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In 2013, a team led by Gopalan Sunderraman, vice president of corporate development at Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.-one of the companies owned by Godrej Group, a large Indian conglomerate-was preparing to launch an innovative low-cost refrigerator. Developed expressly for the approximately 80% of Indians who lacked access to refrigeration (a market Godrej had never before targeted), the chotuKool represented a technological marvel-a small, inexpensive thermoelectric appliance powered by a rechargeable battery. The case traces chotuKool's development and evolution from an initial product concept inspired by theories of innovation and the strategic vision of Jamshyd Godrej (managing director and chairman at Godrej & Boyce Mfg.) to a promising new line of business that emerged from a process of learning and discovery through market feedback. As the company geared up for the broader rollout of chotuKool, Sunderraman and his team faced some tough questions. What was the proper target and scope for the launch? Which strategy gave them the best chance of success? Could chotuKool really redefine the company and bring refrigeration to hundreds of millions of Indians?

This case features Wealthfront, a Palo Alto California-based financial technology startup. Wealthfront created a fully-automated, low-cost online investment platform targeting the millennial generation. The founders positioned Wealthfront as a disruptive force within the asset management industry. By dramatically lowering the minimum investment required, they sought to democratize access to sophisticated investing. By the fall of 2014, the firm's assets under management (AUM) had surpassed $1.5 billion. CEO Adam Nash contemplates a variety of strategic questions including whether Wealthfront should maintain its focus on the consumer channel or expand into business to business channels in order to increase AUM.

In October 2015, WestJet, Canada's second largest airline, needed to expand its social media presence. The vice-president of marketing and communications and the manager of social media were excited about the prospects of continuing to grow their customer base and reach even more guests through social media. WestJet had developed a highly successful approach to managing social media, and now the two executives were faced with two new possible social platforms: Snapchat and Pinterest. With an economy in decline and a flat marketing budget for 2016, they had a decision to make. Should the company pursue either of these platforms for the coming year, and if so, how? Which one would be best for the growth and evolution of WestJet's social media presence?

On January 4, 2016, the co-founders of Forked River Brewing Company (Forked River), a small brewery in London, Ontario, revisited the company's original business plan from 2012. Over the course of only four years, the founders went from home brewing enthusiasts to owners of a striving, award-winning craft brewery. Forked River beers were now offered in pubs, restaurants, and retail stores across the province of Ontario. In the past year alone, Forked River had expanded its production capacity by 50 per cent, hired an additional full-time brewmaster, and added a retail outlet to the brewing facility. However, business had recently become more complicated due to changes to Ontario retail liquor laws, increasing non-brewing administrative work, and looming decisions about the product portfolio and distribution strategy. Now, the three founders wondered whether Forked River was still on the right track or if a new strategic plan was needed to ensure its long-term success in the fast-changing craft beer industry.

The case presents data from 70,340 spins of four roulette wheels: three of which are real ("imperfect") and one of which is simulated ("perfect"). The challenge posed is to identify which of the four is the simulated wheel. After weeks spent recording spin results at their local casino, the members of the Pelayo family think they have identified three imperfect wheels. Before they start betting, they want to be certain that the three wheels they identified as imperfect are easily distinguishable from a theoretically perfect wheel. This case has been used successfully in Darden's MBA elective about data analysis. That course introduced pivot tables and the chi-squared goodness-of-fit test using the case "The Roulette Wheel." Discussion of "The Pelayo Family Plays Roulette" probably will not require an entire class period. One option would be to hand out the case during the discussion of "The Roulette Wheel" as something of a follow-on.

This case, about creating a startup with a social mission, is designed to help students think through the strategic alignment of public value, legitimacy/support, and operational capacity in a simple context. Together with an in-class video "reveal," the case package follows the thinking of two Masters of Public Policy graduates as they create TurboVote, a nonprofit service designed to increase voter turnout by sending subscribers reminders and helping them register and vote by mail. The case shows that-despite a straightforward business idea-the young founders had to address consequential choices. The written case includes background information about the voter turnout problem and ends with the TurboVote leaders contemplating the basics of a business plan-in particular, the options and implications of different financing models. The case package includes a set of three short videos. "Meet the Founders" (5:37 min) provides a brief introduction to the two protagonists. Students will want to read the case and watch this video before class. The other two videos (4:45 min and 4:09 min, respectively) are designed to be played by the instructor partway through class. The first reveals how the founders approached some key strategic choices. In the second, they reflect on their decisions, particularly in terms of funding, and talk briefly about their hoped-for path forward. The instructor may play these videos separately or together, and follow them up with further discussion.

