MBA Courses Research Articles

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure as well as their anxiety and depression levels. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 109 healthcare workers enrolled in two MBA courses in Healthcare Human Resources Management at a university in the Southern USA, respectively, Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. A path analysis was conducted to test a model of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure as well as their anxiety and depression levels. Findings The study results showed treatment of COVID-19 patients led to increased work hours for healthcare workers; changes in work hours and work methods were related to healthcare workers’ perception of job pressure; healthcare workers perceptions of job pressure were positively related to their anxiety levels; organizational support was negatively related to healthcare workers’ anxiety levels; and healthcare workers’ anxiety levels were positively related to their depression levels. Originality/value Findings from the tested model provide support for the Job Demands-Resources model in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planting one thousand seeds of entrepreneurs

Research methodology This case is based on secondary information and data about the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women initiative and youth entrepreneurship programs from press releases, news articles and websites. The protagonist has been disguised. This case has been classroom-tested in a core MBA course in both face-to-face and online delivery methods. Case overview/synopsis In March 2021, Goldman Sachs launched its One Million Black Women initiative which expanded its inclusive growth goals to support Black women entrepreneurs who were under-represented and under-resourced. This initiative is one of Goldman Sachs’s sponsored programs that aid existing entrepreneurs. This program would invest $10bn over the next decade to advance racial equity, promote entrepreneurial activity and increase and economic opportunities for these highly motivated and resilient Black women. With the buzz from this initiative, Johnnetta who was a Black female manager at a financial services competitor of Goldman Sachs conceived another approach to groom and grow future generations of women of color entrepreneurs. Her idea was to implement youth entrepreneurship programs in middle schools in states with high populations of students of color. Based on a psychological theory of entrepreneurship approach, these students would learn about entrepreneurship and gain hands-on experience with starting and operating a business. The program was called “Planting 1000 Seeds of Entrepreneurs” to develop a pipeline of savvy, well-prepared future women of color entrepreneurs. Johnnetta’s dilemma was whether to pitch this new youth entrepreneurship program as an employee at her employer as a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative or start this program as an entrepreneur of a nonprofit in which she would have sole autonomy to administer this program. This case will enable students to develop ideas into a compelling business pitch while sparking debate about approaches to foster DEI initiatives that will have impactful economic benefits for women of color entrepreneurs. Complexity academic level This case is best suited for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students taking business administration courses in management, entrepreneurship, women studies or other courses that cover topics or modules related to DEI initiatives involving women in business.

Understanding Social Media Habits and Their Influence on Mba Students in Chennai

MBA students in Chennai, India, spend a lot of time on social media. This research looks at how frequently the use of social media might affect their academics. A structured questionnaire was issued to 120 students which was given out randomly among MBA students from different colleges in Chennai. Among them, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), YouTube, WhatsApp, and Snapchat were ranked as the most favourite sites. Most of them said that they spend 2-4 hours per day also younger ones had higher internet usage rates than elder students. It is significant to note that according to this study, there exists a relationship between time spent on these platforms with recent exam marks achieved by an individual student – females’ perception towards positive impacts created by these channels vis-a-vis their male students. Such discoveries indicate multiple influences exerted by social media upon educational experiences undergone through post-graduate programs like MBA courses offered at various institutions situated in Chennai city. The investigation underscores potential educational advantages associated with the use of this medium and also calls for deliberate integration of such tools into college curricula aimed at enhancing learning outcomes while minimizing possible distractions.

Motivation & work efficacy of MBA course in online teaching mode during and after pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various sectors worldwide, including education. This research investigates the effects of technology, communication, and administrative support on the motivation and work efficacy of business school teaching faculty engaged in online teaching during the pandemic. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 105 faculty members from business schools in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Statistical analysis techniques including KMO & Bartlett’s Test, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), regression analysis, and correlation analysis were employed using IBM SPSS 26.0. The findings reveal that online platforms were highly effective for communication and teaching during the pandemic, contributing to increased motivation and work efficacy among teachers. This study provides valuable insights into the role of technology in crisis education management.

Is the Sky the Limit for Menteen Studios?*

ABSTRACTThis case exposes students to an intriguing industry: film production and distribution. The focus on relevant costing allows students to make recommendations about keeping, dropping, or expanding a distribution channel and about venturing into a new technology for film distribution. The analysis requires critical thinking. Because students are provided with relatively sparse financial information, they are less likely to be fixated on data and more likely to think critically about how to structure analyses to address strategic and operational issues being weighed by the studio. In addition, the case requires students to communicate their recommendations and the underlying assumptions effectively. This case is suitable for use in undergraduate and graduate managerial and cost accounting courses, introductory MBA courses in managerial accounting or strategic thinking, or undergraduate or graduate courses that are specific to the entertainment industry.

