This teaching case portrays the issues surrounding the adoption of an emerging technology (mobile internet) by Agriculture ITO - an industry training organization in New Zealand. The widespread geographical nature of the organization creates a unique business scenario that can be of great value to instructors teaching IS management, technology adoption and mobility.
This case study is based on the actual experiences of several companies that we have worked with that want to expand their business into emerging markets. The case outlines and illustrates a framework of analysis that focuses on assessing foreign exchange rate risks, country risk analysis, and management's decision-making process in selecting a target country and about managing the risks associated with this decision. The case provides data on four possible target countries for which methods of forecasting exchange rates (PPP, IRP, IFE, B/P) can be used. The case also provides the opportunity for assessing whether a government is pursuing appropriate macroeconomic policies to avoid crises. Finally, the case allows for an evaluation of the probability of a foreign exchange, financial, foreign debt, and banking crisis in one or more of the four countries. While the case can be used to study macroeconomic policy decisions, its real purpose is to examine management's decision-making process to identify and manage possible risks associated with expanding into emerging markets.
The case has been used in a first-year required course called Global Economies and Markets in a module on monetary policy. On October 24, 2005, President Bush nominated Ben S. Bernanke to be chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of four years along with a 14-year term on the board of governors. With the U.S. Senate confirmation widely anticipated, Bernanke was expected to take over stewardship of the U.S. monetary policy from Chairman Alan Greenspan when he retired in January 2006. While the U.S. economy was in good shape at the end of 2005, Bernanke had to prepare to deal with two challenges when charting a course for managing U.S. monetary policy. First, the sharp rise in energy prices that began in 2002 had the potential to bring back the specter of inflation and dampen desired consumer and business spending. Second, the housing boom could turn into a housing bust, throwing the mortgage industry into turmoil and weakening consumer business confidence. There was also the possibility that the housing bust could affect broader financial markets. Bernanke had to consider his options for dealing with contingencies in the not-so-distant future.
In this fictional case, Jennifer Gaston, founder and CEO of mid-sized luxury jewelry company Aquamarine, was managing a couple of key hiring issues that had recently cropped up. In just six months, Gaston had brought in a new COO and was about to finalize a multi-month search for a CFO. Although she had nearly completed the transformation of her executive team, she still needed to thoroughly check references on the CFO candidate and extend a formal offer. A lot was riding on these positions and, despite the help of an executive search firm, hiring for them had not been easy. Students are asked to evaluate several aspects of hiring and prepare role plays for them.
Examines the leveraged buyout of Hertz in 2005, a complex, high-profile deal and a good example of cutting-edge practice in private equity. The first of a two-part series on the Hertz LBO, adopts the perspective of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, the leader of a private equity consortium bidding to buy Hertz from Ford in an auction. Set at the final round of the auction, the immediate problem for the consortium is how much to raise its previous bid. A reasonable bid must be based upon how much value the private equity consortium can create through improvements in Hertz's global operations on the one hand, and a more efficient capital structure on the other. Presents detailed descriptive information on both topics, but does not include detailed financial projections, which must be formulated by students or supplied, for discussion purposes, by the instructor.
In 2002, a massive accounting fraud and corporate looting scandal involving the founding Rigas family made Adelphia the 11th largest bankruptcy case in history, and the third--after WorldCom and Enron--among those triggered by fraud. Set in 2005, when Adelphia is contemplating several options to emerge from bankruptcy, including a $17.6 billion cash-and-stock offer from Time Warner and Comcast, a $17.1 billion cash-only offer from Cablevision, and a $15 billion cash-only offer from KKR and Providence. The fact that both Comcast and Cablevision are themselves family-controlled and with a large wedge between the family's ownership and control rights further complicates the decision.
Executives at First National Bank in South Africa are considering whether to launch a potentially exciting, but rather unorthodox, new savings product. Instead of paying interest, this product gives depositors the chance to win large cash prizes each month. Michael Jordan, CEO of the bank's Consumer Solutions Division, must decide whether to approve the product, weighing the potential benefits against large upfront investment, uncertain market demand, and the complication that the product might face legal challenges.
The Pitcairn Family Heritage(R) fund invests primarily in companies controlled by their founding family or a related foundation. The fund was launched in 1989 by Pitcairn Trust, the family office of the descendents of Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) founder John Pitcairn. The fund has delivered good long-term returns since its inception, but in recent years it has underperformed its benchmarks by a considerable margin.
When discussing the pros and cons of an acquisition, practitioners often talk about the impact of the deal on the buyer's earnings-per-share (eps). An acquisition is said to be "accretive" if the buyer's eps goes up post-deal; it is "dilutive" if the buyer's eps goes down. Describes why managers are concerned with accretion and dilution; how to tell if a deal is accretive; why high P-E buyers can pay a premium and still have an accretive deal; how accretive deals can be bad (and dilutive deals good); and how much accretion or dilution to expect based on the terms of a deal.
Introduces a framework for evaluating mergers and acquisitions. Assumes that the criterion of a good deal is that it creates value for shareholders; i.e., has a positive deal NPV. Looks at the deal NPV from both the buyer's and seller's point of view. Explains how a positive deal NPV leads to positive predicted cumulation of abnormal returns. It then presents a framework for calculating deal NPVs based on the consideration paid, the work to be done, the value of the target, and the value created through restructuring or synergy. Concludes by introducing the concept of 'fragility risk,' which is basically the risk that the buyer's plans will go awry.
The poison pill defense against hostile takeovers was invented in 1982 by Martin Lipton, of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz. Pills are considered the most effective of all the normal defenses against a hostile bidder. Describes the two basic types of poison pills (flip-ins and flip-overs), and explains how the form of a tender offer changes the impact of a pill on the bidder. Also describes how bidders can set up tender offers to avoid poison pills.
How would you react if you were faced with a humiliating interaction with an abrasive colleague, boss, coworker, or direct report? What if that person is a rainmaker? Most students have found themselves in a difficult situation they thought they had no power to change. This case describes the interaction among four associates at an investment bank and their confrontational team leader-who is also a vice president. Deciding what to do about the vp's behavior is tricky, and there is unease about going upstairs with their complaints. This case allows for a powerful discussion about leadership techniques that only attempt to change behavior.
The case documents the growth strategy that the IMF wanted to orchestrate after the first oil crisis and as the world economy did not return to the growth rates of the 1960s. The case illustrates the pinnacle of Keynesian thinking that prevailed at the time: a view of the international economy as an almost hydraulic system that could be manipulated by government policies at will to reach desirable aggregate targets. The failure of the strategy, among other things, emphasizes the importance of inflationary expectations. The case is also a nice opportunity to discuss the Phillips curve as well as the current global imbalances and what can be done about them.
After the merger of two local hospitals, hospital leaders much decide how to reorganize services to take advantage of newly created efficiencies. Focuses on the Orthopedics department at one of the hospitals.