The co-founders of the custom bra company DOUBL were facing the dilemma of how to achieve all of the stand-out features they envisioned their product having. Notably, they were struggling to develop the custom fit they had dreamed of for their product and deciphering how to build it in the low-skill Canadian garment economy. The founders had to make a decision about whether to persevere with their dream product and brand positioning, or forfeit one .....more

Teaching note for product W42380.

Scott McLaden was a senior product manager at Trustark, a business-to-business software-as-a-service company based in San Francisco. He was promoted directly from a level-three to a level-five role, where he initially thrived, but after a managerial change in the first half of financial year 2024–25, his performance declined sharply, leading his new manager to threaten him in October with either a formal performance improvement plan or a demotion. .....more

Fleet Feet Charleston, founded in 2013 by Chris and Amy Minkel, expanded from a single Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, store to four running-specialty shops. Guided by an employees-first, community-second, customers-third philosophy, it delivered expert gait analysis and local programs. Yet weekend wait times exceeded 30 minutes, lost-sale walk outs were rising, and high staff turnover threatened service consistency. Amid margin pressure from other .....more

Teaching note for product W45965.

Teaching note for product W45955.

West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) faced challenges in managing its day-to-day cash requirements. Substantial cash was often blocked in receivables from domestic customers and regulatory deferrals. The company regularly took short-term loans from banks to meet its day-to-day needs, resulting in a debt-trap that the company wanted to avoid. WBSEDCL considered offering a cash discount to domestic customers for expediting .....more

Teaching note for product W45939.

The Bay was a unique non-profit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, that provided a welcoming third space community for kids who did not fit in, affectionately known as misfits. The Bay grew to include a hang out, skate park, music venue, and art gallery, and it partnered with the public school system to offer diplomas and gap year education. By 2025, having successfully served Lincoln youth for over a decade, the charismatic founder, Mike Smith, .....more

In 2018, the chairperson of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan), Carlos Ghosn, was arrested for alleged misconduct and criminal offences related to underreporting remuneration and misrepresenting annual disclosures. Detailed investigations revealed similar misrepresentations by the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) Hiroto Saikawa, who was forced to resign. The actions of senior officials left a deep stain on Nissan’s reputation, causing investors .....more