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In 2012, KiOR was in the process of starting biofuels production at its first plant in Columbus, Mississippi. This initial plant was to provide a commercial scale proof-of-concept of KiOR's production technology, and the company expected to build another set of plants in Natchez, MS using "copy exact" principles. These latter plants would be three times the size of the Columbus plants, and KiOR anticipated a number of improvements in its production methodology. Among these were (1) an increase in its conversion yield, or the volume of biofuel that it could produce from an inputted ton of biomass feedstock, and (2) a decrease in input costs. KiOR biofuels earned Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits associated with the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since RINs had a market value, the RFS2 provided a subsidy to KiOR. However, it was unclear whether the credits would retain a value beyond 2022, and KiOR was in a race to realize the potential improvements in production technology and costs before RIN support vanished. This case examines the breakeven cost of the KiOR production technology, with and without cost improvements and with and without RIN support. It provides representative assumptions that students can use to analyze KiOR's business model and its sensitivity to policy support. The case package includes an Excel workbook that can be given to students to explore sensitivity analyses around technological and RIN value uncertainties.

The case profiles Sujay Jaswa, VP of Business Development at the enterprise software company Dropbox, along with the company's "freemium" business model and Dropbox's sales organization to date. The case discusses the mechanics of a freemium product offering, as well as Dropbox's sales activities to date, which have largely been automated and emphasize inside online sales. With the product's evolution, the company's continued growth, and a shifting customer profile, Jaswa deliberates whether a change to the company's sales organization is merited, and if so, what the structure of such an organization should be. In particular, Jaswa debates whether the company has reached a point in its life cycle that requires an "outbound", direct sales force.

It was the spring of 2010 and Cindy Padnos had just been named to Fast Company's list of "The Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010." Cindy had worked in the venture capital (VC) space for over a decade, launching her own firm, Illuminate Ventures, in 2009 with a focus on early-stage companies in the enterprise cloud computing space. Cindy's portfolio of personal investments was performing well, and if she could perform as well for Illuminate, the future would be bright. Regardless, before she got to make any investments on behalf of Illuminate Ventures I, she would need to raise capital for her fund in one of the most challenging economic times in recent history. While acknowledgements by media outlets like Fast Company never hurt, such accolades were not enough to secure the $35 million that was her target. As she looked back over her professional experiences in the corporate world and ahead to the hundreds of investor meetings that lay before her, Cindy reflected that this was perhaps one of the most difficult, but most rewarding, challenges she had ever undertaken.

The chief executive responsible for the Indonesian railways, a state-owned enterprise, is under pressure to show profits, but he also needs to balance widely diverging stakeholder expectations that include inexpensive transportation and excellent customer service. The government subsidizes the railway's passenger travel segment and has capped its fare prices, which has turned the railway's mainstay into a loss-making business. The chief executive wonders how to best trade off the different stakeholder expectations. He needs to develop a plan to present to the minister for State-Owned Enterprises.

In the late 1990s, multinational retailing giant Tesco selected a joint venture with the Samsung Group as its market entry strategy into South Korea and created a new brand, Homeplus. Subsequently, the management of Homeplus implemented various policies aimed at localizing the business while also introducing business practices from Tesco's british headquarters. It invested in growth and diversification through large discount stores offering an "all in one spot" shopping experience, small-sized super-supermarkets, private brands and online shopping. At the same time, the Korean retailing industry had become much more dynamic as competition intensified between various types of market players, including strong competitors affiliated with local business groups. Homeplus needs to rethink its position in a highly challenging market environment.

The co-founder and CEO of StarTech.com is reviewing his firm's strategic plan, including an aggressive target of $150 million in sales in three years. To achieve this goal, the company needs to leverage its knowledge to develop a meaningful presence in Europe. The challenge is to identify the best way to go to market, given country and regional differences in how people buy computer parts. The company can capitalize on several favourable trends: the economic weakness in Europe, which prompts consumers to extend the life of their electronic equipment; the lack of a European direct competitor; and the company's ability to self-finance the venture.

The owner of Aradia Fitness London had just completed her TRX suspension training instructor's course and was contemplating how she could bring the TRX suspension program to her fitness studio. TRX suspension training utilized suspension equipment aided by gravity and body weight as a way to increase strength and flexibility. The owner knew the TRX program would be a perfect complement to her studio's classes, but she was unsure how best to implement the new program. She had some big decisions to make regarding the marketing plan and operational details for this new class.

In 2009 IFMR Capital sought to create new funding options for microfinance institutions by using a structured finance approach to attract a new class of capital market investors, including pension funds, bank treasury desks, mutual funds, and private wealth financiers. But what financial structure would be most attractive to these nonbank funders? Would the existing market infrastructure be sufficient to support the new financial structure? How would IFMR Capital ensure that the interests of all participants were aligned correctly? Would microloan securitization be scalable? In this case, students analyze the components of the launch of IFMR Trust Pioneer II to answer these questions.

Microsoft Korea sees a potential opportunity to dramatically improve its subsidiary's performance by actively recruiting and promoting female senior managers in South Korea. The question is to what extent multinationals can gain competitive advantage by actively hiring talented members from the so-called excluded group in a society. Related questions include which initiatives are most effective at implementing change in the organization.

The founder and CEO of Veranda Brands, a designer and marketer of home furnishing products, is preparing to coach three department managers so that they are ready to work well in a growing organization. Through staff layoffs, the company (founded in 2002) survived the 2008 financial crisis and actually increased the founder's personal investment. The company has since grown to $8 million in sales and its staff has grown to 50 employees (2012). To continue this growth and progress to the next level, the company's top employees need to function at a higher level which can be reached through targeted coaching.

