The case Managing the growth of an innovative subsidiary in the voluntary sector: Fondation Caritas France, an offshoot of Secours Catholique, has won the award for “Innovative People Leadership Solutions in International Intergovernmental and Not-for-profit Organisations” in the 2019 EFMD Case Writing Competition.

This case provides students with the opportunity to discover how large charities and NGOs can innovate from within by setting up “subsidiaries” supported by some of their managers and executives. The originality of the case lies in the fact that it focuses on intrapreneurial innovation – a “sheltering foundation” created in order to attract new philanthropic resources– on the part of a large, established charity, relying entirely on donations.

The author, Arthur Gautier, Assistant Professor in the Public and Private Policy Department at ESSEC Business School and Executive Director of the ESSEC Philanthropy Chair, was extremely pleased when receiving the award:

“Thank you very much to EFMD for this award! I am deeply honoured to receive the 2019 Case Writing Competition for this case on intrapreneurial innovation in established charitable organisations. I am grateful to Fondation Caritas France – a philanthropic subsidiary set up within Secours Catholique – for their openness and willingness to contribute to pedagogy. The case sheds light on the process and success factors of an intrapreneurial innovation, and on the challenges of managing unexpected success of a subsidiary – potentially competing with the parent organization. I hope students all around the world enjoy learning from it.”

Arthur Gautier also thanks the ESSEC Student Fanny Massy, who assisted him in writing the case.

The EFMD yearly case writing competition, organised since 1988 with the support of the Case Centre and different category sponsors, encourages innovative and impactful case writing and teaching. Seventeen categories representing critical managerial areas are sponsored by Management Teaching and Research Institutions such as CEIBS, IMD, HEC… This year, more than 550 cases were assessed by the judges. Richard McCracken, Director of The Case Centre, said: “EFMD are excellent at encouraging the creation of quality cases in many topic areas, some of which are often underrepresented. This can be seen by the addition of four new categories this year: Hidden Champions, Innovative People Leadership Solutions in International Intergovernmental and Not-For-Profit Organisations, Responsible Business, and Women in Business.”

The contest prizes are a publication by the Case Centre and wide visibility across the EFMD network, a reward of €2000, an Impact on students of management institutions and practitioners, and an opportunity to engage with sponsors in discussing strategic business solutions.

The next edition of these awards will take place between June and November 2020, and winners will be announced in June 2021.