Ivey Business School (Canada)
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Little Short Stop: Creating Strategy for a Shifting Industry
Meredith Woodwark; Karin Schnarr; Gerry BesCase IVEY-9B20M076-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyIn early 2019, the general manager of Little Short Stop Stores, a chain of local, family-owned convenience stores in southwestern Ontario, Canada, was projecting a loss for that year. The loss was due in part to a provincial minimum wage increase to CA$14.00 that came into effect on January 1, 2018, increased from $11.60 in 2017 and $11.40 in 2016. Before this change, the store chain had been exceeding the average industry growth rate by 5 per ce...Starting at €8.20
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Hung Fook Tong: From Hong Kong to China
Andrew C.F. Chan; Howard Lam; Hugh Thomas; Elsie TsuiCase IVEY-9B16A016-EMarketing, StrategyIn 2014, the general manager of the established and successful Hong Kong-based company Hung Fook Tong, which produced and sold herbal teas, wondered how his company could profitably expand to mainland China. After Hung Fook Tong’s recent initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, its shareholders’ equity had tripled. The initial public offering committed Hung Fook Tong to expanding its business in mainland China; however, that marke...Starting at €8.20
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Sawchyn Guitars: Can an Old Business Learn New Tricks
Meredith Woodwark; Matthew WongCase IVEY-9B13M084-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyAWARD WINNING CASE - Laurier School of Business and Economics Best Case Award 2013. The owner of Sawchyn Guitars makes fine handmade acoustic guitars and mandolins. After 40 years of operating from a two-storey backyard garage, he contemplates a shift from a solely custom-order business to a storefront location. Although his custom-order business is still strong, the owner sees the opportunity to realize his dream of providing a full-service musi...Starting at €8.20
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Somebody Stop the Radio Star: Jian Ghomeshi at the CBC
Karen MacMillan; Meredith WoodwarkCase IVEY-9B16C008-ELeadership and People ManagementIn 2012, the executive producer of the hit radio show Q and the director of Network Radio at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) faced employees’ complaints against the show’s star host, Jian Ghomeshi. The employees alleged that Ghomeshi’s treatment of employees was problematic and contrary to the corporation’s values and policies. A few years earlier, a female employee had also alleged mistreatment by Ghomeshi but no disciplinary action ...Starting at €8.20
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SenseTime Global IPO: Strategic Reaction to American Attack
Pong Yuen Howard Lam; Hugh ThomasCase IVEY-W33293-EFinance, MarketingHong Kong-headquartered SenseTime Group Inc. (SenseTime) was founded in 2014 to commercialize artificial intelligence (AI) and was a global leader in deep-learning AI, with applications in Smart Business (facial recognition), Smart City (property damage and theft detection), Smart Life (interacting with the Internet of Things to improve consumer experience), and Smart Auto (autonomous driving). December 10, 2021, was supposed to be the date for s...Starting at €8.20
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House, Hearth and Home: Managing Leadership Change
Karen MacMillan; Meredith WoodwarkCase IVEY-9B12C048-ELeadership and People ManagementThe owner and general manager of a large retail establishment faced a dilemma about whether his long-time yard manager was still the right person for the job. The business increasingly depended on providing superior customer service in order to compete in the market. Recently, the owner had placed a personal friend in the operation as an assistant to the yard manager. This new addition had shown a real talent for developing employees and driving ...Starting at €8.20
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Bowtie Hong Kong: An Entrepreneurial Venture to Digitize Insurance
Seen Meng Chew; Hugh Thomas; Jason YehCase IVEY-W32456-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyBowtie Life Insurance Company Limited (Bowtie) was the first virtual insurance company licensed by the Hong Kong Insurance Authority. Since obtaining the licence in 2018 and raising two successful rounds of venture capital, Bowtie had developed into a reasonable size, of about a hundred employees, by early 2022. Bowtie was focused on developing and selling medical insurance products under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS), while also ...Starting at €8.20