Creating a Sustainable World through the Power of Business
The Erb Institute is a partnership between the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan. The institute’s mission is to create a sustainable world through the power of business. We do that through research, teaching, and business engagement—all focused on preparing and supporting bold business leaders who can adeptly transform companies, industries, and entire economies for systemic sustainability.
The institute was founded 30 years ago as a dual-degree program in which graduate students receive their MBA from Ross and their MS from SEAS. Today, the institute has grown to include an undergraduate program, scholarly and applied research on business sustainability, as well as direct business engagement to turn ideas into action through on-the-ground projects with companies, social enterprises and nonprofits committed to business sustainability.
Erb Institute has 141 products available, viewing 1-141.
AT&T and Corporate Political Donations after the Capitol Insurrection
by:
Andrew Hoffman
A year of political turmoil, capped by the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, presented new challenges to many corporations, including AT&T. The telecommunications giant’s…
Publication Date: 05/25/2022 Product ID: 9-334-409
$4.95
Squarespace and Domestic Terrorism in Charlottesville: The Responsibility of Private Companies to Respond
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case follows the decision-making of Connie Ovalspot, fictional head of human resources at Squarespace. Ovalspot is being called on to advise the CEO and board members on how to…
Publication Date: 05/02/2022 Product ID: 8-968-451
$4.95
Tesla's Battery Supply Chain: A Growing Concern
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In October 2021, the fictional vice president of supply chain sustainability at Tesla is working on finding the best way to achieve Tesla’s goal of 100% recycling for the batteries…
Publication Date: 04/22/2022 Product ID: 9-884-554
$4.95
Polarizing Government Work: McKinsey & Co. and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
When Donald Trump announced his run for president in 2015, he placed immigration front and center in his campaign. He promised to drastically expand U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),…
Publication Date: 04/21/2022 Product ID: 3-951-926
$4.95
“Kraken” Down on Emissions: The World’s First Net-Zero Arena
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case explores the economic, cultural, and environmental implications of the creation of the Kraken, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) newest expansion team in Seattle, Washington. It follows the responsibilities…
Publication Date: 04/20/2022 Product ID: 3-416-331
$4.95
Can Salesforce Compete in the Carbon Accounting Market?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes Salesforce’s development of Sustainability Cloud, a suite of software tools built to help companies measure, track, and report carbon emissions and other sustainability metrics. The goal of…
Publication Date: 04/13/2022 Product ID: 6-796-727
$4.95
Loop: Eliminating Single-Use Plastic through Reusable Packaging and the Circular Economy
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes TerraCycle’s history as an innovative recycling platform and focuses on the business model of its newest endeavor, Loop. After significant growth of TerraCycle and successfully orchestrating recycling…
Publication Date: 04/07/2022 Product ID: 2-601-145
$4.95
LaCroix and PFAS: Redefining the Role of Science and Regulation
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case investigates LaCroix sparkling water and its connection to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as a study of chemical compounds in carbonated beverages has captured the public’s attention. At…
Publication Date: 04/01/2022 Product ID: 7-806-041
$4.95
A Sweet Dilemma: Sourcing Palm Oil with Ferrero SpA and Nestlé
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case focuses on Ferrero SpA’s sustainable palm oil sourcing strategy in light of its acquisition of Nestlé’s U.S. confectionery brands, which in many ways does not comply with Ferrero’s…
Publication Date: 03/31/2022 Product ID: 7-951-326
$4.95
Interface: The Journey Toward Carbon Negative
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Interface has been a leading innovator in the carpet industry, specializing in the manufacturing of carpet tiles for commercial flooring. This case describes the history, context, and technology behind the…
Publication Date: 03/23/2022 Product ID: 2-341-083
$4.95
Marathon Petroleum and Southwest Detroit: The Intersection of Community and Environment
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Environmental racism describes the unequal burden of environmental hazards placed on disadvantaged communities through systems, policies, and practices. In such a situation, these people disproportionately live close to sources of…
Publication Date: 03/15/2022 Product ID: 2-652-482
$4.95
Nike's Response to Human Rights Abuse Claims in China
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2019, Nike and other brands were accused by the media, human rights advocates and organizations, and members of the U.S. government of potentially having supply chain ties to human…
Publication Date: 05/10/2021 Product ID: 5-843-548
$4.95
Walmart’s Blockchain Quest: Integrating New Technology into a Complex Supply Chain
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Blockchain is a digital, distributed, immutable ledger designed to build trust among parties without requiring an independent, third-party arbitrator or intermediary. The technology has potential to improve a variety of…
Publication Date: 05/07/2021 Product ID: 4-290-769
$4.95
White Oak Pastures: A Radically Traditional Farm Redefines Growth
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Industrial agriculture feeds the modern world but its practices, such as monocropping and use of chemicals, have caused significant damage to the environment and food supply. Regenerative agriculture, in contrast,…
Publication Date: 04/29/2021 Product ID: 9-453-550
$4.95
Stripe: Encouraging Customers to Invest in Carbon Removal
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Stripe, a San Francisco-based financial and software as a service (SaaS) company, is launching a platform to encourage its clients to invest in carbon removal technologies. The new platform, Stripe…
Publication Date: 04/15/2021 Product ID: 7-558-064
$4.95
Imperfect Foods: Ugly Produce and an Attempt to Reduce Food Waste
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Imperfect Foods is a grocery delivery company providing lower-cost items that may have aesthetic shortcomings and would typically be discarded. Despite its laudable anti-waste goals, Imperfect Foods has received significant…
Publication Date: 04/09/2021 Product ID: 4-067-580
$4.95
Starbucks: Opposing a Local Tax to Address Homelessness while Promoting Social Justice
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2018, the Seattle City Council unanimously voted 9-0 for a tax that would require companies whose annual revenue surpassed $20 million to pay the city $275 per employee per…
Publication Date: 03/31/2021 Product ID: 3-330-494
$4.95
Brightline: Targeting a Successful Future with High-Speed Rail
by:
Andrew Hoffman
High-speed rail (HSR) is a high-performance transportation technology that is time competitive with airplanes and automobiles, and is an environmentally preferable alternative due to its low carbon dioxide emissions.
