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After completion of this case study, students will be able to help participants appreciate how the personal experiences of the founder(s) shape the inception of a social venture and impact its ongoing evolution; elucidate the intricacies and challenges inherent in managing a mission-driven organization dedicated to serving the underserved segments of society; emphasize the difficulties associated with exploring opportunities for scaling up a social venture; and facilitate comprehension of the various options and strategies available for achieving scalability.

The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), founded in 1992–1993 by Prof. Achyuta Samanta in Bhubaneswar, was a pioneering institution with a distinctive focus on providing high-quality education at all levels, exclusively to tribal students. From its inception, KISS remained unwavering in its commitment to the holistic development of marginalized tribal communities. It offered not just free education but also comprehensive support, including accommodation, food and health care, to thousands of students spanning from kindergarten to post-graduation levels. Remarkably, KISS held the unique distinction of being the world’s only university dedicated to tribal education. Over the years, KISS witnessed remarkable growth, evolving from a modest 125 students in 1992–1993 to a thriving community of 30,000 students. Its success garnered attention from federal and state governments, public institutions, philanthropists and corporations, all intrigued by the prospect of replicating its transformative model in diverse regions of the country. KISS even received invitations to establish similar campuses in neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. What set KISS apart was its self-sustaining approach. While it did receive support from like-minded organizations and government schemes, it operated without charging any fees to its students. This ethos posed a unique challenge for Samanta: determining the nature and extent of support and resources required should KISS choose to expand its impact beyond its current boundaries.

This case study is suited for inclusion in courses pertaining to social innovation and non-profit management, particularly in modules around the theme of scaling social innovation. It provides an illustration of the growth trajectory of social innovation-oriented ventures and the key factors underlining their success and sustainability. Furthermore, this case study delves into the inherent tensions that often emerge during the process of scaling up such initiatives.

In addition to the MBA-level courses, this case study can also be used as a resource for executive education programs with a specific focus on social purpose organizations and those dedicated to fostering partnerships in pursuit of social goals. It offers insights into the dynamics of these organizations and their collaborative efforts towards achieving social impact.

To effectively explore and analyse the case material, instructors should allocate approximately 70–90 min of class discussion time.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS11: Strategy.

Ethics in IT, community informatics, management.

Undergraduate and postgraduate information technology and citizens' rights, strategic decision making.

This case spotlights Athlete Sports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It focuses on the malfunction of the company's equipment that is rented from ABC Sports Equipment. Athlete Sports has been in the UAE over a decade and has positioned itself fairly at the top due to its qualified coaches and quality of facilities it provides. The case highlights the company's transition from owning equipment to leasing equipment that increases profits. However, it also sheds light on ABC Sports' venture into code reusability in order to upgrade equipments faster. The case looks closely at the ultimate consequences of ABC Sports' practice and the impact it has on Athlete's Sports' clients and the subsequent decisions the managers are expected to make.

This case can be used to teach strategic decision making, and ethics in information technology.

A teaching note is available on request.

The key learning from this case study include the following: first, there are various leadership types that leaders can exhibit, such as servant leadership and transformational leadership, and an individual’s leadership style can be evaluated by analysing his/her traits and behaviours. Second, decision-making is much more critical for leaders than for anyone else, and there are different approaches, such as rational and intuitive decision-making, that leaders can apply when making a decision. Third, in male-dominated work environments such as the sports sector, female executives should carefully weigh the risks and opportunities of leadership positions while being promoted.

The UPS Sports and Culture Club was founded in 2003 by Haluk Ündeğer in Zeytinburnu district, one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Istanbul that had a bad reputation for being high on crime and drugs. The club’s main goal was to train children from disadvantaged groups to develop a career in sports. Shortly after the club’s founding, Semra Demirer, a physical education teacher who had devoted her life to children’s physical, cultural and personal development, crossed paths with the UPS Club. In 2004, Demirer started to work at the UPS Sports and Culture Club as the general coordinator. She played an important role in the growth and development of many children over the years and helped raise very talented athletes such as Simge Aköz. In 2020, on the heels of financial and administrative difficulties, the club was at the risk of being shut down. Hence, Demirer grappled with the decision of whether to share this information with the employees and players in the club. She deeply considered how she could overcome the conflict between transparency and confidentiality she was experiencing.

The case study is suitable for undergraduate students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Upon completion of the case discussion, students will be able to: identify the enablers of a mental skills coaching process and the broad outcomes as a result of a coaching intervention; understand the contributing factors towards creating greater psychological safety in a team and the impact this has on team performance; and identify positive leadership strategies to create an environment in which meaningful work and goal achievement increase engagement.

