Author Profile
Maiden, Stephen E.
Innovation at Bat: The Savannah Bananas
Alexander, Les; Kalogeropoulos, Demitri; Maiden, Stephen E.
ENT-0242 | Published October 16, 2025 | 13 Pages Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In early 2024, the Savannah Bananas were more popular than ever. The team provided an innovative mix of baseball and entertainment—with everything from dancing base coaches to a batter on stilts—that ... Read More
Leveraging the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA) to Make Pricing Decisions
Hagerty, Serena; Maiden, Stephen E.; Whitler, Kimberly; Zhang, Zhihao
M-1045 | Published February 28, 2024 | 4 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
A key negotiating concept, the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA), allows a buyer and seller to reach a mutually acceptable price. This technical note provides an overview of ZOPA for both individual-l... Read More
Evaluating Decisions: Correlation or Causation?
Chiplunkar, Gaurav; Maiden, Stephen E.
GEM-0189 | Published August 24, 2023 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Managers, policymakers, and leaders are often presented with data and evaluation techniques, then tasked with deciding whether to go ahead with the strategy or policy. This fictional case aims to buil... Read More
Dr. Bronner's: Do Psychedelics Fit with Its Cosmic Principles?
Freeman, R. Edward; King, Adelaide Wilcox; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0405 | Published August 01, 2023 | 22 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case describes the situation facing David Bronner, cosmic engagement officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (Dr. Bronner’s), the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North Americ... Read More
The Good Feet Store: Sponsoring College Athletes in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Era
Maiden, Stephen E.; Puto, Christopher P.; Whitler, Kimberly
M-1038 | Published June 05, 2023 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case introduces the challenges and decision criteria for businesses seeking to sponsor student athletes in the advent of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA's) landmark decision ... Read More
Cryptocurrency and the Washington Nationals: Once Bitten, Twice Shy?
Grushka-Cockayne, Yael; Hachem, Kinda; Lenox, Michael; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0393 | Published March 13, 2023 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In May 2022, Jennifer Chen, vice president of strategic partnerships for the Washington Nationals, faced a dilemma. Just months before, the Nationals had embarked on a high-profile sponsorship partner... Read More
Rani Russell Shea: Turning Pipe Dreams into Pipelines at Siemens Advanta?
Irving, Toni; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0401 | Published December 19, 2022 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case follows Rani Russell Shea, the new CEO of Siemens Advanta North America (supplier of tech, consulting, and digital-transformation services), as she attempts to lead a turnaround ... Read More
Corteva Agriscience: Seeding a New Company (A)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Simko, Paul J.; Soltis, Steve; West, June A.
BC-0295 | Published December 13, 2022 | 17 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case introduces Corteva Agriscience (Corteva) and its CEO, Jim Collins. Corteva was the corporate offspring of a 2015 merger between Dow and DuPont, two of the world’s largest chemical companies.... Read More
Corteva Agriscience: Seeding a New Company (B)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Simko, Paul J.; Soltis, Steve; West, June A.
BC-0296 | Published December 13, 2022 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to “Corteva Agriscience: Seeding a New Company (A)” (UVA-BC-0295), provides an epilogue to the story of Jim Collins, CEO of Corteva Agriscience (Corteva), and a look at the ongo... Read More
Backcountry.com and Leveraging Data Analytics
Andrews, William; Maiden, Stephen E.; Thomas, Doug
OM-1771 | Published October 05, 2022 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case follows Chris Purkey, the senior vice president of sales and customer service at Backcountry.com, in his journey to use data analytics to improve customer engagement in the outdo... Read More
Accessory Dwelling Units in California: The Roles of the Private and Public Sectors
Maiden, Stephen E.; Murphy, Daniel
GEM-0198 | Published June 21, 2022 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case examines California’s housing crisis and the growing market for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—secondary housing units built on single-family primary residential lots—within the state. Cali... Read More
Vignettes: Board Dynamics and Culture (B)
Cheng, Yo-Jud; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0380 | Published June 16, 2022 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The realities of boardroom dynamics can often reveal a different story than how things appear on paper. Boards need the right dynamics and culture to effectively carry out their responsibilities. At t... Read More
UCB Gets a New Office: Leading Change through a Pandemic
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1397 | Published May 19, 2022 | 28 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this field-based case, Nate Bennett, the global head of biostatistics and programming, rare disease, at UCB, Inc. (UCB), chairs the Raleigh site leadership team, which helps manage all 250 UCB empl... Read More
Managing in Corporate Aviation: Averting a Hard Landing
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1373 | Published May 17, 2022 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case follows the fictionalized Elisa Stallings, the manager of CandyCo's Aviation Dispatch group (Dispatch) which manages the aviation assets for the international company. Students l... Read More
Yearbook Inc. (D): Canva on Top of the World
Maiden, Stephen E.; Venkataraman, S.