Brightline…
Publication Date: 10/20/2020 Product ID: 2-982-867
$4.95
Building Transparency within the Sustainable Apparel Coalition: The Road to Successful Pre-Competitive Collaboration
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) was founded in 2010 to develop a common set of sustainability standards for the apparel, footwear, and home textile industries. The organization was an example…
Publication Date: 10/08/2020 Product ID: 8-059-399
$4.95
The University of Michigan Endowment Fund: Divesting from Fossil Fuels
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case analyzes the University of Michigan (U-M) Endowment Fund’s capability and potential responsibility to divest from fossil fuels. Similar educational institutions, such as the University of California system, had…
Publication Date: 09/09/2020 Product ID: 1-764-030
$4.95
Ring Inc. and Law Enforcement: The Cost of Keeping Neighborhoods Safe
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case examines the technology of Ring, Inc. and how the technology is used by customers and law enforcement agencies. While Ring and its partners report that its camera-equipped smart…
Publication Date: 07/27/2020 Product ID: 8-938-615
$4.95
“The Status Quo Is Unacceptable”: Walmart and the Debate on Gun Control
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case focuses on the rising trend of CEO activism, especially as it relates to business extending its impact on democracy. The case centers on the contentious political issues of…
Publication Date: 07/06/2020 Product ID: 8-768-562
$4.95
Apple and the FBI: User Privacy and Law Enforcement Cooperation
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In the wake of a mass killing in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015, the FBI requested that Apple unlock an iPhone used by one of the shooters. Thus began…
Publication Date: 06/22/2020 Product ID: 2-190-513
$4.95
The Challenges of Siting a New Headquarters: Amazon Courts New York City
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2017, Amazon began its search for a second headquarters location. From 20 finalists, after a bidding process that lasted nearly a year, Amazon selected two locations: Long Island City…
Publication Date: 06/12/2020 Product ID: 9-380-526
$4.95
Turning the Tide: DuPont, Sustainable Seaweed and Pre-Competitive Collaboration
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes DuPont’s sustainable seaweed program, in partnership with the New England Aquarium, and discusses the changing market landscape for seaweed: an undervalued ingredient widely used in much of…
Publication Date: 06/11/2020 Product ID: 4-095-267
$4.95
Policing Politics: Facebook and a Politician’s Right to Free Speech
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Facebook, the world’s largest social media company, boasted a worldwide reach with over 140 million companies using the Facebook app, 100 billion messages shared every day, and 70 international offices.…
Publication Date: 05/22/2020 Product ID: 4-083-120
$4.95
JUST, Inc.: Clean Meat and the Future of Protein Alternatives
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case outlines various investment options for the CEO of JUST, Inc., Josh Tetrick, as he attempts to capture market share in the protein industry of the future. JUST, Inc.…
Publication Date: 05/07/2020 Product ID: 9-972-749
$4.95
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Accelerating a Circular Economy for Plastic Packaging
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Plastic has become essential to global day-to-day activities, yet it is also causing extreme environmental degradation. Many leaders in the plastics industry are starting to question its sustainability. This case…
Publication Date: 04/29/2020 Product ID: 9-550-406
$4.95
Neste: Fueling the Future of Transportation
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Neste, a Finnish oil company, has established itself as a key player and early mover in the renewable fuel market since its patent of NEXBTL renewable diesel in 1996. As…
Publication Date: 04/27/2020 Product ID: 5-522-996
$4.95
Growing Better Together: General Mills Considers Pre-Competitive Collaboration to Advance Sustainable Supply Chains
by:
Andrew Hoffman
It was mid-March 2019 and General Mills had just announced its commitment to advance regenerative agriculture practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030. It was an ambitious initiative…
Publication Date: 04/24/2020 Product ID: 5-169-798
$4.95
Navigating Emission Reductions through Competition or Collaboration? Maersk in Uncharted Waters
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In this case, the CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, considers whether competition or collaboration is the right solution to tackle the…
Publication Date: 04/23/2020 Product ID: 4-510-111
$4.95
BerkShares: Resisting Big-Box Retailers and Creating Economic Self-Sufficiency through Local Currency and Entrepreneursh…
by:
Andrew Hoffman
BerkShares is a local currency in western Massachusetts and is a project instituted by the Schumacher Center for a New Economics and BerkShares, Inc., which seeks to foster local and…
Publication Date: 08/26/2019 Product ID: 1-537-103
$4.95
Lafarge, ISIS and the Syrian Civil War: Business in the Face of Terrorism
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2007, global building products company Lafarge purchased a dilapidated factory in northern Syria and invested $680 million to build and operationalize a cement plant, thus establishing a Middle East…
