This case considers how one project-based organization overcame deterrents to strategic risk management and enabled an effective risk management process to be diffused through its projects, without significantly upsetting the autonomy of its projects. Students will explore both the deterrents to strategic risk management and the components of effective risk management.
This case describes E+Co's approach to promoting clean energy entrepreneurship in developing countries and its current strategic challenge; how to scale up its business model to reach 100 million unserved or underserved people in the developing world by 2020. In the last 12 years E+Co was successful at demonstrating and validating an "enterprise centered model" which offered reliable access and improved energy efficiency to the poor in emerging economies. Its approach to bringing the poor up the modern energy ladder, one step at a time, was initiated in response to a challenging project for the Rockerfeller Foundation, marked by a radical departure from the top-down, large scale infrastructure projects sponsored by international institutions. So far, these models had left 2.5 million people trapped into the double bind of energy poverty and energy waste. E+Co's approach was working well; by September 2006 it had invested in 138 enterprises in 30 countries. These local entrepreneurs currently provided clean energy to more than three million people. The next issue was scaling it all up; however, this risked straining the resources of E+Co's global team of 38 employees and could change the services the company provided to local entrepreneurs. Tenfold expansion within these constraints required an innovative growth strategy. Supplemental case, E+Co: The Path to Scale (B), product 9B07M055, presents a set of entrepreneurial growth strategies that preserve the core of the model.
This B case presents a conversation between E+Co's co-founders and an employee in Latin America who had raised the tough question of scale at E+Co's 2006 annual retreat. One of the co-founders' response for getting E+Co 10 times more impactful in emerging economies was to adopt what he called a strategy of wedges. Also presented is a set of complementary strategies that together could help achieve steady local impact and rapid growth. The conversation also exposes some of the strategic experiments attempted by E+Co during the past 12 years that did not achieve the expected goals yet inspired new paths to scale. This is a supplement to E+Co: A Tipping Point for Clean Energy Entrepreneurship (A), product # 9B07M054.
After successfully issuing a €100 million Eurobond in 2005, executives at Parex Banka (Parex) in Riga, Latvia are considering issuing a second bond with a face value of €200 million and a term of 5 years. In planning the bond issue, the bank is debating the bond's characteristics, such as the currency (Euro versus U.S. dollar), the spread they would initially offer and how they would approach the meeting with potential investors. Students are tasked with assessing the bank's financing needs and recommending whether the bond should be issued and if so, its currency and price.
This note explores how advertising works from a consumer behavior perspective. Following an overview of some of the traditional hierarchical approaches to studying advertising and limitations associated with these models, the elaboration-likelihood model (ELM) is introduced as a means of addressing some of these deficiencies. The ELM is then examined within an advertising context. Subsequently, subliminal advertising is briefly considered. Lastly, issues related to measurement of advertising effectiveness are discussed.
In February 2007, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) was far and away the dominant food retailer in Canada with a market share of 35 per cent across its various retailing formats. As part of its long term retailing strategy and in a bid to reduce the impact of Wal-Mart Canada's entry into food retailing, in 2004 Loblaw began to build new The Real Canadian Superstores in Ontario and position them as blockers that resembled Wal-Mart's U.S. combination food and general merchandise superstores. It overhauled its entire logistical system to improve its cost structure and it brought in new senior executives in 2006. Unfortunately, The Real Canadian Superstores appeared to be disappointing some customers, retail analysts, industry experts and even former Loblaw executives. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart entered the retail food market in 2006 with distinctive emphasis on fresh produce and deli offerings on top of its low prices and wide assortment. The question for Loblaw's executive team was whether or not to make any strategic changes, and, if so, in what direction.
