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  1. Aadhaar: The Digital Multiplier of the Indian Economy
    OB and Leadership Aadhaar: The Digital Multiplier of the Indian Economy

    This case study underscores the complex problem-solving using digital transformation and associated change management. The case was set at the beginning of 2022 when the Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) reflected on the digital transformation enabled by the implementation of Aadhaar, a unique 12-digit identity number every Indian resident can apply for. The case study describes the various phases of the implementation and its consequent multiplier effect on the country. Given the immense success of Aadhaar (deployed across about 1.3 billion residents) and its pivotal role in India's digital journey, implying benefits for the public and private sectors, it is important to contemplate on the next steps for its future.

    Learning Objective

    • Understand complex problem-solving and the associated multiplier effect.
    • Decode long-term implications of digital transformation for public and private sector benefits.
    • Appreciate complex projects' challenges, design, and implementation involving multiple stakeholders from different backgrounds.
    • Assess the social impact of a mega project such as Aadhaar, which played a key role in digitalizing the Indian service infrastructure.
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    ₹399.00
  2. Digital Transformation at L&T (A)
    OB and Leadership Digital Transformation at L&T (A)

    The case describes the digitalization of L&T Construction, the largest business of L&T, from conception to implementation. The CEO and MD of L&T believed that the organization-wide implementation of digital at L&T Construction would have a significant impact on the business. As a project organization with a limited number of high-value customers and relatively few customer touch points, the primary goal of digitalization in its case would be to improve operational effectiveness. It created a separate digital department and identified digital officers and champions across projects and sites for effective implementation. The transformation was championed from the top and the digital team initiated a variety of initiatives to facilitate digital at L&T. Within two years, they had developed and deployed a large number of solutions across hundreds of project sites, completely transforming the way work was performed. Buoyed by the success of the digitalization effort at L&T Construction, it was decided to extend it to other group companies.

    Learning Objective

    1. Understand the various contributors to the success of DT in a traditional organization
    2. Appreciate that DTs require an entrepreneurial mindset
    3. Understand what approaches can be used to manage the effective implementation of digital solutions
    4. Appreciate the leadership competencies required for DT
    5. Recognize the need for building capabilities to support transformation
    6. Examine the nuances of scaling up digitalization to other BUs
    7. Explore ways to create a new mindset and culture
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    Published: Jul 22, 2021
    ₹399.00
  3. Career Dilemma of a Next-Gen Family Member - The Case of Lavanya Nalli
    OB and Leadership Career Dilemma of a Next-Gen Family Member - The Case of Lavanya Nalli

    The case, set in 2016, follows Lavanya Nalli, a fifth-generation member of the Nalli family business, as she contemplates a critical decision about her future. Nalli Silks, an Indian ethnic wear retailer, had built an enviable reputation for quality and customer orientation over 90 years. As a female member of a conservative family business, she was not expected to enter the business and play an active role in it. Yet, she joined Nalli Silks after earning a degree in engineering and planned and pursued her own induction and learning in the firm. Over the next couple of years, she displayed her entrepreneurial drive by conceptualizing and setting up a successful business within the larger business. However, sensing that there were limited avenues within the firm to feed her ambition and keenness to learn and grow, she left India for the United States to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School. After graduating, she worked at McKinsey, a leading consulting firm. In 2014, Lavanya returned to India and joined Myntra, a rapidly growing Indian fashion e-commerce company. These experiences provided her with rich and varied insights and perspectives. After seven years away, she was considering returning to the Nalli group with tentative plans of setting up a separate e-commerce vertical from scratch. Three generations of her family - her grandfather, her father and her brother - were active in the business and held independent charge of different parts of the Nalli group. There were serious reservations within the family and the organization about Lavanya's proposal to venture into e-commerce. She herself had some concerns about the larger strategy and set-up of the business, such as the absence of a leadership pipeline and inattention to market trends. The case closes with her reflections and questions on the way forward.

    Learning Objective

    Understand how next-gen family members approach career choices and how this influences their enterprises. Appreciate the challenges of balancing values and aspirations among family, business and individual next-generation family members. Comprehend how next-generation family members can successfully build careers within an existing family business by being entrepreneurial without crossing value boundaries. Learn what family businesses can do to attract / retain next-generation family members.