Publication Date: 05/08/2019 Product ID: 3-504-559
$4.95
Tyson Foods and Alternative Proteins: Where to Invest for Sustainable Growth?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes the first investment decision of Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods—the largest protein producer in the United States and one of the largest in…
Publication Date: 05/07/2019 Product ID: 3-459-756
$4.95
Argus Farm Stop: Can a Low-Profit LLC be Scaled to Save the Family Farm?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Argus Farm Stop is a year-round farmers market store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The owners launched the business with a mission to improve support for local farmers and offer the…
Publication Date: 05/02/2019 Product ID: 1-543-605
$4.95
At a Crossroads: General Motors and the Trump Administration's Fuel Economy Standards
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case focuses on the introduction of the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule in 2018 and General Motors’ (GM’s) challenge regarding how to best respond during the proposed rule’s…
Publication Date: 04/29/2019 Product ID: 1-453-703
$4.95
Note on Business Sustainability as Systems Change: Market Transformation
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Business sustainability has come a long way since the dawn of the modern environmental movement and the establishment of environmental regulations in the 1970s. However, the focus has been to…
Publication Date: 04/17/2019 Product ID: 5-720-388
$4.95
Note on Climate Change as an Organizational Challenge
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Developing a corporate climate change strategy is more than just a technological and economic challenge. More importantly, it is an organizational and cultural challenge. An effective strategy must focus on…
Publication Date: 04/17/2019 Product ID: 1-525-236
$4.95
Note on Business Sustainability as a Market Shift: Enterprise Integration
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This conceptual note presents business sustainability as a market shift that must be framed as a change in the competitive positioning of the corporation. By exploring the drivers of sustainability…
Publication Date: 04/17/2019 Product ID: 2-501-315
$4.95
Facebook: Fake News, Free Speech and an Internet Platform's Responsibility
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes the role of Facebook in society and its degree of responsibility to protect the privacy of user data and address the real-world impacts of misinformation and fake…
Publication Date: 04/12/2019 Product ID: 8-890-047
$4.95
The Cultural Challenges of Meeting Climate Change Goals: Montreal Weighs an Emissions Ban on Iconic Wood-Fire Bagel Shop…
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2018, the city of Montreal debated a ban on the commercial use of wood-burning ovens used by the city’s famous and iconic bagel shops. This consideration came after a…
Publication Date: 04/11/2019 Product ID: 7-234-668
$4.95
Blurring the Lines Between Business and Government: Salesforce and CEO Activism
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case features CRM technology firm Salesforce, and its CEO, Marc Benioff. In 2015, the state of Indiana’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was signed into law by then…
Publication Date: 04/10/2019 Product ID: 2-027-758
$4.95
WeWork: Oil Money and the Challenge of Achieving Carbon Neutrality
by:
Andrew Hoffman
WeWork, a successful company that provides shared workspaces, has grown rapidly since its founding in 2010 and was valued at $45 billion in 2018. WeWork was considered a progressive company…
Publication Date: 04/10/2019 Product ID: 9-396-089
$4.95
Michigan Dining: 20% Local by 2025
by:
Ravi Anupindi
This case study highlights the opportunities and economic, environmental, and social value generated by one of the nation’s largest college dining operations, the University of Michigan’s MDining. The case describes the…
Publication Date: 01/23/2019 Product ID: 3-589-225
$4.95
Dell: Upcycling Ocean Plastics Through Supply Chain Innovation
This case focuses on Dell’s efforts to develop an open-source, scalable, and cost-effective supply chain capable of delivering ocean plastics waste to its production facilities, and potentially to those of…
Publication Date: 06/18/2018 Product ID: 7-949-121
$4.95
Travelers Insurance: Focusing on Climate Change and Natural Catastrophe Risk (Simplified Chinese)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The dilemma Evan Blue faces stems from a report by sustainability advocacy group Ceres that calls on companies to take climate change into consideration in their risk models and develop…
Publication Date: 02/05/2018 Product ID: 5-176-151
$4.95
How Do We Get There? EDF Manages a New Diversity Plan
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Emily Reyna, the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Director of Diversity, has been in the newly formed position for under a year and has been tasked with implementing the organization’s Diversity…
Publication Date: 04/25/2017 Product ID: 1-430-503
$4.95
Ending the Woes of Short-Termism: The Long-Term Stock Exchange
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Eric Ries, one of the most prominent entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, is launching the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE), a new stock exchange for companies and investors that want to focus…
Publication Date: 04/21/2017 Product ID: 1-430-504
$4.95
