Case Studies

This case explores the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) creative and effective use of the private equity business model as a tool to mobilize financing for economic development around the world. In its bid to provide more capital for private…

In January 2016, Mr. Tahir Raza Mian, Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager at the Avari Hotel Lahore (until 1994 known and operated as the Avari Lahore Ramada Renaissance Hotel), was concerned about the average room rate at the hotel.  For the first time…

In 2004, Congress passed the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA).  Several corporate benefits were included in this sweeping legislation, including the introduction of tax credits to encourage the development and use of alcohol and biodiesel fuels. …

The pivotal role played by Intel in the development of the semiconductor industry, from the company’s founding in 1968 and focus on semiconductor memory products (SRAM and DRAM), through various innovations in microprocessor technology, and leading to the…

The case discusses the growth of a startup, Harry’s Shaving, and some of the cultural issues the firm has encountered since inception.  The company acquired a factory in Germany to manufacture razor blades for its online business.  The case addresses two…

The EMco and SolarT case is presented in a series of four short vignettes involved two women, Carrie and Marguerite, who have a twenty-year friendship.  Carrie, a venture capitalist, sits on the board of an energy management company called EMco.  When…

The EMco and SolarT case is presented in a series of four short vignettes involved two women, Carrie and Marguerite, who have a twenty-year friendship.  Carrie, a venture capitalist, sits on the board of an energy management company called EMco.  When…

The EMco and SolarT case is presented in a series of four short vignettes involved two women, Carrie and Marguerite, who have a twenty-year friendship.  Carrie, a venture capitalist, sits on the board of an energy management company called EMco.  When…

The EMco and SolarT case is presented in a series of four short vignettes involved two women, Carrie and Marguerite, who have a twenty-year friendship.  Carrie, a venture capitalist, sits on the board of an energy management company called EMco.  When…

This case focuses on major strategic challenges faced by Tenet Healthcare (Tenet), a U.S.-based health care provider, in 2014.  It discusses major changes to the health care provider industry over the previous decade―customer, demographic, reimbursement…

In September 2015, Executive Director Cynthia Rider and Artistic Director Bill Rauch submitted the 2015-2025 OSF Long Range Plan to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival board. With the festival leadership finally in place and stable, they collectively created…

By 2014, Palantir Technologies, a fast growing Silicon Valley company with global impact at the heart of its mission, had spent several years donating the same software to nonprofits that it sold to commercial customers to help solve some of the world’s…

Stephanie Collett sighed as she tried to focus on her laptop.  It was late at night shortly before Christmas 2012, and she had spent hours trying to make the math work on a struggling apartment complex.  Although she had no training or background in real…

The CareMessage case describes the evolution of the nonprofit organization from its founding in 2012 through the end of 2014.  CareMessage was launched by Vineet Singal, a young biological sciences graduate from Stanford University.  Having dealt with his…

The Off Grid Electric case focuses on the creation, growth, and financing of the company from 2011 through the middle of 2014.  The three cofounders saw an opportunity to provide solar electricity to much of Africa through their solar-as-a-service…

In November 2012, the Greek economy was on the precipice of collapse. Antonis Samaras, Greece’s newly elected Prime Minister, faced a difficult decision regarding the harsh terms of austerity proposed by the European Commission, European Central Bank, and…

The Year Up case deals with two ubiquitous issues that arise when managing a growing enterprise: an organization will outgrow systems; and it will outgrow employees.  Year Up, led by CEO Gerald Chertavian, provided education, training, and job…

The AlphaCredit case features Augusto Álvarez and José Luis Orozco, founders and co-CEOs of AlphaCredit, a rapidly growing financial services company in Mexico City.  Using two primary vignettes, the case highlights three challenges faced by Álvarez and…

Launched in 2007, SeaMicro developed one of the most innovative server products to hit the market in over a decade.  The SM10000 consumed one-quarter the power and space of conventional server products, thereby addressing a significant and growing pain…

The most important job of a manager is to hire great people―yet in the United States, one-third of all outside hires do not meet expectations.  A company’s success rate in hiring new employees can increase significantly by following best practices crafted…

Zintro, Stuart Lewtan’s second start-up, just completed a round of financing that was intended to fund a rebuild of the site’s user interface and provide Lewtan the cash needed to hire a first-rate senior management team.  But the hiring process had not…

Revenue Works tells the story of Mike Sutherland and how he grew the search fund company he acquired from $5 million to over $150 million in revenue. After growing the company with debt and returning dividends to investors through leveraged…

This case addresses some of the leadership challenges faced by Amy Errett, the CEO of a two-year-old startup, Madison Reed.  Madison Reed is an online hair care company delivering non-toxic hair color to thousands of women throughout the United States. …