The case focuses on the profitability of the Indian aviation industry and explains how Indigo Airlines, a new entrant in the Indian aviation space, registered profits within three years of its inception while its competitors continued to struggle with losses. The case demonstrates how a firm incorporating innovative business practices can not only survive but also earn abnormal profits. The strategies adopted by Indigo Airlines to reduce its operational cost and enhance its revenue are discussed in the case. The case also explores whether the profits earned by Indigo are sustainable in the long run and focuses on the changes in the competitive positioning of Indigo Airlines as it switches from the position of a low cost player to a hybrid player in the aviation industry.

The Embrace case series provides an engaging context to understand social innovation, by taking students through a sequence of critical decisions from opportunity analysis and market feasibility study to formulating a competitive strategy and developing business models for growth. The focus of the case is on an innovative idea to solve the problem of a high number of fatalities in premature births in rural India, and the potential for an affordable product. The case is structured as a four-part series:Part A: Opportunity Identification. The setting is an MBA classroom where five teams have been given five ideas and the students are asked to match each idea to each team. The focus is on how to identify and evaluate an appropriate opportunity given a unique entrepreneurial team, its composition, and its prior experience. Often, entrepreneurs discount the critical role that team-task fit plays in subsequent success.Part B: Market Feasibility Analysis (9B13M005). The social problem associated with neonatal care in rural India is presented and the economics of providing reasonable care for premature babies is discussed. Is it possible to find an affordable and profitable price point, and make the project sustainable?Part C: Competitive Strategy (9B13M006). The students are taken through an external analysis of the potential competition. This calls for a close analysis of what the competitive advantage of the venture is and whether it is sustainable. It forces the students to consider other available neonatal care options in the market, as well as to think about the IP issues they could face.Part D: Building the Business Model (9B13M007). The team must decide between manufacturing the product in-house or outsourcing to vendors. Also, issues of distribution and sales require consideration.

The co-founder of a Kenyan microfinance institution is troubled. Although his company has experienced great success in the past three years, it now faces cash flow problems. The co-founder has exhausted his personal resources and seeks an investor, local or international banks, or a process improvement program to ensure the company's long-term success. He needs to evaluate his options and propose a solution to the other board members.

The significant growth of offshore analytics business process organizations over the last decade has raised important issues for the management of corporations seeking to take advantage of the opportunities that such organizations offer. Retaining an offshore analytics business process organization appears to offer a convenient path to advanced analytics, but management needs to understand that the benefits of "offshoring" analytics come with costs and should think carefully about the components of analytics that can and should be outsourced and how this process is managed.

CEO Richard Gedman has suddenly found himself running two separate but potentially related businesses: the slot manufacturing and marketing business that he has been running for years, and a new online and mobile gaming business that has grown incredibly fast over the past couple of years. To sustain success in both businesses, it seems clear that each one will require significant R&D investments. Should he invest in only one or both?

Grameen America, an independent not-for-profit organization using Grameen Bank's lending methodology and expertise, was launched in 2008 in Queens, New York. It targeted the growing segment of the U.S. population which was underserved by traditional financial institutions. What changes, if any, would Grameen America need to make in applying Grameen's business model to the US market? And what were its prospects for future growth?

In organizations, learning and the associated changes it brings cannot be forced. Individuals who act as "learning champions" within an organization need to be convinced of the benefits of the learning initiative themselves so that they can take the "positive" message to their teams and become key facilitators and enablers within the organization. Otherwise, their negativity can influence their team members, especially if the team members are not sold on the initiative in the first place.

IBM India was experimenting with social media applications to extend its marketing mix. A social media campaign named Digital Influence was launched to gain market share for the company's software products, influence groundswell and develop technical evangelists. Within a year, the share of voice and reach for the company's five software brands increased significantly. However, the company's marketing and communications director was hesitant to declare victory. Was the model sustainable? What challenges would the company face in the implementation process? Would the plan of operations continue to help the company gain market space and create technical evangelists?

The pharmaceutical industry prides itself on being the second largest growth industry in India; by the year 2015, it will be the third largest industry in the world. One of its major players, Micro Labs Limited, was established to provide quality healthcare products at an affordable cost. From supplying antibacterial antiseptics and vitamins to a local market, the company has expanded both nationally and internationally in such fields as eye care, heart disease, diabetes, neuropsychiatry, dermatology, paediatrics and gynecology. It not only provides training for specialists in its various sectors, but has a strong emphasis on research and development of new drugs and licensing them internationally. The founder's sons have taken over the firm and now must decide how to maintain its competitive edge and how to achieve its goal of becoming a $1 billion company while respecting and enhancing their father's vision for the brand.

The case is based on a situation faced by Hong Kong Television Network Limited (HKTV) in 2012, a leading player in Hong Kong's international direct dial (IDD) telephone and broadband Internet access industries. The protagonist is Ricky Wong Wai-kay (王維基), Chairman and Founder of HKTV who built his company by successfully challenging local oligopolies. Encouraged by the Hong Kong government's policy to promote more choices of quality programs in the free-to-air terrestrial television market (free TV), HKTV was one of three parties to apply for a license in 2009. At the time, two stations had free TV licenses; the dominant Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and troubled rival Asia Television Limited (ATV). To amass funds, Ricky sold the cash cow of his company, the broadband business, for around HKD5 billion. With the funds, HKTV started to hire staff and construct a large multimedia center. Ricky Wong's vision is that "together we can create TV miracles." How can he realize his vision? What will it take for him to compete successfully against TVB?