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    ₹399.00
  4. Continuing the Legacy of Annapurna Studios
    OB and Leadership Continuing the Legacy of Annapurna Studios

    Annapurna Studios was founded by legendary Indian actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) in Hyderabad in 1975. Over the years, Annapurna had grown to become a modern-day powerhouse in the field of entertainment and filmmaking. In 2019, it was well known for its state-of-the-art production facilities, creative content production, and film and media institute. ANR's older son, Venkat joined the studio a few years after its inception but struggled to keep it afloat. Nagarjuna, ANR's younger son, began helping out at the studio after finishing college, but the studio's fortunes only changed in the mid-80s when Nagarjuna decided to become an actor In 1999, Venkat handed over management control of the studio to Nagarjuna. Their niece Supriya joined the business as a management executive. The studio had two divisions: operations and content creation. The operations division, which included post-production, editing and dubbing facilities, ran smoothly under the COO with minimal intervention from the family. In the content creation side of the business, the family's presence was greater. Nagarjuna and Supriya made all the critical decisions related to content, guided by their business sense and passion. With the second generation of the family still at the helm of Annapurna Studios, the next generation's involvement was relatively low. Chaitanya (Nagarjuna's son) had started showing some interest, but the other members of the third generation were either not yet involved in the studio or were busy with their own acting careers. Nagarjuna was worried that the next generation might not have the same level of passion for the studio as the previous generations. He wanted to ensure that the studio's legacy sustained into the future. What strategy should the studio to adopt to ensure its long-term survival in the risky and ever-changing film and entertainment business?

    Learning Objective

    The steps that the family needs to take to institutionalize the studio and continue its legacy will make for an engaging classroom discussion, through which students will gain an understanding of: • The importance of professionalization, meritocracy and performance evaluation in a family business • The elements of parallel planning and resource building • Institutionalization of a family firm • Legacy building challenges and responsibilities of family stakeholders • Revitalizing a business in a new context • Ownership as a responsibility

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    ₹399.00
  5. Walmart-Flipkart: A Deal Worth Its Price?
    OB and Leadership Walmart-Flipkart: A Deal Worth Its Price?

    The case, set in May 2018, follows an analyst as she undertakes the challenge of decoding the acquisition strategy behind a deal that rattled both venture capitalist and tech startup circles in India. Ananya Menon, Chief Consultant for Retail and E-Commerce at a research and consulting firm in India, had been asked by a client to provide a report on the recent acquisition of the Indian marketplace major Flipkart Pvt. Limited by the Arkansas-based retail behemoth Walmart Inc. Founded in 2007, Flipkart, buoyed by multiple massive funding rounds, had registered meteoric growth both in terms of revenue and market share, and dominated the Indian online retail industry. Though it faced a few setbacks due to misplaced strategies and regulatory changes, it managed to cement its position as the market leader with a share of nearly 40% of the market in terms of gross merchandise value (GMV). However, analysts were sceptical about the sustainability of this position, as the company was a long way from profitability and was burning cash in the form of massive discounts to augment its customer base. Moreover, Amazon Inc., another leading global marketplace company, with deep pockets and top-of-the-line technological capabilities, was close on its heels. Walmart had waited on the fringes of the Indian retail industry since 2007 when the market was opened to foreign investors, but regulatory barriers had confined its operations to the wholesale segment. The e-commerce segment was opened to foreign investment eventually, but under several restrictive conditions. Walmart leapt at the chance and acquired a 77% stake in Flipkart, the leader in the online retail segment. However, the deal price of US$ 16 billion for a company that was consistently making huge net losses sent shockwaves across the VC and e-commerce community. As speculation and debate over the move mounted, Menon was tasked by her client with demystifying the strategic rationale behind the deal.

    Learning Objective

    From the case discussion, students will learn to: · Analyze and evaluate the rationale for M&A deals; · Analyse the risks and implications involved in M&A; · Value a tech startup that is a potential acquisition target. This case is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate classes exploring market entry and consolidation strategies, and for introducing them to the fundamentals of business valuation.

