In 2015, two years after signing a license agreement in the United Kingdom, Cameron Auto Parts (Cameron) now faces an opportunity to establish with another firm a joint venture in France for the European market. However, the prospect upsets the U.K. licensee who is clearly doing very well, and who even wants Cameron to consider joint venturing with him in Australia. The case ends with Cameron, run off its feet in North America, trying to decide whether to enter Europe via licensing, joint venture or direct investment. (This case is a sequel to Cameron Auto Parts: Early Internationalization, case (9B16M043).
This case is about a small American auto parts producer trying to diversify its way out of dependence on the major automakers in 2013. A promising new product is developed and the company gets a chance to license it to a Scottish manufacturer. The issue of whether to license or go it alone in international markets is central to the case. A full class sequel to this case is available, titled Cameron Auto Parts: Joint Ventures, Licensing or Exporting, 9B16M044.
After suffering severe complications from a relatively minor surgery at a California children’s hospital in early December 2013, a young teenage girl was declared brain dead. However, to her family, the girl seemed responsive and they refused to accept the hospital’s statement that their daughter was deceased. The hospital arranged visits with social workers and other staff in an attempt to help the family understand that their daughter was dead and, after three days, informed the family of its plan to move the teen’s body to the morgue. The case quickly became a nationwide media event. The family acquired a noted lawyer to ensure the teen received the care the family thought was needed, while the hospital hired a public relations firm to become the hospital’s voice in the issue, a move that might have exacerbated the problem. With such a complex and tragic crisis that rapidly unfolded, should the hospital have a policy in the event that family members disagree with an official medical diagnosis? How could the hospital have managed the aftermath of the teen’s death and prevented a media embarrassment?
Honda Canada was coping with a communications and supply chain crisis after a triple disaster — an earthquake followed by a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown — that hit Japan in March 2011. Honda’s worldwide supply chain was characterized by a just-in-time, single-source approach, wherein the supplier for each component provided the best quality at the lowest price. The approach normally ensured economies of scale but now, in an abnormal time, Honda’s supply chain was vulnerable. In the short term, Honda Canada had to manage the chaos through effective communication with its stakeholders. In the long term, it had to ensure checks and balances in its supply chain. See supplemental case 9B16D005.
In 2015, Puma became the market leader in sportswear sales in India, leaving Adidas, Reebok, and Nike behind for the first time since Puma entered the market. Puma’s success in India was primarily attributed to its marketing techniques, judicious expansion, and customer acquisition strategy. Indian consumers had been embracing lifestyle changes associated with increased health concerns and the popularity of fitness programs. As a result, the sportswear segment grew, presenting an opportunity for companies to maximize their return on investments. While Puma moved ahead of Adidas to become the leading sportswear brand in India, the market evolved and became competitive. Puma needed to continue innovating its marketing strategies to hold onto its leadership position. Meanwhile, domestic footwear brands were expanding their retail footprints and distribution networks beyond their regional presence in order to gain a substantial market share. Could Puma strengthen its branding and hold its market position despite continuing competition from established brands and new competition from domestic companies?
Christina Gomez, energy and sustainability manager for the National Aquarium in Maryland, is looking back at the success the organization has had over the past two years in shrinking its environmental footprint. It is impressive. But bigger challenges lie ahead. The organization has a huge electricity bill, totaling $1.5 million in 2013 alone. She has three options she is considering to lower the bill and green the aquarium's operations further. Students are asked to weigh the pros and cons of each and choose the best solution.
Erica Ocampo, sustainability and advocacy manager at The Dow Chemical Company, is getting ready to present her report on the pilot Energy Bag program to her boss. The waste-to-energy program has been met with success in converting plastics to energy, but Ocampo is wondering how she can take the project a step further and truly make Dow a participant and leader in the circular economy. Students are asked to identify with Ocampo and develop a plan of action for the company.
After suffering severe complications from a relatively minor surgery at a California children's hospital in early December 2013, a young teenage girl was declared brain dead. However, to her family, the girl seemed responsive and they refused to accept the hospital's statement that their daughter was deceased. The hospital arranged visits with social workers and other staff in an attempt to help the family understand that their daughter was dead and, after three days, informed the family of its plan to move the teen's body to the morgue. The case quickly became a nationwide media event. The family acquired a noted lawyer to ensure the teen received the care the family thought was needed, while the hospital hired a public relations firm to become the hospital's voice in the issue, a move that might have exacerbated the problem. With such a complex and tragic crisis that rapidly unfolded, should the hospital have a policy in the event that family members disagree with an official medical diagnosis? How could the hospital have managed the aftermath of the teen's death and prevented a media embarrassment?
Honda Canada was coping with a communication and supply chain crisis after a triple disaster - an earthquake followed by a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown - that hit Japan in March 2011. Honda's worldwide supply chain was characterized by a just-in-time, single-source approach, wherein the supplier for each component provided the best quality at the lowest price. The approach normally ensured economies of scale but now, in an abnormal time, Honda's supply chain was vulnerable. In the short term, Honda Canada had to manage the chaos through effective communication with its stakeholders. In the long term, it had to ensure checks and balances in its supply chain. See supplemental case B.