How grumpy cat helped students learn management concepts

Purpose Management educators often seek out innovative ways to introduce theories and concepts in such a way that students are more engaged and connected with the course material. A meme is an image juxtaposed with short text that elicits emotional responses from its readers and is now a staple in social media. Examples include: grumpy cat, success kid and distracted boyfriend. The authors have successfully used memes both online and in-person as a teaching tool. This paper aims to describe how the authors have used memes and some of the best practices and lessons learned from this experience. Design/methodology/approach Students in a training and development undergraduate course and an organizational behavior MBA course were tasked with creating and presenting memes that reflected the subject matter in their respective courses. Findings Their fellow students were successful in identifying the course theory or concept when these student presenters presented their memes in class. This suggests that this type of activity is helpful for students to apply a key course concept or theory in a way that was fun and interactive. Follow-up feedback from the students indicated that they enjoyed this type of activity and felt that it aided in their retention of course material. Originality/value While memes are quite popular in social media, there is a paucity of academic articles on the application of memes for teaching management concepts. This article guides instructors on how the authors have used memes in the classroom and offers some suggestions for doing a debrief afterward.

UClean scaling up dilemma: towards building a laundromat mosaic in India

Learning outcomes This case study outlines the strategic and organisational issues faced by an entrepreneurial firm operating in an emerging economy. This case study has been written to equip students with how entrepreneurs can overcome certain barriers and use technology to achieve product–market fit, taking the Indian laundry sector as an example. The following are the key learnings for the case: start-ups need to continuously assess the product–market fit to organise a highly unorganised sector; market entry and expansion modes require proper evaluation of available entry and expansion modes before pursual; franchising decisions require firm-specific and location-specific considerations; and careful consideration given to celebrity endorsement will result in increased sales. Case overview/synopsis The Indian laundry market was a highly unorganised market and presented an untapped opportunity. While the market opportunity was enormous, the existing solutions comprised local vendors that may not provide end-to-end services (washing, ironing, etc.). The case study described how a young entrepreneur, Arunabh Sinha, overcame certain challenges to achieve a product–market fit for metro cities and later expanded to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India as well. However, the challenges remained, as the firm expanded by using a franchise model, and other modes of business were required to be evaluated as well. Complexity academic level The case study is suitable for students pursuing MBA courses in marketing, service marketing and entrepreneurship development. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS3: Entrepreneurship.

PRECEDENCE AND IMPACT OF FLIPPED CLASSROOM ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: MEDIATING STUDY USING SEM-PLS

This research confirms that an e-learning method such as the flipped classroom model improves active learning through students' engagement, critical thinking, and preparation for class. The research shows that when students were engaged in the class, liked learning new material, and were interested in it, they were more emotionally involved in the flipped classroom content, participated in class, felt good about themselves, and had fun. Afterwards, they demonstrated behavioural engagement by attending class, paying attention, and making an effort to complete assignments and participate in group work as instructed by their concerned teacher. Method: The participants were undergraduates enrolled in a BBA programme and postgraduate MBA course students studying at the university level in the Delhi-NCR region. 261 students, almost 35 per cent of the total population across all years, filled out the questionnaire. A questionnaire developed on Google Forms was distributed among students via the Google Classroom platform and WhatsApp. Students in the classroom were exposed to the flipped learning method using Edmodo and Google Classroom. Findings: Through the consequences of this study, it is demonstrated that, although there is an immediate and positive connection between Flipped Classroom Learning and student Engagement (t-esteem 33.146), the relationship is also positively mediated by (t-value 4.782) and Student Class Preparation (t-value 4.585). It is suggested to increase the scope of the study so that, rather than drawing a study sample from a single institution, future research includes participants from various academic backgrounds and institutions. Practical Implications: This research confirms that a flipped classroom model improves active learning through students' engagement, critical thinking, and preparation for class. This indicates that students were more emotionally invested in the flipped study hall content when they were keen on the class, delighted in learning new data, participated in class, felt good about themselves, and had fun.

Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Bank: credit beyond convention

Learning outcomes After reading and analysing the case study, the students would be able to understand the various challenges in terms of credit expansion for a rural co-operative bank, discuss the role of an apex co-operative bank within the three-tier credit structure, understand the co-operative banks’ product offerings in the agribusiness space and understand the various styles of leadership and change management models within a rural bank. Case overview/synopsis This case study exemplified the enabling role played by a co-operative credit institution, Andhra Pradesh State Co-Operative Bank (APCOB). It discussed the issues and challenges APCOB faced in mainstreaming an unconventional lending process through its lower tiers. Although the three-tier credit structure played a significant role in the disbursal of short-term loan to farmers, the managing director strongly felt the need to reach out to farmer institutions like farmer producers organization through suitable product offering and right processes. Complexity academic level This case study could serve as an introduction to rural credit co-operatives in MBA courses such as bank management, agricultural finance and rural credit and organizational behaviour. The case study could also be administered as a part of training programmes for state co-operative banks, district central co-operative banks and urban co-operative bank that are involved in planning and execution of development strategies in the area of co-operative banking and agribusiness development. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only Subject code CSS: 1: Accounting and Finance.

Walled City of Lahore Authority: The Royal Trail Heritage Project

This case is designed for MBA and undergraduate courses, aiming to emphasize the importance of stakeholder management in projects and familiarize participants with effective stakeholder management tools. The scenario revolves around a project involving community revitalization and historic preservation located in Lahore, Pakistan, known as the ‘City of Gardens’. The project area includes significant historical landmarks and charming, close-knit residential neighbourhoods where interconnected communities have lived for generations. The case unfolds through the perspective of Kamran Lashari, the protagonist, who inherits a challenging project burdened by a history of unsuccessful and possibly unmotivated predecessors. This project is facing a multitude of issues, spanning technical and managerial aspects. Its success is critical not only for its own sake but also because it sets the precedent for a series of ambitious community revitalization projects planned within the City of Gardens. Failure here could jeopardize future projects, strain relations with donors and permanently alienate the local community. The local community has harboured scepticism towards such endeavours, given their prior experiences with half-hearted attempts that brought inconvenience without any lasting benefits. These past efforts have left a bitter taste, making the community wary of new initiatives. Additionally, the project relies heavily on its partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which provides invaluable technical support without substantial financial compensation. However, in Kamran Lashari’s inherited situation, this crucial partnership appears to be in shambles. In the classroom setting, students are encouraged to delve into a systematic analysis of the project’s extensive array of stakeholders, each with their own unique interests. This case provides an ideal backdrop for examining various stakeholder analysis frameworks, including the Warees Framework, Donaldson and Preston’s (1995) theory distinguishing between influencers and stakeholders based on power, legitimacy and urgency, as well as the power-support matrix. These frameworks offer valuable tools for dissecting and understanding the complex web of relationships and interests involved in this high-stakes project.

Executive perceptions of course and educator performance on flipped classroom

PurposeThis article aims to examine the related effects between out-of-class activities, mediated by in-class activities, on the perception of course and teacher performance in a flipped classroom institutionalized setting.Design/methodology/approachThe authors argue that institutionalized out-of-class (content) and in-class (learning) activities positively impact course and teaching quality perception. This study used a sample of 978 responses from MBA students to conduct a path model analysis to test four hypotheses developed from literature from flipped classroom proposing the positive relationship of out-of-class activities in in-class activities and its influence on the course and teaching performance.FindingsThe findings reported that out-class and in-class activities and educator performance influenced course performance perception. In-class activities mediated the out-of-class activities’ impact and directly impacted educator’s and course performance. Educator performance is positively correlated with course performance. Overall, executives have a positive perception on institutionalized flipped classroom for MBA courses as an effective provision form. The flipped classroom is able to mobilize their experiences and enrich learners’ educational experience.Research limitations/implicationsOnly one unit of the higher education organization was studied, and the authors do not consider indirect effects of the environment on variable’s relationships nor the indirect effects whose would be a suggested for future studies.Originality/valueThe present study provides new insights on flipped classroom. This study evidenced that flipped classroom planned and standardized in an institutional level positively impacts the outcome within the context of executive education.

