World Toilet Organization: Leveraging Resources for Social Impact

Case Abstract

This case focuses on business model innovation and strategic organizational design at the World Toilet Organization (WTO), an innovative, Singapore-based social enterprise focusing on sanitation issues such as the availability of clean toilets.  The interaction of the social entrepreneur’s motivations with the problems of day-to-day operations and long-term organizational strategy comes alive with real examples from the history of the World Toilet Organization in Singapore and in the Southeast Asia region.

The case begins with an introduction section – a short discussion between WTO’s charismatic founder, noted social entrepreneur Jack Sim, and two employees, Geraldine Ang and Andrew Koh.  They have just returned from a field trip to Cambodia and Indonesia.  The three of them discuss the merits of WTO’s model in addressing the problem of water and sanitation in Asia.  The discussion leads into a history of WTO, including a short biographical sketch of Mr. Sim and his founding of WTO, and the growth and evolution of the organization over the past decade. This second section also examines issues of organizational design, organizational context and environment (concentrating particularly on Singapore’s social entrepreneurship field), and the growth of a fledgling social enterprise.  In the third section WTO’s ongoing re-structuring processes in recent years are described.

As it has moved from being a Singapore-focused organization looking at local issues to a broader, pan-Asian focus, the WTO has undergone numerous changes.  Most importantly, it is starting to change from a charismatic-founder-centred organization to one with greater structure and a more-focused strategy.  It has also moved from a pure focus on advocacy to a “hybrid” social enterprise model which combines aspects of advocacy with a franchise-based implementation model through its “SaniShop” program to multiply organizational impact.

 

Authors: Imran Chowdhury, Thierry Sibieude
Institution: ESSEC Business School, France; Pace University, USA
Competition Year2012
Place2nd place
TrackSocial Entrepreneurship
Key WordsSocial Entrepreneurship, Business Model Innovation, Scaling, Social Innovation
CoursesSocial Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Business Models, Organizational Design, Business and Society
Target AudienceMBA, Undergraduates, Executives
Permission RightsThis case is part of the oikos free case collection. Download a free online copy below. If you are a faculty member and you are interested in teaching this case, you can request a free teaching note by sending us an email to freecase@oikosinternational.org.
DownloadFree Online Copy

Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Walmart: Love, Earth

Case Abstract

This is the story about the efforts of a social entrepreneur, Assheton Carter, to create a meaningful initiative with Wal-Mart in ethical mining.  His idea:  to somehow secure the supply chain for jewelry in a way that consumers could be certain that every input – from treatment of workers in the mines through to sustainable manufacturing – was executed to the highest ethical standards.  This had never been done before, particularly on the scale according to which Wal-Mart operates:  it is not only the largest retailer of gold jewelry in the world, but maintains an unprecedented control over its suppliers.

At the time that Carter was attempting to sell his idea to Wal-Mart leaders, the company was embarking on a major push to become a highly ethical company that both used sustainable methods and behaved morally.  This was a priority of the CEO, Lee Scott, who claimed that he had had an “epiphany” about the future of Wal-Mart and had promoted a huge array of initiatives in the company.  After years of being the “bad guy” and an object of popular protest for its methods and impact on the US economy, Scott had pledged to turn this impression around.  Statements, committees, and programs proliferated in Wal-Mart.  The case offers many examples of his methods and initiatives.
 

This appeared to be a propitious moment for ideas like Carter’s.  However, Carter had had an extremely difficult time getting the attention of executives at Wal-Mart.  This was not necessarily because the new Wal-Mart was insincere or cynical about its ambitions, but due to the fact that its managers worked up to 60 hours per week, under relentless pressure to deliver.  In other words, the ethical initiatives had to be accomplished in addition to their regular jobs.  They also changed positions so often that Carter was never certain who was currently responsible for jewelry acquisition. Carter spent years attempting to communicate his ideas to the right person within the company, never seeming to get anywhere.
 

It was a time of great frustration.  In the meantime, he was extremely active in a number of other areas, which more than occupied the majority of his time.  But Carter persevered, eventually getting the attention of a dynamic young manager, Dee Breazeale.  Together, they structured the program, taking it through the company and enlisting suppliers to participate.  Though the results were somewhat ambiguous, they created a way that consumers could log on to the internet and look at all of the sources (inputs) into the piece of jewelry they purchased.  The result, however, is not the principal theme of the case, but its plot.
 

As it comes out in the case, Carter’s method is unique.  Rather than concentrate exclusively on promoting a good idea, Carter undertakes to understand the business model of the companies he approaches, i.e. the incentives that managers have, how they see the world, even the vocabulary that they use in their everyday work.  He speaks to them in a way that they can understand immediately and automatically, offering a plan of action that fits with the priorities of the company, yet pushes them to do new things in accordance with his ideas.  This too is controversial and must be extracted in discussion from the plot of the case.
 

