This history of the U.S. tobacco controversy is a reading for a class on "The Insider," a film about whistleblowing in the U.S. tobacco industry, taught in the course, The Moral Leader.
The Disney Crisis Exercise is not revealed here because it is entirely an in-class experience; students should not have access to any details prior to the exercise. Complete information is available to instructors in the teaching note. In this real-time exercise, student teams will advise Disney how to respond to a crisis precipitated by vocal and well-organized influence groups that threaten its brand as part of their advocacy on behalf of social causes. The crisis occurs against a backdrop of dynamic industry and company changes, many of which have important consequences for Disney.
The case is set in early 2009, at a time when Vietnam is rocked by the global recession. It opens with the discovery by Ly Ngoc Minh, CEO of the porcelain manufacturing company, Minh Long I, that Metro, a chain of seven department stores across Vietnam, has discounted the selling price of its products and has no intention of bringing the price of its porcelain pieces back to the level that was agreed on in their sales and distribution agreement. The backdrop for this decision comes in the midst of a turbulent economy characterised by high inflation and 20%-plus interest rates. Minh Long I management, seeks to preserve their position as a premium brand in the market and must decide whether to terminate the agreement with Metro, and potentially other distributors, or allow distributors to set their own prices. Should Minh decide to change the company's distribution strategy in light of this new economic reality or continue with a high-price high-touch emphasis?
The chief executive officer of a financial institution must decide whether or not to grant a $3 million loan to an investor in mutual funds. The financial institution makes loans of $2 for every $1 invested in mutual funds to qualified investors. The issue here is to determine whether the risks associated with this loan application justify the investment. The case involves assessing the various risks associated with the loan, including the credit risk attached to the borrower, the market risk of the planned investment program, and the currency risk of a loan in Canadian dollars and investments in foreign securities.
The case study documents the efforts of the African Development Corporation (ADC) and the Loita Group to acquire shares in Nile Commercial Bank (NCB) - the number one banking icon in South Sudan - and thus participate in the development of South Sudan as an independent, commodity-rich state. The case focuses on ADC's CEO, Dirk Harbecke, who in 2011 ran a fund that invests in banking and insurance services in sub-Saharan Africa. The case discusses whether or not ADC and Loita should invest in NCB. The real-world result of the case is ADC and Loita's eventual investment in the bank, as explained in the chapter "Restructuring the bank," which outlines the investment as it happens in real time in September 2011.
This case describes a new venture attempting to bring early-stage entrepreneurial financing to Finland and other Nordic countries. Entrepreneurship is taking off in Finland, an area that historically has had little venture capital or high-growth start-up activity, but a gap remains for seed-stage financing. The founders are evaluating the best way to structure their private equity fund to reflect their own assets and abilities and the needs and resources of the entrepreneurial scene in the Nordics. The case evaluates whether to organize as an accelerator, a micro-VC fund, an incubator, a normal VC fund, or as a hybrid.
This case study deals with the opportunities and challenges faced by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk with regard to its sustainability approach in China as of 2012. Novo Nordisk is well known for striving to integrate its business activities in a financially, environmentally, and socially responsible way, and many Novo Nordisk employees proudly refer to Novo Nordisk as a "triple bottom line (TBL) company." Novo Nordisk has been active in China for more than 50 years; however, since the Chinese economy has expanded tremendously, this increase in wealth and a more sedentary Western lifestyle have led to growing problems with obesity. As a result, China's insulin market is booming. Novo Nordisk therefore faces new challenges concerning how best to organize its TBL program in a way that ensures a comprehensive approach throughout the organization, yet allows Novo Nordisk China to adopt initiatives that fit the Chinese business context. Furthermore, with ever-increasing competition for access to China's lucrative insulin market, Novo Nordisk's competitors are also engaging in sustainability, which means that Novo Nordisk must keep innovating to stand out, and must use sustainability as a source of competitive advantage.
This case introduces students to the value chain of the oil and gas industry in Canada. Through examining the current position and future plans of a small, independent oil and gas exploration company, they will discover the challenges of growing through acquisition and the risks associated with expanding beyond a company's core competencies. The case includes an overview of the industry, the history of Oleum Resources Ltd., and the opportunities it has to revise its business strategy by expanding into the innovative but risky ASP technology. The company's first two options entail not only investing considerable capital but also hiring highly specialized personnel. However, the third option, to stay the course, may mean facing losses and investor unhappiness.
A patent lawyer and amateur woodworker with a doctorate in physics has invented a new technology to prevent table saw injuries - specifically, amputations. He has no desire to manufacture table saws, and instead protects his technology with patents and then seeks licensing arrangements with incumbent saw producers. In 2002, after two years of attempting to engage manufacturers, he accepts that they are unwilling to license his invention and he must decide whether to return to his law practice or launch a company to produce saws himself. He and his partners have no knowledge or experience with regard to making saws or starting a business. The (B) case advances the narrative to 2012.
The executive vice president of sustainability and corporate affairs at Monsanto was facing a difficult situation that could dramatically reshape the firm's business. A decade earlier, the firm had introduced into India, through a joint venture, the first in-the-seed cotton trait biotechnology. This trait protected cotton crops against potentially devastating pests, thereby reducing the need for pesticides and improving yields. Subsequently, three Indian state governments imposed a price ceiling on these biotech seeds. In addition, by 2010, the company was facing competition from over 40 Indian seed companies that offered similar or competing biotechnology cotton seeds. Also, a federal ministry had overruled the recent regulatory approval for a second, indigenously developed biotech crop, brinjal (eggplant). How should a technology innovator such as Monsanto deal with an unpredictable regulatory approval process in an increasingly competitive marketplace? Looking forward, two new in-the-seed trait technologies were being considered for introduction to Indian farmers. Should Monsanto proceed and, if so, how? More generally, what should the firm's long-term approach be in this promising market?