Climate Change and the Napa Valley Wine Industry
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Jon-Mark Chappellet, Director of Operations at Clos Du Val Winery in Napa Valley, is developing a 50-year plan. The effects of climate change are forcing Chappellet and other Napa Valley…
Publication Date: 04/25/2017 Product ID: 1-430-510
$4.95
The Challenges of Transparency: Communicating the Pebble Mine Project to the Public
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd holds the rights to the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The mine is the largest copper, gold, and molybdenum deposit in the world. However, the…
Publication Date: 04/20/2017 Product ID: 1-430-511
$4.95
Cracking the Egg Industry: Hampton Creek Tries a Vegan Take on Classic Mayo
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2013, Hampton Creek entered the mayonnaise marketplace with the world’s first plant-based, vegan mayonnaise “Just Mayo”. The creation of an egg-free version of mayonnaise had the potential to upset…
Publication Date: 04/18/2017 Product ID: 1-430-509
$4.95
Cargill: The Risky Business of Integrating Climate Change and Corporate Strategy
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The complex and fragmented agribusiness sector has been resistant to legislation surrounding greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change regulations. Cargill, one of the largest agribusiness companies and the largest…
Publication Date: 04/18/2017 Product ID: 1-430-506
$4.95
Breaking Ground: Method and the Brownfield vs. Greenfield Debate
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Method’s environmentally friendly cleaning products were rapidly gaining market share, both domestically and overseas. Due to its 2012 acquisition by Belgian cleaning brand Ecover, Method now had access to Ecover’s…
Publication Date: 04/12/2017 Product ID: 1-430-508
$4.95
Seventh Generation and Unilever: Would an Acquisition Affect Sustainability?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Seventh Generation, a sustainable cleaning and personal care products company, has received a purchase offer from Unilever. Seventh Generation’s CEO is deciding whether to accept the offer and, if so,…
Publication Date: 04/10/2017 Product ID: 1-430-507
$4.95
Sustainability and Post-Merger Integration: The Dow Chemical Company’s 2009 Acquisition of Rohm & Haas
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2009 Mark Weick, Director of Sustainability at The Dow Chemical Company, faced a difficult decision. Dow had spent three years working steadily toward meeting its 2015 sustainability goals, but…
Publication Date: 03/31/2017 Product ID: 1-430-512
$4.95
The Hershey Trust: Managing Conflicts of Interest in Corporate Governance
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The Hershey Company has just received a purchase offer from Mondelez, another confectionery company, and students are thrust into the role of Layla Dylan, one of Hershey’s board members. The…
Publication Date: 03/31/2017 Product ID: 1-430-505
$4.95
Taking a Bite Out of Apple (Spanish Translation): Labor Rights and the Role of Companies and Consumers in a Global Suppl…
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case is the Spanish language translation of the case “Taking a Bite Out of Apple: Labor Rights and the Responsibility of Companies and Consumers in a Global Supply Chain”,…
Publication Date: 11/11/2014 Product ID: 1-429-406
$4.95
NextEra Energy
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Rick Anderson, senior director of NextEra’s Green Marketing Group, is crafting a marketing strategy to move Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) on the voluntary market by demonstrating the added value of…
Publication Date: 06/11/2012 Product ID: 1-429-232
$4.95
Patagonia: Encouraging Customers to Buy Used Clothing (B)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
How do you make money when you tell your customers ’don’t buy our stuff unless you really need it?’” This was the question that Yvon Chouinard, founder of the clothing…
Publication Date: 03/16/2012 Product ID: 1-429-231
$4.95
Patagonia: Encouraging Customers to Buy Used Clothing (A)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
How do you make money when you tell your customers ’don’t buy our stuff unless you really need it?’” This was the question that Yvon Chouinard, founder of the clothing…
Publication Date: 03/16/2012 Product ID: 1-429-230
$4.95
BP: Beyond Petroleum?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
British Petroleum (BP), one of the world’s largest oil companies, had spent over $200 million rebranding itself as environmentally responsible, with the tagline “Beyond Petroleum.” However, after the catastrophic 2010…
Publication Date: 04/03/2012 Product ID: 1-429-229
$4.95
Google Energy Shifts into Renewables
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Google has been widely criticized for its data center energy usage. Google Energy, a recently created subsidiary, has successfully responded to this criticism but must now formulate an expansion strategy.…
Publication Date: 04/03/2012 Product ID: 1-429-226
$4.95
Volkswagen's Clean Diesel Dilemma
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen Group, has just been notified that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resource Board will begin investigating claims that some of the company’s…
Publication Date: 03/01/2016 Product ID: 1-430-484
$4.95
General Mills Commits to Sourcing 100% Sustainable Cocoa
