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This case was developed from secondary sources such as industry reports, articles, news reports and social media sites.

This study offers a fresh perspective on leadership by exploring the nontraditional journey from human resources (HRs) positions to the esteemed chief executive officer (CEO) role. It highlights the transformation of HR from an administrative function to a strategic one. The study emphasizes the pivotal role of chief human resources officers (CHROs) in shaping company culture and ensuring employee satisfaction. It also delves into HR professionals’ unique skills and attributes to the CEO position, drawing examples from successful transitions such as Mary Barra at General Motors, Leena Nair at Chanel and Nigel Travis at Dunkin Donuts. The study addresses the growing trend in contemporary business discussions: the potential reshaping of the traditional CEO role by HR directors. It offers valuable insights for organizations looking to adapt to a rapidly evolving economic landscape by highlighting the synergy between CEO responsibilities and HR expertise.

This case is designed for undergraduates in various courses such as fundamentals of HR management, human capital management, strategic management, leadership development and career planning and management. It is appropriate for sections of the course focusing on managerial decisions and the changing role of HR managers. The case discussion is suitable for classes of 12–40 students and can be easily adapted for online courses using interactive discussion tools. Students are expected to read the case before participating in the discussion.

The main data used to develop this case were remote, synchronous interviews with the three characters in the case. The authors conducted two interviews with the main character in the case, Geoff Brown, specifically: (1) an initial 30 min interview to determine the fit and focus of the case and to help create the interview protocol for the full case interview (this initial interview was conducted on March 12, 2024); and (2) an hour-long interview to ask targeted questions to fully develop the case narrative (this interview was conducted on March 28, 2024). Geoff Brown was also involved in reviewing drafts of the case, approving the final version of the case and reviewing the assignment questions in this instructors’ manual (IM).

This case focuses on Geoff Brown, Executive Director at Alberta Chicken Producers (ACP), which is a not-for-profit organization in Alberta, Canada, that is responsible for representing 250 regulated chicken producers. Brown is grappling with what to do with the remote/hybrid work policy at ACP. Part of the impetus for reconsidering this policy was the comments from ACP’s long-tenured Office Manager and Executive Assistant, who had been asking Brown to bring this policy forward to a staff meeting for discussion throughout the past year. Brown now feels ready to move these discussions forward but is unsure of how to proceed and what the best practices would be to ensure that the policy in place for remote work is beneficial for work engagement, individual and organizational work performance, work–life balance, employee relationships and fairness perceptions.

The target audience for this case is undergraduate and graduate students taking a course in the disciplines of human resources management or organizational behavior. This case will be especially relevant for a human resources management course when studying the topics of employee benefits (e.g. work–life balance), health and safety (e.g. stress) and work design (e.g. telecommuting), and this case will be especially relevant for an organizational behavior course when studying the topics of motivation (e.g. fairness), communication, organizational culture and decision-making.

MBA.

Master’s level in Change Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management.

Mr Sharma, the dynamic and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed Soni Manipal Hospital (SMH), Jaipur, and Unit Head, Manipal Hospitals [Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. (MHEPL)], in a meeting with SMH’s Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Nursing Management, Mr Yaduvanshi realised the exponential growth of employee resistance, their lack of skills and technological advancements for documentation hindering the hospital's transformation goal. The case study highlighted the challenges the protagonist faced when taking charge as the CEO after nine months of acquisition and the factors contributing to them.

Students reading this case are expected to understand leadership theories, strategic and quality management approaches, and theories of social behaviour, such as Herzberg’s two-factor theory and social exchange theory (SET) and the application of these concepts in acquired organisations to develop healthy leadership–employee relations and change management theories.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human resource management.

After reading and discussing this case study, students will be able to explain the concept of diffusion of innovation and predict how the passion fruit-infused vinaigrette (PFIV) might spread throughout the Thai market; analyze the market environment for condiments in Thailand and identify specific opportunities that Preedha Vinchit and her team should consider for the successful launch of the PFIV; interpret both qualitative and quantitative data gathered by the new product development (NPD) team and discuss its implications for the product’s market strategy and development; and critique the initial launch plan proposed by Krit Anon, suggest practical strategies and calculate the break-even point necessary to meet the project’s financial goals.

During July 2023, Vinchit, product marketer at the Thani Food Institute (TFI), faced a critical decision regarding the launch of the APFIV. Developed from TFI’s patented passion fruit peel powder, the PFIV offered functional benefits and addressed the sustainable use of passion fruit resources. As COVID-19 restrictions eased, TFI’s board of advisors anticipated a successful market entry for PFIV. Anon, culinologist and chef behind PFIV’s formulation, expressed keen interest in launching it independently with a startup investment of THB 500,000 (US$14,388). Vinchit, with market research and home-use test results indicating positive consumer reception in hand, contemplated whether to proceed with a launch plan of TFI’s design or endorse Anon’s entrepreneurial venture. Critical considerations included market viability, strategic partnerships, target demographics and marketing strategies encompassing pricing, distribution and promotional campaigns. The decision hinged on maximizing PFIV’s market potential amidst Thailand’s robust condiment consumption and growing health awareness.

