Search results

The primary learning objectives/outcome of case discussion is to apply design thinking principles to design innovative and socially responsible strategies that promote financial sustainability for organizations serving unique societal needs. The secondary learning objectives/outcome of case discussion is to gain a deeper appreciation for the potential social impact of their innovative ideas and understand the complexities and ethical considerations in social entrepreneurship, especially when working with individuals with special needs.

The case study describes the challenge facing Anil Kumar Kundra, the founder and trustee of Autism Ashram and Autism Guardian Village in Hyderabad and Gujarat, an organization that provides shelter and care for individuals with autism and residential facilities for their parents. Autistic individuals often lack social skills and may face challenges in reading, writing and communicating. In addition, they may experience behavioral issues, making it difficult for them to obtain employment or run their own ventures, resulting in a lifetime financial dependency on their guardians. In August 2023, Kundra, in pursuit of sustainability, aims to empower autistic individuals in the ashram to attain financial independence. He envisions Autism Ashrama as a self-sustaining entity, no longer dependent on contributions from parents. The dilemma facing Kundra is the need to identify innovative ideas that will enable these autistic individuals to contribute to revenue generation. The challenges faced by autistic individuals in their day-to-day lives make Kundra’s decision-making complex. While he acknowledges the challenge, he firmly believes that a handful of transformative ideas can bring about a revolutionary shift in the ecosystem for autistic individuals, rendering this business model truly sustainable. The case study invites students to help Kundra identify innovative ideas using design idea techniques, such as the Stanford d.school model.

This take-home assignment is suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and is designed to explore the integration of sustainable business practices and design thinking in a real-world context.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management science.

A family media enterprise with very strong family culture and values is in the third and fourth generations of ownership and governance. They face a crisis when a large number of family shareholders want to cash out their shares. What led to this situation? How could it have been avoided? How should it be resolved?

Lack of succession and liquidity planning can harm the business through generations when it becomes a crisis.

The Dudley Beauty case illustrates a contemporary branding, management and marketing challenge facing many companies that are 50 plus years old. Movahhed (2016) highlights the six elements to consider during brand strategy: the target audience, the brand promise, brand perception (past, current and future), brand values, brand voice and brand positioning. The times have changed with changing macroenvironmental factors including political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and other environmental (PESTLE) changes that affect a business but which the business does not directly control.

The case is based upon an interview with Dudley Beauty CEO and President Ursula Dudley Oglesby and secondary sources.

The “A Makeover for Dudley’s Q+” case explores the challenges of a second-generation textured hair care and personal care company in the direct selling channel as it faces an aging market and changing business and economic environment. A Black-owned company, begun in 1967 by her parents, Dudley Beauty is led by the founders’ daughter, Harvard College and Harvard Law School-educated, Ursula Dudley Oglesby. At over 50 years old, the company has continually created new textured hair products and has high brand awareness among older Black consumers but has not adequately addressed changing hair trends and shifting communication preferences of younger consumers. The company is at a critical point needing to reach a younger, larger market to survive. The business situation supports marketing, management, strategy, and/or entrepreneurship undergraduate students in understanding how macroenvironmental forces and internal structures affect businesses.

This case is intended primarily for use by undergraduates in a variety of courses. It is suitable for courses in Principles of Marketing, Entrepreneurial Marketing, general Entrepreneurship and Marketing Strategy courses covering topics such as direct selling, the role of environmental factors in business, rebranding efforts using digital and social media marketing and women/minority business owners.

In mid-2012, after successful years in large public companies and obtaining an MBA, middle daughter Jen, 32, is trying to decide whether the time is right for her to enter her mother and sister's small family business to grow it further. Destira, Inc. was a designer/manufacturer of gymnastics wear for girls, headquartered in California. Donna Levy founded the company in 1990, after years of making leotards for her three daughters, who were competitive youth gymnasts, and getting requests from other parents to make the garments for their own children. In 2005, when Donna's oldest daughter, Jodi, joined Destira, Donna gave her a 50 percent equity stake. Between then and year-end 2011, the pair grew the revenues from $550,000 to $1.06 million, increased the number of outlets carrying the brand, upgraded the internal accounting/operations software, and added an online direct-to-customer retail business. The case shows realistic considerations for the individual, family, and business when evaluating whether or not to commit to join the family enterprise.

Social entrepreneurship

Bachelor/master students.

