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The theoretical basis for this case is a focus on strategic positioning as related to Porter’s Generic Strategies. The case accounts Roku’s journey in facing additional competition, highlighting the competitive dynamics at play. The case requires students to consider how Roku might revise its generic strategy based on the new competitive landscape in which it operates.

In writing this case, the research team used secondary research that was informed by interviews with Roku users. Resources such as IBIS World, MergentOnline, academic journals, trade magazines and websites were used to inform and verify information.

As the market disruptor of how media was consumed, Roku had been connecting customers, publishes and advertisers with its unique capabilities for over 10 years. With the belief that all TV content should be available through streaming, Roku had forever changed the traditional model of how media was distributed and consumed. By capitalizing on the previously untapped economic opportunity of TV streaming platforms, Roku had made itself the premier streaming broadcast service for users, content publishers and advertisers. The company was now faced with the difficult task of finding the best ways to keep innovation high and continue to grow.

This case could be taught at either the graduate or undergraduate level strategy course. At the undergraduate level, it would be best taught in a strategy course, when discussing industry life cycle or vertical integration. At the graduate level, MBAs could discuss the competitive dynamics and hypercompetition within the industry.

The i-AM Tablet is an evolving gadget in a world of fast-paced technological change. Facing a new partnership with a major customer, the market for the i-AM is about to explode! This case explores the innovative concept of Supply Chain Resilience as the CEO of i-AM, Inc, develops a strategic plan for expansion. This case is based on theory and practices evolved at the Dow Chemical Company.

The information presented in this case was gathered through interviews and observations carried out during the time Ms Joy attended the Initiative for A Competitive Inner City business support program in 2017. In addition, focus groups that took place after the program provided important information and insights into her decision-making process and business goals. Additional interviews were conducted in 2018 and 2019 after the business program ended to gain in-depth knowledge of Ms Joy’s entrepreneurial journey.

This case details the experiences of Winsome Joy in recognizing market opportunities in the child care industry and then expanding into the educational materials industry. The case focuses on challenges related to founding and sustaining her business and the ways in which Ms Joy engaged in “opportunity recognition” and “effectuation” to become a successful entrepreneur. The case points out the challenges of the child care and early education field in terms of professional training, hiring practices and retaining qualified staff. It provides an aspirational role model who has overcome these challenges by finding and recognizing new market opportunities.

This case is relevant for undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship.

This case uses an array of carefully selected and excerpted revenue recognition related information contained in Salesforce.com's January 31, 2019, 10-K. Maria, the fictional protagonist, is seeking to understand those disclosures as part of her preparation for an upcoming job interview with the company. As such, she is relying on those disclosures to provide insights as to the company's main product/service lines, the events that signal when and how much revenue the company has earned (i.e., the essence of its business model), along with the related official generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) criteria pertinent to the valuing and timing of recorded revenues.

The Max-Value Stores case provides an opportunity for students to apply the understanding of various financial reporting topics (revenue recognition, liability de-recognition, accounting changes, and deferred taxes) to determine the applicable GAAP for recognizing gift card ‘breakage’, the estimated amount of gift cards that is unlikely to be redeemed. The case requires students to examine several technical and conceptual financial reporting issues in a real-world setting and helps to strengthen students? accounting research capabilities, understand implications of the choice of an accounting policy for performance measurement and financial statement analysis, and develop critical thinking and professional judgment skills.

Emerging markets, business models, information technology.

This case is designed for MBA groups or students from MSc in Management, International Business, Logistics, Information Systems or Environmental Management programs. It can be covered in courses on Strategy, Process Management, International Business, Process Management, Supply Chain Management and Managing Information Systems.

Returpack is a Hungarian company dealing with reverse vending machines (RVMs) that collect aluminum beverage cans, even in crushed form, based on a worldwide technology innovation. All RVMs are online and monitored and managed remotely. RVMs are mainly “fed” by the poorest, often homeless people, who are still motivated by the extremely low (less than 1 euro cent for a can) incentive that comes from the selling of the aluminum waste to recycling smelters. Based on the success of the business model in Hungary, projects were planned in the USA, Austria, Romania, and Turkey in 2013. However, beyond economic, legal and cultural challenges, a dramatic decline in the global aluminum waste prices early in 2014 questioned the return on investment at these projects. Advancements in the material-recognition technologies at waste sorting plants raise further questions.

Evaluating the business model innovation in the case by combining the different approaches of the business model concept with the knowledge on the recycling industry, the crowdsourcing method and the Internet of Things. Based upon this, students may identify and evaluate options for implementing the business model in and adapting to new markets, also by simulating these changes in a formal (numerical) business model.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Strategy.

CSS 11: Strategy

This case is designed to enable students to understand the role of women in artificial intelligence (AI); understand the importance of ethics and diversity in the AI field; discuss the ethical issues of AI; study the implications of unethical AI; examine the dark side of corporate-backed AI research and the difficult relationship between corporate interests and AI ethics research; understand the role played by Gebru in promoting diversity and ethics in AI; and explore how Gebru can attract more women researchers in AI and lead the movement toward inclusive and equitable technology.

