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Implementing a sustainability strategy requires firms to consider economic, strategic, environmental, and community perspectives. Suitable for MBA, undergraduate, and executive learners, this sustainability case covers innovation, intrapreneurship, and strategy. A technical note entitled, “Corporate Greenhouse Accounting: Carbon Footprint Analysis” (UVA-ENT-0113) is an effective complement. Frito-Lay’s Arizona facility pilots a program to take its snack chip manufacturing off the grid. Decision makers discuss operating, financial, marketing, and corporate strategy as the facility calculates its carbon footprint, converts to non-fossil-fuel energy sources, and stops relying on the scarce local water supply.

Cummins Generator Technologies India Limited (CGTIL) was in the process of setting up a world-class factory at Ranjangaon based on “lean” production principles. The project team, however, went a step ahead and married “green” with “lean”. While lean is about taking the system inefficiencies out, the green is about harmony with nature. The case is about CGTIL's journey of deriving synergies between seemingly conflicting objectives of lean and green.

After reading and analyzing the case study, the students would be able to identify the main stakeholders and decision-makers and their importance and influence on the environment for a product, evaluate the value chain of the product and critical decision-makers, evaluate the various ways to avoid falling into the trap of greenwashing and examine the marketing strategy to market an environmentally friendly product.

LIKO-S is a Czech manufacturing and construction company. The company has been designing and creating intelligent solutions, such as green facades or vertical greenery systems, to save energy in building heating and cooling systems. The company launched green facades in the Czech market. However, the main obstacle was the need for supporting data to showcase the positive environmental impact of green facades. Under these circumstances, Libor Musil’s main objective was to overcome prevalent misconceptions about green facades and find a suitable market segment. The situation worried the company, as LIKO-S had heavily invested in developing and marketing the green walls. The management had to tackle this challenge as soon as possible to recover the substantial research and development and marketing investments. Furthermore, owing to lack of information, even genuinely sustainable products were seen as greenwashing. In addition, bad or wrong customer perceptions of these walls might spill over to other products, tarnishing the company’s image and threatening its survival in the domestic market. Under these circumstances, competitors might enter the Czech market, jeopardizing the company’s overall profits. Consequently, Libor was in a great dilemma about managing the financial and reputational risk of the company. Should Libor close the green walls unit, explore different markets/uses or help increase awareness among the general population about green walls by finding a suitable marketing strategy?

The case study was designed for graduate-level students in the strategic management (CSR and innovation module) courses. However, the case could also be an excellent addition to marketing courses dealing with customers’ perceptions of innovative products and strategies to improve the adoption of the product.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

Upon completion of this study, students will be able to define, explain and describe sustainability and its application in the business context; learn and demonstrate their understanding of current practices, processes and operations in companies that are aligned to business sustainability by identifying such in the case study to enable them to provide relevant examples; discuss and describe sustainable operations and practices across different industries; identify sustainable themes in manufacturing sectors and other related industries; and identify sustainable strategies for production and manufacturing processes.

This case study focused on Gunung Raja Paksi (GRP), a steel manufacturing company in Indonesia, with a portfolio in steel trading, cement plants and carbon markets. The case study covered the COVID-19 crisis period, especially the year 2020, which disrupted the normal operations of businesses and subjected the community to economic challenges. The emergence of GRP’s prominence in sustainable business attributed to the initiatives advanced by Kimin Tanoto, the chief executive officer (CEO) and chairperson of the Indonesia Iron and Steel Association (IISIA). Kimin Tanoto assumed leadership of GRP, a family-owned business, in 2018, despite being the second son. At the time of Kimin’s induction into the board of commissioners, two main challenges – the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the supply chains, and the company culture that resisted sustainable business approaches – acted as detriments to profit-making. Sustainable efforts, however, contributed to noticeable success during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

The case is suitable for instructions in undergraduate courses in Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Sustainable Resources, Engineering and Management, Bachelor in Sustainable Environmental Management, Bachelor of Culture and Arts in Smart and Sustainable Design, Bachelor in Sustainable Solutions and Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, and other instructions on sustainable practices.