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    ₹399.00
  6. Magna Acquisition: Adding Professionalism to Entrepreneurial Venture
    OB and Leadership Magna Acquisition: Adding Professionalism to Entrepreneurial Venture

    Quess Corp Limited acquired Magna Infotech, an IT contract staffing company in 2009 to go beyond general staffing and get into professional staffing. Magna, founded in 1997 by Pradeep Mittal had achieved the status of being the market leader in IT staffing in India by being highly entrepreneurial, consistently focused on business development, delivery and automation of core staffing processes. Quess carried out a thorough diagnosis of Magna after acquisition. The diagnosis helped identify specific areas where potential for performance improvement existed. Priorities were worked out and systematic efforts were taken up to focus on those areas. Planning and execution of action steps created effective alignment of thought processes among key stakeholders and high levels of engagement and employee motivation. The various interventions resulted in Magna tripling its revenues; the operating profits grew six-fold. But by 2017, the business context had changed for Magna and there were totally new set of challenges that confronted the organization. The case presents a story of an acquisition where despite taking over a successful high-performing company with high levels of motivation, the new leadership team still managed to substantially improve both the topline and bottom line performance through effective execution of a carefully planned change agenda. In the following 8 years, the company retained its market leadership and become much larger. But it now confronted far-reaching changes in business context. How should the leaders reignite the entrepreneurial zeal in a much bigger, more stable and more successful organization?

    Learning Objective

    Understand the key elements of successful acquisition. Understand how changes in any part of the organization require attention to inter-dependent elements to realize larger goals. Appreciate how individual backgrounds & socialization and business context impact an individual's management style. Appreciate what approaches can help enhance organizational learning and performance. Explore ways for organizations to combine control & agility to respond to new emerging realities.

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    Published: Jul 15, 2019
    ₹399.00
  7. Symphony: Growing Through Internationalization
    OB and Leadership Symphony: Growing Through Internationalization

    Symphony Limited, an air cooler company decided to buy International Metal Products Company (IMPCO) in 2009. IMPCO, based in Mexico manufactured industrial coolers that complemented Symphony's product line. Additionally, the acquisition provided Symphony access to the US market. IMPCO, however, was a loss making company and was on the verge of bankruptcy. On taking over IMPCO, Symphony dealt with several issues like financial crisis, operational inefficiencies, low employee productivity, IMPCO's poor brand image, lack of product innovation and weak sales and distribution. This case briefly describes the history of Symphony and outlines the various challenges faced by the organization in turning around IMPCO. The case closes with another opportunity that lands on Symphony's lap - acquisition of Munters Keruilai Air Treatment Equipment Co Ltd (MKE), an air cooler manufacturing company in China. Like IMPCO, MKE was also a loss-making air cooler company. But otherwise, the challenges and the context were starkly different in the two cases. Achal Bakeri, founder and CEO of Symphony wondered how the Symphony team should approach the newest challenge.

    Learning Objective

    Understand that an entrepreneurial journey often runs into a few setbacks and failures; but these crises also become sources of valuable insights if we're willing to learn from them. Understand the nature of challenges in international acquisition and the importance of managing `hard' and `soft' issues for successful acquisitions. Recognize the elements of effective execution. Gain insight into the nature of turnaround process. Analyze leadership characteristics of Level 5 leaders.

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    ₹399.00
  8. Creating and Sustaining a Social Enterprise: The Vittala Story
    OB and Leadership Creating and Sustaining a Social Enterprise: The Vittala Story

    Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology (Vittala), a not-for-profit orgnization was involved in providing free/highly subsidized eye care to the rural and the economically underprivileged population in the state of Karnataka, India. The case describes the challenges faced by the founder and his family in building the state-of-the-art institution and sustaining it through its difficult initial years. They had to build awareness of avoidable blindness, make eye care accessible and affordable, and develop the right networks and alliances, all within limited resources. Unlike certain eye care issues such as cataract, Vittala focused on retinal eye care problems that required periodic monitoring and treatment. Diagnosis required sophisticated and expensive equipment, which had to be made available in far-flung small towns and villages, and that posed difficulties. To address the challenges, the organization and its founders executed pioneering innovations in organizational arrangements and processes. The case closes with the dilemma facing Krishna, Director of Vittala, which was to examine how the social enterprise could enhance the revenue streams to increase Vittala's reach in providing eye to the economically disadvantaged citizens. He needs to consider issues like creating the right balance of paying and non-paying patients to ensure sustainable operations, consistent quality of care, keeping technology updated, and attracting and retaining medical staff with right skills and values. The case is significant as it highlights what is required to make healthcare accessible and affordable to the poor, and how policy measures can be executed at the ground level through appropriate organizing efforts. It describes how the founder inculcated a system of values to keep the family members together, thus contributing to the effectiveness and sustainability of the social enterprise.