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Jacob Madisson is wondering how General Mills will make it to its goal of sourcing 100% sustainable cocoa by 2020. Demand is increasing and some are wondering if the supply…
Publication Date: 02/25/2016 Product ID: 1-430-483
$4.95
Recycling at Keurig Green Mountain: A Brewing Problem
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer for Keurig Green Mountain Coffee, is carefully considering the criticism the company has received regarding its plastic K-Cups that deliver a single serving of coffee…
Publication Date: 06/01/2016 Product ID: 1-430-482
$4.95
Kaiser Permanente: Linking Renewable Energy and Healthcare
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Ramé Hemstreet, vice president for operations and chief sustainable resource officer at Kaiser Permanente, is thinking about climate change and how he can improve the health of the community by…
Publication Date: 03/14/2016 Product ID: 1-430-481
$4.95
Volvo: Finding True Value in the Electric Bus Market
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Birgit Skarsgard, head of sustainability and public affairs at Volvo Group, has successfully taken part in the ElectriCity cooperative experiment to integrate electric buses into Sweden’s market using KPMG’s True…
Publication Date: 04/21/2016 Product ID: 1-430-480
$4.95
Uber and the Sharing Economy: Global Market Expansion and Reception
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Alexander Cooper is gearing up to lead an expansion strategy for the scrappy and super successful car sharing service, Uber. While the company has not been without its controversy, it…
Publication Date: 02/19/2016 Product ID: 1-430-479
$4.95
Dow and the Circular Economy: Trash to Treasure?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Erica Ocampo, sustainability and advocacy manager at The Dow Chemical Company, is getting ready to present her report on the pilot Energy Bag program to her boss. The waste-to-energy program…
Publication Date: 03/23/2016 Product ID: 1-430-478
$4.95
Alcoa: The Race to Light-weighting (Spanish)
The race to lightweighting is well underway with the introduction of the aluminum body Ford F150. Raj Reddy, vice president of strategy for global rolled products at Alcoa, one of…
Publication Date: 08/27/2015 Product ID: 1-430-461
$4.95
Alcoa: The Race to Light-weighting
The race to lightweighting is well underway with the introduction of the aluminum body Ford F150. Raj Reddy, vice president of strategy for global rolled products at Alcoa, one of…
Publication Date: 08/27/2015 Product ID: 1-430-435
$4.95
Tea and Sustainability at Unilever: Turning Over a New Leaf (B)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Unilever has successfully rolled out an initiative to sustainably source Lipton tea, and Unilever CEO Paul Polman is wondering if the company could apply the same concepts to its wider…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-423
$4.95
The Clorox Company Goes Green
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Finalist and 3rd Place winner in the 2011 Oikos Casewriting Competition
In early 2008, Clorox released a new line of environmentally friendly cleaning products called GreenWorks. Following the success of…
Publication Date: 05/13/2010 Product ID: 1-429-422
$4.95
Sherwin Williams: Splashing Into the Low VOC Paint Market
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In late 1996, Sherwin-Williams CEO John Breen sat at his desk, preparing for another meeting with his board of directors. The room was dark except for a small stream of…
Publication Date: 05/13/2010 Product ID: 1-429-421
$4.95
Honest Tea: Sell Up or Sell Out?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Are “wide-scale distribution” and “sustainability” mutually exclusive? This case explores this question through the examples of Honest Tea, one of the fast growing companies in the Ready-To-Drink market, and Coca-Cola.…
Publication Date: 09/20/2010 Product ID: 1-429-420
$4.95
Better Place: Charging into the Future?
With partnerships and developments in nations across the globe, Better Place seemed poised to succeed in the burgeoning electric vehicle market. Yet Better Place’s proposition relied on a revolutionary shift…
Publication Date: 05/13/2010 Product ID: 1-429-419
$4.95
Perdue Farms Inc.: Antibiotic Use in Hatcheries
by:
Andrew Hoffman
With increasing attention from consumers surrounding food safety and public health, it comes at no surprise that Perdue Farms is considering eliminating antibiotic use in its poultry operations. Perdue is…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-418
$4.95
Vodafone Egypt and the Arab Spring: When Government and Business Collide
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case centers around Vodafone Egypt and its role in the political instability of Egypt in 2011. The then-president of Egypt asked telecommunication providers to terminate operations to help mitigate…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-417
$4.95
Chevron and Chad: A Pipeline Dream?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Chevron Corporation invested in a Chadian-Cameroon oil pipeline consortium in the early 2000s. The project was extremely profitable through the decade, but it was subjected to claims of human rights…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-416
$4.95
What Is Water Worth? Nestlé Walks a Fine Line
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé S.A., is confronted with an Internet firestorm after a comment made by his predecessor, Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, in a 2005 interview resurfaces. In the…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-415