S-0372 | Published March 22, 2022 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, the conclusion of the series that also includes “Yearbook Inc. (A): The Start-up Years” (UVA-OM-0369), “Yearbook Inc. (B): The Emergence of Canva” (UVA-OM-S-0370), and “Yearbook Inc. (C): T... Read More
Yearbook Inc. (C): The Growth of Canva
Maiden, Stephen E.; Venkataraman, S.
S-0371 | Published March 22, 2022 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, which builds on “Yearbook Inc. (A): The Start-up Years” (UVA-OM-0369) and “Yearbook Inc. (B): The Emergence of Canva” (UVA-OM-S-0370), finds Melanie Perkins having grown from a dreamer putt... Read More
Yearbook Inc. (A): The Start-up Years
Maiden, Stephen E.; Venkataraman, S.
S-0369 | Published March 22, 2022 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case follows the start-up dreams of Melanie Perkins, a young Australian woman who came up with a big idea: What if she could create a simple, collaborative, online tool that anyone co... Read More
Yearbook Inc. (B): The Emergence of Canva
Maiden, Stephen E.; Venkataraman, S.
S-0370 | Published March 22, 2022 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, which builds on “Yearbook Inc. (A): The Start-up Years” (UVA-OM-0369), follows Melanie Perkins as she visits Silicon Valley, works to find solid tech talent to build her product, and tirele... Read More
Blue Apron: Has the Supply Chain Disrupter Been Disrupted?
Maiden, Stephen E.; Mani, Vidya; Thomas, Doug
OM-1769 | Published March 14, 2022 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case set in early 2022 explores the meal-kit-delivery service Blue Apron, a pioneer in the rapidly growing market of alternatives to shopping for food, meal planning, and cooking. ... Read More
Food Supply and COVID-19: Breaking the Chain (B)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Mani, Vidya; Thomas, Doug
OM-1768 | Published March 02, 2022 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to "Food Supply and COVID-19: Breaking the Chain (B)" (UVA-OM-1691), looks at how the global food supply chain was faring almost 18 months after John Tyson wrote that America's ... Read More
Counterfeits and E-Commerce: Why Even Build It?
Maiden, Stephen E.; Mani, Vidya; Thomas, Doug
OM-1753 | Published February 28, 2022 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case set in early 2021 examines the role counterfeiting has come to play in e-commerce, specifically at Amazon, which represents over one-third of the US online market. The case's ... Read More
Aventiv Technologies: Answering the Call for Change?
Irving, Toni; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0359 | Published October 25, 2021 | 20 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case examines the business strategy of prison communications company Aventiv Technologies (Aventiv), which was at the center of a broad national debate about social justice, criminal ... Read More
USA Track & Field: Getting Its Governance on Track
Cheng, Yo-Jud; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0352 | Published August 06, 2021 | 17 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case set in May 2020 examines various corporate governance issues that have arisen for the nonprofit USA Track & Field (USATF). The case’s protagonist is board member Tricia Myers ... Read More
WeWork: But Does the Corporate Governance Work?
