Engaging Emerging Markets – Case Studies

Case studies are interactive, dynamic, and participant-driven teaching tools designed to guide students through real-world case examples of business issues. Students learn to analyze information, develop rational alternatives, make decisions, and recommend implementation tactics in time-sensitive situations, just as they would as practicing managers.

Ivey is the second largest producer and distributor of field based management case studies in the world. These cases are used extensively in our degree and executive education programs, and are also available to other universities, business and government organizations.
 

9B10M061 Bayer CropScience in India (A): Against Child Labor Charles Dhanaraj , Oana Branzei , Satyajeet Subramanian

The case explores value-driven strategy formulation and implementation by bringing to the fore issues of ethics, responsible leadership, social intitiatives in emerging markets and the global-local tensions in corporate social responsibility. It examines how Bayer CropScience addressed the issue of child labour in its cotton seed supply chain in rural India between 2002 and 2008. Bayer had been operating in India for more than a century. In December 2002, the Bayer Group completed the acquisition of India-based Aventis CropScience. Bayer CropScience first learned about the incidence and prevalence of the child labour in its newly acquired India-based cotton seed operations a few months post acquisition, in April 2003. The Aventis acquisition had brought onboard a well-known Indian company, Proagro, which already had operations in the cotton seed production and marketing - a new segment of the supply chain for Bayer. Child labour was widespread in cotton seed production - a traditional practice taken for granted not only by Indian farmers but also by several hundred Indian companies then accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the market share. The (A) case focuses on Bayer's decision whether, when and how to launch a self-run program that would take direct responsibility for tracking and eradicating child labour in rural India. The (B) case 9B10M062 focuses on Bayer's formulation of a value-driven strategy, with three pillars: communication, implementation and education.

We have identified emerging markets cases within the Ivey database and classified them into subcategories. We also regularly add cases to these following subcategories. Follow the links to view searchable case lists from our interactive database at Ivey Publishing.

Emerging Markets Cases (by country)

China Focused Cases

(A) Canadian companies in China
(B) American companies in China
(C) Chinese companies (including SOEs)
(D) Non-North American companies in China
(E) Joint Ventures in China

Emerging Markets Cases (by region)

Africa
Eastern Europe
Indian Subcontinent & Central Asia
Mexico & the Caribbean
Middle East
South America

Emerging Markets Cases (by CE research framework)

Entering Emerging Markets
Operating in Emerging Markets
Engaging Emerging Market Competitors
 

Ivey is the first Canadian business school to join United Nations' Global Compact initiative. The Global Compact (www.globalcompact.org) was launched by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1999. His challenge was for business leaders to join an international initiative to bring together companies with UN agencies, labour and civil society to support universal environmental and social principles. The Global Compact encompasses 10 main principles in four categories – Human Rights, Labour Standards, Environment and Anti-Corruption. Follow the links below for abstracts of Ivey cases and publications on:

Human Rights

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour Standards

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment

Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

Anti-Corruption

Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.

For a copy of the Presentation “Global Compact Relevant Case Study Opportunities” presented at the Global Forum for Responsible Management Education at the United Nations Headquarters on December 5, 2008 click here