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Falling in Love with Learning: Leadership, Work Culture, and Collapse at BYJU'S
Pooja Sharma
Global Business School and Research Centre, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India
Sanjay Bhattacharya
School of HRM, XIM University, Bhubaneswar, India
Volume 18: 2025, pp. 113-120; ABSTRACT
This case study examines the leadership, work culture, and ethics at EdTech company
BYJU’S. It explores BYJU’S journey from being one of India’s most valued and respected EdTech
start-ups to one of the most criticized companies in three years. The case analyses the leadership and
decision-making style of the founder/promoter, Byju Raveendran, along with the work culture and
ethical practices, which have been transposed into a “toxic workplace” by BYJU’s. The case
examines how leadership and decision-making style, coupled with organizational culture,
contributed to the fall of BYJU’S. The case is suitable for Organizational Behaviour, Leadership,
and Industrial and Organizational Psychology courses at the MBA and MBA Executive levels.
Keywords: leadership, decision-making, power, Edtech, work culture.