Cheng, Yo-Jud; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0350 | Published April 30, 2021 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case describes the lapses in board oversight that led to the dramatic rise and fall of collaborative office space company WeWork and its charismatic leader, Adam Neumann. The case ... Read More
Vignettes: Board Dynamics and Culture (A)
Cheng, Yo-Jud; Maiden, Stephen E.
S-0349 | Published April 05, 2021 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The realities of boardroom dynamics can often reveal a different story than how things appear on paper. Boards need the right dynamics and culture to effectively carry out their responsibilities. At t... Read More
ConocoPhillips Confronts a Crisis: What's the Message? (A)
Connery, Bruce; Maiden, Stephen E.; Soltis, Steve; West, June A.
S-0347 | Published March 25, 2021 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case explores what happened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world's oil market. ConocoPhillips, a global leader in energy exploration and production, had withstood many oil pric... Read More
ConocoPhillips Confronts a Crisis: What's the Message? (B)
Connery, Bruce; Maiden, Stephen E.; Soltis, Steve; West, June A.
S-0348 | Published March 25, 2021 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to "ConocoPhillips Confronts a Crisis: What's the Message? (A)" (UVA-S-0347), explores ConocoPhillips' ongoing struggle with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company ... Read More
Food Supply and COVID-19: Breaking the Chain (A)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Mani, Vidya; Thomas, Doug
OM-1691 | Published March 05, 2021 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case uses the impact of the global pandemic on the concentrated meatpacking industry to explore management of supply chain disruptions. COVID-19 had created massive problems at Tyson Foods, with ... Read More
A Supreme Case of Coolness?
Anik, Lalin; Corriher, Addison; Maiden, Stephen E.
M-1006 | Published August 26, 2020 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case uses Supreme, a skater-clothing brand from New York City, and a framework for understanding the concept of "coolness" (see "A General Theory of Coolness," UVA-M-0953), which is the cornersto... Read More
Managed Document Services at Xerox: Handle with Care
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1321 | Published July 23, 2020 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case offers an opportunity to explore how to think about and approach a change that involves numerous complex issues, including new products, different competitors, cultural compla... Read More
Tesla, Inc.: Supercharging Auto Sales
Baucells, Manel; Maiden, Stephen E.
QA-0915 | Published June 10, 2020 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case describes the situation of Tesla, Inc. (Tesla), in mid-2019. Tesla had just successfully launched the more affordable Model 3, but sales of the most expensive and profitable Models X and S w... Read More
OYO Hotels USA: Coming to America
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1641 | Published February 27, 2020 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case studies the growth of OYO Hotels (OYO) to illustrate the operational processes necessary to succeed in the service sector. The case allows for a discussion of employee- and customer-manageme... Read More
The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits: A Visual Case
Dell, Richard; Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1675 | Published January 16, 2020 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This visual case presents a comic version of "The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits" (UVA-OM-1618). A day-shift manager at a pet store, Martin Fesmire, thinks nothing of selling two rabbits to his ... Read More
FICO Score
Eades, Kenneth M.; Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
F-1909 | Published September 17, 2019 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case teaches students the importance of maintaining a strong FICO score by illustrating the consequences of paying bills late or not at all. The protagonist is David Molina, a waiter at a struggl... Read More
Choosing a Bank Account
Eades, Kenneth M.; Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
