Mar' 2020
Case Folio
The IUP Journal of Management Case Studies
Archives
Planned Obsolescence: Undermining Apple’s Commitment to Sustainability?
The case focuses on global tech giant Apple’s supposed planned obsolescence strategy and its social, environmental and economic implications. Apple was accused of deliberately slowing down its iPhones through software updates and designing its products to be short-lived in order to encourage customers to buy its new models and boost sales. Moreover, a number of devices from Apple were increasingly being designed in ways that made it difficult for users to fix them, thereby shortening their lifespan. Though Apple admitted to throttling older iPhones, it said that it had done so for a purely altruistic reason—allegedly to prevent them from crashing due to aging batteries. To make up for its lack of transparency, Apple eventually discounted the price of replacing batteries in older iPhones. The case explores how Apple’s planned obsolescence leads to a short life cycle of the products, which impacts sustainability negatively. By encouraging a culture of consumption, Apple is contributing to the overuse of energy and resources, which increases the risk of global warming. Discarded devices produce large quantities of electronic waste (e-waste) that pollute ecosystems and contribute to climate change. In addition, mining for essential raw materials endangers workers by fueling armed conflict in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Also, workers who assemble iPhones in Chinese factories endure sweatshop-like conditions. As one of the most valuable companies in the world, Apple is environmentally focused and is continuously working to reduce its environmental footprint by focusing on climate change, resources, and safer materials. However, the company’s commitment to protecting the people and the planet is increasingly being diluted due to allegations of planned obsolescence. Analysts wondered whether Apple’s planned obsolescence is just a public perception or whether the company is really guilty of built-in obsolescence. Going forward, the questions before Apple are: How can it tackle the issue of planned obsolescence? How can it assure stakeholders that it places sustainability before profits? Should the company take a clear stance on this issue, given its global scale and influence? If so, how should Apple go about it? more »
From the Skies to the Ground: A Case Study on the Trajectories of Jet Airways
The case intends to teach students of business management the intricacies related to emergence, evolution and expulsion of a private airline company in the Indian aviation market. It introduces to them how the first private Indian airlines, Jet Airways, set standards for domestic and international air transportation when Air India was the sole player dominating the sector. The paper helps to familiarize the students of Transport Economics on different business models of the aviation industry, that is, low-cost carriers, full-service carriers and hybrid carriers. The case study on Jet Airways brings forth how practical considerations of survival compel the airline to change its business models and also teaches them that the Indian aviation industry is subjected to transformations similar to that of the changes being taken place in the rest of the world. The factors that contributed to the failure of Jet Airways discussed in the case study provide ample opportunity for the students to gain adequate knowledge on the constraints of Jet Airways while operating in the aviation sector. more »
Charity: Water – Bringing Clean Water to the World’s Needy
The case discusses the work of Charity: Water (CW), a non-profit organization providing clean water to those lacking access to it. CW, which operated in 26 countries including several transition and conflict societies in the developing world, provided safe water by implementing diverse types of water projects, including wells. It focused on the raising of finances and collaborated with local organizations which executed the projects. This collaboration extended to taking inputs from the respective community members and partnering with the local and regional governments. The case highlights the three tenets to which CW adhered. The first tenet was that 100% of the public donations would be deployed in the execution of water projects. This routing of all public donations to the field was enabled by a group of wealthy individuals and families whose donations financed the organization’s overheads and salaries. The second tenet was that CW provided proof to each donor of how the donated amount was spent—the proof was in the form of photos and GPS coordinates on Google Maps of the water projects. The third tenet was that the organization employed technology-enabled storytelling to raise its profile and build its brand. It also innovatively engaged with its donors online, the result being that 70% of its donations were generated online. The case goes on to describe how CW ensured the sustainability of its interventions by developing and deploying sensors in the water projects. These sensors, which monitored the real-time flow of water, enabled the organization to foresee any breakdowns and send its technical crew to carry out repair works. The case discusses the impact of CW’s initiatives. The organization’s efforts provided over 8.4 million people in Africa, Latin America, and Asia access to safe and clean water. The provision of this essential service, besides improving the health of the beneficiaries, enabled them to focus on building their future. The case goes on to discuss the potential challenges faced by CW. Critics felt that other charitable organizations could emulate its innovative practices in online engagement and compete effectively for the same donations. Some key challenges before the organization were how to sustain the interest of its donors and raise the kind of mammoth resources required to reach out to every person in need of clean water. more »
ExxonMobil: Challenges and Opportunities
The case examines the problems faced by ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded Oil and Gas Company. Despite generating some of the best returns on capital and assets in the energy sector, the company became embroiled in several issues since the early 2010s. While its stocks were not generating good returns for investors, its output was also declining. The case discusses the challenges faced by the company and analyzes the opportunities present for the company. It also evaluates ExxonMobil’s strategies to tackle the challenges and ends with the initiatives announced for aggressive growth in the future. more »
Teaching Cases: Vision, Realization and Impact