James and Laura Wiggins had some decisions to make. Last year, James's father had died of a stroke. Death was not instantaneous, however, and the man had lingered in hospital for several weeks in a coma. During this time, no one had been able to access James's father's bank accounts (which were registered in the father's name only). This inability to access the accounts had caused James's mother considerable economic hardship, which impressed upon James the value of a power of attorney (POA). To that end, James asked his lawyer to prepare a power of attorney for him and Laura. James wanted Laura to sign the documents that night. Before signing, Laura had some reservations and a few questions she wanted James to answer. She didn't understand how a POA worked. Was it the same as a will? She and James didn't have a will. Would the POA satisfy both needs?
In 2012, the Ontario provincial government announced that after 41 years in operation, the iconic Toronto tourist attraction Ontario Place would be shut down. The immediate closing would save the province and tax payers an estimated $20 million a year and eliminate at least 48 full-time jobs and 600 summer positions in the process. Ontario Place attendance had dropped sharply from an average of three million visitors during the early 1980's, to just over 327,000 in 2010. The Ontario government planned to keep the park closed until 2017 and spend the five years following closure to redevelop the majority of the site. It established an advisory panel empowered with the task of evaluating how to once again make Ontario Place a popular city venue and tourist destination. The advisory panel was expected to submit a full report outlining the best ideas for the Ontario Place revitalization to the provincial government by the end of the summer.
Since the creation of the first videogame systems in the 1970s, the videogame industry has undergone numerous transformations as new technologies and market entrants fundamentally changed the gaming experience of customers. In the early 21st century, customers began accessing games without the use of a physical gaming console, either through their mobile devices, or increasingly, through the "cloud" where customers could play videogames through specially enabled devices without the need for a physical game console or game disk. How might the cloud impact the dynamics of the industry?
After successful careers as lawyers Richard Fahey and Robert Saudek set out to tackle a large-scale infrastructure challenge in a complex environment by increasing Liberian citizens' access to lighting solutions. They developed the Liberian Energy Network, which aimed to distribute solar light fixtures to citizens across the country, including some of the most remote regions. Working in Liberia presented a large set of challenges and difficulties, however Fahey and Saudek persevered.
Navigauge, a start-up company that specialises in radio market research, has developed a tool that provides high quality, accurate and location-based radio market research. This pioneering technology in radio market research is captured in a positive, albeit reserved, article in the New York Times in September 2004. The use of this tool is in stark contrast to the industry standard in the US radio research market, where a panel of listeners kept diaries on which radio programmes they listened to each month. Navigauge has successfully completed a test of its new technology in 500 cars in test market and is now looking to expand. The case starts as the founders prepare to present their new business to secure a third round of badly needed venture funding. While the new technology is revolutionary, they have yet to sign up any customers. Readers are challenged to take this small business and turn it into a success across the US, and disrupt the car radio market research industry.
Most venture capital profits come from a small percentage of investments, despite high expectations for each investment made. As a result, a small improvement in selecting portfolio companies can make a substantial improvement in fund results. This case describes the venture capital deal sourcing and screening process. It does not describe the due diligence process in detail, but focuses on initial screening-identifying those companies that the venture capitalist will evaluate in more detail. After describing the sourcing and screening process, the case describes a fictional venture capital firm, and provides a number of incoming investment opportunities to be evaluated. Students are asked to play the role of an associate at the firm, and tasked with reviewing these opportunities and determine how each should be handled-should they be rejected, should they contact the entrepreneur for more information, or should they refer the opportunity to one of the firm's partners.
The case is set in February 2008. Stefan Tammler, head of the chassis systems control division (CC) of Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch), has to make a decision about the location for the development of the new anti-lock braking system (ABS) for the low-price vehicle (LPV) segment. The case begins with a short introduction outlining the situation. It gives a detailed background on Bosch, especially the chassis systems control division. The main part of the case focuses on the global product development strategy, highlighting especially the two development sites in Suzhou, China, and Yokohama, Japan. Furthermore, the Chinese car market is described in detail, with special emphasis on the LPV segment.
Shanghai Pharmaceuticals (SPH), a vertically integrated Chinese pharmaceutical conglomerate, was considering its strategic options in the context of a rapidly evolving industry, policy, and economic environment. The company-essentially a collection of subsidiaries operating under a unified management structure-was formed through the 2009 merger of several state-owned enterprises, part of a broad policy effort in China to streamline state assets, consolidate the fragmented pharmaceutical sector, and enhance the global competitiveness of domestic firms. As it competed with other large domestic firms to become one of the few national champions that the government hoped to create, SPH was also considering an acquisition in the U.S. or Europe. This case allows students to consider the broad trends sweeping China's pharmaceutical industry and health care sector and assess future opportunities there for domestic and foreign businesses.
The president of SinYi Group was contemplating various ways of growing his highly successful Taiwanese real estate company in the mainland China market. SinYi had initially opened up company-operated branches and in 1999, in an effort to expand more quickly, he had obtained a Coldwell Banker master franchise under a joint SinYi/Coldwell brand. But SinYi’s growth in company-operated and franchised branches in China was still slow. He was considering whether he should establish a new company to run the franchise business exclusively using the Coldwell brand and reserve the SinYi brand for company-owned branches. This new approach would require a revision to the agreement with Coldwell Banker, which the president would need to evaluate.