In January 2000, World Championship Wrestling (WCW)'s executive VP is faced with a challenging decision. He had been appointed the executive VP just three months ago, and was tasked with restoring the company to a profitable position. However, WCW's onscreen product was suffering; ratings for the flagship WCW Monday Nitro (Nitro) program had fallen to their lowest levels in nearly three-and-a-half years. WCW was losing its market leadership position, its viewing audience and even some of its on-screen talent to its major competitor, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The executive VP faced problems on a number of fronts: a talent roster low on motivation and morale, turnover among both the writing staff and company leadership, and a rapidly shrinking audience. Furthermore, the current instability in leadership meant that another major change would seriously impact the already-low morale among WCW's on-screen talent and support staff.
In January 2000, World Championship Wrestling (WCW)'s executive VP is faced with a challenging decision. He had been appointed the executive VP just three months ago, and was tasked with restoring the company to a profitable position. However, WCW's onscreen product was suffering; ratings for the flagship WCW Monday Nitro (Nitro) program had fallen to their lowest levels in nearly three-and-a-half years. WCW was losing its market leadership position, its viewing audience and even some of its on-screen talent to its major competitor, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The executive VP faced problems on a number of fronts: a talent roster low on motivation and morale, turnover among both the writing staff and company leadership, and a rapidly shrinking audience. Furthermore, the current instability in leadership meant that another major change would seriously impact the already-low morale among WCW's on-screen talent and support staff.
This case focuses on organizational transformation in an accounting firm in South Africa. The case describes how the impact of both globalization and the transformation that the country had undergone since the advent of democracy in 1994 steered StratAFin Inc. towards a process of building a new identity. The case describes how senior management realized the need for transformation based on the many new challenges that were being faced in the changing environment. Change was experienced at many levels within the organization: from the construction of a new building as a symbol of the change to corporatizing and growing the firm, changing the management structure, investing heavily in technology and human capital development, focusing on continuous improvement and driving major diversity transformation. The case offers insights into the many change drivers that had to be considered in the process, how the organization had to manage any resistance to change and the resultant need for flexibility during the process, and the importance of measurement of the many dimensions within a transformation process. The case concludes with the challenge of how the firm's leadership could ensure that the continuing transformation maintained its momentum.
North American and European branded hotel chains in their quest to maximize shareholder wealth have recently shed ownership of assets and freed up capital to focus on their core businesses with the help of strenuous contracts. The ensuing pursuit of further business development has expedited the internationalization process and a new business model of franchising the brand/value proposition in international locations has evolved. Globally accepted brands hold the promise of global quality. It is widely believed that Western brands deliver more value than brands from emerging nations, such that they can charge global prices to global customers. Service delivery failure is encountered frequently in the accommodation and food services industry. Such failures can act as an important performance measurement criteria. Managers are taught how to recover from service delivery failure and address loyalty issues of existing customers. They fear losing them as the cost of acquiring new customers may exceed the cost of keeping existing customers. The case illustrates how a globally branded North American hotel chain disregarded the basic tenets of maintaining the global brand promise, ignored generally accepted North American customer service standards, failed to instigate delivery failure recovery and leveraged firm specific capabilities to maximize shareholder wealth. The reaction of the local counterpart, the reaction to countermand the imbalance in the ensuing business relationship and adaptation of the value proposition are told from the perspective of a vacationing couple that experienced the diluted brand firsthand.
Clarks at a Crossroads (A) describes how this venerable British shoe company falls behind its competition and into financial trouble. The case ends with a pivotal vote by shareholders on whether to sell this family company.
Clarks (C) describes the turnaround of C&J Clarks Ltd., 1993-2002. It describes the roles of family chairman Roger Pedder, and CEO Timothy Parker, in this successful effort.
This case focuses on organizational transformation in an accounting firm in South Africa. It describes how the impact of both globalization and the transformation that the country had undergone since the advent of democracy in 1994 steered StratAFin Inc. towards a process of building a new identity. The firm’s senior management realized the need for transformation based on the many new challenges in the changing environment. Change was experienced at many levels within the organization: from the construction of a new building as a symbol of change, to corporatizing and growing the firm, changing the management structure, investing heavily in technology and human capital development, focusing on continuous improvement, and driving major diversity transformation. The case offers insights into the many drivers that had to be considered in the process, how the organization had to manage resistance to change and the need for flexibility during the process, and the importance of measurement of the many dimensions of the transformation process. The case concludes with the challenge of how the firm’s leadership could ensure that the continuing transformation maintained its momentum.
The head of the branded private investment company owner of the Virgin brand reflected on the group's new pillars of growth. Since the 1970s when Richard Branson created the Virgin record retailing company, Virgin had developed from scratch six companies worth more than $1 billion each and changed their focus from record retailing and music production to a broader one based on airlines, health, financial services, mobile and media businesses. In addition, Virgin had been able to apply the Virgin brand to several different products without harming the brand. Their challenge had been finding the capital to finance the new ventures rather than the brand. Since 2005, Branson was dedicating more and more time to a charitable organization, Virgin Unite, and had appointed Stephen Murphy the new CEO of the Group. As Murphy contemplated their growth strategy for the next decade he faced a number of difficult decisions. First, how should he fund new ventures? While growing, the Group had sold stakes in its companies and had signed with them licensing agreements for the use of the Virgin brand name. The Virgin Group was today a loose group of companies some linked to Virgin only by brand licensing agreements. Should they expand by signing new licensing agreements? Second, what kind of opportunities should he seek? Should they keep acting as a venture capital firm, nurturing new ventures as in the past or should they invest in larger and more established companies? What would be the consequences of their choices on the brand and on the Group? Would they always be able to inject the Virgin culture and turn around companies?