F-1893 | Published August 22, 2019 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case simulates the decision of choosing a bank account through the eyes of a new couple on the verge of getting married. Bill Donlon has no prior experience in banking, choosing instead to accumu... Read More
Nate Chooses a Business Entity
Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
F-1795 | Published June 12, 2019 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case follows Nate Jamison as he determines which business entity to form for his growing City Moving Company (City Moving) in Washington, DC. From the start, Jamison operated City Moving as a sol... Read More
Henry Spots a Problem at Sunshine O.J. (A)
Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1614 | Published May 16, 2019 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Henry Franklin works at Sunshine O.J. (Sunshine), a three-year-old, fast-growing organic orange juice manufacturer near Charleston, South Carolina. Before his employment at Sunshine, Franklin worked f... Read More
Henry Spots a Problem at Sunshine O.J. (B)
Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OM-1615 | Published May 16, 2019 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The B case in this series picks up after the protagonist, Henry Franklin, has delivered his recommendation to use "first in, first out" (FIFO) accounting to the management of Sunshine O.J. (Sunshine).... Read More
From Stuffing to Streamlining: Pharmaceutical Distribution
Maiden, Stephen E.; Thomas, Doug; Yemen, Gerry; Zhao, Hui
F-1859 | Published April 22, 2019 | 17 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case uses the streamlining of pharmaceutical distribution to explore supply-chain coordination. For years, supply-chain inventory information had been opaque. Then in the early 2000s, pharmaceuti... Read More
Hedge Fund Pitch and Persuasion (B)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Moriarty, Brian
BC-0273 | Published April 18, 2019 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case uses the experiences of an equity analyst at his first job post-MBA to explore challenges of persuading a boss to support an action that the analyst determined would benefit the ... Read More
Hedge Fund Pitch and Persuasion (A)
Maiden, Stephen E.; Moriarty, Brian
BC-0272 | Published April 18, 2019 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case uses the experiences of an equity analyst at his first job post–MBA to explore challenges of persuading a boss to support an action that the analyst determined would benefit the ... Read More
The Curious Case of the Disputed Rabbits
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1618 | Published April 17, 2019 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Service systems are inherently subject to variability, whether through customers, service providers, suppliers, or unexpected events. Yet customers demand excellence and consistency regardless of this... Read More
A Holistic Framework for Transformational Learning
Harder, Joseph W.; Maiden, Stephen E.; Robertson, Peter J.
OB-1281 | Published February 14, 2019 | 8 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Knowledge, creativity, adaptability, and the ability to learn are critical necessities in a world in which the pace of change is accelerating. Many of us will choose to or be required to make a career... Read More
Vincent Buys a Lawn Mower
Fairchild, Gregory B.; Maiden, Stephen E.
F-1794 | Published January 08, 2019 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Vincent Chin's first "temporary" job after high school was with the lawn crew of Holiday Lawn Service. Ten years later, Chin has become a trusted employee and the company's second-in-command. His boss... Read More
The IndiGo Story, 2018: "On Time, Hassle Free"?
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1605 | Published September 28, 2018 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case follows up on "The IndiGo Story: 'On Time, Hassle Free'" (UVA-OM-1505). The airline passenger industry in India was a mess in 2013, but the low-cost carrier, IndiGo, was making money. This ... Read More
Leading with an Enterprise Perspective: The 9 Cs Model
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1601 | Published September 18, 2018 | 5 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
While managers of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations often focus on their area of specific expertise, true success comes only from taking a complete enterprise perspective. Organizations... Read More
Uber: #WhatDoYouDo?