Women Empowerment through Local Livelihood (WELL) is a social venture that was founded in September 2005, by Danny Merguei. Danny was raised in Israel and had a long career in the corporate world as an auditor. After many years of work, Danny and his family moved to India. Shortly after the family arrived to the south of India, one of the biggest tsunamis in history hit the Southeast coast, on 26 December 2004. Many women who were dependent on their husbands as the family’s breadwinners lost them to the tsunami. Danny reacted to the situation by setting up a program to help these women. As the businesses expanded and the effects of the tsunami subsided, the focus of WELL shifted to women from rural areas who were interested in starting a shared business with a group of other women. Women who are selected for the training offered by WELL are guided for six months on how to create products made of recycled materials, such as household items and accessories. During the training, the women also take classes on how to run a business and on personal development. After the women complete the training, they receive a micro loan to start their own businesses. WELL monitors their development, offers business consultancy and quality controls assistance for the products. WELL also buys the products from the women and sells them to shops in India and around the world. The income generated by these sales is used by WELL to sustain and increase its operations. The women, however, are free to decide whether they want to distribute their products through WELL or find other ways to generate income. The mission of WELL is to provide empowerment tools and alternative livelihood to women. Behind it is WELL’s vision to see the status of women in the Indian society and their self-empowerment improve.

With the help of the case and literature students should understand/learn: Some of the differences and similarities between social and commercial entrepreneurship. The students should try to inspect where there is an overlap in social and commercial entrepreneurship (and how this is reflected in the thought-process and decision of the entrepreneur) and where the two separate. The importance of the social mission in social entrepreneurship. This is one of the crucial differences that exists between social and commercial entrepreneurship. The students think about the motivation that drives the entrepreneur. The students should think about the influence that the lead entrepreneur has on the social business, and how the two are linked. That a social problem can have different layers. The students should come to a realisation that sometimes the “real” or deeper problem is not so easy to see and can be obscured by other more exterior problems. About the complexity involved in building up and operating a social venture. The students should try to identify with the protagonist’s struggles while maintaining their own points of view. To have a critical perspective when making an important decision, and to be able to use and put together the relevant information. How to apply models, theories and concepts from the provided literature to answer the case questions.

Teaching Note 2 videos.

CSS:3 Entrepreneurship.

This case study can be used in graduate- and executive-level.

This case study can be used in entrepreneurship, leadership, crisis management, business succession, organizational behaviour and business expansion.

In 2020, the EtonHouse International Education Group (EtonHouse) celebrated its 25th anniversary. Under the leadership of Ng Gim Choo, founder and managing director, EtonHouse has become a renowned education provider noted for its well-designed inquiry-based curriculum. Since its initial expansion in Singapore, the institution has spread across the world. Throughout its history, EtonHouse has faced many crises. However, employing paradoxical leadership, Ng Gim Choo has managed to accommodate conflicting demands and guide EtonHouse away from adversity. In early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) posed an unprecedented challenge to EtonHouse. In addition to developing business strategies in response to COVID-19, Ng Gim Choo has been considering whether the time is ripe to hand over the reins to Ng Yi Xian, her son and EtonHouse successor.

By presenting the dilemma of business succession in crises, the case study facilitates in-depth discussion of several issues related to family business succession, succession planning and crisis management. Students will be able to explore the following issues: 1. The concept and implications of paradoxical leadership and its application in business decisions. 2. How to lead during crises. 3. The tension between succession plans and crisis management. 4. The characteristics and implications of woman entrepreneurship.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The subject areas are business communication, human resource management and health care.

The case was designed for use in a first-year MBA-level course in business communication but would serve well in a course for executives or for advanced undergraduates. It might also be assigned in general management courses to evoke discussion on communication skills required in sensitive and critical situations; human resource courses; and course on health care.

Palliative care is a specialized medical care focussing on improving the quality of life of patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses. It addresses symptom management and psychosocial and spiritual concerns of the patient and its caregivers. With the intent to alleviate the sufferings of terminally ill patients, Rajbala Foundation, a non-government organization (NGO), works at the psychosocial and spiritual levels. While training their volunteers in effective palliative care communication, it often encounters challenges such as socio-cultural variations, organizational challenges, appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication, etc. This teaching case focuses on the communication challenges faced by the volunteers of Rajbala Foundation. It would lead to a broader discussion on communicating empathically during critical situations. The case has a focus on NGOs, and non-profit organizations, public sector management, health-care management and human resources management. There is significant literature on communication skills for medical practitioners in palliative care. As an increasing number of NGOs step in to provide the second level of care to critically ill patients in non-physical domains, there is a need to understand the role of effective communication for such care providers. This case deals with non-medical care providers in palliative care; the issues of communication they face as they interact with patients; and the skills they require to address the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

The aim of this case is to raise awareness of the complexities involved in the communication process during an emotional and sensitive interaction. It aims to encourage volunteers involved in palliative care to reflect on good communication practices when communicating with patients and family members. After reading this case, the students should be able to discuss the complexities involved in the communication process when communicating in situations with high emotional involvement; understand the core elements of emotional interactions for effective practice; and emphasize the need for the development of communication skills within palliative care.

