While some cases may focus on using social media to advance the interests of a business or brand, this case is best positioned as a springboard for exploring social media as it may coexist with or be embedded in organizational life. The case depicts a challenge for a young direct report, a relatively inexperienced manager, and the manager's supervisor when the direct report reveals a passionate po
What specific actions can a school district take to spur dramatic improvement? This case details a partnership between the school board of one of the poorest-performing educational districts in New Mexico and the University of Virginia's Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education (Darden/Curry PLE). The Darden/Curry PLE turnaround approach helps transform low-performing schools into high-pe
The head of an R&D unit in a high-tech firm in India faces a tough decision about whether to recommend firing and replacing or investing even larger amounts of time and resources into training employees who have come up through India's "reservation system." Similar to "affirmative action" policies in the United States and Brazil (where the focus is on race), the reservation system in India is mean
Tripp McLaughlin was senior director of brand management at Hilton Worldwide in McLean, Virginia, when the company decided to explore growth through the launch of a new midscale brand in 2015. McLaughlin and team spent a year strategizing. They developed a prototype midscale property called Tru by Hilton that would be simple, spirited, and grounded in value. By April 2016, the first Tru by Hilton
This case illustrates how exchange rate shocks affect international businesses. The focus is on one recent stark example: the effect on Swatch Group of the Swiss National Bank's January 2015 decision to end its policy of putting a ceiling on the euro/Swiss franc exchange rate. It is useful for an introductory class that defines different exchange rate concepts, illustrates why managers should care
This case is about the economy of Mexico as of 2018, and particularly the challenges it faces with respect to managing its currency and inflation, the renegotiation of NAFTA, and long-term growth. The case updates students on the current economic situation in Mexico, helps students weigh the economic pros and cons of protectionism via the classic tariff supply-and-demand diagram, and encourages st
In the summer of 2015, Los Angeles-based creatives Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin were fed up with the censorship of "risqu?" goods and artwork sold on the popular online marketplace Etsy. Even though they lacked technical experience and had never built a website before, the two friends committed themselves to building a censorship-free artists' marketplace, which they would call Witchsy.com.
Afte
This case examines the investment strategy decisions of a student portfolio management team in April 2017. The case is designed to provide a context for an introduction to the intuition of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and practical estimation methods. Students are invited to make investment recommendations based on the risk-return characteristics of a set of stock-investment alternatives
As Berkshire Hathaway had reported in its 2018, first quarter, 10-Q, it was "engage[d] in a number of diverse business activities." Maria knew that Berkshire Hathaway bought the stock of numerous other companies. She assumed that the company's holdings in the common stock of other companies represented various ownership percentages, and she wanted to explore that possibility more extensively.
The legal availability and use of marijuana is on the rise. More than half the states in the country allow its use for medical purposes, eight of which also permit it for recreational purposes. The manufacture, sale, and use of marijuana is largely a cash business because it is still against the federal Controlled Substance Act. Most banks will not allow such businesses to open a bank account as a
This case follows up on "The IndiGo Story: 'On Time, Hassle Free'" (UVA-OM-1505). The airline passenger industry in India was a mess in 2013, but the low-cost carrier, IndiGo, was making money. This relatively new company had managed to work against the odds and grab market share from more-established flyers. But, the weak rupee was still sending a chill wind through the aviation sector, and grow
This case aims to study the growth, evolution, and social innovation of iThrive Games, a socially minded initiative that aims to create meaningful opportunities using technology for teens to enhance the knowledge, mindsets, and skills they need to thrive through development and across the continuum of mental disorder to wellness. iThrive's focus has been on creating "meaningful games"?that is, gam
