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The following subjects are addressed through the case: Integrated thinking; professional skills; ethics and values; sustainability; and responsible leadership.

This teaching case is aimed at Postgraduate accounting honours or masters students or MBA students.

The case begins on 16 May 2018, with Jason Roberts, Head of Environmental Programmes at World wide fund for nature (WWF), reflecting over bad news. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (“DAFF”, also referred to as “government”), have just approved the 2017/2018 Total Allowable Catch (“TAC”) for the West Coast (WC) rock lobster at 1,924 tons, almost three times the amount recommended by the scientific community. The events describe a history of tension between the primary objectives of the WWF and the government; difficulties in stakeholder management, and the potential consequences for the survival of the WC rock lobster and those who depend on it for their livelihood. The different perspectives held by different stakeholders; the relevance of the scientific evidence; the legal provisions in place and the process applicable to making the TAC decision; all highlight the complex environment in which decisions were made; to which the WWF is wondering how to respond.

The case’s primary learning objective is to highlight the variety of considerations involved in complex decision-making, also known as “integrated thinking”. Students will be required to critically analyse and evaluate the information in the case, as well as the exhibits; to comment on the appropriateness of various decisions and recommendations; evaluate the ethical/moral responsibilities of WWF; understand different perspectives and the reasons for these perspectives; identify actions and statements that reflect responsible leadership, as well as those that reflect the contrary; and apply learnings from this case to personally reflect on one’s role as a responsible business leader.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

At midnight on Thursday, 26 March 2020, the South African government ordered a three-week lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently extended this lockdown for a further two weeks until the end of April 2020. Among other measures, businesses not classed as “essential” had to cease operation. This meant that Jonathan Robinson, founder of the Bean There Coffee Company had to close his trendy Cape Town and Milpark coffee shops, as well as the company’s hospitality and corporate business. At the same time, Bean There’s costs increased by 25%, as the rand: dollar exchange rate worsened substantially. A glimmer of hope was that the company was able to continue roasting coffee and supplying its retail clients. Unlike most captains of industry, Robinson was not driven by the bottom line and clamouring shareholders. His corporate strategy was driven by a single, simple purpose: to achieve ethical sustainability aspirations while still running a profitable business. The question for him now, however, was how to ensure that his company could survive in the short term, so that it could achieve these goals in the longer term, and whether he could take this opportunity to think about whether his business was best positioned to achieve these goals when things returned to normal.

The learning outcomes are as follows: conduct a thorough analysis of a specific company and its industry, including its markets, competitors, and other aspects of the internal and external business environment, using a range of tools, including a Business Model Canvas (BMC), SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis; analyse and explain the market outlook of a company; identify and analyse a company’s competitors; discuss and explain a detailed implementation plan showing the way forward for a company, considering its current challenges, including integrating a range of conceptual and analytical fields of knowledge to assess a management dilemma, and arrive at a creative and innovative management solution; and be able to present information and defend substantial insights and solutions to a management dilemma in oral and written modes, appropriate in standard for both the academic and business communities to analyse and appreciate.

Postgraduate Diploma in Management, MBA, Masters in Management, Executive Education.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

This study enables to critique the development of a sustainability strategy brand; integrated reports, sustainability reports, usage of safe internet and online learning skills to reduce inequalities and increase stakeholders’ values.

Digi Telecommunications (Digi) has been publishing annual sustainability reporting in line with Global Reporting Initiatives since 2009. Albern Murty, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digi, the largest player in the mobile telecommunications industry in Malaysia by the number of subscribers, decided to establish a responsible business brand known as Yellow Heart in 2018 to better serve their stakeholders demand. There was a low stakeholder understanding of Digi’s sustainability efforts and societal impacts. Digi’s Sustainability department aspired to make Yellow Heart the best industry practice for continuous improvements by making Responsible Business commitment one of the main pillars of the company’s strategy and vision. Yellow Heart was linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)10 on reducing inequalities by focusing on Digital Inclusion and Resilience to increase safe access opportunities, provide marginalized communities with opportunities to pursue interests in digital learning pathways and create a more sustainable digital future for all. The case study illustrates the sustainability management at Digi and the planned migration from sustainability reporting to integrated reporting to build trust in the business with all the stakeholders. The case dilemma involves the challenges that Philip Ling Oon Hun, the Head of the Sustainability, faced in deciding the SDGs to focus on and measuring and reporting their outcomes to contribute to the greater good, not only in pure business terms but also to society at large.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate or graduate-level programs in Accounting, Corporate Governance and Strategy Implementation.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