$4.95
Theo Chocolate: How Far Should Fair Trade Go?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Joe Whinney, founder and CEO of Seattle, Washington-based Theo Chocolate, has spent his entire professional career bringing sustainably harvested chocolate to developed nations. His company created the first organic, fair-trade,…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-414
$4.95
Tea and Sustainability at Unilever: Turning Over a New Leaf (A)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Michiel Leijnse, global brand development director of Lipton Tea, faces a very important meeting with Unilever CEO Patrick Cescau in a few short hours, during which he will recommend strategies…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-413
$4.95
Firestone: Crises Across the Decades
by:
Andrew Hoffman
A PBS documentary has uncovered a trove of recently discovered documents revealing a 1991 deal in which Firestone agreed to pay Liberian warlord Charles Taylor $2.3 million in exchange for…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-412
$4.95
Intel: Undermining the Conflict Mineral Industry
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Intel Corporation is a leading manufacturer of components found in nearly all electronics.Intel became aware that its supply chain for tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold was fueling one of the…
Publication Date: 02/27/2015 Product ID: 1-429-411
$4.95
Coke in the Crosshairs (Spanish Translation): Water, India, and the University of Michigan
El caso práctico y la nota de enseñanza que lo acompaña, corresponden a la versión en español de “Coca-Cola en la mira: El Agua, India y la Universidad de Michigan.”…
Publication Date: 03/05/2014 Product ID: 1-429-389
$4.95
Goldman Sachs B: Determining the Potential of Social Impact Bonds
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Partnering with Bloomberg Philanthropies, MDRC, the Vera Institute of Justice, and the New York State Department of Corrections, Goldman decided to go ahead with the social impact bond (SIB) project…
Publication Date: 02/14/2014 Product ID: 1-429-379
$4.95
Kellogg and Wilmar International: A Partnership Under Fire
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Kellogg Chief Sustainability Officer Diane Holdorf is facing a campaign by environmental activists who allege that the company’s Indonesian supplier Wilmar International is illegally growing palm and is engaged in…
Publication Date: 02/19/2014 Product ID: 1-429-378
$4.95
PG&E: Hanging on to a Ray of Hope
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Pacific Gas & Electric is the second-largest investor-owned utility in the country and the largest in California, serving 15 million people across 70,000 square miles in central and northern California.…
Publication Date: 02/19/2014 Product ID: 1-429-377
$4.95
Morgan Stanley: Positioning to Be the Sustainability Finance Leader
by:
Andrew Hoffman
It is five years since the Great Recession, and Morgan Stanley and its competitors are still trying to regain the confidence of investors. To that end, James Gorman, Morgan Stanley…
Publication Date: 02/19/2014 Product ID: 1-429-376
$4.95
Goldman Sachs A: Determining the Potential of Social Impact Bonds
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Head of Goldman Sachs’ Urban Investment Group Alicia Glen will be making the case for creating a social impact bond (SIB) tomorrow. Proposed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as…
Publication Date: 02/14/2014 Product ID: 1-429-375
$4.95
Interface’s Net-Works Program: A New Approach to Creating Social Value through Sustainable Sourcing
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Interface ranks among the top three manufacturers in the carpet industry, measured by revenues per year. Through its sustainability program, the company has achieved astounding results. Still, while Interface has…
Publication Date: 02/19/2014 Product ID: 1-429-374
$4.95
H&M’s Global Supply Chain Management Sustainability: Factories and Fast Fashion
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The H&M case is set immediately after the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. The case explores questions of who is to blame and how it should be addressed. There is…
Publication Date: 02/08/2014 Product ID: 1-429-373
$4.95
Taking a Bite Out of Apple: Labor Rights and the Role of Companies and Consumers in a Global Supply Chain
by:
Andrew Hoffman
An NPR report, which uncovers labor-camp-like working conditions at Apple’s Foxconn supplier in China has gone viral. With 2011 revenues of $92 billion, the contractor, which manufacturers Apple’s Mac computers,…
Publication Date: 02/10/2014 Product ID: 1-429-372
$4.95
Whole Foods Market: A Luxury Grocer in Detroit?
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Whole Foods has successfully rolled out a new store in a low-income neighborhood of Detroit and company leaders are looking to scale the model to Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood and beyond.…
Publication Date: 02/17/2014 Product ID: 1-429-371
$4.95
Travelers Insurance: Focusing on Climate Change and Natural Catastrophe Risk
by:
Andrew Hoffman
The dilemma Evan Blue faces stems from a report by sustainability advocacy group Ceres that calls on companies to take climate change into consideration in their risk models and develop…
Publication Date: 07/17/2013 Product ID: 1-429-347
$4.95
Voluntary Producer Responsibility: Carton Packaging Recycling in U.S.
