Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' Net Present Value (NPV) / MBA Resources

Introduction to Net Present Value (NPV) - What is Net Present Value (NPV) ? How it impacts financial decisions regarding project management?

NPV solution for Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' case study

At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Rossella Ricco, Marco Guerci. The Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' (referred as “Diversity Integrated” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Leadership & Managing People. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Competitive strategy, Organizational culture.

The net present value (NPV) of an investment proposal is the present value of the proposal’s net cash flows less the proposal’s initial cash outflow. If a project’s NPV is greater than or equal to zero, the project should be accepted.

NPV = Present Value of Future Cash Flows LESS Project’s Initial Investment

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Case Description of Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' Case Study

At this time of crisis, companies rediscover the key role people play in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Taking into account the heterogeneity of their workforces, boards of directors and managers alike face the challenge of understanding how to manage diversities such that the benefits outweigh the costs. This article argues that companies can deal with this challenge by adopting an integrated process of change across strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Indeed, people's differences and diversity management need to be introduced and integrated within company values and vision (strategic level). This vision has to be translated into strategies, a specific policy, and its associated practices to promote the development of synergic cultural and organizational changes that affect the whole company (tactical level). Finally, this policy and its associated practices need to be turned into real actions (operational level). Herein, we propose and discuss an integrated process to implement diversity management in a detailed and sufficiently flexible way such that it can be personalized and adapted to a specific organization. From a managerial standpoint, the proposed model could be a guide for bridging the 'implementation gap' of diversity management.

Case Authors : Rossella Ricco, Marco Guerci

Topic : Leadership & Managing People

Related Areas : Competitive strategy, Organizational culture

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' Case Study

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 6 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10001134)	-10001134	-	-
Year 1	3469616	-6531518	3469616	0.9434	3273223
Year 2	3976098	-2555420	7445714	0.89	3538713
Year 3	3975435	1420015	11421149	0.8396	3337852
Year 4	3247473	4667488	14668622	0.7921	2572303
TOTAL			14668622		12722090

The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2720956

In isolation the NPV number doesn't mean much but put in right context then it is one of the best method to evaluate project returns. In this article we will cover -

Different methods of capital budgeting

What is NPV & Formula of NPV,
How it is calculated,
How to use NPV number for project evaluation, and
Scenario Planning given risks and management priorities.

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Capital Budgeting Approaches

Methods of Capital Budgeting

There are four types of capital budgeting techniques that are widely used in the corporate world –

1. Net Present Value
2. Profitability Index
3. Payback Period
4. Internal Rate of Return

Apart from the Payback period method which is an additive method, rest of the methods are based on Discounted Cash Flow technique. Even though cash flow can be calculated based on the nature of the project, for the simplicity of the article we are assuming that all the expected cash flows are realized at the end of the year.

Discounted Cash Flow approaches provide a more objective basis for evaluating and selecting investment projects. They take into consideration both –

1. Magnitude of both incoming and outgoing cash flows – Projects can be capital intensive, time intensive, or both. Diversity Integrated shareholders have preference for diversified projects investment rather than prospective high income from a single capital intensive project.
2. Timing of the expected cash flows – stockholders of Diversity Integrated have higher preference for cash returns over 4-5 years rather than 10-15 years given the nature of the volatility in the industry.

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Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap'

NPV = Net Cash In Flowt1 / (1+r)t1 + Net Cash In Flowt2 / (1+r)t2 + … Net Cash In Flowtn / (1+r)tn
Less Net Cash Out Flowt0 / (1+r)t0

Where t = time period, in this case year 1, year 2 and so on.
r = discount rate or return that could be earned using other safe proposition such as fixed deposit or treasury bond rate. Net Cash In Flow – What the firm will get each year.
Net Cash Out Flow – What the firm needs to invest initially in the project.

Step 1 – Understand the nature of the project and calculate cash flow for each year.
Step 2 – Discount those cash flow based on the discount rate.
Step 3 – Add all the discounted cash flow.
Step 4 – Selection of the project

Why Leadership & Managing People Managers need to know Financial Tools such as Net Present Value (NPV)?

In our daily workplace we often come across people and colleagues who are just focused on their core competency and targets they have to deliver. For example marketing managers at Diversity Integrated often design programs whose objective is to drive brand awareness and customer reach. But how that 30 point increase in brand awareness or 10 point increase in customer touch points will result into shareholders’ value is not specified.

To overcome such scenarios managers at Diversity Integrated needs to not only know the financial aspect of project management but also needs to have tools to integrate them into part of the project development and monitoring plan.

Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 15%

After working through various assumptions we reached a conclusion that risk is far higher than 6%. In a reasonably stable industry with weak competition - 15% discount rate can be a good benchmark.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 15 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10001134)	-10001134	-	-
Year 1	3469616	-6531518	3469616	0.8696	3017057
Year 2	3976098	-2555420	7445714	0.7561	3006501
Year 3	3975435	1420015	11421149	0.6575	2613913
Year 4	3247473	4667488	14668622	0.5718	1856753
TOTAL					10494225

The Net NPV after 4 years is 493091

(10494225 - 10001134 )

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 20%

If the risk component is high in the industry then we should go for a higher hurdle rate / discount rate of 20%.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 20 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10001134)	-10001134	-	-
Year 1	3469616	-6531518	3469616	0.8333	2891347
Year 2	3976098	-2555420	7445714	0.6944	2761179
Year 3	3975435	1420015	11421149	0.5787	2300599
Year 4	3247473	4667488	14668622	0.4823	1566104
TOTAL					9519229

The Net NPV after 4 years is -481905

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9519229 - 10001134 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Diversity Integrated to discount cash flow at lower discount rates such as 15%.

Acceptance Criteria of a Project based on NPV

Simplest Approach – If the investment project of Diversity Integrated has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Diversity Integrated can ACCEPT the project, otherwise they can reject the project. This means that project will deliver higher returns over the period of time than any alternate investment strategy.

In theory if the required rate of return or discount rate is chosen correctly by finance managers at Diversity Integrated, then the stock price of the Diversity Integrated should change by same amount of the NPV. In real world we know that share price also reflects various other factors that can be related to both macro and micro environment.

In the same vein – accepting the project with zero NPV should result in stagnant share price. Finance managers use discount rates as a measure of risk components in the project execution process.

Sensitivity Analysis

Project selection is often a far more complex decision than just choosing it based on the NPV number. Finance managers at Diversity Integrated should conduct a sensitivity analysis to better understand not only the inherent risk of the projects but also how those risks can be either factored in or mitigated during the project execution. Sensitivity analysis helps in –

What will be a multi year spillover effect of various taxation regulations.

What can impact the cash flow of the project.

What are the uncertainties surrounding the project Initial Cash Outlay (ICO’s). ICO’s often have several different components such as land, machinery, building, and other equipment.

What are the key aspects of the projects that need to be monitored, refined, and retuned for continuous delivery of projected cash flows.

Understanding of risks involved in the project.

Some of the assumptions while using the Discounted Cash Flow Methods –

Projects are assumed to be Mutually Exclusive – This is seldom the came in modern day giant organizations where projects are often inter-related and rejecting a project solely based on NPV can result in sunk cost from a related project.

Independent projects have independent cash flows – As explained in the marketing project – though the project may look independent but in reality it is not as the brand awareness project can be closely associated with the spending on sales promotions and product specific advertising.

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Negotiation Strategy of Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap'

References & Further Readings

Rossella Ricco, Marco Guerci (2018), "Diversity Challenge: An Integrated Process to Bridge the 'Implementation Gap' Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.