Anu at Tech-edu (Parts A, B & C)

This three-part case study is about Anu, a young Singaporean MBA graduate. Part A begins with Anu’s story when she relocates to start work at her dream job at Tech-edu in Denmark. Soon after, she picks up cues that make her suspect that things are not quite right at the company. Tech-edu’s founder and CEO, Sofia Vilkner, was an old and dear school friend, and the state-of-the-art learning platform that the firm was developing had appeared very promising with investors already putting in funds amounting to US$3 million. However, Anu is hearing rumours from the other team members and investors that the firm does not deliver what it promises. While she continues to have faith in the start-up and its CEO, she is beginning to have some doubts. Are there red flags she is missing out on? What should she do?

In Part B, Anu decides to probe further and starts talking to people to find out what is going on. She also meets with Sophia, the CEO, to raise her concerns. Sophia denies any wrongdoing. Anu’s immediate boss, Eric, manages to provide more information about what the firm is doing and its future plans, and Anu’s suspicions are temporarily assuaged.

Part C reveals how Anu is abruptly fired from her job and has to return to Singapore.

This case is designed to help students think about a situation that is faced quite often in organisations: when some practices seem “off” but it is tough to substantiate with hard evidence. Students will be encouraged to think about such situations, and how best they can navigate through them. They will understand what signifies ‘wrongdoings’ in an organisation, learn the key concepts related to whistle-blowing, and appreciate the role of ‘courage’ in bringing about positive change.

Inspection copies and teaching notes are available for university faculty. To receive an inspection copy and teaching note, please email cmpshop [at] smu.edu.sg with your registered faculty email ID and a link to your contact information on the faculty directory at your university as verification. An inspection copy and teaching note will then be sent to your faculty email account.

Download Information

SMU Faculty/Staff can download the case & teaching note on iNet with your SMU login ID & Password via the following links:

· The Case Part A (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part B (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part C (SMU-20-0007)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0007)

For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via The Case Centre, please access the following links:

· The Case Part A (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part B (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part C (SMU-20-0007)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0007TN)

For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via Harvard Business Publishing, please access the following links:

· The Case Part A (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part B (SMU-20-0007)

· The Case Part C (SMU-20-0007)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0007TN)