Authors: N. Craig Smith, Robert J. Crawford
Institution: INSEAD, France
Competition Year2012
PlaceFinalist
TrackCorporate Sustainability
Key WordsSustainability, Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility, Stakeholder Engagement, NGO Strategy & Tactics, Social Entrepreneurship, Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives, Mining, Retail Jewellery
CoursesStrategic Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Strategy/Strategic Management, Operations Management/Supply Chains
Target AudienceMBA, eMBA, Executive Education Programmes, Upper Level Undergraduate
Permission RightsCopies of this case are available for purchase at Insead Case Publishing.
DownloadCase Abstract

Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Bio-Vert: Green to What Limit?

Case Abstract

Based in Canada, Savons Prolav is a small manufacturer of the environmentally-friendly Bio-Vert brand of cleaning products. Brother and sister Yan and Bianka Grand-Maison took over the family business in 2002 and have realigned the products to fit their vision: eco-friendly, effective, and affordable. After an environmental crisis in Quebec in 2007 spurred environmental legislation limiting phosphate use in detergents, Bio-Vert’s sales increased over 500%. However, since then ‘Green’ cleaning products have become more mainstream and competition is increasing from local and national brands.

The traditional differentiation of the Bio-Vert brand as a cost-competitive environmental friendly alternative which performs as well as traditional mainstream brands is fading and a change of strategy is needed.  The options include distributing altered (weakened) product formulations for house brands, maintaining the status quo, or innovating towards new products with even stronger environmental characteristics. While tempted by short-term economic benefits, the company seeks an approach that balances its environmental values with long-term economic success.

Authors: Catherine Bedard, Genevieve Grainger, Raymond Paquin
Institution: Concordia University, Canada
Competition Year2012
PlaceFinalist
TrackSocial Entrepreneurship
Key WordsSME, Eco-preneurship, Family Business, Eco‐products, Environmental Strategy, Green Products
CoursesStrategic Marketing, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Business and Sustainability
Target AudienceAdvanced Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students
Permission RightsThis case is available for purchase from Ivey Publishing (9B12A035). Please contact Raymond Paquin for permission rights.
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

TerraCycle

Case Abstract

In 2001 Tom Szaky, a Princeton freshman, founded TerraCycle in the hope of starting an eco-capitalist company built on waste – worm waste to be exact. Tom and his small team had little experience in building a business, but all possessed entrepreneurial spirit. Eventually, Tom dropped out of Princeton to pursue his dream of eliminating waste. Surviving on the goodwill of family, friends – both old and new – and a tremendous amount of dedication, the team had to constantly keep developing new ideas to keep the business from bankruptcy.

The company eventually moved into partnering with companies who would sponsor the collection of waste associated with their brands, and TerraCycle would transform that waste into affordable, high quality products. In 2006 Inc. Magazine named TerraCycle “The coolest little start-up in America” and Tom “The no. 1 CEO under thirty.”

By 2011 Tom had successfully built TerraCycle into an icon for environmental sustainability that was projecting US$16 million in annual revenues. However, sustained profits continued to elude the company, and though Tom was committed to eliminating waste, he was beginning to question whether TerraCycle had the right business model to achieve the triple bottom line.

Authors: Jan Lepoutre, Stuart Read, Philippe Margery
Institution: Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Belgium; IMD, Switzerland
Competition Year2012
Place1st place
Track Social Entrepreneurship
Key WordsEntrepreneurship, Effectuation, Strategy, Sustainability
Permission RightsAn inspection copy of this case is available here. This case can be purchased from ecch: Part A (IMD-3-2262), Part B (IMD-3-2263), Part C (IMD-3-2264), Part D (IMD-3-2275), Part K (IMD-3-2286) and Part "Outsmarting Waste" (IMD-3-2311).
DownloadInspection Copy
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Crediamigo: Partnering with VivaCred?

Case Abstract

Fortaleza, Northeast Brasil – Marcelo Azevedo, Urban microfinance manager, and the planning committee of Crediamigo, Brazil’s largest microfinance institution need to figure out an entry strategy to Rio de Janeiro’s microfinance market. A part of the Banco do Nordeste, a regional development bank, Crediamigo has a 10 year long and 400,000 clients in the Northeast of Brazil. Its objective is to double its clients base for 2011; Rio de Janeiro’s market, 3000 km South of Crediamigo’s base, was the next priority.

Crediamigo has two options. The first one consists of partnering with VivaCred, a small experienced microcredit NGO which operates in Rio de Janeiro slums. VivaCred was a microfinance NGO with relatively low organizational capabilities and a low performance in terms of loan repayment. Its lending methodologies were different from Crediamigo’s experience. The second option was to set a new branch of Crediamigo in Rio and to shape it at Crediamigo’s image.

