Author Profile
Isabella, Lynn A.
Reality Equity Partners: An Aircraft Acquisition
Simko, Paul J.; Isabella, Lynn A.; Taub, Elliott
G-0660 | Published February 23, 2023 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case follows Linda Wright, Director of Aviation for a medium-sized real estate company, as she researches purchasing a second aircraft for the firm. Her task is to recalibrate the flight departme... 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
Embraer E-Jets E2: Flying High
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1308 | Published March 17, 2021 | 28 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case chronicles how Embraer, a recognized market leader in Brazil’s regional aircraft industry, designed and developed an almost entirely new aircraft, the E2-190. Given the success o... 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
Donatella Cinelli Colombini: “A Volcano of Ideas”
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1290 | Published August 27, 2019 | 20 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case offers the experiences of a historic winery in Tuscany, Italy, to set the stage for how the leader's philosophy affects all aspects of the company, as well as how those practices... Read More
A Phantom Man(n) at Witchsy: Casting a Spell via Email?
Isabella, Lynn A.; Craddock, Jenny
OB-1255 | Published October 10, 2018 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In the summer of 2015, Los Angeles-based creatives Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin were fed up with the censorship of “risqué” goods and artwork sold on the popular online marketplace Etsy. Even though ... Read More
Uber: #WhatDoYouDo?
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry; Maiden, Stephen E.
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
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
Knowlton Roberts II (A) (SPANISH)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1286 | Published June 22, 2016 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a Spanish translation of the October 26, 2011, version of UVA-OB-1025. This case is an updated version of the Knowlton Roberts case series (UVA-OB-0737 and 0738). The case is best used as a ve... Read More
Knowlton Roberts II (B): Epilogue (SPANISH)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1287 | Published June 22, 2016 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a Spanish translation of the October 26, 2011, version of UVA-OB-1026. This second part of the two-part case updated from the Knowlton Roberts case series (UVA-OB-0737 and 0738) provides an ep... 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
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad: It's A Women-Only Business
Isabella, Lynn A.; Venkatesan, Rajkumar; Wicks, Andrew C.; Yemen, Gerry; Mattoo, Nirja
OB-1091 | Published December 07, 2015 | 11 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The story of Lijjat offers an opportunity to challenge students to think about what a business is for. It can be used to explore students' cultural intelligence starting point and discover what they n... Read More
The Wonderful World of Human Resources at Disney (SPANISH)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1207 | Published August 19, 2015 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This is a Spanish translation of the Mar. 31, 2014 version of UVA-OB-1051. What kind of culture does Walt Disney Company (WDC) want to create? This case uses the experiences of a young visitor to one... Read More
That Little Voice Inside (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry; Burke, Susan
OB-1059 | Published November 13, 2014 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Just after 8:00 p.m. on a Monday evening, Catherine Russell, senior vice president and director of business development at Western Banking Group, arrived at one of the branches she oversaw to catch up... Read More
That Little Voice Inside (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry; Burke, Susan
OB-1060 | Published November 13, 2014 | 4 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The day after Catherine Russell, senior vice president of Harbor Community Bank (HCB), discovered one of the bank's branch managers in the bank after hours, cleaning, she continued to second guess how... Read More
That Little Voice Inside (C)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry; Burke, Susan
OB-1061 | Published November 13, 2014 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Catherine Russell, senior vice president of Harbor Community Bank (HCB), had lunch with one of her branch managers, Rachel Dwyer, to confront her about violating bank opening and closing procedures. W... Read More
The Wonderful World of Human Resources at Disney
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1051 | Published July 19, 2013 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
What kind of culture does Walt Disney Company (WDC) want to create? This case uses the experiences of a young visitor to one of WDC's resort hotels to set the stage for an analysis of selecting, hirin... Read More
So Long to SingleStop? (B): Epilogue
Isabella, Lynn A.; Hepler, Kent; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1050 | Published July 15, 2013 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case pairing was designed for use in the Darden School's Global MBA for Executives program in the core Leadership and Organizations course and is also suitable for MBA, EMBA, and Executive Educat... Read More
So Long to SingleStop? (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Hepler, Kent; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1049 | Published July 15, 2013 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case pairing was designed for use in the Darden School's Global MBA for Executives program in the core Leadership and Organizations course and is also suitable for MBA, EMBA, and Executive Educat... Read More
Knowlton Roberts II (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1025 | Published October 26, 2011 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is an updated version of the Knowlton Roberts case series (UVA-OB-0737 and 0738). The case is best used as a vehicle to understand another person's point of view and to see what happens when... Read More
Knowlton Roberts II (B): Epilogue
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-1026 | Published October 26, 2011 | 2 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This second part of the two-part case updated from the Knowlton Roberts case series (UVA-OB-0737 and 0738) provides an epilogue to the manager's ultimate decision of whether or not to take a new job. ... Read More
Galaxy Television: Melding Worlds or Cultural Big Bang?
