The case study

Assignments

• A team of journalists specialized in corporate scandals. They will provide a legal update on the Theranos case. Since the scandal occurred and the case was written, both Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani were put on trial. Explain why they were trialed separately, how these trials went, the legal arguments of the accusation against both of them, and the final decisions of the judges.
• A boutique consultancy specialized in corporate PR. They will provide an analysis of the construction of Elizabeth Holmes’ public image. Based on the case and additional sources (see suggestions below), they will detail how she presented herself in the media, with precise quotes and illustrations. Attention will be paid to the chronological progression of this image.
  • Episodes 1 « Myth-Making » and 3 « A star is born » of ABC’s podcast The Drop Out.
  • Episode 6 « Holmes and the Media » of the podcast Bad Blood: The Final Chapter
• A group reads and analyses Gottschall (2016). The group will present the article’s thesis and main arguments, trying to illustrate with concrete examples as much as possible. After objectively synthesizing the text, some critical perspective will be given, based on other academic material (from the group’s own research), and the conclusion will express the group’s position regarding the thesis of the article.
• A crisis management consulting firm. They will analyze Elizabeth Holmes’ defense after John Carreyrou’s article was published in the Wall Street Journal, both in the media and during the trial (see suggestions of sources below). In particular, they will underline the claims and arguments she used to justify that she was not responsible and/or could not be held accountable of what happened in Theranos. Particular attention will be paid to the diffusion strategies (how she blames other) and their organizational aspects (delegation of responsibility, size of the company, lack of experience or expertise, etc.)
  • Episodes « Bombshell » and « Setting the stage » of ABC’s podcast The Drop Out.
  • Episode « The Sympathy Play » of the podcast Bad Blood: The Final Chapter
• A group reads and analyses Beu & Buckley (2004). The group will present the article’s thesis and main arguments, trying to illustrate with concrete examples as much as possible. After objectively synthesizing the text, some critical perspective will be given, based on other academic material (from the group’s own research), and the conclusion will express the group’s position regarding the thesis of the article.