In 2008, China-based Yunnan Lucky Air, a low-cost, domestic airline modeled after Southwest Airlines in the United States, was searching for new competitive advantages in China’s increasingly competitive yet heavily regulated airline industry. Ecommerce was being looked to as one growth strategy.

In late 2006, SunPower designed, manufactured, and delivered the most efficient solar cells in the world. At a time when many experts believed solar technology would grow quickly, SunPower needed to decide whether to maintain market share through a strategy of differentiated technology or pricing.

In November 2006, with the launch of the Sony PlayStation 3 a mere weeks away, Sony Corporation’s CEO Sir Howard Stringer reflected on the past 30-year history of the video game industry, while crossing his fingers that the PS3 would have a successful launch in an increasingly cut-throat industry.

The explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010, resulted from a series of events and decisions involving employees of BP and its contractors. While there does not appear to be one clear culprit or reason that led to the disaster, the case explores issues of organization...