Isabella, Lynn A.; Koh, Elyta H.
OB-1022 | Published August 10, 2011 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Suitable for MBA, EMBA, GEMBA, and executive education programs, this case explores the early days of a potential global leader's career. Emily Goh joined Galaxy Television, an Arab television start-u... Read More
Global Protection Corporation: Message from the Middle
Isabella, Lynn A.; Decker, Rachel
OB-1001 | Published May 11, 2010 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
A middle manager at a large company is unable to get her engineering customers and corporate bosses to see eye to eye on a public relations decision, and now her corporate boss seems to have totally m... Read More
Shenzhen Filtroil: Finding Balance
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0983 | Published January 26, 2009 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Filtroil had opened a new factory that was a merger between Shenzhen Filtroil and its supplier, Liu Li?whose own factory was on the verge of bankruptcy. But the supplier had begun making excessive d... Read More
Cisco Switches in China: The Year of Assurance
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0977 | Published January 26, 2009 | 25 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case describes the establishment of a new Cisco Systems R&D facility in Shanghai, China, and the great concern that arises when a collaborating R&D site in the United States is closed down. What ... Read More
Cisco Switches in China: The Year of the Manager
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0978 | Published January 21, 2009 | 26 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Jan Gronski, managing director of the Cisco China Research and Development Center (CRDC), and Ivo Raznjevic, engineering director, set out to establish a new R&D facility in Shanghai, China. This case... Read More
Fiduciary Consulting: Bickering in Bean Town
Isabella, Lynn A.; Rioff, Joseph
OB-0958 | Published July 31, 2008 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
What does a multinational approach to team-building look like? This case explores why, on the surface, one team was succeeding brilliantly while another team was languishing. Mounting problems at one ... Read More
Manic Monday at Astral Records Ltd.
OB-0947 | Published January 18, 2008 | 36 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
An updated version of a popular outdated case (OB-0443), this material is excellent to explore the role of the general manager and the complexity of inter-relationships. Sarah Conner has just assumed ... Read More
Learning Teams in the MBA for Executives Program
Powell, Elizabeth A.; Isabella, Lynn A.
OB-0905 | Published June 29, 2007 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Learning teams are an integral part of the Darden experience and are featured in all the school's programs?full-time MBA, MBA for Executives, and Executive Education. Learning teams play an important ... Read More
Coastal Power Corpus Christi: Ramping Down (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0893 | Published June 04, 2007 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Can a company diminish employees' mistrust and distress when downsizing? Is there such a thing as an "effective" workforce reduction process? In this disguised, yet actual case, Peter Morris, manager ... Read More
Coastal Power Corpus Christi: Ramping Down (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0894 | Published June 04, 2007 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Can a company diminish employees' mistrust and distress when downsizing? Is there such a thing as an "effective" workforce reduction process? In this disguised, yet actual case, Peter Morris, manager ... Read More
Coastal Power Corpus Christi: Ramping Down (C)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Yemen, Gerry
OB-0895 | Published June 04, 2007 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Can a company diminish employees' mistrust and distress when downsizing? Is there such a thing as an "effective" workforce reduction process? In this disguised, yet actual case, Peter Morris, manager ... Read More
A Learning Team Drama in One Act
Isabella, Lynn A.; Pohl, Jessica; Sinnarajah, Jason
OB-0896 | Published May 24, 2007 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
"Hee Soap, Hee Soap," Timothy Jones sang out in a mocking fashion towards Hee Seop Choi, a fellow learning team member at a noted graduate school of business. Hoping to gain the benefits from a divers... Read More
Teamwork Turmoil
Isabella, Lynn A.; Hodge, Yuctan; Jenkins, Stacey
OB-0897 | Published May 24, 2007 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Not all groups are teams. That statement certainly applies to the learning team in this case study. Tony Marshall, a second-year learning team mentor, witnessed an interaction with the team last night... Read More
Melissa Daylon
Isabella, Lynn A.; Pohl, Jessica
OB-0902 | Published May 16, 2007 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
"Hey that was my idea!" How often have your students had that exact thought? Were they on a team when they felt most able to identify with that statement? This case is about a recent MBA graduate who ... Read More
Joe Willis: Feeling the Heat in Thailand (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Langlais, Darcy
OB-0898 | Published May 02, 2007 | 10 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Sometimes the tried-and-true American business team-building exercises just don't work. Although frequently successful with teams made up of employees from different sections of an organization, what ... Read More
Joe Willis: Feeling the Heat in Thailand (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Langlais, Darcy
OB-0899 | Published May 02, 2007 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Sometimes the tried-and-true American business team-building exercises just don't work. Although frequently successful with teams made up of employees from different sections of an organization, what ... Read More
Joe Willis: Feeling the Heat in Thailand (C)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Langlais, Darcy