In 1980, the ALFA Group, a Mexican conglomerate, initiated a diversification process that led to the acquisition of a cold cuts company, thus creating Sigma Alimentos. Fourteen years later, seeking to make greater use of its refrigerated supply chain, Sigma Alimentos chose to make its way into the then very competitive dairy industry. Having found that large milk producers were already committed to large dairy processing companies, Sigma Alimentos decided to launch a development program for small dairy farmers in order to ensure sufficient supply of quality milk. This case study explores how Sigma Alimentos' Fomento Lechero Program helped small suppliers to grow alongside the company. A little over 15 years since the program's inception, the case recounts how small farmers managed to overcome various challenges to grow exponentially. In addition, at the time this case was written, imported powdered milk prices had dropped considerably below fluid milk prices, thus generating the case's core dilemma: letting go or retaining small farmers that have been working alongside Sigma Alimentos for a very long time.

Having teamed up to launch their own financial services business, Noah Gottdiener and Jacob Silverman soon discover a venerable brand and viable business in an established bank subsidiary. They then work for many months to acquire the business as a platform for launching their venture. Overnight, they add 100 employees in three U.S. offices. Just months later, late in 2004, they see the chance to buy another firm that is four times the size of their growing venture and that offers them the opportunity to expand into a new product category. The two entrepreneurs are considering the issues and opportunities this new acquisition may create for their small but rapidly-growing venture.

The case contrasts the tradition-bound Old World wine industry with the market-oriented New World producers in the battle for the Chinese wine market in 2015. China's wine consumption growth presented a large and fast growing export target that was extremely attractive both to Old World producers burdened with oversupply and declining demand, and to New World winemakers faced with rising costs and a deteriorating image. But changing Chinese market conditions and consumer preferences required both sets of players to devise new strategies to gain share in this fast-growing market. The case allows analysis of the way in which newcomers can change the rules of competitive engagement in a global industry. It also poses the question of how incumbents can respond, especially when constrained by regulation, tradition, and different capabilities than those demanded by changing consumer tastes and market structures.

In the Spring of 2004, Byrne Murphy and his partners at Fingen Group discussed options to redevelop Palazzo Tornabuoni, an iconic 15th century palace in the heart of Florence, Italy. The possibilities included turning the upper floors into office space, hotel rooms, condominiums, or a private residence club, a new concept that was quickly gaining popularity in the U.S. but still largely untested in Europe. While they factored the economics and the risks involved in each of the options, they wondered which would preserve the property's historical heritage and still deliver attractive returns.

Longchamp's Le Pliage is one of the fashion world's most successful products, a cultural icon across the globe. But managing the low priced, nylon handbag is challenging as Longchamp tries to move its brand upmarket into higher priced, luxury leather goods. How much should Longchamp focus on Le Pliage versus its leather handbags? How should the subbrand be distributed, merchandised, priced, and promoted? How does Le Pliage both contribute to and detract from Longchamp's brand equity?

This case discusses the evolution of Big Spaceship, an advertising and marketing agency, from a product-focused business to a relationship-oriented one as clients seek deeper and more meaningful long-term partnerships. The 15-year-old company had already evolved multiple times over its history as new technological platforms and services emerged to change the way people communicated and received information, and as the broader advertising industry changed. New and more aggressive competitors were emerging, and the industry was quickly consolidating. Big Spaceship had adjusted its strategy, organizational structure, and human capital accordingly. The company's founder and CEO, Michael Lebowitz, now wondered what he needed to do to keep his company competitive in the years to come. Had he found the right way to organize his people and structure the organization following the transition from project-based to relationship-based work, or were further changes necessary? How could he keep people engaged as the nature of the work evolved in some instances to become more predictable? What new systems and processes were needed to ensure a steady output of high quality work? Lebowitz was proud that the organization had retained a distinctly different feel from, and approach to work than, traditional advertising agencies, and Lebowitz and his colleagues wanted to maintain these intangible elements as the company evolved. But was this incompatible with his business goals?