Leanne Redding was the mental skills coach for Maccabi, a professional league soccer club in Johannesburg, South Africa. Redding had worked with the club’s players using mental techniques, the ultimate aim being to improve performance. Redding’s work was based on the premise of trust, lived values, self-respect and reflection. She believed that a strengths-based approach grounded in sports psychology and aligned with mental contrasting enabled resilience. Her process of holding individual and team sessions helped with sustaining motivation, overcoming limiting fears and encouraging focus on the greater good of the team. The result was Maccabi’s promotion to the professional league of soccer. However, not all of her broad stakeholder group had bought into the value of sports psychology coaching. The case explores Redding’s process and her belief of the importance and buy-in from all players of the team values which should inform behaviour. The case concludes with Redding contemplating what she should do to gain greater acceptance from the rest of the coaching staff for her work.

This case can be used in graduate and postgraduate level courses such as an MBA, in management development programmes or in short executive education courses focusing on organisational behaviour, leadership and human capital development and sports management.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management Science.

The Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) was founded as a Non-profit to support Indian athletes in their quest to win Olympic Gold medals by bridging the gap between the best athletes in India and in the world. The support from OGQ has been instrumental to India in winning its highest number of medals at any summer Olympics. Buoyed by this success, OGQ has set up a target of achieving eight Olympic medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. With OGQ relying on donations to support the athletes, the challenge is to market the Olympic cause by creating, communicating, and delivering the right offering for its donors.

This case study provides students with the challenge of advising a small restaurant reeling under the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in South Africa. In the process, they must use their analytical skills combined with tools derived from value-based management theory to develop a revised business strategy for the owner.

Agility in any business in modern times is essential to survival – and this is particularly so for small, entrepreneurial enterprises that lack the history and resources to survive dramatic changes in the operating environment. A small restaurant in the coastal holiday village of Port Alfred, South Africa is managing to deliver a reasonable return for its owner, a former corporate financier from Johannesburg. The Covid-19 crisis requires a fundamental rethink of business strategy to ensure a future for the business.

This case study is ideal for a module in entrepreneurship for delegates in a diploma, undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS: 3 Entrepreneurship.

The learning outcomes are to sensitise with the cause of sport development in India; to familiarize with the concepts of SDGs and sport development continuum in context of the Tata Trusts work in sports (Sports Portfolio); to relate strategy concepts of resources, SWOT analysis, cooperative implications, Carroll's CSR pyramid and Porter-Kramer strategic corporate social performance and shared value framework of inside-out and outside-in linkages with the Sports Portfolio strategy at the Tata Trusts; and to link sport development concepts like sport and development, sports development continuum and capacity building with the Sports Portfolio work at the Tata Trusts.

The case explores the sport and development issues faced by Ms Neelam Babardesai, Head of Sports Portfolio, Tata Trusts in Mumbai, India. The Trusts had a long history of contributing to the development of sport in India and looked forward to aligning their work in the sport with the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs). They started Sports Portfolio in 2016–2017 intending to complement their work in education and generate positive socio-economic change at the grassroots (local community) level in India. They also had the resources to implement the programmes. However, they were faced with issues like the deficiency of physical literacy in schools resulting in the disinterest of children and parents in sport and physical activity, which also might lead to health issues, later in life, minimal cooperation between entities involved with sport and development, lack of structured sports programmes and skilled human resources and the national sports policy needing better details and implementation and follow-up plans in India. Their strategic response was based on the use of a “sports development pyramid”, capacity building, alignment with the SDGs and complementary partnerships and collaborations. What were the outcomes? Should they continue with the same strategic approach? What should be their future course of action for sport and development? How should they respond to the COVID-19 crisis? Ms Babardesai reflected upon the above questions while concluding that India needed a long-term strategy for the development of sport.

The case is intended to be taught in the class of strategic management for postgraduate or master's level participants of business administration for concepts like resources, SWOT analysis, cooperative implications, corporate social responsibility (CSR), shared value and introducing the concept of the UN SDGs (SDGs), capacity building and sports development continuum (sports development domain) in context of the Indian sports scenario. The case should be equally useful in teaching relevant courses related to sports management and development. It may also be used for courses related to development studies and sustainability at the master’s level. The case may also be used by practitioners and researchers associated with sport and development/sports development and SDGs.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy

This case study focuses on basic business approaches in the decision-making by considering owners and stakeholders’ perspective in highlighting the related issues in customer service, marketing (marketing mix and product mix), strategy, business management and operational management of the sport business in the private sector of Abu Dhabi. At the end of this exercise, students should have a clear consideration of the following: understanding of the equestrian business products and services elements, description of the marketing mix the equestrian business products and services elements, definition of the product mix approach of the marketing mix in equestrian business management, distinguishing needs of product mix alternative decisions approach in equestrian business management in the private sector and labeling of two main customer services based issues and propose a solution using product mix alternatives approaches (expand/eliminate).

