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• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2018 (Revised November 2018)

  Managing Religion in the Workplace: Abercrombie & Fitch and Masterpiece Cakeshop

  Derek van Bever

  Challenges related to managing religion in the workplace are on the rise, as are religious discrimination claims and monetary settlements, in the United States and around the world. This case examines two incidents of alleged religious discrimination that made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing students to explore the limits on the degree to which business owners and leaders can express their values through their companies’ operations and the extent to which companies should provide reasonable accommodation for employee faith practices.

  Keywords: religion; religious discrimination; first amendment; Religious Freedom Restoration Act; Business ethics; religion and business; management; EEOC; Ethics; Religion; Conflict Management; Retail Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  van Bever, Derek. "Managing Religion in the Workplace: Abercrombie & Fitch and Masterpiece Cakeshop." Harvard Business School Case 318-127, March 2018. (Revised November 2018.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | July 2016 (Revised October 2018)

  Tolaram: Innovating in Africa

  Derek van Bever and Efosa Ojomo

  Tolaram is a Singaporean company that began operations selling textiles in Nigeria in the 1970s. Executives and brothers, Haresh and Sajesh Aswani, however, saw an opportunity to create an instant noodle market in the country. In 1988, they began importing Indomie noodles. But in order to truly target the local market, Tolaram decided to build manufacturing and distribution capabilities in Nigeria at a time when conventional wisdom advised against it. After a very difficult journey, Tolaram has grown to almost $1 billion in turnover, built and operates 13 manufacturing plants in Nigeria, and runs a 1,000+ plus truck logistics company. This case gives an overview of how Tolaram, a company that is a prime example of market-creating innovation in a developing economy, built Indomie noodles from obscurity to become one of the most recognized brands in Nigeria.

  Keywords: Fast moving consumer goods; Business Model; Disruptive Innovation; Vertical Integration; Emerging Markets; Consumer Products Industry; Nigeria; Africa;

  Citation:

  van Bever, Derek, and Efosa Ojomo. "Tolaram: Innovating in Africa." Harvard Business School Case 317-013, July 2016. (Revised October 2018.)  View Details

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• Article | Harvard Business Review | January–February 2017

  Africa's New Generation of Innovators

  Clayton M. Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Derek van Bever

  With a young, urbanizing population, abundant natural resources, and a growing middle class, Africa seems to have all the ingredients necessary for huge growth. Nevertheless, a number of multinationals have recently left the continent, discouraged by widespread corruption, a lack of infrastructure and ready talent, and an underdeveloped consumer market. Some innovators, however, have succeeded by building franchises to serve poorer consumer segments; tapping the vast opportunity represented by nonconsumption; internalizing risk to build strong, self-sufficient, low-cost enterprises; and integrating operations to avoid corruption. The difference, the authors believe, lies in the choice between “push” and “pull” investment. MNCs seek growth by pushing current products onto emerging middle-class consumers. They retain some large portion of their existing cost structure and operating style, and thus set prices that limit market penetration. The winning strategy diverges from this approach in almost every respect. When innovators develop products that people want to pull into their lives, they create markets that serve as a foundation for sustainable growth and prosperity.

  Keywords: Innovation Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Economic Growth; Africa;

  Citation:

  Christensen, Clayton M., Efosa Ojomo, and Derek van Bever. "Africa's New Generation of Innovators." Harvard Business Review 95, no. 1 (January–February 2017): 129–136.  View Details

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