by:
Ravi Anupindi
This case tackles the issue of recycling of poly-coated beverage cartons in the United States. In 2008, recycling access to the commodity was low, putting the industry at risk of…
Publication Date: 03/15/2014 Product ID: 1-429-338
$4.95
Blueprint for Ford’s Future: From Personal Automobiles to Mobility
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Ford Motor Company’s Social Sustainability Manager, David Berdish, faces the challenge of positioning Ford on the forefront of the new global transportation industry in a sustainable way while leveraging Ford’s…
Publication Date: 02/14/2013 Product ID: 1-429-303
$4.95
A123 Systems Powering a Sustainable Future: Strategizing in the Advanced Battery Market
by:
Andrew Hoffman
A123 Systems successfully went to market with new technologies that had the potential to revolutionize both the energy storage and electric battery industries. After opening the largest hybrid vehicle battery…
Publication Date: 02/14/2013 Product ID: 1-429-302
$4.95
SC Johnson and the Greenlist Backlash
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case centers on SC Johnson’s CEO, H. Fisk Johnson, and his decision on how to move forward with Greenlist™ after the settlement of two lawsuits. SC Johnson developed the…
Publication Date: 02/05/2013 Product ID: 1-429-300
$4.95
Jamba Juice and the Foam Cup
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Environmental issues increasingly influence many aspects of business including strategy, public relations, and supply chain operations. This case looks at how Jamba Juice, a publicly traded smoothie company, will respond…
Publication Date: 02/16/2013 Product ID: 1-429-298
$4.95
REI Rentals
Kirk Myers, REI’s manager of corporate social responsibility (CSR), has been tasked with finding a way to optimize the organization’s rental program while minimizing its environmental impacts. After looking at…
Publication Date: 01/01/2013 Product ID: 1-429-292
$4.95
Range Resources: A Commitment to Transparency
by:
Steve Percy
John Pinkerton, CEO of natural gas company Range Resources, must consider supporting or condemning a new bill passed by Congress that could add more regulations to one of Range’s most…
Publication Date: 06/13/2011 Product ID: 1-429-168
$4.95
Equilibrium Capital Group: Investing in Energy Efficiency
by:
Tom Lyon
Venture capitalists Bill Campbell and Kipp Baratoff have a decision to make. They can either invest their hard-earned capital in one of two existing energy efficiency (EE) companies or create…
Publication Date: 07/15/2011 Product ID: 1-429-106
$4.95
Coke in the Crosshairs: Water, India, and the University of Michigan
How do you maintain relationships with companies that serve a majority of people, but upset an outspoken minority? Winner of the 2011 Oikos Casewriting Competition, this case explores a tenuous…
Publication Date: 07/25/2010 Product ID: 1-429-098
$4.95
Harley-Davidson Purchase (B): Role of the Seller
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This is going to be your last Harley-Davidson! You’ve had enough. You’re tired of the oil stain in your garage and the joke about why it’s there: “How do you…
Publication Date: 04/27/2010 Product ID: 1-429-085
$4.95
Molten Metal Technology (B)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case, the second in a series, describes Molten Metal Technology’s problems that culminated in the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, including interactions between government, environmental concerns, and…
Publication Date: 04/23/2010 Product ID: 1-429-051
$4.95
Molten Metal Technology (A)
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case describes Molten Metal Technology’s beginnings and its new technologies, the impact of regulation on its business, environmental implications, the waste cleanup and disposal industry, and Molten Metal Technology’s…
Publication Date: 04/23/2010 Product ID: 1-429-049
$4.95
Harley-Davidson Purchase (A): Role of the Buyer
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This is going to be your first Harley-Davidson! You can’t wait! For the past two years, you’ve been riding a beat-up 1981 Honda with a 750-cubic-centimeter engine that you bought…
Publication Date: 04/19/2010 Product ID: 1-429-043
$4.95
Integrating Environmental Goals and Firm Strategy: China Mobile and Climate Change
by:
Jacob Park, Rick Bunch
In September 2009, Chinese President Hu declared that China would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide it emits by a notable margin by 2020 and work to develop a green…
Publication Date: 02/02/2010 Product ID: 1-428-876
$4.95
BP and the Whiting Refinery: Beyond Petroleum (B)
by:
Tom Lyon
This mini-case is a follow-up to the BP and the Whiting Refinery Case (A), which describes the situation facing BP America’s President Bob Malone in late 2007, while attempting to…
Publication Date: 12/05/2008 Product ID: 1-428-736
$2.50
BP and the Whiting Refinery: Beyond Petroleum (A)
by:
Tom Lyon
This case describes the situation facing BP America’s President Bob Malone in late 2007, while attempting to expand the refining capacity at their Whiting, Indiana plant. They had followed all…
Publication Date: 12/05/2008 Product ID: 1-428-727
$4.95
LivingHomes
Awarded 3rd prize in the 2008 oikos Casewriting Competition. Steve Glenn, a successful Internet start-up entrepreneur, returned to his love of architecture and commitment to sustainability by creating a company…
Publication Date: 01/01/2008 Product ID: 1-428-714
$4.95
BlackRock's ESG Investment Dilemma: Managing Stakeholder Differences
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In 2018, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink wrote a surprising letter to CEOs across the country stating “to prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also…
Publication Date: 03/09/2023 Product ID: 7-238-314
$4.95
Tony’s Chocolonely: A Bittersweet Journey to Make Chocolate Slave-Free
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Tony’s Chocolonely is a Dutch chocolate company that prides itself on using slave-free labor within its supply chain. However, after it was revealed that the company’s major supplier, Barry Callebaut,…
Publication Date: 04/18/2023 Product ID: 2-939-113
$4.95
Zingerman's Delicatessen: Sustainable Packaging Initiatives at a Local Michigan Business
