A new study, which looks at the impact that typefaces have on learning, reveals that readers actually remember material better when it is presented in smaller, less-legible fonts. Teachers, marketers, and publishers, take note.
Federal budget deficits are grave threats not only to national security but also to economic competitiveness. They consume the resources we must invest in keeping the United States competitive. The good news is that we still have time to deal with the problem. But we can't solve it simply by growing, raising taxes, or making cuts. All of us have to make sacrifices. In a world of limited resources, we have to make choices. So far, though, Washington hasn't been willing, and the business community--eager not to antagonize the members of Congress whose support they need--is partly to blame. If we in the business community allow members of Congress to think that doing nothing is OK, then that's exactly what they'll do. All of us in business must put aside our individual wish lists and think about what's really important for the country.
Societies that are better at utilizing tools are likely to be more productive. The authors have studied when 161 countries adopted 104 technologies over the past 200 years, and they conclude that profound economic advantages--as measured by per capita income--accrue to early adopters of technology.
Jamie Bailey, owner and president of C. R. Plastics, had successfully grown his business every year since 1994 when he began producing recycled plastic outdoor furniture. This rapid growth had provided its own challenges in terms of constrained financing and by summer 2010, Bailey was desperate for a new source of cash. He subsequently auditioned to be on Dragon’s Den, a television show where entrepreneurs could pitch their business to a group of venture capitalists, who could then choose to invest their own cash in exchange for a share of the business. With a week remaining before he had to present his final pitch, Bailey had to make a difficult prediction: How much money would he need to meet the growing demand into 2011? Complicating his analysis were competing proposals to fundamentally change how production was managed. In addition to reconfiguring labour allocation, one method required significant investment in equipment, while the other increased inventory during the off-season. Which alternative would allow the company to retain a greater share of the equity when Bailey pitched his business to the Dragon’s Den panel?
The case takes place in Peru in the aftermath of the worst mercury spill in history, by a transportation contractor for Newmont Mining Corporation. BHP Billiton, which has no connection to Newmont but is affected by increased hostility toward mining companies, enters into an agreement with Oxfam to conduct training on sustainability and “the impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects on communities.” Executives from the company’s various international business units are selected to participate in the program, to be held each year in Orissa, India. One of the first managers selected to attend the program is the general manager for BHP Billiton’s Tintaya copper mine in Peru. The case discusses the process, objectives, and outcome of the resulting dialogue between BHP Billiton and local indigenous residents.
The case takes place in Peru in the aftermath of the worst mercury spill in history by a transportation contractor for Newmont Mining Corporation. Newmont's senior vice president and chief administrative officer is sent to Peru to assess the situation. The subsequent audit revealed that Newmont's mining operations in Peru met neither U.S. nor Peruvian mining standards. There were water issues, there were air issues, there were road issues, there were health issues - all arising out of the mining operation, the report concluded. The investigation also found that Newmont executives could be subject to criminal prosecution and imprisonment for the company's actions in Peru. More importantly, the company had violated its social license with local communities, putting in jeopardy its ability to conduct business in that country.
This background note discusses the history and current state of mineral mining in Peru. Topics include stakeholders, government policies, corruption, regulation, conflicts, social costs, remediation, and the advocacy role of NGOs. The note can be used with two case studies on mining in Peru, Newmont Mining Corporation and BHP Billiton. The note also discusses the current debate on how to procure greater compliance to international standards by mining companies and the potential impact these decisions may have on the future of mining in that country.
Yara Branco has just joined Tarbes S.A., one of Brazil’s best-known technology firms, as its new CEO. She sees a crisis on the horizon and needs to find a way to communicate that change is necessary at the company. She must overcome several issues, including the fact that she is an outsider and that many insiders will not support the change effort. Branco needs to develop an appropriate communications strategy to begin her term as CEO. This requires determining Tarbes’s predicament, devising a list of stakeholders and barriers to change, and identifying the stakeholders’ interests and what might be necessary to change their positions.