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CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The case could be used in many courses in the field of business and management, for example, environmental management, strategic management, corporate strategy, green or sustainable marketing and international business.

The case has a difficulty level of being appropriate for undergraduate and postgraduate students. However, in utilizing this case as a required component of business courses at various levels, the authors have discovered a different approaching between undergraduate students and postgraduate students in answering those discussion questions. Undergraduate students have tended to focus on the more conceptual and basic approaching based on understanding the main concepts of environmental upgrading. Postgraduate students have a better application and critical thinking based on a better understanding of the fundamental knowledge and concepts. Accordingly, the case has been developed in a manner that will allow students to realize the importance of environmental issues and analyze the company’s main issues as detailed in the case and then suggest opinions and any ideas for the strategy the company should consider and pursue in future. Furthermore, students should identify several points on the company’s chosen strategies and actions for environmental upgrading.

This case is written in the form of an interview with the Chairman and chief executive officer of VIYELLATEX Group, one of the leading firms which embarked upon environmental upgrading in the apparel industry of Bangladesh and in the world. This is an analytical case and not a decision-making one. The main theme of the case revolves around analyzing what drove VIYELLATEX Group to upgrade environmentally, how the group upgraded, the challenges that VIYELLATEX Group has faced and outcomes of environmental upgrading. Environmental upgrading implies an improvement in environmental performance through changes in technological, social and organizational processes and avoiding or reducing the environmental impacts of businesses. In summary, the VIYELLATEX case is an investigation of a leading company in Bangladesh to implement environmental standards and management practices being part of the apparel global apparel industry governed by global retailers and brand marketers.

The learning outcomes are understanding of “corporate sustainability” as a corporate social responsibility of business philosophy, understanding of key features of the apparel industry in Bangladesh, understanding of the main issues and challenges faced by the apparel firms (suppliers) involved in international business regarding environmental upgrading, understanding of the relationship with primary stakeholders, in particular buyers of apparel firm (defining stakeholders and how to cooperate with stakeholders) and understanding of the environmental upgrading in terms of its drivers, processes and outcomes.

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CSS 4 Environmental Management.

This case provides useful material for discussion on topics such as sustainability, business continuity, corporate social responsibility and green IT.

The case could be used in different areas of business management such as general management, information systems and business strategy.

The case presents the progressive evolution of Infosys Limited from its beginnings through different stages of innovation and consolidation in the IT services industry. Senior executives at Infosys believe that the sustainability initiative at Infosys is not a new movement, but a logical extension of the company's long standing commitment to society and environment. Sustainability was a key agenda at Infosys and it was deeply ingrained in the company's ethos and the way in which it operated. The case also articulates the company's commitment to sustainability as evidenced by the involvement of the top management in providing leadership. From an academic standpoint the case provides pointers to look at how the IT services industry has responded to sustainability practices and how sustainability practices are different or similar across various firms.

The case can help students to answer the following questions: How is sustainability different from corporate social responsibility? What is the context in which Infosys' attention turned towards sustainability? How is top management involved in Infosys' sustainability initiative? What are the elements of Infosys' sustainability strategy? How does it build on its core strengths? What are the structural mechanisms the company has provided to implement its sustainability strategy? What internal challenges to change while implementing green solutions were foreseen and overcome by Infosys? How competitive is Infosys' sustainability practices with respect to its competitors? How does it help the company in competing in the market?

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The case is meant for teaching business management students at the Postgraduate and Executive levels. It can be incorporated in the marketing management, entrepreneurship and international business course curriculum.