    Learning Objective

    To understand the factors influencing the setting up of a not-for-profit enterprise in the health care sector and exposing the students to the realities of present system of health care in India; To explore the process and organizing innovations required to deliver affordable eye care to rural areas; To emphasize the importance of aligning multiple stakeholders to build effective and sustainable operations; To emphasize the importance of values in family run organizations to build togetherness.

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    Published: Oct 1, 2018
    ₹399.00
  9. Turnaround of Food and Civil Supplies Department in Telangana Government
    OB and Leadership Turnaround of Food and Civil Supplies Department in Telangana Government

    CV Anand, a senior officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) was assigned to lead the Food and Civil Supplies Department in the state of Telangana, India by the Chief Minister - the top political executive of the state. Since the role involved policy making and implementation relating to procurement and processing of grains, transportation and distribution to the poorer sections of the society, this was a highly unusual role assignment for an IPS officer. The organization had the responsibility of procuring food grains from farmers at minimum support price, and then after rice milling, arranging distribution to lower income population needing rice at subsidized rates. Anand observed a culture of ritualistic decision making, political power plays, and shortage of talent leading to the neglect of key aspects. The funds crisis had arisen due to non-receipt of dues and there were mounting interest charges. Certain parties were exploiting the system and getting away with it. There were archaic procedures, and corruption at different levels. Anand initiated multiple initiatives in the areas of: organizational aspects, technology and systems. He made conscious efforts to mobilize support. With passion, persistence and hard work, different stakeholders were influenced. Time, energy and commitment were allocated to high leverage activities. Within a year of assuming leadership, the result of turnaround was evident - the funds crisis had eased, bulk of leakages had been plugged and the system had become responsive to the needs of its key stakeholders - the farmers and the needy beneficiaries. Anand knew that he was on a short-term deputation and that he would be transferred to another assignment in the following six to eight months. He was concerned about what he should do in the remaining months to ensure that the changes stick and are not leader-dependent for their continuation.

    Learning Objective

    Understand the functioning of an government organization involved with supporting the underprivileged population; Examine the factors that lead to ritualistic decision making, helplessness and ineffectiveness in the face of self-serving behavior and political power plays; Explore different actions that can lead to a successful turnaround of an organization; Explore processes that lead to overcoming indifference and fostering ownership; Examine the key role of influence and conflict management.

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    Published: Aug 24, 2018
    ₹399.00
  10. Digital Transformation at L&T (B)
    OB and Leadership Digital Transformation at L&T (B)

    It provides an overview of the digitalization of other BUs of the L&T group. The digital teams in the various BUs were organized in a decentralized manner; they reported to the CEOs of their respective businesses. At the same time, strong processes and mechanisms were set up to foster coordination, knowledge sharing, and mentoring from the central digital hub. Over the next few months, the non- construction businesses were able to move quickly and successfully implement several digital initiatives. These included solutions that were designed to facilitate the safety of people in work locations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having reached this juncture, L&T turned its focus to two key agenda items: Diffusing and strengthening the digital mindset and culture in the organization, and Systematic tracking of benefit realization across BUs. CEO was also keen to look at different options to enhance digital effectiveness.

    Learning Objective

    1. Understand the various contributors to the success of DT in a traditional organization
    2. Appreciate that DTs require an entrepreneurial mindset
    3. Understand what approaches can be used to manage the effective implementation of digital solutions
    4. Appreciate the leadership competencies required for DT
    5. Recognize the need for building capabilities to support transformation
    6. Examine the nuances of scaling up digitalization to other BUs
    7. Explore ways to create a new mindset and culture
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    Published: Jul 22, 2021
    ₹399.00

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