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, began operations as a corner delicatessen selling sandwiches. It grew to become a community of ten businesses, establishing itself as a local favorite and a…
Publication Date: 02/22/2023 Product ID: 9-219-026
$4.95
IKEA's Sustainability Options: Circular Economy, Green Growth, or Degrowth
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case explores the debate over which sustainability philosophy should drive a corporation’s strategy: circular economy, green growth, or degrowth. The case uses IKEA and its enormously successful “fast furniture”…
Publication Date: 05/30/2023 Product ID: 4-495-470
$4.95
Starbucks: Responding to Unionization Efforts
by:
Andrew Hoffman
In a little over a year, more than 6,500 workers at over 250 corporate-owned Starbucks stores had voted to unionize with Workers United. The former CEO, Kevin Johnson, retired unexpectedly…
Publication Date: 05/15/2023 Product ID: 2-614-522
$4.95
Patagonia: Challenging Consumerism through Refusal to Co-brand Apparel
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Patagonia has long been a revered company in the world of outdoor gear, and environmental and social sustainability. Known for pushing the bounds of what it means to be a…
Publication Date: 06/22/2023 Product ID: 8-761-888
$4.95
H&M, Rana Plaza and Beyond: Fast Fashion under the Microscope
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case is set in August 2021, eight years after the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, which remains the deadliest fashion-garment incident to date. The case’s central issue: What is…
Publication Date: 06/20/2023 Product ID: 9-423-570
$4.95
Kitson & Partners: Climate Change and the Future of Real Estate in Florida
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Highlighting the successful implementation of a sustainable large-scale residential development that defied powerful Hurricane Ian, this case focuses on Sydney Kitson and his sustainable real estate development company — Kitson…
Publication Date: 10/30/2023 Product ID: 6-136-718
$4.95
General Motors’ EV Dilemma: Navigating to Emissions-Free Vehicles
by:
Stuart L. Hart
In 2021, General Motors (GM) announced an ambitious goal to sell only zero-emission cars and light trucks by 2035. This declaration was part of a broader initiative to achieve carbon…
Publication Date: 04/03/2024 Product ID: 6-603-705
$4.95
Sustainability at De Beers: Transforming the Diamond Industry
by:
Stuart L. Hart
This case explores transformative business redesign for sustainability and social impact at De Beers, a longtime global leader in diamond manufacturing. De Beers (and the diamond industry at large) have…
Publication Date: 04/25/2024 Product ID: 4-351-794
$4.95
CF Industries’ New Strategy: Turning Business Pressures into Fuel for Sustainable Growth
by:
Stuart L. Hart
This case follows CF Industries, a major fertilizer manufacturing company, its CEO Tony Will, and his leadership team in preparing for an annual strategy review and board meeting in the…
Publication Date: 05/28/2024 Product ID: 4-194-907
$4.95
Tesla's Evolution: Mass Market Electric Vehicles?
by:
Stuart L. Hart
Tesla finds itself at a critical juncture as it grapples with intensifying competition in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market and potentially waning consumer demand. The company, known for disrupting…
Publication Date: 05/28/2024 Product ID: 2-135-828
$4.95
ESG Investing at DWS Asset Management: The Possibilities and Perils of Whistleblowing
by:
Andrew Hoffman
This case examines the dilemma faced by Desiree Fixler, head of sustainability at DWS Asset Management, in March 2021. As one of Europe’s leading asset managers, DWS had been aggressively…
Publication Date: 08/19/2025 Product ID: 8-061-588
$4.95
Reviving Danone in the Plant-Based Milk Sector: Strategic Alternatives for Pea Milk
by:
Andrew Hoffman
A recently promoted senior director of commercial strategy for the global food and beverage company Danone now has the task of reviving the company’s slumping Silk alternative milk brand. A…
Publication Date: 06/24/2025 Product ID: 4-656-174
$4.95
Microsoft and AI: Advancing Sustainability in the Era of Data Center Dominance
by:
Stuart L. Hart
This case examines the sustainability challenges facing Microsoft as it scales its AI-driven operations, focusing on the tensions between business growth and environmental responsibility. The company’s fictional vice president of…
Publication Date: 05/28/2025 Product ID: 6-884-020
$4.95
Nestlé Purina PetCare: Transforming Pet Food with Sustainable Protein Solutions
by:
Stuart L. Hart
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, pet adoptions have surged, with a 14% increase in the overall pet market in 2021. In 2024, owners spent $151.9 billion on pet goods and services…
Publication Date: 09/02/2025 Product ID: 5-768-437
$4.95
State Farm: Climate Change, Homeowners Insurance and Being a Good Neighbor
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Jake S. Tate, State Farm’s national liaison for state regulatory affairs, confronts the company’s challenges in California’s volatile insurance market. State Farm must determine whether additional rate increases will be…
Publication Date: 08/01/2025 Product ID: 1-328-456
$4.95
Keurig and Its K-Cups: Recyclability Claims and an SEC Investigation
by:
Andrew Hoffman
Lucas Harrison, a (fictional) junior attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is investigating whether Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is rightfully claiming that its K-Cups are 100% recyclable.…
Publication Date: 07/29/2025 Product ID: 7-319-442
$4.95
A Dairy Dilemma: Nestlé’s Balance Between Planet and Profit
by:
Stuart L. Hart
At the end of 2024, Janet Jakes, the (fictional) vice president for sustainability with Nestlé USA, needed to recommend a path forward for the Feed in Focus program. The program…
Publication Date: 08/20/2025 Product ID: 5-276-235
$4.95
Schneider Electric and the Zero Carbon Project: Reducing Carbon Emissions Through the Supply Chain
by:
Kevin Self, Andrew Hoffman
This case centers on Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management, digital automation, and sustainability, as it seeks to scale its flagship supply chain decarbonization initiative, The Zero Carbon…
Publication Date: 11/17/2025 Product ID: 7-173-427
$4.95