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) was the successor of the acclaimed PlayStation 2 (PS2), recognized as the world's best-selling video game console with more than 100 million units sold. The unprecedented display of enthusiasm for the PS3 suggested that Sony had another winner on its hands. The company projected sales of six million PS3 consoles worldwide between November 2006 and March 2007, a level that the PS2 took almost a year to reach. Sony's initial euphoria was short-lived. By February 2007, more than a third of PS3 consoles remained unsold, while some retailers reported a higher number of returns than sales. Consumers said they felt let down by Sony. The PS3 looked no better than Microsoft's Xbox 360, they complained, even though the Xbox 360 had already been on the market for more than a year, and sold for $200 less than the PS3. Customers also lamented the PS3's lack of interesting games, spotty support for PlayStation 2 games, and uninspiring online capabilities. Meanwhile, Nintendo's inexpensive and quirky Wii console had become all the rage, despite its underpowered processor and comparatively basic graphics. The case examines the characteristics of a successful new product launch, particularly product features, brand loyalty, content availability, third-party support, and adherence to industry standards. The case also considers how radical innovations can be used to win market share from technically superior products focused on incremental innovations. Finally, we use a 4P marketing analysis to compare video game systems offered by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
The customer care team lead at Hospital Software Solutions was becoming increasingly distressed in her workplace. Her supervisors were not managing her or the department effectively; her responsibilities did not align with her job description; she was being blamed for computer system failures; and she felt she was being viewed as the office slacker. The case provides for the application of theoretical concepts surrounding leadership, power/influence, motivation, corporate culture and conflict. The supplement case, Hospital Software Solutions (B), product # 9B07C019, follows the events after the customer care team lead attends a town hall meeting to air her concerns about computer systems problems.
The customer care team lead (team lead) decides to attend a town hall meeting with the company's president and publicly air her concerns about computer system problems. This action appears to help resolve the system's problems but her supervisor rates her poorly on a performance review, possibly motivated by the team lead's actions at the town hall meeting. She must find a way to resolve her issues at Hospital Software Solutions without ruining her career. This is a supplement case to Hospital Software Solutions (A), product # 9B07C018.
The production manager at Lake Erie Paper (LEP) was considering installing a moisture meter to test the water content of the wood chips used to make corrugated paper. Use of a moisture meter would speed up the testing process and could reduce costs and/or improve paper quality, but the manager wanted to be sure that the meter provided a consistent and reliable measure of the water content of the arriving woodchips.
Describes the use of data by teachers in a Boston public elementary school and the ways in which the district provided support and development as it implemented its strategy to improve student performance. Discusses the challenges of alignment among district departments and focuses on the school culture needed to engage all teachers in using data for instructional improvement.
Michael Aniballi is facing a major career transition as he completes his executive MBA degree. He attempts to evaluate three very different job offers by engaging in a thorough self-assessment.
In this supplement to Michael Aniballi (A), product 9B04C035, Michael Aniballi describes how a thorough self-assessment helped him make a difficult career decision.
Fujifilm was the second largest manufacturer of photographic film in the world when digital imaging began to substitute for its core business. In contrast to some photography incumbents, such as Polaroid, Fuji had a relatively successful transition to digital imaging. In 2000, the company had more than a 20% share of the global digital camera market and at the same time had increased its share of the global film market to about 35% from just 18% in 1990. Despite this accomplishment, by 2006 the company felt the need to find new growth opportunities and was aggressively searching for other markets in which to apply its specialty chemicals expertise. In the process, however, the company had lost its sense of self. "If we aren't an imaging company, then what are we?" was the critical question posed by the CEO. The case examines both how Fuji was able to successfully move from analog to digital imaging and how the CEO should now think about finding a "second foundation."
Linlin Chen, a sales manager at Allnation Import and Export Co. Ltd., is in her office looking at the revenue reports for her sales in the past three months. Her numbers are very good, and she knows she is about to be rewarded with a promotion and the opportunity to become a shareholder in the company. Chen has been thinking about becoming an entrepreneur for some time. As she weighs the risks and the opportunities, she realizes that she needs to make a decision within nine days, when she will be asked to become a shareholder in the company.
Mary Gadams, founder and CEO of RacingThePlanet is facing one of the many logistical crises that her young Hong Kong-based venture faces as it stages its popular 4Deserts(tm) adventure marathon series in Atacama Chile, Gobi Desert Mongolia, Sahara Desert Egypt, and Antarctica. How can a small company in Hong Kong continue to effectively coordinate such a far-flung, complex, global operation?