Honda Canada was coping with a communications and supply chain crisis after a triple disaster - an earthquake followed by a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown - that hit Japan in March 2011. Honda's worldwide supply chain was characterized by a just-in-time, single-source approach, wherein the supplier for each component provided the best quality at the lowest price. The approach normally ensured economies of scale but now, in an abnormal time, Honda's supply chain was vulnerable. In the short term, Honda Canada had to manage the chaos through effective communication with its stakeholders. In the long term, it had to ensure checks and balances in its supply chain.
IC Group owned several of Scandinavia's leading premium fashion brands. How should it respond to the decline of its primary wholesale distribution channels (independent fashion boutiques and department stores)? Should it open more physical stores or focus on e-commerce? Where should the Group focus its international expansion? How could it best leverage its operating platform to drive the profitability of its brands? Should it acquire existing brands or build new ones itself? In short, what should its "omni-channel retailing" strategy be?
N12 Technologies was a startup founded in 2010 that employed nanotechnology to manufacture a patented material to improve the performance of carbon fiber composites, which were used in a wide variety of products, ranging from bicycles to automobiles to aircraft parts. By 2016, the company had grown to 27 employees and was able to produce its product in small volumes. While much had been achieved, the company's success hinged on its leadership's ability to scale both the organization and production capabilities exponentially. The case describes the company's evolution from a newly created startup to a young "loosely structured" company as well as the challenges ahead.
Starting in 1997, Mohammad Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar, has been largely associated with Dubai's most renowned real estate projects: the world's tallest building, largest mall and biggest fountain show. Emaar's pioneering success attracted a large number of private sector entrepreneurs as well as the Government of Dubai to follow in its footsteps. Consequently, land at prime locations in Dubai was not as readily available as it used to be. Emaar tried to venture outside of Dubai, but later faced challenges in choosing the right partners and maintaining control over management. Being 'stuck' between an overcrowded competitive landscape in Dubai and challenging conditions abroad, Alabbar wondered how he could maintain his company's growth while staying prepared for any upcoming financial downturn.
In 2004, Carlos Fernando Mayorga and a partner founded a company to "reinvent a car washing system in Colombia," by designing and manufacturing a machine to wash cars in parking lots and shopping malls using only five liters of water. In a short while, Global Blue Hydros (GBH) has managed to expand and gain market share in the car washing business. This case looks at the resilience displayed in an entrepreneurial process with several "failures" and the search of a value proposition that appeals to its target segment. GBH has learned about several micro-franchise and license schemes and has striven to find ways to innovate and grow. The evolution of GBH's business model provides significant lessons for entrepreneurs.
In a 2014 documentary, the multinational technology company Apple Inc. was implicated in alleged human rights violations at Pegatron, a large Chinese supplier that assembled Apple's iPhones. The allegations followed similar, well-publicized violations in 2009 at another China-based Apple supplier. Although Apple had promised to improve its practices, doing so had clearly proven to be a difficult task. How should Apple respond to these new allegations? Should it evade the accusations and instead point to its existing efforts? Could it do more to protect workers? Should it rethink its offshoring and outsourcing strategy? Is it fair to blame Apple for the activities of its suppliers? Where does the blame fall?
In 2015, Puma became the market leader in sportswear sales in India, leaving Adidas, Reebok, and Nike behind for the first time since Puma entered the market. Puma's success in India was primarily attributed to its marketing techniques, judicious expansion, and customer acquisition strategy. Indian consumers had been embracing lifestyle changes associated with increased health concerns and the popularity of fitness programs. As a result, the sportswear segment grew, presenting an opportunity for companies to maximize their return on investments. While Puma moved ahead of Adidas to become the leading sportswear brand in India, the market evolved and became competitive. Puma needed to continue innovating its marketing strategies to hold onto its leadership position. Meanwhile, domestic footwear brands were expanding their retail footprints and distribution networks beyond their regional presence in order to gain a substantial market share. Could Puma strengthen its branding and hold its market position despite continuing competition from established brands and new competition from domestic companies?
In 2014, the vice-president and director of recycling at the Arizona-based First Solar, Inc., the world's leading solar energy company, was considering a business plan to convert its solar panel recycling initiative from a cost centre to a profit-making business. Although the company pre-funded the recycling of photovoltaic solar panels by adding the recycling cost to the end-customers' purchase price, Europe had recently enacted laws requiring that solar modules be recycled after their useful life had ended. First Solar's vice-president and director of recycling recognized a business opportunity in recycling solar panels but wondered about the timing of entry into this area and the profit potential of such a move. How could they best position First Solar's recycling offering to take advantage of the North American recycling regulations that they believed were imminent but that had not yet transpired?