Croissants for breakfast at Tiffany’s? Challenges after the LVMH takeover

Theoretical basis To understand how certain cultural dynamics play out in the case, the main attributes of Hofstede and Meyer’s work are first highlight. While Hofstede focuses on national culture, Meyer’s uses culture as a tool by which to gauge behavior within organizations, teams and individuals. Below the main elements of their work are highlighted. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are detailed in IM Exhibit 1. Note there are six dimensions on a scale of 0–100. The higher the number, the higher that element of that dimension. For example, the individualism score for the USA is 91, whereas China’s score is 20, suggesting that Americans are much more individualistic, whereas the Chinese are much more collectivist. Students can find where the USA, France and China, the three countries discussed in the case, stand at the Hofstede’s website noted below. For reference, these are also noted in IM Exhibit 2. Research methodology All of the information in the case was gathered using publicly available secondary sources (i.e. news articles, annual reports and executive/employee interviews). All sources are cited at the end of the Case/IM. Case overview/synopsis On April 12, 2022, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the global leader in the personal luxury goods, released first quarter earnings for 2022, highlighting their latest acquisition, the New York City-based Tiffany & Co (Tiffany). Tiffany had performed well due to growth in demand in the USA following two difficult years because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This underscored the fact that Tiffany was still largely dependent on the US market, which was a cause for concern for CEO, Anthony Ledru, who was brought in by the parent LVMH to elevate Tiffany and exploit the high growth market for personal luxury goods in China and other parts of Asia-Pacific. LVMH’s acquisition of Tiffany had been completed on January 7, 2021, and LVMH was expecting the turnaround of the largely US-centric Tiffany to show results by shifting focus to higher-end and more iconic jewelry lines and greater expansion in China. Nonetheless, Ledru’s ability to address the China market for Tiffany was constrained by culture clashes between the company’s French owners and management team and its large cadre of US-based employees. Employees chaffed at what they felt was a rigid and autocratic management style and at the company’s insistence on limits to a work-from-home policy that was instituted in early 2020 because of the pandemic. Ledru and his top management team had to quickly overcome the internal clashes and employee issues to make significant inroads in the China market. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for undergraduate and MBA courses addressing dynamics of global business, strategy and culture, such as cross-cultural management, international business, global strategy and organizational behavior. At both levels, its is found that the case will be valuable in generating a lively discussion on organizational and strategic challenges grounded in often lesser discussed issues around cultural fit. In most courses, the case should be positioned toward the end, mainly because it examines both cultural challenges (French ownership of a quintessentially American company) and strategic initiatives (how to grow the brand itself along with geographic expansion, i.e. China), assuming that the module has covered one or the other/or both at different points in the course.

Students' attitude and learning effectivenes for two types of podcasts in MBA course

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to inspect the perceptions of MBA students regarding learning through podcasts. The author's goals are to reveal the students' attitudes toward the use of podcasts as a key learning tool in a graduate academic course, to examine the learning efficacy in this mode of learning, to inspect students' opinions regarding flexibility in learning with podcasts and to examine whether there is a different reference to podcasts as a mid-term assignment vs podcasts as a substitute for lectures.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines the learning attitudes and effectiveness of postgraduate students in business administration toward combining podcasts as an e-Learning tool. This paper also explores the flexibility of this kind of asynchronous learning. Two types of podcasts for two different pedagogical purposes were examined in the study, one as a team mid-term assignment and second as recorded lectures. The main results of this study provide significant evidence that previous experience in listening to podcasts on the Internet has a significant impact on learning effectiveness, student attitudes and learning satisfaction while using this technology. In fact, this study establishes that students that are technologically oriented and have prior experience listening to podcasts learn more in the course, have positive attitudes toward podcast technology as a learning tool, have high learning effectiveness and are satisfied with the flexibility of the asynchronous learning process.FindingsThe findings state that both in the mid-term assignment and in the course lessons as students listened to podcasts more frequently and gained experience listening to podcasts on the Internet, the students expressed more positive views toward learning using this technology, the students' learning effectiveness was higher and the students were more satisfied with the flexibility made possible by using this asynchronous technology tool of e-Learning. Moreover, the results of the study clearly indicate a positive correlation between listening to the podcast lessons in the course and the effectiveness of learning both in the mid-term assignment and in classes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the findings are limited by the relatively small sample, with graduate students in an MBA program, in a course from the field of technological entrepreneurship. Furthermore, in this study, the students had partial freedom to choose the podcast for the students' mid-term assignment from a specific well-known program in the field of entrepreneurship and were not free to choose podcasts from any site available on the Internet. Although this process guided the students to use podcasts from a quality podcast program, the process also reduced the students' choice to some extent.Practical implicationsAcademic institutions must provide the appropriate technological infrastructure for the development, creation and recording of quality podcasts by lecturers for students, in addition to training lecturers to teach through podcasts as an integral part of e-Learning advanced tools. Furthermore, institutions must financially incentivize and educationally encourage lecturers to teach at least some of the content in the course using pre-prepared podcasts.Social implicationsThe author's first suggestion to lecturers that wish to use podcasts as learning resources is to familiarize themselves with the technology and resources available to introduce students to the basics of podcasting and to make the students aware of the podcast's benefits. Second, the study highly recommends to integrate podcasts into the teaching curriculum in academia as early as possible in the basic courses, before the students move on to advanced courses in undergraduate studies. In this way, students in advanced courses can make better use of this technology.Originality/valueAs far as the author knows, this is the first study that combined two types of podcasts used for two complementary pedagogical purposes in an academic course: the first, open and available online podcasts as part of a mid-term assignment and the second type of podcasts that are recorded audio lessons as a complete replacement for course lectures. Additionally, the study sharpens the understanding that students' previous experience with technology is of great importance to learning effectiveness, as well as positive opinions and high learning satisfaction.