Mandara Equestrian Club (MEC) was the culmination of a dream for Faysal Urfali, a Lebanese entrepreneur, and his wife, who lived in (and loved) United Arab Emirates (UAE) for more than 20 years ago. The dream started in 2012, when the Urfali family was vacationing in Spain. They fell in love with the Arabian breed of horses, famous for their wide, flat forehead, soulful eyes, broad muzzle, erect ears, slender neck and flowing, shining mane. Arabian horses are also renowned for their beauty, loyalty, strength and intelligence. Arabian horses are an intrinsic part of Arabian tradition and heritage, always described in Arabic literature as a sign of pride, courage and dignity, in recitation legends of wars. The Urafalis did not have experience with horses during that period, but that did not stop them from starting an equine business in the UAE, specifically in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Urfali started MEC in Al Rahba City, a small town in the north site of Abu Dhabi, the Capital of UAE. At its inception in 2013, MEC was open only for private use. In 2014, Urfali decided to open the club to the public due to high demand from visitors and horses’ lovers who were visiting the place to see the horses and request horse rides. MEC carries forward Urfali’s passion for Arabian horses, as it specializes in the care and training of show horses. MEC also offers other equine activities and services for both horse owners and horseback riders. In early 2019, Urfali conducted a meeting to assess MEC’s financial statements and discuss daily business operations. The meeting determined that the club was facing several business challenges to address which, it needs some substantial changes in order to maintain its smooth-functioning. Challenges the club faced involved customer relationship management, customer attraction and skill shortages in the industry. Urfali understood that focusing on MEC as a business operation means raising the marker of success to more than just the fulfillment of a dream. Will MEC be able to keep its focus with such changes?

Undergraduate students majoring in Business Management, Marketing and Strategic Management.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy

Spiegel Online (www.spiegel.de) is the leading news Web site in Germany. The site was first designed to accompany Der Spiegel, one of Europe's largest and Germany's most influential weekly magazine, which has a weekly circulation of around one million. The site's content is produced by a team of more than fifty journalists writing in several categories: politics, business, networld, panorama, arts and entertainment, science, university, school, sports, travel, weather, and automobiles. The original content is complemented by articles purchased from news agencies and selected articles from the print edition. Spiegel-Verlag is a major contributor to the Hamburg Media School, which offers professional master's degree programs in Media Management (MBA), film, and journalism. In their second year, MBA students typically engage in consulting projects with major media companies. In a recent assignment, Spiegel Online posed two questions to the MBA team: are there any chances for an economically successful entry into the market for interactive classifieds? And if so, what should the business model look like in detail? A student team analyzed markets for classified ads and found one market segment that appeared to be particularly promising: the market for art objects. During the development of a business plan for a new venture in this market it became apparent that there is much uncertainty about the key input parameters to the business plan. As a result, it is very difficult to assess the viability of the business idea. How can the team properly account for the uncertain input parameters? What is the impact of this uncertainty on the bottom line? Will a Web site for art objects earn or lose money? How can the team communicate this uncertainty to a group of high-level decision makers who want a simple “go or no-go” recommendation?

The objective is to make students aware of the applicability of Monte Carlo simulation to the analysis of complex business plans. Students should learn how to explicitly account for uncertain inputs in a business plan, how to assess the impact of uncertainty on the bottom line via Monte Carlo simulation, and how to communicate the results of their analysis to high-level decision makers.

This case was based on secondary data that included various websites, news and academic articles, social media posts and press conferences before, during and after the World Cup. Multiple sources were examined to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information presented in this case. The goal was to gather relevant information on the Moroccan soccer team, its performance in the FIFA World Cup and the leadership strategies used by Walid Regragui.

“We are the dreamers, we let it happen: Morocco’s soccer team leadership story” explores the transformative journey of Morocco’s soccer team in the 2022 World Cup, highlighting the exceptional leadership of coach Walid Regragui and the power of shared values deeply rooted in Moroccan culture. The instructional manual provides faculty with a compelling case study to inspire discussions on leadership, followership, team dynamics and cultural identity. The case emphasizes the importance of harnessing cultural roots, building trust and unity within a diverse team, strategic vision and tactical brilliance. It demonstrates that with authentic leadership, belief in shared dreams and the strength of cultural values, extraordinary achievements can be realized. The case aims to inspire and educate students, encouraging them to embrace their own cultural heritage, foster teamwork and pursue their dreams with unwavering determination.

The academic level of this case can vary depending on the specific course or program in which it is being used. It is suitable for graduate levels in various fields such as leadership studies, sports management, organizational behavior, cultural studies, or international business. The case provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership, team dynamics and cultural identity, including faith and spirituality, making it adaptable for different academic levels and disciplines. Instructors can adjust the depth of analysis and additional readings or activities to align with the specific educational level and learning objectives of their course.