Kiva: wow, $10 million!
Publication date: 25 January 2023
Issue publication date: 27 March 2023
Abstract
Research methodology
This compact case is based on secondary, published information about the Kiva organization, both in book and article format, listed in the reference list at the end of this teaching note. In addition, the authors accessed the Kiva website using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. This allowed to view Kiva’s webpages when they were a startup organization.
Case overview/synopsis
Kiva’s co-founder, Jessica Jackley, is offered $10m by the corporate social responsibility director of a large technology firm. Students discuss why Jessica hesitates to accept the $10m and explore the meaningful application of a nonprofit’s mission statement and the concepts of mission creep and mission drift. The case can be read in class for immediate discussion or assigned outside of class. Ultimately, the students decide and defend whether Jessica should accept the $10m on behalf of Kiva. In the strategic management sections, students were split 35% accept and 65% do not accept which produced a rich discussion.
Complexity academic level
This compact case has been used in several sections of the capstone strategic management course composed of senior, undergraduate and business majors. This case is used early in the course as an application of the mission and values chapter. This case could also be used in management courses in entrepreneurship, nonprofit organizations and principles.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer. This case is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources.
Citation
Anderson, J.S. and Williams, S.K. (2023), "Kiva: wow, $10 million!", , Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 166-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-12-2021-0231
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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