This case is about Kija Kim, a Korean born founder and CEO of Harvard Design and Mapping Inc. (HDM). Founded in 1988, HDM is a cutting-edge GIS firm with $5 million in revenue and 35 employees in their Cambridge, MA and Washington D.C. offices. Through Kija Kim's leadership, HDM has become a significant niche player in homeland security and disaster relief. The case ends in fall 2005 just after HDM provided Hurricane Katrina mapping support, and Kija is nominated for the SBA Small Business Person of the Year. This case explores the intersection between cultural heritage, leadership effectiveness and organizational behavior. It particularly notes Kija's ability to turn her immigrant female minority status into a business advantage. This strength coupled with her ethos of care and ability to network in all walks of her life contributes to her distinctive and integrated leadership style. Definitions of leadership success and implications for decision making are also highlighted.

Leadership, international business, financial reporting, entrepreneurship

The case study is aimed at undergraduate students at a 300 level.

Mr Badr Jafar, co-founder of the Pearl Initiative (PI), is the chief protagonist in this case study set in the Gulf Arab states. He launched this company at the United Nations in September 2010, and the launch was timely, as business leaders were looking to rebuild the global economy following the economic downturn. The Initiative was originally the idea of a number of leading company owners in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The company vision is to improve business practices for the benefit of business and society in the future, but the context is one of a highly competitive and secretive business environment. The mission of the PI is to improve private sector corporate culture to one of transparency and accountability. The PI approaches that mission through building a network of business leaders in the GCC, particularly those from the family-owned companies in the private sector. A biography of the founder and the background to the founding of the PI is given, followed by a rationale of the company structure. The potential influence of the network of companies and leaders on the socio-business climate is considered. The specific activities are outlined within the strategy of the PI to address four key business areas: anti-bribery and corruption; corporate governance; corporate reporting; and women in leadership The PI focuses on raising awareness about the potential benefits of social entrepreneurship for business and society. To what extent this relatively new model of business can be successful in the context of the GCC is a case dilemma. Key issues: There are two main issues raised in the case study: the rationale for the relatively new business model of social entrepreneurship and the extent to which PI can modify the past and current GCC business environment by addressing the four business areas.

Students will be able to: analyze the business case for social entrepreneurship and explain the contribution of PI activities for changing the business environment.

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

Industry analysis and market attractiveness: Understand how to analyse an industry, using the dairy sector in Uganda as an example and what makes a market attractive for incumbents or future entrants. Value disciplines: Understand and apply the different value disciplines companies can choose from to achieve market-leading positions. Business integration: Understand some of the key benefits of vertical integration and when it may or may not make sense to integrate. Doing business in Africa: Understand the specific generic challenges of doing business in Africa, particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Generalisability of frameworks: Realise that the same frameworks that are used to analyse large firms and mature markets can be applied to smaller firms in less developed markets.

The case is set in the early months of 2020, as Bernd Schanzenbächer, founder and managing partner of EBG Capital (a Swiss investment firm that manages a multimillion global portfolio of agricultural investments), and his team are deciding whether to invest in a dairy farm in Uganda. The opportunity looks quite interesting and the EBG Capital team believes there is a good fit between the farm owners’ needs, its management team’s objectives and EBG Capital’s strengths and interests. However, the dairy market in Uganda faces many challenges and, while the market-demand fundamentals appear promising, the team wonders if it is the right time to invest. The issue for EBG Capital is to understand what makes the Ugandan dairy industry so challenging and to determine how to fix or mitigate some of the industry’s most pressing problems – given that it will be the firm’s first investment in the country – as well as for deciding where it makes sense to play in the broad value chain (i.e. only in milk production or also in milk processing).

Masters in Business Administration and Executive Education courses.

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CSS 11: Strategy.

Market development.

This case is intended to be used in strategic management, operations management for both undergraduate and graduate courses. It can also be used for value innovation and market development.