This case considers the CEO of a logistic company trying to form her own opinion about whether global warming is a real concern or simply a hoax. The case consists of two contradictory reports reviewing the existing evidences for global warming, from two scientific experts holding opposite views on the subject.

City Developments Limited (CDL) has been publishing an annual dedicated sustainability report, in line with the Global Reporting Initiative's reporting guidelines, since 2008. In January 2016, Esther An, chief sustainability officer at CDL, produced the 2015 sustainability report using an integrated reporting approach. She saw the fundamental challenge of integrated reporting as communicating to stakeholders the business and financial impact of the firm's efforts in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration. The business environment was also changing as consumers demanded more transparency and regulators required more non-financial disclosure from companies. Leaving external pressures aside, CDL had always taken pride in being a socially responsible company. For over two decades, CDL had embraced sustainability in its corporate philosophy and business strategy. This focus is evident in the management of its operations both as a developer and landlord, and also through its building designs and construction methods. Adhering to the integrated reporting approach will allow a more holistic form of reporting that linked the impact of the firm's social and environmental performance to its financial bottom line.

In 2014, Singapore Management University (SMU) undertook the reworking of its ten-year-old legacy intranet web portal eWise, and successfully replaced it with the new intranet, iNet. At lower maintenance costs than eWise, iNet offered modern design, easy consolidation and renewal of content, better integrated core operational functions, vastly improved user interface, and opportunities to collaborate. The case presents an overview of the journey of this transformation at SMU, discussing the key challenges faced by Goh and his team in terms of choice of technology, skills required, resources management and change management, including cultural issues and resistance to change. It discusses the development process and the decisions taken regarding the technical platform, implementation approach, features incorporated, and the taxonomy and topology of the website. Given the sheer size of the organisation and its information and legacy structure, iNet was undoubtedly an achievement. Yet, issues remained: How to accelerate iNet's low adoption rate amongst users? Should the portal be expanded to unify the whole of SMU through a single integrated web portal? Would that bring in synergies across the university or would the different departments continue to operate in silos? What would be the right time for upgrading the intranet portal to ensure future readiness and scalability of the overall IT solution?

Lending Loop, a Canadian marketplace (peer-to-peer) lending start-up, was founded in 2014 and launched to the public in 2015. It competed with other peer-to-peer lenders to challenge the Canadian chartered banks and other financial companies for part of the Canadian small-business lending market. Without an established regulatory regime in place, it operated according to its lawyers' interpretation of securities law. The founders needed to scale their business quickly and strategically to gain a first-mover advantage in the industry and to position their company as a major stakeholder for future regulatory decisions.

TwinHills was a proposed community development project by a private land developer in Calgary, Canada. The developer's utopian vision was to create a community that met a "five bottom line" model of economic, social, environmental, technological, and spiritual components. This vision was not necessarily shared by the agencies involved in the development approval process, including those in city council. The landowner identified social return on investment (SROI) as a possible tool to use to demonstrate the value of the community and expedite approvals. Two students took on the task of researching SROI and recommending specific applications for the TwinHills project. However, they encountered problems that complicated the decision process. What recommendations should the students make regarding the use of SROI for this project? They would have to use skills including cost-benefit and stakeholder analysis, while absorbing and applying the new concept of SROI to suggest the most appropriate course of action.

Series of scenarios each presenting a situation that asks the student to decide how to proceed.

The case describes the Maggi debacle faced by Nestle in India. On May 21, 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered Nestle India to recall Maggi after confirming presence of high levels of lead and Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) in the product. The case traces the events in the Maggi crisis and deliberates on the reputational loss as evidenced in the boycott of the product, sagging top and bottom line of the company, mounting consumer hostility and loss of faith and trust in leadership. As the events unfold the reader is able to discern the challenges that confront organisations in a crisis situation, and reflect on Nestle's crisis management strategies. The case provokes the reader to deliberate on the aftermath of the recall. Will Nestle be able to get Maggi back on the shelves? Will the Indian market be willing to forgive and forget? Would the company be able to regain consumer faith, change public perceptions and recapture mind space? If yes, how?