The Vincit case describes the unique leadership model and organizational culture in the Nordic high-tech company named Vincit. The case covers the development of the company’s culture from its creation in 2007 to very recent, July 2019. The case ends by describing a recent public crisis caused by its recruitment advertisement and the founder’s confusion about the causes and solutions of this crisis.

By highlighting the responsibility of the founders and leaders in developing Vincit’s culture, the case narratively unfolds the procedure of the formation of organizational culture in an entrepreneurial firm. Moreover, due to the self-managing nature of Vincit, the case also raises questions about what the responsibilities of the CEO/leaders are in a self-managing company, as well as the dynamic interaction between leadership and organization culture in an entrepreneurial firm.

How to make an effective contribution to a closely-knit board run by a longtime and rigid chair, and how to do so as the only woman? This is the predicament this fictional case study presents Jane Pruitt, a 54-year-old CFO coming in from another company under shareholder pressure. She is striving to make a much-needed impact on a privately-held formerly family-run metalworking machinery and equipment manufacturer overseen by five male board members (and financially interconnected friends) all about 70 years of age.
Jane begins to suspect that the intellectual, generational and gender diversity she was hired to provide was brought on board only for public show.

The case raises important questions about the value of diversity in a team environment and will engage any student who has been an outsider on an insular, club-like team.

This case presents several challenges that are relevant for organizations today. First, it explores a newcomer’s perspective on being an outsider in an insider-dominated setting. Second, the case presents a number of common board/team practices that undercut effectiveness. Finally, it gives students the opportunity to think and talk about board diversity, its merits and challenges, and possible paths forward to success.

Within that setting, several instructional objectives can be met:

• Diversity: The experience of the outsider, and the deep frustrations of not fitting in.
• Board Process: Board effectiveness requires both the right board composition and the right board process.
• Leadership: The next leader is often already at the table but may not match the stereotype of the old one.

In 2010, the Australian Government announced a proposed overhaul of the taxation regime governing its large mining sector. The announcement came at a time when Australia’s mining industry was booming but concerns were also growing about how to distribute the gains of the mining boom between mining companies and the Australian people, and how to harness the success in the mining sector to promote long term sustainable economic growth across Australia. It was partly to address these concerns, as well as to improve the efficiency of the way in which mining was taxed, that the tax reform proposal was developed. At the heart of the proposal was a shift from a volume based royalty system of taxation to a system based on mining companies’ profits.

Focusing on Xstrata, the largest foreign mining company operating in Australia, the case charts how the mining industry acted collectively to conduct a wide-ranging and aggressive public and private lobbying campaign against the tax. Central to this campaign was the use of traditional and new media – newspapers, radio, television, internet, and social networking sites – to try and turn public opinion against the tax. This campaign successfully sowed doubts into the minds of many and attracted support from the political opposition, and other business groups outside of the mining sector

In 2010, the Australian Government announced a proposed overhaul of the taxation regime governing its large mining sector. The announcement came at a time when Australia’s mining industry was booming but concerns were also growing about how to distribute the gains of the mining boom between mining companies and the Australian people, and how to harness the success in the mining sector to promote long term sustainable economic growth across Australia. It was partly to address these concerns, as well as to improve the efficiency of the way in which mining was taxed, that the tax reform proposal was developed. At the heart of the proposal was a shift from a volume based royalty system of taxation to a system based on mining companies’ profits.

Focusing on Xstrata, the largest foreign mining company operating in Australia, the case charts how the mining industry acted collectively to conduct a wide-ranging and aggressive public and private lobbying campaign against the tax. Central to this campaign was the use of traditional and new media – newspapers, radio, television, internet, and social networking sites – to try and turn public opinion against the tax. This campaign successfully sowed doubts into the minds of many and attracted support from the political opposition, and other business groups outside of the mining sector

In 2010, the Australian Government announced a proposed overhaul of the taxation regime governing its large mining sector. The announcement came at a time when Australia’s mining industry was booming but concerns were also growing about how to distribute the gains of the mining boom between mining companies and the Australian people, and how to harness the success in the mining sector to promote long term sustainable economic growth across Australia. It was partly to address these concerns, as well as to improve the efficiency of the way in which mining was taxed, that the tax reform proposal was developed. At the heart of the proposal was a shift from a volume based royalty system of taxation to a system based on mining companies’ profits.

Focusing on Xstrata, the largest foreign mining company operating in Australia, the case charts how the mining industry acted collectively to conduct a wide-ranging and aggressive public and private lobbying campaign against the tax. Central to this campaign was the use of traditional and new media – newspapers, radio, television, internet, and social networking sites – to try and turn public opinion against the tax. This campaign successfully sowed doubts into the minds of many and attracted support from the political opposition, and other business groups outside of the mining sector

In 2010, the Australian Government announced a proposed overhaul of the taxation regime governing its large mining sector. The announcement came at a time when Australia’s mining industry was booming but concerns were also growing about how to distribute the gains of the mining boom between mining companies and the Australian people, and how to harness the success in the mining sector to promote long term sustainable economic growth across Australia. It was partly to address these concerns, as well as to improve the efficiency of the way in which mining was taxed, that the tax reform proposal was developed. At the heart of the proposal was a shift from a volume based royalty system of taxation to a system based on mining companies’ profits.

Focusing on Xstrata, the largest foreign mining company operating in Australia, the case charts how the mining industry acted collectively to conduct a wide-ranging and aggressive public and private lobbying campaign against the tax. Central to this campaign was the use of traditional and new media – newspapers, radio, television, internet, and social networking sites – to try and turn public opinion against the tax. This campaign successfully sowed doubts into the minds of many and attracted support from the political opposition, and other business groups outside of the mining sector

This case aims to work on the key factors to take into account when it comes to involving a business unit or group of employees in an organizational development initiative.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The case can be used for all types of postgraduate programs or in-company programs. It falls into the category of organizational behaviour, and particularly the sub-category of work team management and leadership.

The ideal audience would comprise professionals with a certain amount of experience and with employees reporting to them.

Is it possible for a public, inter-governmental, and technical cooperation organization to implement institutional change while maintaining normal performance in different contexts and while achieving objectives established by the member governments, without labor conflicts or a significant overall increase in financial resources?

This case documents and comparatively analyzes two experiences (Costa Rica and Nicaragua) to answer the question posed above, as these countries provide two different situations in terms of national demand profiles and institutional resources.