Since its inception in 2015, VAHDAM India had carved a niche for itself in the Global Tea Industry in a span of just seven years. The 29-year-old Founder-CEO, Bala Sarda was the first to create India’s largest born-global direct-to-consumer (D2C) premium wellness brand by bridging the gap between demand and supply of the country’s finest teas and superfoods globally. The venture also became a poster child for sustainability by strengthening its green credentials over the course of time.Having attained profitability in FY21, VAHDAM now aims to become a ₹500 Cr. brand by FY24. To push the goal across the line, channelisation of marketing will take centre stage. The case highlights the management’s dilemma of using green marketing as the pivot for increasing its market share in the emerging economies and boosting revenue. The underscored opportunities and challenges have to be addressed so as to formulate a green marketing mix suitable for the emerging market scenario.

Participants will develop an understanding about the evolving consumption landscape inclining towards eco-friendly wellness products and the relationship between green marketing mix, brand equity and its channelisation towards revenue generation. They will also get an overview of marketing challenges faced by a premium D2C wellness brand while entering an emerging market. The readers shall be able to analyse and suggest ideas for the formulation of an effective green marketing mix to meet the consumer expectations and achieve desired brand positioning.

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CSS 8: Marketing

Quality management among multiple business units of a large organization is often difficult if each unit is run independently in terms on their quality standards. In this case, participants will discuss how Bukhari Group of Companies should establish a common brand image through standardized quality. Participants should also understand that common brand image for diverse products does not mean identical level of rejection or customer complaints. It should be understood that different markets have different tolerance for product failures. The participants can chalk out the measures the protagonist of the case should be able to take to effectively steer the Bhukari Group to achieve profits and excellence.

The aim is to make students deliberate on the prospects and challenges of green practices and developing an understanding of the significance of the decision to be taken by marketers and how data can help even in small-sized entrepreneurial decision-making. Upon completion of this case study, the students will be in a position to achieve the following: • Identify factors that are essential for organizations to think of including planet while formulating strategies. • Understanding the significance of research in studying green consumer behavior and the research process. • Interpreting and critically evaluating the survey. • Suggesting measures how to improve the survey so conducted and recommending solutions.

Parsa’s is a case about a quick-service restaurant in an Indian emerging market, which faces the harsh realities of environmental degradation. In a very short span of time, Parsa’s has evolved as a reputed brand – steadily growing with around 16 outlets across different parts of India, most of them in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Indian subcontinent’s landmass is getting buried under its own garbage with the country adding more than 15 million metric tonnes of waste every day. This unmanageable waste generation, which is piling up, adds to the pollution of land, air and water. To curb this menace, India’s Government came up with a one-time plastic ban on October 2nd, 2019. At Parsa’s, Javeed – its owner, had envisioned in 2018 to transit to greening their business activities. The organization’s greening was providing a unique selling proposition. However, they were still in early transition. Indian market being an emerging one, is yet to adopt green practices. In addition, J&K is no different from the rest of the nation. However, Parsa’s had to now think beyond the plastic ban, which was mandatory to all and this strategy will no more provide a competitive advantage. Both the partners were unsure whether the consumers were ready or they need more awareness. Javeed, a management graduate, suggested to conduct a survey in the Kashmir region as their quick-service restaurant had a good holding in most of the districts of Kashmir.

This case is most suitable for graduate and post-graduate level program, ideally in the following courses offered: • and in areas of marketing research, where the students can develop an understanding of how research can help marketers in studying consumer behavior • in strategic management concerning a bigger ambit of sustainability; this case can cover the issues about decisions regarding going green strategies.

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CSS 8: Marketing.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Manufacturing, Western management theories and Japanese management practices.

This case can be used in project management or management-related courses at tertiary institutions at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.

This case provides students with an opportunity to find out what make Toyota so successful in manufacturing through its famous production system as well as the underlying Toyota Way principles. All students are expected to understand the Toyota Way model with a balanced view that goes beyond a set of lean tools such as just-in-time. This case opens a historical account for the Toyota Way model by connecting with possible Western management theories and Japanese management practices.

It is expected to significantly benefit students with industry experience with the intention of initiating appropriate changes in their own industry and/or organization by applying what they have learnt from the Toyota Way, through bridging with Western management theories.

Teaching notes.