What is it about?
NSS, a prominent travel technology solutions provider, faced unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded in 2004 through entrepreneurial collaboration, NSS had established itself as a significant market player, demonstrating consistent growth and global expansion. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted NSS's momentum, reducing its operational runway to six months. This crisis presented the leadership team with a complex dilemma: whether to prioritise talent retention or implement workforce reductions to mitigate the financial impact. The narrative explores the multifaceted decision-making process confronting the CEO: How can he, as the CEO of the organisation, take strategic decisions that maintain financial stability while staying true to their core values? The case challenges readers to evaluate various alternatives while considering both immediate operational viability and long-term organisational implications, particularly focusing on the delicate balance between financial prudence and alignment with organisational values.
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Why is it important?
We, the people are complex beings and having adequate tools and clarity will help us take better decisions. Here the CEO, goes through the grind of losing everything they had in terms of business and later takes decisions based on principles.
Perspectives
This case provides a holistic experience to the readers on how a leader is dragged into taking difficult decisions and yet how the can use powerful tools to help them take the right decisions. Having an understanding of human behaviours impact in every part of the decision making, adds to the complexity.
Vineesh U S
National Institute of Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: To lay-off or to not to lay-off? Leadership decisions in times of uncertainty, Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, May 2025, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/eemcs-07-2024-0294.
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