater retail access, or pursue the removal of provincial barriers to wine trade within the Atlantic provinces. If all interprovincial barriers were removed, he would need to compete with other provinces' larger wine producers, and they would likely gain market share at the expense of local wineries. What was the best strategy to expand Devonian Coast Wineries' distribution beyond Nova Scotia?

In July 2015, the chief executive officer of Toshiba Corporation (Toshiba) resigned over the revelation of a JPÂ¥151.8 billion accounting scandal that shocked the world. Toshiba, a Japanese multinational conglomerate with net sales of JPÂ¥6.5 trillion and total assets of JPÂ¥6.2 trillion, had been widely criticized in the news for the multi-billion-dollar accounting fraud. The company's stock prices declined by 38% after the accounting probe was announced, and the company withdrew the dividend that had been declared earlier. These setbacks challenged company investors, who had always regarded Toshiba as a reputable company. The investors were wondering the same thing as everyone else watching the scandal unfold: how could a company with a 140-year history do this, and why? What were the consequences? What should Toshiba do in response to this crisis?

In 2014, the chief executives officers of Amazon and Future Group led their companies into an alliance that, while initially successful, encountered some difficulties in regards to discounts on their retail products. With the global retail industry standing at US$25.4 trillion in 2016, and the percentage of which e-commerce made up 7.4 per cent, the partners would have to decide if they should resolve their conflict and remain allies, or if they should consider becoming independent companies again. If one partner placed a higher value on the use of discounts than the other, how much was the alliance really worth?

At the end of 2014, the owner of India-based Thakur Engineering Works (TEW) was at a crossroads in determining his company's future. After more than two decades of solidly building the family business's reputation at home, the producer and supplier of auto parts was poised for expansion either domestically or globally. TEW already produced parts that were shipped overseas via domestic exporters. The owner could not help but wonder about the possibility of simply shipping the parts directly to foreign clients. While that decision would require changes to its logistics and operations and would incur costs related to exports, the owner could not ignore the pay-off in profits. In India, the auto parts market was experiencing a slowdown, resulting in fierce competition, price reductions, and pressure to deliver parts faster. Despite these challenges, the Indian market was one he understood, so expansion there carried little risk. Should TEW continue to focus on increasing its market position domestically or was the time right for TEW to target the more profitable global market?

In May 2015, Alankit Life Care Limited was concerned about the future of Rx Pharmacy, its online pharmacy retail venture. The company had both a physical and an online platform for Rx Pharmacy, but the physical stores were not doing well due to aggressive marketing strategies adopted by competitors. Government regulations also presented a threat to the future of the online pharmacy. Rx Pharmacy was targeting a customer base of 50,000 customers and 2,000 associated retail pharmacies by 2016. It also hoped to achieve a pan-India presence, like the other companies within Alankit Group. However, the company was unsure about how to achieve its goals. Would Rx Pharmacy need both a physical and a digital retail platform, or was it best to pursue only the online path? What strategies could help to strengthen the online business?

In 1959, Unilever was one of the world's most internationally established companies, and its products had gained substantial market share in the consumer goods segment. Unilever was prepared to make a capital investment outside its home market of Europe, and considered entering one of two developing economies (disguised in these documents). The (A) case relates to the decision in 1959, whereas the (B) case revisits the same decision in 1969. Balonia and Banchuria were two of the world's poorest areas, and both had begun to emerge from their post-colonial ties to adopt policies and establish institutions in an effort to spur economic growth. Unilever's strategic planning group needed to weigh the data on these economies and make an entry recommendation as to which location provided the better investment environment.

Privatization of state-owned enterprises represents a significant realm of business for investment banks around the world. It also involves balancing a number of sometimes conflicting objectives among buyers and sellers and a host of risks for both sides as well as the financial firm itself. This case focuses on a large partial privatization in the Middle East that illustrates all of these issues and came to define the requirements for investment banks to perform successfully in future privatizations.

Akhil Patel is passionate about his business idea: an innovative green technology fuel cell. He wants to dive in and commit to his startup, but Roopa Rao, his fiancee, is much more risk averse, his parents don't approve of the startup, and Akhil has an enticing alternative offer from a prestigious consulting firm. Should Akhil follow his dream and become an entrepreneur? Or should he acquiesce to the other forces in his life and take the "safer" consulting job?

