When work kills: The case of Arjun Mehra

Publication Type

Case

Publication Date

1-2026

Abstract

This case explores the journey of Arjun Mehra, a 26-year-old chartered accountant who died just four months into his role at CMC Global, a prestigious multinational professional-services firm. His sudden death following prolonged overwork and exhaustion triggered widespread debate about the ethics of ambition and the culture of overwork in corporate India.

Through the lens of CMC Global’s organisational systems, the case examines how performance pressures, hierarchical norms, and implicit expectations can erode employee wellbeing. It also highlights the company’s crisis response after a private letter from Arjun’s girlfriend to the firm’s Managing Director was leaked, exposing tensions between empathy, accountability, and reputation management.

Designed for courses in Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, Organisational Behaviour, and Leadership and Wellbeing; the case enables students to evaluate organisational crisis communication following ethical or reputational failures; employer responsibilities for employee wellbeing in high-pressure environments; how organisational norms and incentives can unintentionally sustain toxic cultures; and individual responsibility within systemic constraints.

Keyword(s)

Burnout, Health and Wellness, Wellness; Organization Culture, Organizational values, Labour relations

Discipline

Mental and Social Health | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Area of Excellence

Sustainability

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Data Source

Published Sources

Industry

Business Services Sector

Geographic Coverage

India

Temporal Coverage

2025

Education Level

Executive Education; Postgraduate; Undergraduate

Publisher

Singapore Management University

Case ID

SMU-25-0036

Comments

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Additional URL

https://ccx-shop.smu.edu.sg/products/when-work-kills-the-case-of-arjun-mehra?variant=44018778636330

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