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1218 | Published June 26, 2018 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case is based on a 2017 blog post by a former Uber employee, Susan Fowler, in which she was brutally honest about the sexual harassment, the sexism, the bro culture, and the failur... Read More
Behavioral Economics and the Service Organization
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1548 | Published December 20, 2017 | 7 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note summarizes some important learnings from the study of behavioral economics of which service organizations should be aware in order to enhance customers' emotional experiences and help direct... Read More
Shanghai Disneyland: Authentically Disney and Distinctly Chinese
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1568 | Published October 11, 2017 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Excellent service operations understand the unique challenges of managing services and experiences. The Walt Disney Company's value proposition, or purpose, is to create a magical experience for custo... Read More
Bonnie Strong at Inditex
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1558 | Published September 05, 2017 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Inditex, Zara's parent company, is known for its success in “fast fashion,” the ability to respond quickly to changes in the retail apparel industry. This case examines the reasons for its success by ... Read More
Goldman Sachs Goes to Rikers Island
Frank, Mary Margaret; Loutskina, Elena; Maiden, Stephen E.; Yemen, Gerry
F-1807 | Published August 11, 2017 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Yi Hua, the leader of an impact-investing initiative at Goldman Sachs, was examining a new financial arrangement in a proposed public-private partnership called the Rikers Island Social Impact Bond (S... Read More
Rock Star or Shooting Star? (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1198 | Published February 27, 2017 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Set in an investment firm, the A case presents the president going through a review process with the firm's portfolio managers. By all accounts, Fred Silverton's financial savvy and skills had had hel... Read More
Rock Star or Shooting Star? (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1199 | Published February 27, 2017 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Set in an investment firm, the A case presents the president going through a review process with the firm's portfolio managers. By all accounts, Fred Silverton's financial savvy and skills had had hel... Read More
Jim Flannigan
Isabella, Lynn A.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1096 | Published May 13, 2016 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Set in the financial services sector, Jim Flannigan, the recently named head of a European investment banking for a large national bank, struggles to let go of his previous expertise and allow one of ... Read More
Dominion Gas Holdings, LLC—Anticipatory Interest Rate Hedging
Maiden, Stephen E.; Matos, Pedro
F-1754 | Published May 03, 2016 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The case examines interest rate risk management at a U.S. utility company, Dominion Gas Holdings. In November 2012, as part of its new financing plan, it wanted to hedge the interest rate risk involve... Read More
The Walt Disney Company: Mickey Mouse Visits Shanghai
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1545 | Published February 10, 2016 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The strategic and tactical problems of managing the operations function in a service environment can be examined through the context of the Walt Disney Company (DIS) opening Shanghai Disneyland. The c... Read More
Dominion Resources: Cove Point
Eades, Kenneth M.; Maiden, Stephen E.
F-1740 | Published September 16, 2015 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The treasurer for Dominion Resources Inc. (Dominion), a major U.S. diversified producer and distributor of energy, was heading to meet with the company’s investment bankers to discuss the impact of a ... Read More
Why Is the Universe Against Me? (A) and (B) (Abridged)
Behfar, Kristin J.; Bodily, Jolene H.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1081 | Published August 18, 2015 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Hasn’t everyone at some point felt as if the universe was conspiring against his or her success? This case narrative tracks the story of Emmett Taylor, an operations manager for a bottling company, as... Read More
Maria's Ristorante
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1536 | Published May 28, 2015 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In an effort to save his business, Paul Marciano, the owner of Italian family restaurant Maria's Ristorante, runs a number of experiments focused on improving the customer experience around his target... Read More
Evaluating Financial and Operational Performance in the Airline Industry
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.
OM-1535 | Published April 21, 2015 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
From its earliest beginnings in the years following World War II, the commercial airline industry has grown into an essential component supporting economic growth, trade, investment, and tourism throu... Read More
Why Is the Universe Against Me? (A)
Behfar, Kristin J.; Bodily, Jolene H.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1069 | Published April 16, 2015 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Hasn’t everyone at some point felt as if the universe was conspiring against his or her success? This case narrative tracks the story of Emmett Taylor, an operations manager for a bottling company, as... Read More
Why Is the Universe Against Me? (B)
Behfar, Kristin J.; Bodily, Jolene H.; Maiden, Stephen E.
OB-1073 | Published April 16, 2015 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This B case continues the story of Emmett Taylor, an operations manager for a bottling company, as he decides what to do after an ice storm causes inventory holdups and an accident involving one of hi... Read More
Tirumala Tirupati: Wait a Moment
Maiden, Stephen E.; Weiss, Elliott N.; Yemen, Gerry
OM-1533 | Published April 06, 2015 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case examines the queueing issues caused by the growth in popularity of one of the most visited Hindu temples in the world. On January 2, 2015, Ramesh and Vasantha Gupta visit Tirumala Venkateswa... Read More