This case focuses on market development by Patanjali, a fast-growing organization crossing US$1bn of sales in five years of time span and declaring a target of doubling this figure in the financial year 2016-2017 (to reach US$1,500m). The prime focus of Patanjali is the health food segment based on herbal and Ayurveda science through the use of organically grown agricultural produce by integrating the associated value chains while radically benefitting all the stakeholders in a two-way process as suppliers as well as buyers/consumers. The fundamental context of the case is associated with the value chain development in terms of value addition on the basis of the organizational and leadership values in all the elements of the value chain of Patanjali products starting from suppliers to customers. The case emphasizes the role of the Patanjali Food & Herbal park in the value chain. Patanjali Food & Herbal Park is constantly striving for nation building more than profit accumulation. They have created a sustainable business benefiting all the stakeholders. The backbone of the Patanjali Food & Herbal Park lies in robust backward linkage and forward linkage. The context of the case presents an account of how the values based integration of the value chain is a strategic advantage and safeguards an organization from business environment threats.

The context of the case presents an account of how values based integration of the value chain is a strategic advantage and safeguard an organization from business environment threats. The case has a deep-rooted theoretical association with models like Porter’s Five Forces model on the one hand and also exemplifies how an organization can use blue ocean strategy through value-based value innovation. The context of the Black Swan perspective also emerges in the narration.

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

CSS 11: Strategy.

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows:

1. understand the role of financial inclusivity in the sustainable development of a nation;

2. examine the concept of social entrepreneurship and identify the skills needed to be a social entrepreneur;

3. analyze the opportunities and challenges faced by social entrepreneurs, especially in an emerging economy; and

4. assess the feasible options with respect to upscaling and expansion.

Yamuna Sastry, a young woman from a traditional Indian family, had set out to achieve her dream of financial inclusivity by helping the underprivileged in her country gain financial independence and credibility. When she was approached by a cab driver to file tax returns for him, a new venture took shape in her mind, and along with a partner, CabDost, a socially driven financial advisory start-up was created to provide financial advisory services exclusively for cab drivers. CabDost had been instrumental in making over 15,000 cab drivers financially literate, instilling in them a culture of compliance, getting them tax refunds and enabling the Indian Government recover eight crores in taxes. The success of financial inclusivity among cab drivers inspired CabDost to extend its financial services to truck drivers, auto drivers, housekeeping staff and other contractual workforce. The company found it challenging to address the demands of the increasing customer base with its available technical resources. The absence of an in-house tech team and the need for an all-in-one tech platform to provide a wide variety of financial services induced CabDost to explore other options. Dvara Money, a neo bank offering financial services, approached CabDost with a merger proposal. Though it was a lucrative offer, the founding members were apprehensive as they knew that most of the mergers failed because of myriad reasons. They were contemplating on their next move as they were in a dilemma about whether to develop a technical team in-house or to go ahead with the merger.

The case can be taught to business management students as a part of the introductory course on entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurship. The case can be used specifically to make the students understand the role of financial inclusivity in the sustainable development of a nation, the concept of social entrepreneurship, the journey of social entrepreneurs in the financial inclusivity space, right from ideation to execution, the challenges faced in the bargain, survival mechanisms adopted and the various options available for further growth and expansion.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Andreas Stihl AG is the world's leading manufacturer of chain saws and other outdoor handheld power equipment. Based on marketing challenges in its high-volume retail channel—mass merchants such as The Home Depot and Lowe's—Stihl's U.S. unit has narrowed its distribution system to a single channel: independent retail dealers specializing in yard maintenance equipment. This risky and highly publicized decision has proved extremely successful, raising profits, attracting more dealers into exclusive relationships with Stihl, and strengthening the brand's top-quality positioning. But Stihl management are concerned that this channel system may not fit tomorrow's demographics, dominated by homeowners from the so-called Generation X and Generation Y. The case outlines Stihl's business and channel systems and customer needs, then poses a series of questions that management believes must be answered to determine whether to maintain or move away from reliance on its specialty retailers and how to adapt its system.

To understand issues related to retail channel strategy development in fast-changing consumer markets, as well as the challenges of adapting legacy routes-to-market systems to changing consumer service output demands.

Fundraising, Marketing Strategy.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate.

Professional fundraising plays a key role in the operation and sustainability of various forms of organizations, particularly non-governmental organizations (NGOs). “Fundraising for Life” is the success story of a center that is totally dependent on fundraising to achieve its mission of lifesaving and treatment for children with chronic diseases regardless of their financial situation. This case sheds the light on the primary sources of contributions, the importance of an integrated development program, the mutual benefits of partnering with other entities and the challenges encountered in the fundraising endeavors in this developing and unstable part of the world.

The students will be able to explore the current practices used in fundraising as well as the marketing and communication strategies employed in nurturing and maintaining relations with potential donors and partners. They will also be able to explore the internal and external challenges and opportunities available for fundraisers.

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