The case discusses how Timnit Gebru (She), a prominent AI researcher and former co-lead of the Ethical AI research team at Google, is leading the way in promoting diversity, inclusion and ethics in AI. Gebru, one of the most high-profile black women researchers, is an influential voice in the emerging field of ethical AI, which identifies issues based on bias, fairness, and responsibility. Gebru was fired from Google in December 2020 after the company asked her to retract a research paper she had co-authored about the pitfalls of large language models and embedded racial and gender bias in AI. While Google maintained that Gebru had resigned, she said she had been fired from her job after she had raised issues of discrimination in the workplace and drawn attention to bias in AI. In early December 2021, a year after being ousted from Google, Gebru launched an independent community-driven AI research organization called Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research (DAIR) to develop ethical AI, counter the influence of Big Tech in research and development of AI and increase the presence and inclusion of black researchers in the field of AI. The case discusses Gebru’s journey in creating DAIR, the goals of the organization and some of the challenges she could face along the way. As Gebru seeks to increase diversity in the field of AI and reduce the negative impacts of bias in the training data used in AI models, the challenges before her would be to develop a sustainable revenue model for DAIR, influence AI policies and practices inside Big Tech companies from the outside, inspire and encourage more women to enter the AI field and build a decentralized base of AI expertise.

This case is meant for MBA students.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CCS 11: Strategy

The case captures the origin and initial years of two restaurants Mirchi & Mime and Madeira & Mime, which exclusively employed Speech and Hearing Impaired persons (SHI) as servers (often called “waiters” in India). It documents how the restaurants were set up, captures significant incidents during this initial period and the impact of these incidents on the working of the restaurants. Further, it describes the challenge of opening a fine dining restaurant and a gastropub staffed exclusively by SHI persons as servers. The case narrates the reactions and impact on the SHIs and their families, co-workers within the outlets and the customers visiting these outlets. Finally, the case lists the recognition received by the organisation and outlines plans for the immediate future.

The case projects how a women-led social enterprise provides livelihoods through a digitally operated unique micro-entrepreneurship model for the rural artisans of the Indian handicrafts industry, thus bringing about social change through economic empowerment of the community.

To understand how women entrepreneurship is contributing towards livelihood generation and rural artisan empowerment in India. To understand the make-up of a for-profit social enterprise in the Indian Handicrafts Industry, its challenges and solutions through innovative business. To present the mindset and journey of a woman social entrepreneur. To present and understand the growth and scaling up of such unique social ventures. To understand a unique form of the micro entrepreneurship model being built through digital platforms.

The objective of writing this case is to bring out a case of women entrepreneurship in the craft-based industry in India. This case seeks to emphasise on the following learning themes in the area of entrepreneurship: Women entrepreneurship: trials and tribulations. Micro entrepreneurship/rural artisan empowerment. Livelihood generation and upliftment of the rural artisans and revival of dying art and crafts in the Indian craft-based industry. The novel ecommerce and data analytics experience being skilfully incorporated by small enterprises to their vantage and making both the seller’s as well as the buyer’s experience unique. The case highlights how the unique business models of social entrepreneurship through the use of technology bring the digital experience to rural India. Social entrepreneurship. The case narrates the story of a budding social entrepreneur Megha Das who is a textile designer by profession and showcases her journey towards the creation of unique digital platforms which transf

The case has been targeted to be taught in Masters level course in business management/administration, entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, development studies, gender studies, design, etc. Its watered-down version can also be taught in under graduate programs in commerce, business management, business administration, fashion and textile designing, entrepreneurship, development studies, gender studies, etc.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CCS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Strategy.

Post-Graduate and Executive Programmes in Management.

Mr Srinivas Kesineni has been chairman of Kesineni Tours and Travels for the last 19 years. Kesineni Tours and Travels is one of the fastest growing bus travel and transport organisations. The case describes the journey of Kesineni Tours and Travels since its inception. It also outlines different strategies adopted by the Chairman to reach newer heights, to survive and to grow in the turbulent times of changing technology and rising competition from different means of transportation. This unique organisation is run by family, friends and well-wishers of the owners, yet it is professional in its approach in operations. The board of directors of Kesineni Tours and Travels has approved the financial results of 2010, which shows 55 percent growth and Rs 86.71 crores turnover. This is a remarkable achievement and recognition for a company that has been in the business since 1992. In early 1992, entrepreneur Mr Srinivas Kesineni thought of a bus transportation business when he started with just two buses, and today when the organization is the largest tour and travel company in the region serving approximately 15 lack customers in a year covering 75 destinations with around 425 daily schedules. He and his team have been working tirelessly and the company has a remarkable presence in the tour and travel business in India with occasional innovative moves from optimising bus routing, initiating sleeper coaches, introducing Volvo buses to the fleet, entering the cargo transportation business and more. This business has grown at CAGR of 24.07 percent since 2000-2001. Students reading this case may come to the class with preconceived views that the journey of the organisation since its beginning is an ordinary story, but this case creates an opportunity for students to come to their own conclusion how different strategies and the synthesis is important for achieving desired outcomes form time to time. This case facilitates the deductive learning process by identifying different strategic elements form the case and to understand its synergy to explain McKinsey 7s framework.

These include: understanding different strategies and policies adopted by the organisation and its impact on performance; understanding the importance of alignment of processes and departments in achievement of organisational strategy; and analysing and understanding the concept of the McKinsey 7S Framework, which is a helpful tool to understand the performance of the organisation.

Teaching notes are available. Bradach, Jaffrey, Organisational Alignment: The 7S Model, Harvard Business School Publishing are useful for further reading.