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The case focuses on Rede Mulher Empreendedora (RME), Brazil’s largest support platform for female entrepreneurship, and its founder, Ana Fontes. Founded in 2010, RME had grown into a significant network by 2023, impacting the livelihoods of over 12 million women in Brazil, a country with substantial gender disparities. The platform offers initia…

Pasona Group, a Japan-based human resources company, is committed to driving social change through business and supporting individuals to find “ikigai” (fulfillment) through work. The company has promoted flexible work and equitable workplaces and created employment opportunities for minorities. Pasona now wanted to tackle the overconcentration …

“Prudence in a maze of metaphors” follows a fictional day in the life of a woman to explore a variety of challenges individuals commonly face in their professional environments. Prudence’s story uses metaphors such as Sticky Floor, Glass Ceiling, Double Bind and Motherhood Penalty to illustrate her experiences. Although these metaphors are assoc…

The case study delves into strategic transformation and leadership transitions at Unilever since 2009. Unilever has been an industry leader of business sustainability. Paul Polman was a pioneer who introduced the idea that, by addressing social and environmental problems, a company can unlock new growth opportunities. Polman launched a 10-year S…

This is a fascinating case about Adam Neumann’s problematic behavior, which led to the downfall of WeWork, once one of America’s most valued startups.

Case (A) recounts Travis Kalanick’s journey through the growth of Uber, highlighting instances of his problematic behavior and the board’s lack of oversight.

Case (B) explains the contents of the Holder report, which investigated the diversity, equity and inclusion culture at Uber and ends with Travis Kalanick’s separation from the company.

Case (C) discusses the meeting that showcased the proposed actions following the Holder report recommendations and highlights the concerning response of one of the board members.

This note highlights the pivotal role of psychological safety in fostering a culture of flexibility and innovation within organizations, especially in a rapidly changing business environment. Drawing from Amy Edmondson’s seminal research, psychological safety is defined as the collective assurance felt by team members that they can openly expres…

In February 2022 Rio Tinto publicly released a workplace culture report that revealed that sexual harassment, racism and bullying had been occurring at an alarming rate throughout the organization. This was shortly after the Juukan Gorge disaster in Australia: Rio Tinto caused global outrage when its technicians blew up two rock shelters conside…

Part B of the Rio Tinto: Everyday Respect multimedia case series reveals the reaction to the report of various stakeholders, as well as how Rio Tinto has acted on the report’s recommendations. The case also shares some of the creative ways Rio Tinto has instilled a culture of respect and enabled it to permeate throughout the organization.

Birth registration – considered a basic human right provided by government services – was still not working in many countries. One in four children worldwide is not registered. Yet, Zainab Siddiqui, head of sustainability at Telenor Pakistan, had a different idea. In 2013, she initiated the Digital Birth Registration Project in Pakistan in two p…

As circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shift and evolve, J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber) remained focused on protecting its employees, maintaining business continuity, and on advancing its multi-year sustainability strategy. The efforts of Mike Marberry, the President & CEO, the Huber Management Council (HMC), the family sharehold…

This case presents the unique approach to philanthropy of the Ahlström family. A group of 25 fifth-generation female Ahlström family members founded the Eva Ahlström foundation in 2010, in the name of the family matriarch Eva Ahlström (1848–1920), who was a big contributor to society in her time. This led to the establishment of the Ahlström Co…

Better Cotton was founded in 2005 to set standards for cotton production, with a goal of facilitating ethical, environmental and development-friendly agricultural practices. As multiple players come under increasing pressure to address social and environmental issues across their supply chains, Better Cotton aims to engage all actors to work tog…