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 6: Human Resource Management

The term emotional intelligence was coined by the researchers Peter Salavoy and John Mayer. The concept was popularized by Daniel Goleman through his book Emotional Intelligence published in 1996. According to Salavoy and Mayer (1990), emotional intelligence consists of a set of skills hypothesized to contribute to the accurate appraisal and expression of emotion in oneself and in others, the effective regulation of emotion in self and others and the use of feelings to motivate, plan and achieve in one’s life.

The case study uses two sources of information, namely, primary and secondary. Dr Dev, a senior training and development manager with a multinational company constituted the primary source. The secondary source consisted of information publicly available on various websites. The case has been disguised for various reasons.

Lady mosquito at NPS Mumbai is a case study on emotional intelligence, a much sought-after concept in management education, but not many case studies have been written on the topic. This case involves an interaction that took place between a facilitator and a learner, and it highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in day-to-day communication. The use of emotional intelligence will manifold improve the ability of the facilitator to understand the learners’ behavior in the classroom. This will further enhance the effectiveness of learning, as the motivated facilitator/trainer will be more committed to engaging the learners in their educational activities.

This case has been developed to be used in postgraduate and undergraduate management programs. This case can also be used in management development programs for executives. As the case provides a basic understanding of human behavior and thereby teaches to manage others just by managing oneself. As the case revolves around a facilitator and the learner, it can also be used in the trainer program for facilitators who desire to conduct training programs or want to take teaching as a full-time career.

Family business.

Specialized undergraduate courses, Elective MBA courses.

This case study uncovers the remarkable story of the relentless growth and sporadic weakening of Nurul Ain (NA) Limited, a family business conglomerate with major operations in the Eastern region of Africa. The case provides an opportunity to follow the different stages of development of this family-owned organization through a sequence of strategic events and family dynamics that led to its recurrent success, decline and rejuvenation. Despite the numerous successes of NA Limited since its establishment in the early 1990s, the ambiguous relationship between family, ownership and management systems has caused a ripple effect of strategic, structural and governance challenges that threaten the sustainability of the family business. Nowadays, the founder faces the pressing challenge of ensuring his legacy remains intact and is passed over to his chosen successor, who, in turn, is confronted with the dilemma of joining the family business or pursing an independent career outside NA Limited. Shedding light on the complexity of today’s family-run organizations, the case allows examining the effectiveness of strategic decision-making in an emerging market context by applying a variety of family business principles, theories and frameworks.

Discuss the sources of competitive advantage and the typical challenges that family firms face in the context of emerging markets. Perform a comprehensive corporate diagnosis and examine the specificities of strategic management process in family businesses. Assess the succession management practices in family-run organizations and design a profile of successful successor. Discuss the effectiveness of various corporate governance mechanisms in the context of family-owned enterprises. Evaluate the strategic choices of the top management team and offer recommendations for securing the family business longevity.

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.

Business management, entrepreneurship, strategic management and business environment.

Undergraduate and Masters level business and management programmes.

This case features a small labour intensive Chinese company, Bags of Luck (BoL), located in the south-eastern Fujian province. BoL makes ladies fashion handbags, unisex fashion backpacks and trendy lightweight cases for laptop and netbook computers for export to the US market. BoL have done very well over the years as a small private enterprise focusing on low-tech manufacturing and have managed to stay afloat through the most difficult period of the recent world recession. Currently troubled by fast changing market trends, rising material and employment costs, continuing appreciation of the Chinese currency, severe labour shortage, declining production volume and profitability, dated machinery, passive and reactive nature of business model, ineffective management structure and a complete lack of strategic vision, BoL is in deep crisis with its fate now hanging on the balance.

The case provides encourages students to: research into a range of current business management issues; analyse the impact of environmental changes on the survival and growth of a business organisation; develop their strategic thinking informed by real life and real-time research and assess the impact of exchange rate changes on the Chinese economy and the sustainability of Chinese model of economic growth.

Teaching note.