This case study can be used in undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, food product development, marketing strategy, market research and innovation on topics including NPD, opportunity identification, concept testing, consumer research analysis, marketing strategy formulation, business/financial analysis and launch strategies. This case study may be more useful in the middle or later parts of a course or module when an instructor is focusing on any or all stages of the NPD process and the strategic decisions, particularly for aspiring entrepreneurs with limited resources. Additionally, students should have developed at least some preliminary understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods. This case study has been very effective in demonstrating various organizational processes and decision-making tools, which allow students to apply strategy frameworks and systematically evaluate several alternatives.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

After reading this case study, students will be able to understand the impact of cyber threats on businesses; explore the intersection of innovation and ethical considerations; understand the proactive role of entrepreneurs in identifying gaps in traditional industries, such as insurance, and innovating solutions that align with local dynamics; and learn to formulate strategies addressing cultural factors, market gaps and challenges.

The case study follows Hasnain, a prosperous entrepreneur in Pakistan, who was surprised by the news of a cyberattack on Bank Islami. This event, coupled with a personal data breach in his family’s business, triggered Hasnain’s willingness and interest to address the growing threat of cyber risks and attacks. As the progenitor of a digital solutions startup, he identified a gap in the insurance industry’s replication to cyber threats and envisioned the desideratum for a Sharia-compliant cyber-insurance product withal called cyber risk takaful. The case study explores Hasnain’s journey as he contemplated the challenges of introducing cyber risk takaful – a Sharia-compliant insurance solution for businesses and individuals. Apperceiving the low vigilance and perceived costs associated with cyber insurance, Hasnain faced the dilemma of surmounting these barriers in a country where the penetration of insurance, in general, is already minimal. The story raises critical questions: How can Hasnain efficaciously introduce cyber risk takaful to a market reluctant to embrace cyber insurance? What business strategies should he use to engender vigilance and acceptance of this innovative insurance solution? Will businesses and individuals embrace the concept of cyber risk takaful and recognize its paramount in forfending their digital assets?

This case study is designed to meet the educational needs of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, particularly those enrolled in business administration programs. This case study is tailored for students in the final year of BBA and the first year of MBA programs. It is also well-suited for executive education programs that focus on strategic decision-making in the context of emerging market challenges, such as entrepreneurship and corporate strategy. The case study is particularly relevant for courses centered on entrepreneurship, business strategy, strategic management and corporate strategy.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS11: Entrepreneurship.

At the end of the case study exercise, students will be able to evaluate a company’s competitive standing and formulate business growth strategies based on internal and external environment analysis, develop business strategies for a company to strategise product offerings and recommend promotional strategies for a company to best market new product offerings.

This case study is about the Central Production Unit (CPU), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sirah Heritage Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (owner of the popular restaurant brand “Tuuu […] Dia Pak Tam”), which was initially set up to standardise production for the whole company. However, ever since the subsidiary was set up, the management realised a few pertinent issues that needed their attention. Firstly, the CPU was underutilised even with the large number of Tuuu […] Dia Pak Tam restaurants across Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, the CPU was also tasked to introduce new products and services that could attract consumers and increase the visibility of their restaurants, but the company had no idea how to promote its new products. This study aims to look at the issues faced by the CPU by applying analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, Ansoff matrix and promotion mix.

This case study is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students who are taking courses such as strategic management, marketing management and business development. This case study can also be used by training departments, corporate trainers and other relevant managers to improve growth strategies using business theories.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing

This case study is based on primary data collected through interviews with the company’s founder and CEO. It also includes secondary data collected through the Glassdoor job search and career community site. The names of the company and the employees have been disguised. However, the figures included accurately represent the primary data and the quotes are directly from the company representative.

When it was founded in 2009, employees were excited about the prospect of working at Wombat alongside its founder and CEO Dan Wallace. They had looked forward to making a difference in the lives of college students with the company’s higher ed-focused digital communication platform. But by 2022, Wallace could not ignore the significant change in these employees’ attitudes. Anonymous feedback pointed to employees’ commitment to Wombat having wavered, and employees’ reception of post-COVID organizational changes had become concerningly critical. Though he knew enough to be concerned, Wallace felt unsure of how to move forward based on the anonymous feedback alone. He was left wondering: how should Wombat communicate with employees to boost their attitudes and strengthen their commitment while making the hard decisions that best serve the company?

This case study is appropriate for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in organizational communication courses. It can constitute the employee communication module in a class that surveys strategic managerial communication, or it could be used as one of many examples in a course specifically focused on the internal communication component of the discipline. Students will need an understanding of communication theory, specifically interpretive organizational communication theory, to grasp the complexities of the case. While the focus company is in the educational technology industry, the themes presented are faced by companies of all sizes in all sectors.

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to[1] review the industry analysis using Porter’s five forces and strength, weakness, opportunities, threats framework and understand how a firm can achieve a competitive advantage, analyze the stakeholder theory and the salience of stakeholder mapping for enterprises with large number of stakeholders, apply the Mendelow framework of stakeholder mapping in this context and integrate it with stakeholder engagement for small enterprises and examine and evaluate how new age enterprises can engage better with stakeholders to provide a higher value creation.