Tesla, Inc.: addressing ESG challenges

Research methodology This case is based on primary archival research. The original reports from MSCI, Sustainalytics and S&P 500 formed the foundation of the case in addition to the 144-page Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report. Secondary sources were used to provide contextual information. All sources are cited as endnotes. Case overview/synopsis In June 2022, Tesla, Inc., the Austin, Texas-based electric car company faced a number of challenges that called into question its environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials. Questioning the company’s corporate governance practices, SOC Capital, a watchdog organization publicly released a letter that it had sent to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission where it had demanded that the agency sanction the company for not replacing an independent director at its next stockholder meeting. The State of California’s Department of Fair Housing and Employment filed a lawsuit alleging various counts of discrimination at Tesla’s manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. S&P Global removed the company from its index of ESG companies. This action had negative consequences for the company’s stock price. Tesla’s board of directors, led by Robyn M. Denholm, had to address Tesla’s overall approach to ESG in light of these challenges. Complexity academic level The case is suitable for an upper-level undergraduate or an MBA course on strategy or strategic management.The issues in the case involve the stakeholder perspective, corporate governance and the purpose of a firm. Instructors face two choices here: using this case early in the course introduces the broader stakeholder perspective early on without addressing it as an afterthought at the very end of the course. The other choice is to use it at the end because most strategy textbooks cover these topics at the back end.

Acuver: social media strategy for visibility

Learning outcomes ■ Understand the functionalities of various social media platforms. ■ Choose social media platforms to align various business goals. ■Consider how to develop strategies for monitoring, understanding and responding to different social media activities. Case overview/synopsis Acuver Consulting Private Limited (Acuver) is a niche, self-funded IT consulting services start-up. Founded in 2013 with the aim of providing IT consulting services in the supply chain domain, Acuver delivers IT solutions to the world’s leading IT conglomerates, Fortune 500 companies and emerging players across multiple geographies and industries. Changing consumer buying patterns in recent years has forced retailers and supply-chain businesses to invest in digital transformation projects, providing ample growth opportunities for Acuver. To meet increased demand, Acuver needs to acquire direct engagements with clients and hire the right talent to help it ride this growth wave. This case described challenges faced by the start-up in building visibility to expand its reach. The case provided an overview of the IT consulting services industry and Acuver’s vision. It then detailed the reasons for the company’s lack of visibility, which was curtailing its growth opportunities. It described the dilemma and possible strategies to overcome the problem statement. It also discussed the limitations associated with the potential strategies, which needed to be contemplated by the reader. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for MBA and Executive MBA courses on Management of Information System, Digital Governance, Strategic Management of IT and Managing Digital Transformation. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Integrating interpersonal skill development in an MBA accounting course

ABSTRACT Despite recognition of the high value placed on interpersonal skills (IPS) by education, business and government stakeholders, this area of skills development only has a limited place within MBA programs. This paper introduces and tests the effectiveness of a mock-business simulation named ‘Practice Aspects of Management’ incorporated into an early-stage accounting course within an MBA Program, with the aim of accelerating students’ IPS development. We investigate whether embedding a client interface simulation within an MBA course can improve the IPS that employers are now seeking. Following the science of training and Bedwell and colleagues’ ‘stepping stones’ to assist IPS integration within existing MBA programs, we outline a successful initiative to address the IPS deficits. We contribute to the literature by detailing how IPS can be integrated into an accounting course and utilised to equip students with both the technical and IPS attributes now desired by employers.

