The Case for Business Cases about Global Health

This week, the European Foundation of Management Development (EFMD) announced the winners of its annual business case competition.  In addition to a bit of shameless self-promotion, I am pleased to see that business cases about global health and emerging markets are getting recognition.  The winners were selected in 14 categories, and then a panel of judges selected a “best of the best” case.  Two cases tied for the “best of the best” – and surprisingly both, including the case written by myself and Roger Strang, were about issues in global health.

For too long, business cases have largely focused on western companies and developed markets.  But as management education has matured, and admittedly, as emerging markets have indeed emerged, this has changed.  MBA programs now have extensive course offerings focused on issues of development and conducting business in less-developed markets.  Many MBA students have also come to see their education as a broader one of allocation of scarce resources, rather than more narrowly on commercial activities.

The case that I wrote about mothers2mothers drew upon my experience with nonprofit organizations, but it also drew upon my education in issues that I believe are relevant across the public and private sectors: cost-efficiency, business development, scaling, financial governance, and sustainability.  It also focused on issues that are more unique to the public sector, but which are increasingly relevant for companies: reaching under-accessed communities and working in collaboration with governments to achieve quality services.

I’ve increasingly come to believe that the lines between profit-seeking and non-profit-seeking activities are blurry – rendering the study of bottom line profits a mere academic exercise.  In the real world, all organizations must consider the social and environmental implications of their activities.  Since MBA programs boast that the case study method allows students to learn from the complexity of real-world issues, it is a welcome evolution that cases about public policy issues are being recognized from the academic community.