The case describes the battle between First Quantum Mineral and Eurasian Resources over mines in Democratic Republic of Congo. After FQM's license to operate was revoked by the government of the DRC, Eurasian bought the rights over the mines that were previously under FQM's control raising questions about the effectiveness of corporate governance at Eurasian.
Two facilities owned by a large U.S.-based multinational enterprise (one in Canada, one in the United States) are competing for a regional manufacturing and distribution mandate. The head of Firstwell’s global operating committee must decide whether the proposal from Firstwell Canada is best not only for the Kingston, Ontario, plant but also for Firstwell Corporation worldwide. The decision could signal a major shift in parent–subsidiary relations.
The Tiny Prints case describes the founding of the online stationery company in 2004, through its growth and evolution to 2007. The three cofounders bootstrapped the company from the beginning, primarily so that they could retain control over the decision-making and strategic direction of the company. While that decision allowed the cofounders flexibility and independence, it also led to capital constraints and a "good enough" culture that had a variety of positive and negative implications for the company. Ultimately, Tiny Prints was able to grow because of its very specific focus on the birth announcement, and later holiday, market, an emphasis on customer service and innovations in design and distribution. As of 2007, the founders faced questions regarding their future growth strategy, particularly given increasing competition in the market, and were at an inflection point where they needed to consider the important decision of bringing in outside capital. Part B of the case explores the management team's decision to move forward with a purchase offer from Shutterfly or to maintain control of the company and continue to grow organically.
Two facilities owned by large U.S.-based multinational enterprise (one in Canada, one in the United States) are competing for a regional manufacturing and distribution mandate. The head of Firstwell's global operating committee must decide whether the proposal from Firstwell Canada is best not only for the Kingston, Ontario plant but also for Firstwell Corporation worldwide.
The case takes place in Peru in the aftermath of the worst mercury spill in history by a transportation contractor for Newmont Mining Corporation. BHP Billiton, which has no connection to Newmont, but is affected by increased hostility toward mining companies, enters into an agreement with Oxfam to conduct training on sustainability and "the impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects on communities." Executives from the company's various international business units were selected to participate in the program, to be held each year in Orissa, India. One of the first managers selected to attend the program is the general manager for BHP Billiton's Tintaya Copper Mine. The case discusses the process, objectives, and outcome of the resulting dialogue between BHP Billiton and local inidigenous residents.
The case takes place in Peru in the aftermath of the worst mercury spill in history by a transportation contractor for Newmont Mining Corporation. Newmont's senior vice president and chief administrative officer is sent to Peru to assess the situation. The subsequent audit revealed that Newmont's mining operations in Peru met neither U.S. nor Peruvian mining standards. "There were water issues, there were air issues, there were road issues, there were health issues - all arising out of the mining operation," the report concluded. The investigation also found that Newmont executives could be subject to "criminal prosecution and imprisonment" for the company's actions in Peru. More importantly, the company had violated its "social license" with local communities, putting in jeopardy its ability to conduct business in that country.
This background note discusses the history and current state of mineral mining in Peru. Topics include stakeholders, government policies, corruption, regulation, conflicts, social costs, remediation, and the advocacy role of NGOs. The note can be used with two case studies on mining in Peru, Newmont Mining Corporation and BHP Billiton. The note also discusses the current debate on how to procure greater compliance to international standards by mining companies and the potential impact these decisions may have on the future of mining in that country.
The case investigates the impact of the increasing trend of pharmaceutical firms to outsource core research activities to biotech firms and other contract research organizations. The fluid nature of supply chain design in evolving industries is highlighted, and robust supply chain policies to respond to this evolution are proposed.
The case examines the impact of variability in demand and the supply chain on the operations of an oil refinery. The impact of external financial metrics by other stakeholders in the refinery is discussed, and policy measures for the improvement of the operations of the oil refinery are proposed.