Skip to content
Product cover

The Mini-Cases: 5 Companies, 5 Strategies, 5 Transformations

October 1, 2009 | Samuel Fromartz | Social Responsibility

Sustainability is the buzzword du jour, but how do you actually go about achieving it? Well, it’s clear
there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy. Look at five companies, and you will see five different paths, each
particular to a specific company’s market and problems.
Take Nike Inc., whose brand is synonymous with cutting-edge design. Redesigning the athletic shoe
to cut down on material became a core element of its approach to reducing waste. But what works for
Nike might not exactly work for a company like start-up electric vehicle supplier Better PLC, LLC,
which is rolling out electric car recharging stations. How does it pursue sustainability? By identifying
the countries most receptive to its cutting-edge idea.
General Electric Co. takes yet another approach, seeing sustainability not only as a cost-savings measure
within the company (cut energy use, and emissions and costs go down) but also as a solution to sell
to other companies–hence, its $17 billion ecomagination unit. Mining giant Rio Tinto, in turn, looks
at it through a social lens, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sees sustainability as a challenge to revamp the
practices of its more than 100,000 suppliers.
In short, sustainability is less a target than an approach, which is why it is continually being refined. As
companies ramp up understanding, they also push the envelope of what can be accomplished. Though it
takes investment and commitment, the rewards are seen in cost savings, new products, customer engagement
and employee commitment. In this way, sustainability becomes a competitive advantage.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0005
My Controller Construct  0.0003
Build Nav  0.0006
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.0287
Total Execution Time  0.0292
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5628 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/the-mini-cases-5-companies-5-strategies-5-transformations
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'e9ce82870ea016fd5266810df8e56daa'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'the-mini-cases-5-companies-5-strategies-5-transformations'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0031  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'the-mini-cases-5-companies-5-strategies-5-transformations' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'the-mini-cases-5-companies-5-strategies-5-transformations'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  849 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '849' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '849'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '849' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '849' 
0.0001  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '849'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0063  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('300') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4706' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4706' 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4706'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '5' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '5' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '5'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2875' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '2875' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '2875'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3907' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3907' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3907'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '969' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '969' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '969'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '297' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '297' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '297'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0003  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '849'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '413' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '413' 
0.0003  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '849'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '849'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0001  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '850'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '850'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '849'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0004  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)