In the early 20th century, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was established in order to serve as a bridge between Mainland China and the British Empire. As an elite institution in the 21st century, HKU continued in its role as a bridge, connecting Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the world, but in a very different global context. President Peter Mathieson believed that HKU still had an important role to play, but knew that HKU needed to adapt to China's growing global presence and the increasing influence of Mainland Chinese universities. Mathieson needed to break through institutional complacency and unite HKU's oft-divided students, faculty, and administration behind a plan that would allow HKU to thrive in a landscape in which it competed not only with other institutions in Hong Kong, but also with the increasingly strong key universities in China, and with leading institutions around the world. Would HKU be able to maintain its position as a top institution linking East and West in an increasingly connected and complex global society?

Since April 2015, Dan Price has implemented a US$70K minimum salary at his company. As owner and CEO of Gravity Payments, a Seattle-based credit-card payment-processing firm, he wants to lead by example to reduce the growing income inequality between the highest and lowest paid. One of his secondary objectives, publicity for the stance he has taken, has certainly been achieved, but what are the longer-term implications for him, his firm and his employees? This is a risky move: would employees be happier and the firm more stable with a different compensation arrangement?

In 2014 WMS Gaming, a manufacturer and seller of slot machines to casinos, was considering a redesign of its existing revenue model. As technology evolved and customer demand for gaming solutions intensified, new and innovative revenue models were being adopted in other technology markets. Most notably, the subscription revenue model, in which customers paid a monthly subscription fee rather than a large upfront fee, was becoming widely adopted in the software industry. Product manager Dayna Stone had the task of evaluating several revenue models and recommending one that most suited WMS's business needs and at the same time took customer needs and wishes into consideration. Complicating this decision were several factors that would have to be kept in mind. Americans' love of gaming had led to a mushrooming of casinos, which meant increased competition for casino dollars. Yet the financial crisis of 2008 and its aftermath had weakened demand for casinos. In addition, casinos, depending on the type of customers they attracted, differed in their appetite for innovation and maintenance of their slot machines. Students will step into the shoes of Dayna Stone as she undertakes the task of weighing these factors and selecting the right revenue model.

Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union Limited (Kaira Union), a member union of the popular dairy brand Amul, was using information technology (IT)-enabled services to benefit individual dairy farmers with very small herd sizes in India. The technical inputs, such as veterinary services, were provided through veterinary centres located near clusters of villages. To improve service delivery, better manage inventory, deploy veterinarians, and manage their routes, the union had established a centralized veterinary call centre staffed at all hours of the day. The call centre had resulted in considerable savings in the cost of service and improved the efficiency of service delivery. The managing director of Kaira Union wanted to extend the call centre to include the union's operations in the states of Maharashtra and West Bengal. However, he was not sure whether the current architecture was capable of facing the challenge. Kaira Union needed to develop a proposal for the expansion.

The case centers on Christ Church's Treasurer, James Lawrie, who is contemplating his options for investing a portion of the College's endowment in real estate. Approximately 1/3 of the total $690 million endowment was allocated towards real estate, much higher than the typical 4% allocation by his American counterparts. Differing from many US endowments, real estate has remained a vital part of the Christ Church endowment since its founding in the mid-16th century. The College began with significant real estate holdings originally received from Henry VIII, which seeded the College's endowment. In the early 1980s, real estate represented 70% of the endowment's holdings and from 2002-2015, Christ Church's direct investments returned c.10% annually. Lawrie contemplates the future role of real estate in the College's portfolio, assesses the performance of the "US Endowment Model" and compares Christ Church's performance against others as he weighs a variety of investment strategies including; redevelopment, land sales, specialist funds, pooling capital with the other Oxford Colleges, and taking on more debt considering the once-in-a-generational low interest rates.

In March 2016, BP disclosed that its Chief Executive Officer, Bob Dudley, would receive a $19.6 million compensation package, a 20% increase in total compensation over the previous year. BP justified the amount, emphasizing that the company delivered strong results despite an exceptionally challenging environment, which included a nearly 50% drop in oil prices. However, shareholders questioned the massive payout and ultimately rejected BP's remuneration report in April 2016. Was BP right to give a generous pay package despite the industry slump? Or was it "unreasonable and insensitive," as shareholder Royal London Asset Management claimed?