This case narrates the development of the Republic of Korea from 1960 to 1990. The case discusses three broad issues. First, the case provides a discussion of industrial policy in Korea. Second, the case explains the relationship between industrialization and inequality and how Korea developed without increasing inequality. Finally the case has a brief discussion of the role of education in industrialization and development.
The case is about a software development company, Telerik, which was based in Sofia, Bulgaria, with offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. The company was founded in 2002 and had become a world-leader in user interface (UI) components for Microsoft's .NET framework. The company was still managed by its original four founders and had grown to 400 employees. In response to rapid growth and to retain its rapid development product process, Telerik adopted agile development in 2006. Agile development is a values-driven process that includes the elements of decentralization, rapid development cycles, intense customer service, teamwork and face-to-face communication. Telerik has fully implemented this process, including the software development components, communication, coordination and management tools that are collaborative and rely heavily upon communication and widespread team interaction and responsibility. Telerik had moved into a new and modern building that included game and quiet rooms, and its physical environment was designed specifically to facilitate agile development. The company's management style was informal, hands-on, consultative and development-driven, and their culture was youth-focused. Telerik's human resource ("human capital") practices were innovative and flexible and its benefits and compensation package had allowed Telerik to attract a high quality workforce. Its recent innovations in benefits, including concierge services and stock options, had given Telerik an edge in human capital with an employee turnover rate of under five per cent. The founders had worked diligently to create a high performing, cohesive organization that was an exciting place to work. They had built a company with an excellent reputation, both in technical achievements and product development, and as an employer. Their success was based upon the rapid deployment of committed human capital in a culture of teamwork and custom.
This six part video case series features social entrepreneur Craig Kielburger as he faces pivotal moments in his life and the remarkable evolution of his organization. The primary dilemmas are strategic in nature and the solutions rely on leadership character and social entrepreneurship. Students are able to walk in the shoes of Craig Kielburger in each case which begins with a video set up, followed by a short one or two page case and associated discussion and concluding with Craig describing what happened in a video clip.
This case explores social media marketing as both business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) strategies. In spite of a challenging real estate environment, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) was launched in 2008 by Realogy Corporation, the largest franchisor of real estate brands in the world, to maintain and grow market share with a new type of real estate company centered around lifestyle. BHGRE has grown rapidly and has experienced tremendous success with its B2B social media efforts. Now, several years after the formation of the company, the president and chief executive officer must decide how to leverage what she has learned from the B2B effort to create a B2C social media program. Additional factors include a concurrent Canadian market entry.
Within months of its launch in December 2009, Angry Birds, a mobile game created by a small Finnish company, Rovio Entertainment Ltd., became an international hit. By late 2011, Rovio was not only making Angry Birds games for the iPhone, Android and other mobile platforms, but it had also expanded into plush toys, cookbooks, animation videos and licensing arrangement with major brands. With the goal of making Rovio the next Disney, Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio, was planning to create an Angry Birds movie. Was Angry Birds a fad that would fade away or was Rovio on a path to build a media empire?
HIGHLY COMMENDED CASE - African Business Cases Runner-up, 2012 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Case Writing Competition. This case chronicles the origins and growth of Sorbet, a chain of beauty salons targeting upper income women in South African metropolitan areas. Owner Ian Fuhr identified an opportunity to redefine the beauty salon experience in South Africa by offering customers a service unlike anything in the industry. He carefully managed human resources to motivate employees and grow the client base. To complement this, the company started an external beauty therapy school to improve staff and train potential employees. In addition, Fuhr stressed the importance of growing brand awareness and carefully adjusted the company’s sales mix to maximize all potential profit margins, all while developing a customer-centric culture. By 2011, two new businesses had been launched under the Sorbet brand (wellness services; event management). Such expansion plus regional diversification options all had to be considered while keeping service quality levels high.
A company that has a fleet of food trucks serving Thai food has issued bonds twice since its incorporation. Because the company has reached a level of maturity and is in the sixth year of operations, it is able to recall a portion of one of the bonds. The other bonds mature. Students are asked to record the transactions related to these bonds.
As a result of increased concern about common food allergens, a small ice cream manufacturer that sources its cream from local farms has decided to create a secondary manufacturing facility that can guarantee its products to be nut-free. A large investment is required in asset investment and regulatory compliance. The case centres around the bond financing associated with pursuing this expansion opportunity.
A large, well-established telecommunications company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, has decided to begin an overhaul of its infrastructure, beginning with a small pilot project. The case centres around the bonds used to finance this project, the short-term investments made with portions of the bond proceeds, and the company's outstanding common shares.