Ayushi Srivastava started her enterprise, Beeyond Foods, in early 2021 with the aim to provide unadulterated, raw honey to consumers. She also wanted to help the beekeeping community by providing the beekeepers with a fair price for the procurement of honey from the bee hives. Beeyond Foods was a small enterprise in India that sold two variants of honey to consumers. The first variant was sourced from the Himalayan region of India, whereas the second was sourced from the Western Ghats of India. The primary distribution channel was trade fairs, where Srivastava would assemble her stall and sell honey to potential customers. Furthermore, a part of the sales was also driven by an electronic channel, which was through the company website. Customers could place their orders, and the honey would directly be delivered to their homes. With a successful start to the business, Srivastava was interested to scale her business and reach more customers. However, she was mindful that there were multiple stakeholders involved in the business. Srivastava had to study the values and needs of each stakeholder, while simultaneously formulate a strategy to expand her reach. This case study is designed to teach the concept of stakeholder value creation for small business enterprises.

This case study is well suited for an entrepreneurship and strategy course at the postgraduate (Master of Business Administration) level. This case study can also be taught in a marketing course.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS3: Entrepreneurship.

After reading and analyzing the case study, the students will be able to recognize the role of the mega environment in shaping business strategy, explore the challenges and opportunities in a mature industry (Foam), understand the business context of a family-owned firm and assess the implications and recommend managerial strategies.

In July 2019, Unifoam, a leading foam manufacturer, found itself at a crossroads as the company leadership grappled with diverging vision and future course of action. The newly appointed chief executive, Mr Faraz Khalid Shaikh, had overseen significant investments in expanding production capacity, and the time had come to reap the rewards. However, a series of unexpected events had unfolded, presenting the company with a unique set of challenges. Unifoam relied heavily on imported raw materials from China. Unifoam had high hopes of capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. However, the newly formed government had made significant policy changes regarding currency valuation and borrowing rates. This had increased the company’s working capital cost by 40%. This unexpected development had divided the board on the future direction and had forced the leadership to confront a crucial question: Should they hit the brakes or accelerate their growth strategies? This case study explored into the dynamic interplay between external factors, internal divisions and the family-owned nature of Unifoam. The analysis recognized the influence of the mega environment on the company’s strategy, exploring the challenges and opportunities within the mature foam industry and assessing the implications of conflicting approaches. This case study also offered valuable insights and managerial recommendations to guide the company’s path forward. Through embracing discomfort and confronting strategic dilemmas head-on, Unifoam sought to navigate uncharted waters and emerge as a resilient player in the evolving foam industry.

This is suitable for BBA or at the very start of MBA in the strategy courses, mainly business strategy and strategic management, and the case study can be positioned during the initial weeks in the course to provide a quick review of the basic analysis frameworks used in strategic decision-making.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

The case study aims to help students/learners to analyse the role of perception and its linkage to an entrepreneur’s decision-making process in setting up a social entrepreneurship venture during the COVID-19 pandemic without any prior entrepreneurial experience; understand the definition and meaning of social enterprises based on concepts/theories of social entrepreneurship; identify if AgriVijay fits the outline of a social enterprise based on its vision, challenges faced and journey as an agriculture-based technology-oriented social venture (AgTech SE); and outline the future path of AgriVijay as an independent business (post its incubation support period) using suitable strategy and funding models related to for-profit social enterprises.

This case study details the fascinating journey of a social AgTech venture – AgriVijay – through the perspectives of the protagonist Vimal Panjwani, a budding agri-business entrepreneur. Fuelled by a desire to empower the farming communities, Panjwani with the support of his dynamic mother, Shobha Chanchlani, embarked on the challenging task of crafting a business model that sought to merge community welfare with profitable enterprise. The case study illuminates the protagonist's background, revealing Panjwani’s motivations, risk-taking tendencies and the pivotal role played by his co-partner and mother, Chanchlani. It also highlights the challenges encountered by the protagonist in setting up a technology-based social entrepreneurship venture along with its success in making a social impact across marginalised farming communities. Through all this, the case study also highlights the major dilemma of the protagonist – that of continuing to balance AgriVijay’s core mission of “empowering the farmers” with profitability and long-term growth beyond its limited incubation support period, and his own dilemma of venturing into a social enterprise as a start-up venture without any prior entrepreneurial experience. The case study through its narrative encourages the readers/learners to understand the evolving dynamics of a nascent social entrepreneurial venture in a developing economy and how such a balanced model can actually be the harbinger of social impact and change in similar economies with large rural farming and marginalised communities.

The case study is most suitable for postgraduate management, weekend executive learning or distance learning students in agri business, sustainable business, social entrepreneurship and allied management domains. It can be used for teaching and learning topics related to entrepreneurship, new venture strategy, leadership and motivation, with a specific focus on agriculture business, agricultural entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and sustainable ventures.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.