OB-0900 | Published May 02, 2007 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Sometimes the tried-and-true American business team-building exercises just don't work. Although frequently successful with teams made up of employees from different sections of an organization, what ... Read More
Team Dynamics at Initech
Isabella, Lynn A.; Jackson, Steve; Hager, Jack
OB-0876 | Published September 18, 2006 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Someone wise once said, "A job worth doing is worth doing together." Yet why is it so difficult to work together as a team? This case presents the story of a team whose relationships are strained and ... Read More
Kalashnikov: What's in a Name? (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Hatem, Hatem; Borunda, Chris; Moore, Marian Chapman; Yemen, Gerry
M-0697 | Published June 26, 2006 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
What can you do with a brand name? How can you extend it? What if the brand name is associated with a weapon? The AK-47 had been part of every major revolution over the last 50 years and a mainstay i... Read More
Kalashnikov: What's in a Name? (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Moore, Marian Chapman; Yemen, Gerry
M-0743 | Published June 26, 2006 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
What can you do with a brand name? How can you extend it? What if the brand name is associated with a weapon? The AK-47 had been part of every major revolution over the last 50 years and a mainstay in... Read More
Gorenge D.D.: Evolution or Revolution
Isabella, Lynn A.; Hatem, Hatem; Filipovic, Nenad
OB-0862 | Published January 20, 2006 | 22 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Following a popular leader such as Jo?e Stanic, president of Gorenje d.d., Slovenia's largest household appliances manufacturer, is always a challenge. This legendary figure led Gorenje from the brink... Read More
Maintaining Identity After Acquisition: What's Next for Lek Pharmaceuticals?
Isabella, Lynn A.; Borunda, Chris; Filipovic, Nenad
OB-0819 | Published July 26, 2004 | 7 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Sometimes, friendly acquisitions feel more like friendly fire. After all, a job lost is a job lost. Such was Lek Pharmaceuticals' concern over its recent sale to a larger interest. Based in Slovenia, ... Read More
What to Look for in Groups: The Tools of Observing Process
OB-0816 | Published July 21, 2004 | 10 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note discusses the importance of observing process in teams. Specific areas to observe and suggestions on how to observe are outlined. Read More
The Xtrican Co-Promotion Team: Everyday Decision Making in a Strategic Alliance
OB-0815 | Published May 21, 2004 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case describes the everyday decisions made by an alliance team. The case focuses on a budgetary decision where the two parties are $100 million apart, and describes the prior decisions of which e... Read More
Wal-Mart Through An Associate's Eyes: Ria Kumar's MBA Summer Internship (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Kumar, Alok
OB-0802 | Published March 15, 2004 | 17 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Choosing the right summer internship can often mean landing a plum position in the company after graduation. Ria Kumar arrived fully prepped for the summer slot interview having studied industry repor... Read More
Wal-Mart Through An Associate's Eyes: Ria Kumar's MBA Summer Internship (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Kumar, Alok
OB-0803 | Published March 15, 2004 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Choosing the right summer internship can often mean landing a plum position in the company after graduation. Ria Kumar arrived fully prepped for the summer slot interview having studied industry repor... Read More
Harry and Learning Team 28
Isabella, Lynn A.; Kuruvilla, Roy; Pilachowski, James; Prasad, Prashant
OB-0804 | Published March 15, 2004 | 6 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
With so many team-driven activities for students in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of a business school, students need to have an opportunity to discuss the issues and dilemmas that may ari... Read More
The VidSoft Triangle (B)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Nakhwa, Rajesh
OB-0787 | Published September 16, 2003 | 1 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The B case reveals Bubatunde's decision to let Li settle on a solution to the problem. She decided that Hsu should continue to report to her and not be transferred. Hsu received the news poorly, refus... Read More
The VidSoft Triangle (A)
Isabella, Lynn A.; Nakhwa, Rajesh
OB-0782 | Published June 27, 2003 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case deals with an interpersonal conflict created by the protagonist's decision to promote one of his staff. While the decision made good business sense, it created a host of issues between two t... Read More
Team Success—The Result of Team Partnering
OB-0766 | Published November 20, 2002 | 11 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note offers five stages of teamwork. The premise is that no level of teamwork is necessarily better than another. What is most important is whether the level of teamwork meets the needs of the te... Read More
Making the Tough Team Call (A)
OB-0705 | Published September 18, 2000 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Set in a German automotive company, this case traces the dynamics of a consulting project team doing a high profile strategic project as part of a company-specific international management program. Wi... Read More
Making the Tough Team Call (B)
OB-0706 | Published September 18, 2000 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case reports the actions taken and personal reflections of team members described in Case A, "Making the Tough Team Call (A)" (UVA-OB-0705). Set in a German automotive company. In the A case, a d... Read More
Learning Teams at the Darden Business School
Isabella, Lynn A.; Harder, Joseph W.