An empirical study on the impact of employee voice and silence on destructive leadership and organizational culture

This paper is an outcome of the business ethics course conducted during the third semester of the MBA course and aims to examine how a subordinate employee’s response, either by raising a concern or being quiet to repeated misbehavior of the leader, impacts an organization. Primary data was collected from the employees of mid-sized IT companies in India using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Structural equation modeling has been used to analyze the data. Mediation analysis has been conducted to verify the mediating role of organizational culture. It is found that if an employee feels safe in an environment, they open up to suggestions or else suppress their thoughts to escape repercussion. The analysis shows that silence and voice in an organization have an impact on the organization’s culture. The implications of this study show that leaders violate the integrity of the organization by vandalizing the organization's objectives, outcomes, assets, and well-being of the co-employees. Previous studies have not focused on the mediating role of organizational culture on employee voice or silence.

Examining Online MBA Students’ Social Presence and Career Planning Self-Confidence

It is unknown whether social presence in internet-based MBA courses enhances students’ career success. This study examined general self-efficacy and goal orientation mediation models to determine what strengthens MBA students’ social presence and their career planning self-confidence. Data included 278 online MBA students in an AACSB-accredited college of business. The regression analyses demonstrated that perceived general self-efficacy and goal orientation related to students’ career planning self-confidence. The mediation analyses revealed that internet self-efficacy, perceived general self-efficacy, and goal orientation had an indirect mediating effect on social presence and career planning. Implications are offered for business communication educators.

How does pandemic force social enterprises to evolve? – A case study of ThankUFoods

Learning outcomes After completion of this case, students would be able to understand the challenges faced by social entrepreneurship in a time of pandemic, as well as gain a perspective of the background, history, evolution and the setup of such organizations; appreciate the role of marketing methods in tackling the challenges faced and how the management of such enterprises could use them on the ground; evaluate possible future options/pathways that could be taken in the backdrop of a pandemic and, more importantly, in a developing country context; and apply the elements of social entrepreneurship theory and suggest a way ahead for ThankUfoods (TUF). Case overview/synopsis TUF is a social enterprise that empowers visually and physically challenged people by using while profitably selling food products. Few years of existence, it was facing a major dilemma regarding strategies to continue its existing business and the way forward. Because of the pandemic, the traditional offline business models became redundant on which TUF was heavily dependent. At the same time, TUF had to balance providing support to its employees, staying financially afloat and upholding its parent organization’s core objectives, the India Association for Blind (IAB). IAB was founded to rescue and provide livelihood for specially abled people. TUF was formed as a sister concern that combined charitable work and profit earning to make visually challenged people self-sufficient. At this juncture, the protagonist of the case Mr Abdul Raheem, chief executive officer of TUF and vice president of IAB, approached consultants to chart the way forward. He was forced to explore novel options ranging from conceptual ones, such as setting the right objectives and revisiting mission and vision, to more operational ones, such as venturing into online space, increasing advertisements and achieving breakeven sales. This case study highlights the overall journey of TUF, the underlying constraints, the new challenges faced and the dilemma ahead. Further, it covers the context and challenges peculiar to an emerging market setting. More importantly, it provides a setting for the students to be in the protagonist’s position and ponder – how should a social enterprise functioning in an emerging market function in times of pandemic crises? If it decides to explore novel options, what should be those, how can it proceed, and what to be cautious about. Complexity academic level The target audience for the case study are students from MBA and BBA courses, management trainees who are interested to learn about the challenges social entrepreneurship face at the time of crisis. This case study could be used to explain concepts about social entrepreneurship, brand positioning, e-commerce marketing and decision-making in the time of pandemics/crises. The case is also suitable for senior management personnel who participate in executive education programs. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

Encouraging intelligent failure in an MBA class

AbstractFailure has an important role to play in learning how to navigate highly uncertain organizational environments. But “failing fast” just for its own sake may in fact undermine learning if not set up or handled correctly. Using failure‐based pedagogy, including generative failure, whole‐person learning, and entrepreneurial thinking, an MBA course was designed and experienced by 48 students in three instances. Structured around a novel guiding framework of “brains, bravery, and belief,” the course has resulted in highly impactful learning for students. Student experiments are typically based around either exploring an entrepreneurial idea, developing or enhancing a particular skill, or applying skills and knowledge to help improve a societal problem. In each case, students are supported but also challenged to go beyond their comfort zones and encounter some intelligent failure in the journey. Regular reflection on their experiences, both from a cognitive and an affective perspective, is an essential element built into the course experience. The course, which itself was an experiment and not without its own instructive failures, is now an essential part of the MBA experience.