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GPS 402 · Unit 1 of 6

Institutions, Regulation and Public Value

Business, Government and Public Policy

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Unit overview

This unit develops institutions, regulation, and how public value intersects with profit using Solara Foods as the anchor. You will apply institutional theory, regulatory impact analysis, public value triangle, compliance cost curves to a live decision: Accelerate reformulation versus lobby for phased implementation

Learning objectives

By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

  • Explain core vocabulary for institutions, regulation, and how public value intersects with profit in plain language with Solara Foods examples
  • Apply institutional theory to structure options, assumptions, and tradeoffs
  • Build reconciled evidence tables with leading indicators and guardrail metrics
  • Produce a decision memo with kill criteria and stakeholder dissent

Solara scenario

EU nutrition labeling rules will force reformulation across 180 SKUs in 18 months. Solara models reformulation costs versus competitor readiness on front-of-pack labels

Lessons in this unit

  1. Foundations and framing
  2. Concepts, mechanics, and operating rhythm
  3. Frameworks, evidence, and tradeoffs
  4. Applied decisions, case analysis, and executive synthesis

Assessment

Complete the unit knowledge check and applied exercise after Lesson 4. The exercise asks for a two-page memo on Accelerate reformulation versus lobby for phased implementation with reconciliation checks and kill criteria.

Unit assessment

Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.

50% applied project30% case work20% knowledge checks

Exercises

Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.

ExerciseApplied practice: Institutions, Regulation and Public Value45 min
Complete a focused practice exercise on **Institutions, Regulation and Public Value**. 1. Choose a real company, product, or situation you know. 2. Apply one core framework from this unit to analyze it. 3. Write your analysis in 300–500 words with a clear recommendation. 4. Cite at least one credible source.

Deliverable

300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under GPS 402.

Rubric

  • • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
  • • Specific evidence from a real example
  • • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
  • • Professional writing with source citation
ExerciseDrill: Institutions, Regulation and Public Value30 min
Work through the practice problems in the unit lesson without looking at notes. Then check your work against the lesson and write a short reflection: - What you got right - One mistake you caught - One concept to review before the next unit

Deliverable

Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your GPS 402 workbook.

Rubric

  • • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
  • • Honest reflection on errors
  • • Identifies a specific review action

Case analysis

Analyze a case using frameworks from this unit.

CaseCase analysis: Institutions, Regulation and Public Value60 min
Analyze a real business case through the lens of **Institutions, Regulation and Public Value**. Choose a public company event, HBR-style case, or documented decision. **Deliverable structure:** 1. Situation summary (150 words) 2. Analysis using this unit's frameworks (400 words) 3. Recommendation (150 words) 4. Risks and what would change your mind

Deliverable

2-page case write-up in your portfolio.

Rubric

  • • Case facts are accurate and sourced
  • • Analysis uses unit frameworks explicitly
  • • Recommendation is justified with tradeoffs
  • • Risks are specific, not generic

Knowledge quiz

Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.

1. Solara Foods faces: EU nutrition labeling rules will force reformulation across 180 SKUs in 18 months. Which framing best matches executive decision practice?

2. Which evidence label is correctly applied for Solara Foods?

3. Omar Haddad asks which framework fits Solara models reformulation costs versus competitor readiness on front-of-pack labels. Best answer?

4. Finance challenges a $34M-scale recommendation in GPS 402. What passes scrutiny?

5. Which kill criterion is strongest for institutions, regulation, and how public value intersects with profit?

6. Stakeholder dissent is healthiest when:

7. Best one-sentence decision ask for this unit?

8. Solara Foods operates in 42 markets. What mistake should you avoid?

Next unit: Policy Analysis and Stakeholder Incentives →