OB-0745 | Published August 20, 2000 | 8 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this note, expectations and practices of learning teams at the Darden Business School are detailed, as well as some basic frameworks that will help learning teams to meet with continued success. Read More
Battalion Chief James Scott of the Lynchburg Fire Department
Forbes, Ted; McMillen, Sheila; Isabella, Lynn A.
OB-0625 | Published February 24, 1997 | 17 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
James Scott, one of two sector commanders at the Lynchburg (Virginia) Fire Department, is about to retire. Since Scott had been promoted to this position, he had tried to inculcate a new management st... Read More
Shell Italia (A)
Forbes, Ted; Spekman, Robert E.; Isabella, Lynn A.; MacAvoy, Thomas C.
OB-0586 | Published August 28, 1995 | 14 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, together with the B case, examines the critical role played by alliance managers. Shell sought to reenter the Italian market through a joint venture with MontEdison. The series tells the st... Read More
Shell Italia (B)
Forbes, Ted; Spekman, Robert E.; Isabella, Lynn A.; MacAvoy, Thomas C.
OB-0587 | Published August 28, 1995 | 3 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case continues the examination begun in the A case (UVA-OB-0586) of the critical role played by three alliance managers during Shell's attempt to reenter the Italian market through a joint ventur... Read More
British Airways-USAir: Structuring A Global Strategic Alliance (B)
Forbes, Ted; Spekman, Robert E.; Isabella, Lynn A.; MacAvoy, Thomas C.
OB-0585 | Published August 24, 1995 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case, a follow-up to the A case (OB-0584), presents the decisions made by the coordination team and provides a vehicle to discuss their appropriateness. Read More
A Note on the Use of "Dialogue" Technique
Forbes, Ted; Isabella, Lynn A.
OB-0595 | Published August 24, 1995 | 3 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Designed to be used with "The Thirteenth Meeting of the Project Planning Team" (UVA-OB-0594), this note discusses one approach to initiating "dialogue" as described in the learning-organization litera... Read More
British Airways-USAir: Structuring A Global Strategic Alliance (A)
Forbes, Ted; Spekman, Robert E.; Isabella, Lynn A.; MacAvoy, Thomas C.
OB-0584 | Published August 24, 1995 | 27 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case presents the issues faced by the BA-USAir coordination team as it struggles with creating a management structure to facilitate the development of a newly announced alliance. The team has six... Read More
Grupo Bacardi de Mexico, S.A.
Forbes, Ted; Isabella, Lynn A.
OB-0420 | Published January 24, 1994 | 32 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case traces the evolution of Bacardi Limited's Mexican operation from its inception in the 1930s to its current team-management structure. The case provides an opportunity to examine the growth a... Read More
Astral Records Ltd., North America
Forbes, Ted; Isabella, Lynn A.
OB-0443 | Published January 01, 1993 | 38 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is an in-basket exercise. Sarah Conner has just assumed control of Astral, a successful compact-disc manufacturer with some looming problems. Previously run by an autocratic manager, Astral ... Read More
Power and Politics in Organizations
OB-0423 | Published February 03, 1992 | 12 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note discusses the notion of power and power dynamics in organizations. It describes sources of power and discusses politics with our organizations. Read More