The new business development manager for Evergreen Executive Education has been asked by the firm's CEO to develop a list of as many revenue growth ideas as he could over the next week. The COE saw this task as critical for the new services initiative that he had been hired to lead. The list would be an inventory of possibilities for ongoing consideration as well as a catalyst for other profession
The new business development manager for Evergreen Executive Education has been asked by the firm's CEO to develop a list of as many revenue growth ideas as he could over the next week. The COE saw this task as critical for the new services initiative that he had been hired to lead. The list would be an inventory of possibilities for ongoing consideration as well as a catalyst for other profession
Knowledge, creativity, adaptability, and the ability to learn are critical necessities in a world in which the pace of change is accelerating. Many of us will choose to or be required to make a career pivot, in which we must reassess our aptitudes, interests, and priorities. It is in these junctures that significant, positive change is possible. This is where transformational learning can occur.
This case uses one of Fannie Mae's credit-risk transfer instruments (CRT) to explore its data set platform and predict loan defaults through machine learning algorithms. The CRT, called Connecticut Avenue Securities (CAS), issued bonds valued on the performance of preselected pools of mortgages. The material works well to unfold natural language processing using Python. Through a three-class serie
This is a Chinese translation of the June 1, 2011, version of UVA-C-2318. This case provides a tutorial on the basic concepts associated with straightforward time-value-of-money scenarios. The topics of future value (FV) and present value (PV) are discussed and exemplified for both lump sum and recurring cash flow situations. In this vein, the derivation and use of four useful time-value-of-money
A senior industry analyst focused on aviation and aerospace at an investment advisory firm in Northern Virginia, pondered the potential implications of the acquisition by United Technologies Corporation of Rockwell Collins for aviation around the world. It was certain that the deal would impact not only the two companies involved, but it would also have a substantial impact on their customers, sup
The case examines the development and launch of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on JUST Capital's socially responsible corporate ranking methodologies. The case provides a market overview of Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) and socially responsible investing (SRI), what has driven growth in those areas worldwide, and several best-practice investment approaches. Following the
This note explores the first principles of pricing financial contracts. Debt contracts go by many names, but the term bond is used in this note to denote any market-traded debt contract. The note is divided into three sections. The first section examines the simplest of financial contracts?the zero-coupon risk-free bond contract. The second section examines bonds with the additional complexity of
In the summer of 2018, iconic American automaker Ford Motor Company (Ford) created a new limited liability company, Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC (Ford AV), and charged the organization "with accelerating [Ford's] AV business to capitalize on market opportunities." Alongside Ford's well-publicized push to debut robot-taxi and driverless delivery services in 2021 via the Ford AV unit, the company ha
To avoid significant global disruption, scientists assert that global warming must be kept below a two-degree Celsius rise from preindustrial levels—a goal formalized in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Meeting that challenge will require near-total decarbonization of global economic activity by 2060. The industrial sector accounts for close to a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Effort
To avoid significant global disruption, scientists assert that global warming must be kept below a 2-degree Celsius rise from pre-industrial levels—a goal formalized in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Meeting that challenge will require near-total decarbonization of global economic activity by 2060. The industrial sector accounts for close to a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. This br
This note provides a description of international flows and positions data, a way to identify extreme capital flow episodes (such as surges and stops), and a straightforward technique to predict whether a country should receive more or fewer portfolio inflows in the coming year based on a notion of benchmark inflows.
Using a comprehensive sample of publicly listed firms in 30 countries over the period 2001-2010, the authors found that greater foreign institutional ownership fosters long-term investment in tangible, intangible, and human capital—and leads to significant increases in innovation output. This finding challenges the view of many that foreign investors lead firms to adopt a short-term orientation an
With a $7,500 loan from a family member, Calvin Gorelick has started an online business selling specialty yoga blocks. His primary concern is whether or not the cycles of "purchase blocks, sell blocks, receive money, make loan and other necessary repayments" will allow his company to remain financially solvent. Coupled with the cash flow issue, Gorelick has noticed disturbing sales data in his fir
As the head pharmacist and manager of Hedrick's Pharmacy, a family-owned, independent pharmacy in Pennsylvania, Samantha Hedrick had to decide whether to continue to stock a wildly popular supplement, Memoral, a blend of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that "may support memory and cognitive function." Despite its hefty price tag ($75 a month), the supplement was a hit with the customers, particularl
One of the fastest-growing areas in business is socially responsible investment (SRI), which incorporates environmental, social, and governance concerns. From 2007 to 2017, SRI increased from $2.71 trillion to over $21 trillion, and in 2017, 84% of all millennials were interested in SRI. Given these trends, how should an entrepreneur with a social mission proceed? One of the first decisions is cho
This case uses the experiences of a Finnish craft chocolate company to analyze the impact of supply chain transparency on suppliers and consumers. The case discusses the rationale behind entrepreneur Jukka Peltola's business committed to social responsibility and purpose over profit. It describes Goodio's efforts toward transparency and follows Peltola as he asks what more he can do to advance tra
Mark Kim, CFO of DC Water, believed building green infrastructure in Washington, DC, was an innovative way to improve the performance of the city's aging sewer system and save money. In considering the options to fund a pilot program, Kim was especially intrigued by a new financing structure: social impact bonds (SIBs). Partnering with Eric Letsinger of Quantified Ventures, they built on SIBs to d
Vincent Chin's first "temporary" job after high school was with the lawn crew of Holiday Lawn Service. Ten years later, Chin has become a trusted employee and the company's second-in-command. His boss, Sam Holiday, has decided to retire and has worked out a deal with Chin to take over the business. In preparing Chin for his new role, Holiday explains that there are important choices ahead related
After much research and discussion about where the company's responsibility lay in addressing the alarming issues of femicide and violence against women, the leadership of the South African Breweries (SAB) and the African branch of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) decided to form a partnership and launch a movement and campaign, #NoExcuse. For the campaign, the company partnered with, among others,
Alarmed by the recent statistics of violence against women (a woman in South Africa was murdered every four hours, and half of them were killed by their partner or spouse), leaders of the African arm of global beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and the South African Breweries (SAB) wanted to address the problem. AB InBev's biggest seller in South Africa was Carling Black Label (Carling), a
Andre Johnson is a young, African American district manager for a national motel chain who oversees six regional managers that are all at least twice as experienced, and all white. One day, when the regional managers go out for drinks without Johnson, one of them—Ted Simmons—rants against Johnson, using serious racial slurs. The others just quickly switched the topic and left. However, three of th