The purpose of the case is twofold. First, it is to discuss these options and to highlight the pros and cons of these two modes of entry considering the local competitive market, the organization to be partnered with and the “business” per se related to lending methodologies. Second, it is to introduce students/participants to the challenges of entering in partnership with another organization.

Authors: Emmanuel Raufflet, Frédéric Lavoie
Institution: HEC Montréal, Canada; CECI, Canada
Competition Year2012
Place3rd place
TrackSocial Entrepreneurship
Key WordsMicrofinance, Acquisition, Entry strategy, Brazil, North East, Rio de Janeiro
CoursesStrategic Management, Microfinance, Social Entrepreneurship
Target AudienceMBA
Permission RightsThis case is available for purchase from Emerald Insight
DownloadInspection Copy
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Mind the Gap: Royal Dutch Shell’s Sustainability Agenda in Nigeria

Case Abstract

Royal Dutch Shell has started to assume social and political responsibilities that go beyond legal requirements and fill the regulatory vacuum in global governance and a public responsibility gap in Nigeria. Which implications does this engagement have for the firm, governance and democracy? And which public responsibility strategies can a multinational company (MNC) like Shell employ in a complex operating environment such as Nigeria to be sustainable?

This case explores the implications of Shell’s politicized role in a context where a regulatory governance framework is missing at the local and the global level. Additionally, the case discusses different public responsibility strategies that MNCs such as Shell can employ in a complex operating environment such as Nigeria. This case study is interesting as it fleshes out what constitutes Shell’s role under the conditions of globalization and a local public responsibility gap and what are the consequences of the company’s engagement in global governance and self-regulation. It also creates an understanding of the challenges which organizations in controversial industry sectors face in a context of increasing demands for sustainability.

Authors: Esther Hennchen, Josep Maria Lozano
Institution: ESADE Business School, Spain
Competition Year2012
Place1st place
TrackCorporate Sustainability
Key WordsCorporate Social Responsibility, Political Role of MNCs, Public Responsibility Strategies, Corporate Legitimacy, Democratic Control of Corporations, Developing Countries, Globalization, Sustainability
CoursesStrategic Management, International Management, Legal Ethics, Business and Society
Target AudienceMBA, Graduate Students
Permission RightsAn inspection copy of this case is available here. Please contact Esther Hennchen and Josep Maria Lozano for permission rights.
DownloadInspection Copy

Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Sustainable Development at PepsiCo

Case Abstract

This case is about the sustainable development initiatives of one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, PepsiCo. Faced with various criticisms on the social and environmental fronts, PepsiCo adopted the ‘Performance with Purpose’ strategy in 2009 under the leadership of its CEO Indra Nooyi (Nooyi). This strategy was based upon the philosophy that the company’s financial performance should go hand in hand with its responsibilities toward society and the environment.

The new sustainable development program contained 47 commitments that PepsiCo made toward society and these were divided into four broad areas: Performance, Human Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, and Talent Sustainability. The first component was to its shareholders, committing itself to good returns. The other three were to other stakeholders. PepsiCo took various steps to fulfil its commitments toward its stakeholders. It increased the content of healthy ingredients in its products like fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and low-fat dairy in its global product portfolio. To counter the allegations that its operations were leading to water shortages in the areas in which it was operating, it achieved a positive water balance in India and tried to achieve the same in other places in which it operated. It introduced several new nutritious products which were also cheaper and hence affordable to the underprivileged sections of society. To reduce the environmental impact of its operations it reduced the use of electricity and fuel in its operations. To understand the different markets in which it operated, it increased the diversity of its workforce around the world.
However, since mid-2011, Nooyi had come under fire from key stakeholders such as shareholders and bottlers who contended that her focus on ‘Performance with Purpose’ had come at the cost of positioning of the company’s products and had hurt sales. They felt that its archrival, the Coca Cola Company had gained the upper hand during Nooyi’s tenure.

Authors: Debapratim Purkayastha, Adapa Srinivasa Rao
Institution: IBS Hyderabad, India
Competition Year2012
PlaceFinalist
TrackCorporate Sustainability
Key WordsSustainable development, Corporate social responsibility, Balancing excellent operating performance with sustainable business practices, Theory of externalities, Stakeholder theory, Performance with Purpose strategy, Human sustainability, Environmental sustainability, Talent sustainability, Triple bottom line, Social criticism, Environmental criticism, Food and beverage sector, PepsiCo
CoursesStrategic Management, Business Ethics
Target AudienceMBA
Permission RightsPlease contact Debapratim Purkayastha for permission rights.
DownloadInspection Copy
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Building and Scaling a Cross-Sector Partnership: Oxfam America and Swiss Re Empower Farmers in Ethiopia

Case Abstract

After several years of preparation, in May 2009, Oxfam America (an international relief and development organization) and Swiss Re (a leading global reinsurer) along with other partners piloted Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation. HARITA is an innovative model designed to help propel some of the poorest farmers in Ethiopia out of poverty by helping them cope with weather-related risk. Oxfam’s goal for HARITA was to develop a scalable model that could be disseminated throughout developing countries across the globe to help farmers deal with the effects of drought and other challenges associated with climate change.

Swiss Re served initially as a funder and technical advisor for HARITA but also engaged in the project to better understand insurance markets in the developing world. This case provides a personal account of two key actors: David Satterthwaite (Oxfam) and Mark Way (Swiss Re). Although many cross-sector collaborations reach the pilot stage, “scaling” offers a new set of challenges because it inherently requires greater commitments and entails greater risks for both partners. This case places students in the shoes of Oxfam’s Satterthwaite as he prepares for a critical meeting with Way about a dramatic expansion plan for HARITA in Ethiopia and beyond.

Authors: Jonathan Doh, Ted London, Vasilia (Lea) Kilibarda
Institution: Villanova University, USA; William Davidson Institute/Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, USA
Competition Year2012
Place2nd Place
TrackCorporate Sustainability
Key WordsCross-sector partnership, Base of the pyramid (BoP) strategies, Sustainable development, Climate change and food security, Creating social and economic value, Strategic management, Public-private partnerships, Nonprofit management, Corporate social responsibility
CoursesStrategic Management, Sustainability Management, Global Corporate Responsibility, Nonprofit Management
Target Audience MBA, EMBA, MPA, MPP
Permission RightsPlease contact permissions@globalens.com for permission rights. You can also purchase this case directly from the GlobaLens web-site.
DownloadInspection Copy (Abbreviated)
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Of Orangutans and Chainsaws: Cargill, Inc. Confronts The Rainforest Action Network’s Palm Oil Advocacy

Case Abstract

From October 2007 till September 2010, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), an environment and sustainability-focused nongovernmental organization (NGO) mounted a public campaign against Cargill, the United States-based agribusiness company. The campaign advocated the production and sale of sustainable palm oil because traditional palm oil cultivation destroyed rainforests and caused social upheaval.

By 2011, RAN had forced many of Cargill’s customers (Unilever, Nestle, General Mills, and the Girl Scouts of America) to move to sustainable palm oil.  However, Cargill was adamant in its stance that, as a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), it adhered to the organization’s Principles and Criteria for palm oil.  It chose not to respond to RAN’s activism other than to publicly deny any wrong doing. The case is set at a point in late September 2011 when Indonesia, the world’s leading palm oil producer, announced the decision to leave the RSPO.  Anticipating an adverse reaction from RAN, since Cargill sourced much of its palm oil from Indonesia, Cargill CEO, Gregory Page, has to make a decision.

Author: Ram Subramanian
Institution: Montclair State University, USA
Competition Year2012
Place3rd Place
TrackCorporate Sustainability
Key WordsSustainable Palm Oil, Cargill, Agribusiness
Target AudienceUndergraduates, MBA
Permission RightsCopies of this case are available for purchase at Harvard Business Review store
DownloadInspection Copy.
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.

Nuru Energy

Case Abstract

Nuru Energy is a social venture that was created in 2008 by an MBA graduate with five years experience in the development sector. The entrepreneur starts from nothing, bootstrapping a social venture with the ambitious goal of providing affordable and effective lighting solutions to 800 million poor people without access to the electric grid in sub-Saharan Africa and India. The case describes the challenges of growing social enterprises that have dual roles of profit and social impact. It focuses in particular on financing challenges and provides a context to discuss different financing sources and their implications.

The case is written in the first person, based on extensive interviews, and is illustrated with pictures of the products developed and the customers using them. It describes the evolution of Nuru from the motivation to start a venture, to the discovery of the problem to address, the definition of the vision and mission of the organization, and then the bottom-up design strategy that led to a very innovative and award winning product design. The case then focuses on the challenges of developing a sustainable business model, discussing different market-based and donor-based alternatives and how these can be financed. The central theme to the case is to assess the merits and drawback of different funding alternatives that were open to Nuru Energy in November 2010. These ranged from social angel investors, to venture philanthropy and corporate social investors.

Authors: Filipe Santos, Anne-Marie Carrick-Cagna
Institution: INSEAD, France
Competition Year2012
PlaceFinalist
TrackSocial Entrepreneurship
Key WordsSocial Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise, Impact Investing, Hybrid Organizations
CoursesSocial Entrepreneurship, Managing Social Enterprises, Managing Growth, Financing for Social Ventures
Target AudienceMBA, EMBA, Practicing Social Entrepreneurs
Permission RightsThis case is available for purchase from Insead Case Publishing
DownloadCase Abstract
Author image

oikos International

posted June 30, 2012

This might be for you.